Here is the East Coast Large Scale spring show club members list who will have displays there. 1) New Hampshire GRS 2) Delaware Large Scalers 3) Washington, Virginia & Maryland GRS 4) Warrior Run Loco Works 5) Alkenback Live Steamers 6) Central Conneticut G Scalers 7) Chesepeak, Alleghany & Blueridge 8) Craig Weavers Circus 9) South Eastern Pennsylvania GRS 10) Susquehanna Valley GRS
If you attend the East Coast Large Scale train show for anything, do it for the "How To" seminars where you get step by step class instructions and demonstartions on how to do certain things on your railroad. Here is the seminar list. FRIDAY Seminar Schedule for SPRING ECLSTS ON GOING SEMINAR at the back of the layout hall to the right of the Food Concession area. Both days all day long Bob Temper FIGURE MAKING. Make your railroad come to life with figures unique to your display. Bob Temper of Gateway Garden Railroads Club in St. Louis, MO will be demonstrating how to sculpt your own figures doing what you want them to do in the scale that fits your railroad. He will be demonstrating the techniques developed by noted sculptor Chris Walas to create figures using aluminum foil armatures as a base for polymer clay sculptures. Materials and tools are inexpensive and easy to use. Bob has been having fun with this process since 2005. Front Door open at 9:00 a.m. 9:30 - 10:30 Ricky Rupp of Modern Rails Graphics This year I will be talking about prepping the model for decal application as well as installing Modern Rails G-Cals Decals on a USA Trains Outside braced wooden boxcar. It will be decorated in WAG- Wellsvile Addison & Galeton Railroad. There will be a question and answer period as well. Participants can actually watch as I water slide the decals onto this car. By uneven application I will be installing decals between the raised braces on the model. One side of the car will be finished as usual so participants may see a finished side of the car. 10:45 - 12:15 David Bodnar This seminar is for 90 minutes “Aristo Craft’s new Train Engineer Revolution has the potential to completely revolutionize the way that we operate our large scale trains. From the start the Revolution was designed to allow you to spend more time running your trains and less time dealing with complex, non-intuitive control systems. Come and see how this remarkable system was developed and how it makes operating trains a snap!” 12:30 - 1:30 Jerry Chapman of Split Jaw Products INC. Keep Those Trains Running - 5 Steps to a Reliable Running Railroad. Jerry will cover how to build a well running reliable railroad using Split Jaw Products. This talk is geared to new people getting into the hobby and it will cover power supply selection, wiring, road bed preparation, track selection and much more 1:45 - 3:15 David Bodnar This seminar is for 90 minutes Add interest and excitement to your railway with super bright LEDs, microcontrollers and other inexpensive & intriguing electronic devices. Learn how to build and program a microcontroller that can automate sounds, lights, switch motors and engines. An assortment of unique electronic devices and controls will be presented. Part I of the workshop (first 45 minutes) will focus on microcontrollers, and how you can easily program them to do exciting things on your railroad. Part II will show an array of electronic components, projects, gadgets and gizmos that have been developed, with and without microcontrollers, for model railroad use. 3:30 - 4:30 AT THE QSI BOOTH QSI Solutions - Installing Sound in an Aristocraft G Scale Locomotive. QSI Solutions will demonstrate how easy it is to install a Sound Decoder in a G Scale Locomotive. 4:30 – 5:30 Tom McCloud of Appalachian Nurseries “Putting the Garden in your Garden Railway” Helping you select the right plants for your layout. SATURDAY Seminar Schedule for SPRING ECLSTS ON GOING SEMINAR at the back of the layout hall to the right of the Food Concession area. Both days all day long Bob Temper FIGURE MAKING. Make your railroad come to life with figures unique to your display. Bob Temper of Gateway Garden Railroads Club in St. Louis, MO will be demonstrating how to sculpt your own figures doing what you want them to do in the scale that fits your railroad. He will be demonstrating the techniques developed by noted sculptor Chris Walas to create figures using aluminum foil armatures as a base for polymer clay sculptures. Materials and tools are inexpensive and easy to use. Bob has been having fun with this process since 2005. Door open at 9:00 a.m. 9: 30 – 10:30 Jerry Chapman of Split Jaw Products INC. Keep Those Trains Running - 5 Steps to a Reliable Running Railroad. Jerry will cover how to build a well running reliable railroad using Split Jaw Products. This talk is geared to new people getting into the hobby and it will cover power supply selection, wiring, road bed preparation, track selection and much more 10:45 - 12:15 David Bodnar This seminar is for 90 minutes “Aristo Craft’s new Train Engineer Revolution has the potential to completely revolutionize the way that we operate our large scale trains. From the start the Revolution was designed to allow you to spend more time running your trains and less time dealing with complex, non-intuitive control systems. Come and see how this remarkable system was developed and how it makes operating trains a snap!” 12:30 - 1:15 Don Sweet of Remote Control Systems of New England and Rick Isard of Cordless Renovations Adding Battery Power to your favorite Loco. . Table of Contents 1. Choosing a control system based on Loco amperage draw and length of train. 2, 3, 6, & 10 amp throttles. New Plug N Play systems 2. Battery types and their run times. Homegrown packs to pre-assembled. Nic-Cads, Gel cells, Nickel Metal, Lithium & Chargers. 3. See conversions of the following Locos. Aristo GP-40, USA Hudson, Bachmann K-27 w/PnP board, USA F3 and Trailer car install. Each conversion will represent how to connect to that Locos specific wiring. 4. Discuss how to reduce radio interference and best antenna placement. 5. Q&A 1:15 -- 2:00 Rick Isard of Cordless Renovations A follow up to Don Sweets seminar. Title: You, Your Battery and Charger. Rick will follow-up with "The Basics" 1. What battery works best for my application? 2. What's the difference between NiCad, Nimh & Li-Ion batteries. 3. Battery-pack construction. 4. Let's talk chargers! What charger works best for my battery? 5. Live demonstration of the New CR-1 Smart Charger. 6. Followed by Q & A afterwards 2:15 – 3:15 AT THE QSI BOOTH QSI Solutions - Installing Sound in an Aristocraft G Scale Locomotive. QSI Solutions will demonstrate how easy it is to install a Sound Decoder in a G Scale Locomotive.
Enough hours in the day!!! Just the clinics only are worth the price of admission!! Between the vendors and the clinics there are not enough hours in the day to fully enjoy all that is being offered! This show should add another day and be called a convention. I hope admission is good for all 3 days because you should plan on attending at least 2 days if possible. To the luckey few that are attending hope you find that one piece you have been looking for,if not from what you learn through the clinics should make it more than worth your while...Enjoy!!! all I can say is you Lucky Bast@#%*
Route66 It's a shame that Aristocraft dumped the funds for the South East Large Scale Train show, that was right in your area. Oh by the way, how did you come up with 3 show days?????????????? The show is only March 27 Friday and March 28 Saturday. There never has been a show on Sunday which was requested by vendors I understand to Aristocraft many years ago due to religous reasosns and such. Yard sellers in my town have adopted the same polices, Friday and Saturday only 2 day yard sales. The Friday and Saturday 2 day thing is getting popular.
3 day show? I was assuming that it would be a 3 day show,so I guess ya all have to call in sick or burn a vacation day for Friday....I guess I'll steer clear of the religous factor but Sunday in my book is as good a day for trains! Bite your tongue
I will be out there for fall. With some money. My band friends are having me tour with them around wisconsin, Illinois and michigan this summer on a paid gig as their sound technician woo. As for the vendor list, I'm very impressed. Have fun out there~
The show is now only 1 week away and I am sure looking foward to whats in store there. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and start a East Coast picture album. I will be going on Saturday, so put in your requests of what you want to see now. 1) DragonFyreGT wants pictures of the new Aristocraft Trolley and of course any club Burlington Northern trains 2) E-8 Would like to see anything in the Frisco name, which the show car will be in the Frisco name Anyone want to add thier name to the list, do it before Thursday 3/26/09 5pm, special requests after that will not be read as I need my sleep to wake up early, I'm Not a morning person
Yes, just a quick addon, i don't know if you can but could you get me the 4 Road numbers of the show cars for my Roster list Please?
DragonFyreGT, I will do my best on that one, I go on Saturday and supplies usually run low by then. On another note, I went out and bought 2 20pack AA batteries for the show, my camera eats batteries like crazy in movie mode, but I hear the same complaint from everyone who has bought a Kodak digital camera. My movies will be hosted by You Tube as usual and with 2 GB of SD card space, I should be able to to take alot of movie and pictures, but will pack a extra 1 GB card just in case.
The wife and i will be heading down on friday its only 2 hour drive for us..... Camera will be ready!!!! Anyone else going on friday????
Two hour drive for us as well, we will be there by 10am on Friday, this is my first "G" scale Show and I feel like a kid on Christmas Morning!
Troy, We should be pullin in at the same time.... I will race you to the door? I also am a "G" scale show virgin....
ok, last call it is now Wensday and the last check here in this thread I will make on Thursday. I will be heading to bed early on Friday so I will not be on Train Board Friday or Saturday, but be prepared for some pictures. I already heard it's suppose to rain like crazy up there this weekend, so all be careful of who is going. So any other special requests, get them in now. Anyone else going on Saturday?
Spring East Coast Large Scale train show high lights I got plenty of pictres and video from the show, just give me some time to rest and organize everything. All in all it was a great show and I found 2 rare Charles Ro Rio Grande cars cheap and both were on my hit list, they were only $49 each. I noticed this years show was definately the place to get some deals on trains, such big discouts that it would blow away those hefty prices on ebay for the same exact train. There were discounts every where and I was told if I was to pay cash there were even more discounts. There was even USA Trains #6 switches well below retail price at $90, Charles Ro had speeders for only $60 and most any reefer car for around $49, the deals were definastely there. On the other side you could tell manufacturers and vendors had the condition of todays economy on thier minds. I personally had the chance to talk to Charles Ro himself from USA trains and took it. I introduced myself from this train board and asked him what future plans he had for more new trains. Charles Ro said that he has another steam engine on the drawing board, but decided not to pursue making it yet and glad he made that decision. He also said that the down economy is a worldwide condition and not just the USA is affected by it and since G scale trains depends on world sales he wants to hold off manufacturing any new products for at least 2 years and then see where the company is at. What is already announced such as the caboose will be made in limited quantities. As the train inventory runs low, he did say he will not be manufacturing any more to replace what has already been made, so get your favorite railroad names now. He is just about out of the USA Hudsons for example, as USA Trains runs out, thats it, no more are to be produced and depending on the type of stock your hobby shop has depends on what you will be able to get. On the up side I found out from Charles Ro I have a very rare flat bed car, he hinself said there were only 3 flat bed cars with this special pipe load due to he had this left over pipe from previous products and the workers were going to throw it away, he said no, lets mkae a special run of cars with it and only had enough for 3. Charles Ro also seems to be swimming in regular run flat bed cars, so he came up with ideas to put loads on them to sell such as excavators, trailers, bulldozers, etc or you can buy them plain with no load cheap at $30 each, you can make one nice project 89ft flat bed for a modern double trailer piggy back car. Charles Ro was nice and took the time to talk to me, I'm glad I finally got to meet him. Another one of my favorite manufacturers to talk to was Dave at Bridgewerks, he has done it again and came up with a huge impressive 25 amp transformer, but he does warn you about it's power. According to what Dave said, there was a guy who bought one and had a incident where the train derailed and the track was stainless steel, well the train derailed in such a way that the wheels got welded to the track, now thats power. In the end nothing got hurt including the locomotive motor. Dave did say he wants to perfomr a test to finally prove to everyone that there is AC current ripples and that other transformers don't filter them out when transforming the rippled current to DC power, these ripple are harmful to locomotive motors and such ripples causes a lightning storm condition constantly zapping the armature in the motor until finally, failure results. He wants to do a 8 hour full run time test on a motor being powered by Bridgewerks and a motor being powered by a MRC transformer. He did say only 8 hours because he stated thats all the longer it would take for the armature in the motor being powered by a MRC transformer to show damage, now thats scary. Good news for HO scalers, Bridgewerks now offers transformers for that scale. The attendance for the Saturday Show this year was definately way down from last year between people buying and club members coming. Even with the huge deals, not alot of people walking out of the doors with product. I over heard a guy in the Charles Ro booth complain about there was no rush crowd as expected. Dave at Bridgewerks was just happy enough with inquiries about his product. Also club members who usually help display trains could not make it, but there was still plenty of trains to see. There were no representatives from Marklin, LGB or Silvergate Manufacturing this year, however, Train Li was there. A couple of vendors did have a few new Piko products, but weren't selling. Hartland Locomotive Works did not have anything new either. Aristocraft was mainly focusing on showing off thier new train engineer, but did have a prototype trolley there in the backcorner. Charles Ro just had some new woodside reefer releases and the new dockside switchers don't seem to sell to well for him. MTH did have a new steam engine they were running, but that was about it for them also. Maybe by the end of this things will pick up, but we will have to see, I think all of the manufacturers want to see first. Basically, if you are getting your house forclosed on and your cars repoed, how are you going to afford trains? Another nice fellow I got to talk to was Jeffery Damerst or better known as Shawmut Car Shops and is widely known for his nice custom paint jobs. He has alot of his work on display and 1,000's of pictures in a book, he does do good work. He also does custom kitbashing for those who can't, look in my East Coast train show photo album when I post it In a unrelated event, I work for a big truck dealership and we have used car carriers for sale that are selling and couldn't understand why if no one is buying cars. Well it seems after a car gets repoed the banks or lease companies will have a lot full of these cars for the auction blocks and they have to get their some how and the repo buisness is up. OK, thats enough doom and gloom on the economy subject and just figured I bring it up due to it has alot of why the show was a little on the slow side. Check out this thread for more picture and video links to come for 2009 Spring East Coast Train Show. Note: Check out the picture below, I own only 1 of 3 of these cars ever made and verified from Charles Ro himself. As a matter of fact he even wrote a note which I took a picture of and will post later. Special Note: Great show and will go again in the fall
Ultra Rare Special Charles Ro flat car As I explained in the last thread, I was talking with Charles Ro from USA Trains and found out he made 3 special flat cars and that was it. Apperently from what he said, he had a over size PVC pipe that the workers were going to just throw away. Charles Ro had stopped them and said he wanted to make a limited amount of flat cars with this over size pipe and just cut it to fit on the car as a load. Well, he only had enough to make 3 of them. He endorsed this fact to me and even wrote a note stating there were only 3 made. I'm glad I got this one when I did, Charles Ro did say he had no intent of making any more
CR/USA Trains did have great pricing, I picked up a Christmas Woodside caboose that I needed. I also picked up the new Red Fox Reefer from them.I think the best deal I got was on two LGB Cars one Reefer (Pabst) and one Box (Sugar Daddy) at $40 & $55. Also the place was a mob scene Friday Morning, I saw many leaving with several bags stuffed. I was so crowded I left about Noon. I also talked a bit with Charles Ro, he seemed like a very nice guy. I will without question go back in the Fall.
ECLS Spring Train show picture album Hi, I have now officially started my East Coast Train Show spring 2009 photo album. Here is the link for the album > www.trainboard.com/grapevine/album.php?albumid=488 Stay tuned to this thread as I have plenty of videos to post also.
Great Photographs. And Props to the NHGS For the BN Train. Also I am so not going to touch the Hooker Chemical Tank Car. That joke is too easy xD I'm glad Aristo didn't cancel the Consolidation Steam Locomotive project, the PCC Is definetly going to be gotten by me in St Aubin's CTA Green Hornet Colors, and the EMD Class 66, I hope they bring that locomotive here. My friend Kris owns one but she had to import it from a dealer in Scotland. I have 3 of the 4 road numbers of the show cars on my roster now. Thanks for that photograph~ I watched what little videos LSOL had on youtube, including Susquehanna's setup video. They plop dirt right there on a tarp. That takes indoor layout to a whole new level
ECLS train show photos now all loaded I have now loaded all of the photos I have from the East Coast Large Scale train show and will now focus on trying to load up videos, for me on this end is a very slow process, so I will try to load 1 a night until they are all on there. Depending on the time frame of some videos, I might use a program called Movie Joiner to make one bigger movie out of some two minute movies I have taken. So stay tuned for some great action and get the pop corn because you will need it. Thanks DragonFyreGT for the nice comments
