Train Shows starting up again including GSMTS

[riogrande]

I've already seen around 3 or 4 announcements in the past week for train shows starting up again in various locations.

For the greater Baltimore/DC area, JS Geare who has been running the Great Scale Model Train Show at Timonium MD show has announced a show located at the Hunt Valley Marriott Hotel in Cockyvsille MD, in the general vicinity of the Timonium Fair Grounds. I'm guessing they couldn't book Timonium on fairly short notice now that things are opening up. This show is advanced ticket sales only and doing two sessions on April 10 and April 11 from 9:00 to 12:30 and 1:00 to 4:30.

I've been wanting to attend a Train show since I missed the last Timonium in Feb 2020 and do some treasure hunting.

Here is a link for the Great Scale Model Train Show:

www.eventbrite.com/e/great-scale-model-train-show-tickets-138097105159

[oldmuley]

The Titletown Train Show is a go for April 17-18, 2021 up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It's at a new location this year, which should be nice.

[riogrande]

Just got back from the GSMTS that is usually held at Timonium MD. I went to the 9-12:30 session and it seemed well attended - fairly crowded.
They are holding two 3 1/2 hour sessions each day on Sat and Sun. I walked around all the tables twice in about 1 1/2 hours and saw no reason to stay any longer so left. There where quite a few vendors but all in all, not exciting and 3 1/2 hours is way more than enough time to see all the tables and pick though boxes if needed to read lots of labels. The GSMTS was encouraging customers to go to more than one session but really, most would have no reason to go back and pay another $12.

There were no layouts, only vendors, which is how it was advertised. Everything was spread out into 3 large rooms and some wide hallways. Probably 2/3rds of the vendors were selling older models and some long tables with Lionel etc. There few tables with newer items such as ExactRail, Tangent, Moloco, Intermountain and Rapido etc.

My wife and I browsed all the tables twice and by then I hadn't found anything I wanted to buy. I probably could have bought a few things but my monthly budget was already way overspent so I was reluctant to spend unless it was one of a few things I was having a really hard time finding. So I left empty handed. I didn't get the impression people were buying a lot of stuff so maybe they were already spent out too! There was so much older items there which is common at Timonium shows that many of us walk past but if one was looking for older items, there was plenty to look through.

BTW, it was supposed to be a COVID safe show. If it weren't for probably many older people having gotten vaccinated, it probably would be a super spreader event. Efforts by JSGEARE, who put on the show, were more symbolic that actually effective. They had signs to funnel people through one-way through rooms but it was ignored by many and confusing. People were crowding around tables like always. If I wasn't fully vaccinated, would have felt it wasn't safe. Those who went and weren't vaccinated, were probably at risk for getting COVID due to the crowding all around the event.

All in all, like many, I wanted to get out and see what I could find and the show was roughly what I expected. It reminded me of a summer Timonium show which I went to once but never again after. I wouldn't go back to another one of these - not worth it at that distance and for what it was. This "stand-in" Timonium show was roughly similar to the Greenberg show I go to which are much closer to where I live. Hopefully Timonium will be back in the large fairground building with layouts next fall.