The Great Train Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center, CA

[Trucklover]

Hi guys, just wondering who here will be attending the Great Train Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend? Im going tomorrow morning for the day i think, just wanted to know if anyone would be there? Russ are you going to be there? lol

Ill be going by myself, my grandpa usually takes me but he will be working tomorrow lol

[Russ Bellinis]

I was planning to go, but my wife gave me her cold and it really has me laid low, so I'm giving it a pass unless I have a miraculous recovery by morning. I'm planning to make the show in Costa Mesa at the O.C. Fairgrounds in March. Look for the Orange County Module Railroaders while you are there. We have a large layout set up somewhere in the convention center.

[Trucklover]

I was planning to go, but my wife gave me her cold and it really has me laid low, so I'm giving it a pass unless I have a miraculous recovery by morning. I'm planning to make the show in Costa Mesa at the O.C. Fairgrounds in March. Look for the Orange County Module Railroaders while you are there. We have a large layout set up somewhere in the convention center.

Dang thats too bad Russ, sorry to hear that

Ill look for the groups layout, im going to take lots of pics

Ill also try and make it to the March one as well

[Trucklover]

Well im off to the train show this morning

Hopefully i can pick me up another Rix Overpass kit so i can finish widening the bridge on the CAT module. I also hope to get some scale lumber and some styrene if someones got it, and of coarse whatever else i may find at the good old train show

[Trucklover]

Train Show was Ehhh, its been better, i have a feeling the cuddy economy has a lot to do with it

Russ, if your wondering, you didnt really miss anything, i didnt find any super deals or much stuff that was worth opening my wallet lol. The layouts there were pretty much the same that i have seen there before, but it was still nice to see them again and snap some pics off to freshen ideas in my head hehehe

Ill post a thread of the pictures from the show

Here is what i got from the show:

Athearn RTR Procor 30K Tank Car 3-pack
Athearn BB ADM Centerflow Coverd Hopper
Weathering Powders Set
Micro-Sol
Micro-Set


Total spend was $64 or something, so not to bad lol


There was not a lot of HO scale trains there. I saw a few locos that i would have liked to get, but they were pretty much going for retail and i would rather get them online from a hobby dealer like MB Klien for a discounted price. LOTS AND LOTS of G and O scale trains were there for sale though, and alot of LIONEL trains too, quite a bit of N scale too, but there was just a lack of HO which was surprising to me

Anyways, it was fun and killed a few hours :mrgreen:

[Russ Bellinis]

Since I don't yet have a layout, my main enjoyment of the shows is the opportunity to run trains. If I find some bargains, that is just a bonus.

[ezdays]

The Great Train Expo came through the Phoenix area about a year ago. it was held up in north Scottsdale. There were a few layouts there from local clubs that I've never seen before, but the number of exhibitors that they claimed would be there, never happened. It was a disappointment for sure in that regard, more than half the hall was empty. I was expecting some manufacturers to have tables there, but there were none. A good many tables were local people that seem to show up at all the local swap meets anyway.

[Trucklover]

The Great Train Expo came through the Phoenix area about a year ago. it was held up in north Scottsdale. There were a few layouts there from local clubs that I've never seen before, but the number of exhibitors that they claimed would be there, never happened. It was a disappointment for sure in that regard, more than half the hall was empty. I was expecting some manufacturers to have tables there, but there were none. A good many tables were local people that seem to show up at all the local swap meets anyway.

Don, thats pretty much how it was in the way of vendors. All the vendors were pretty much locals. I didnt see any of the big name MFR's there at all. They had a group doing free scenery classes and demonstrations, but it wasnt Woodland Scenics, i dont recall who it was. ALOT of the vendors appeared to be regular train guys like us, just setting up a few tables trying to pawn off there stuff that was just plain junky lol

Saw one guy that was selling some Walthers 5-unit Double Stacks with containers, he wanted $100 for each set containers included, i was like WHOA no thanks buddy, i can get a 5-unit set for full retail from Walthers and buy Walthers containers at full retail for cheaper then you want your set for lol


There was quite a few layouts there. There was a fair mix of N and HO, and a G and O layout or 2 as well (i dont member how many of each of them there were for O and G lol). All and all, the Great Train Expo has been WAY better in the past, and im blaming the cruddy economy for this one

[Russ Bellinis]

Don, thats pretty much how it was in the way of vendors. All the vendors were pretty much locals. I didnt see any of the big name MFR's there at all. They had a group doing free scenery classes and demonstrations, but it wasnt Woodland Scenics, i dont recall who it was. ALOT of the vendors appeared to be regular train guys like us, just setting up a few tables trying to pawn off there stuff that was just plain junky lol

Josh, don't pass up that "junky stuff" too fast. Many times out of production diesel locomotive shells for a cheap price are great kit bashing material. One of the guys in the club gets the old AHM or Tyco ( I can't remember which) high nose Gp20 to use the short hood to build the chopped nose for Santa Fe chop nose Gp7 & 9 with scratch/bashed Topeka cabs. I bought an Alco Rs11 shell and an Alco Sw 1 shell at a train show once for less than $5.00. When I get back to modeling after this home remodel is done, I'm going to finish combining parts of the 2 shells with the chassis from an Athearn Sw7 that had a broken body to make an Arkansas & Missouri T-1. The Sw7 was part of a bunch of train stuff I bought from my neighbor across the street when I first moved in. I think I paid $50 for a table, 2 or 3 locomotives and 30 or so Athearn blue box freight cars, some Atlas switches and a bunch of flex track. When I finish the T-1, it will probably cost me less than $20 including paint, decals, and details.