Made a pretty nice score at the TCA train show today! Found me a new book! Got a copy of: Rio Grande Heart Of The Rockies Chuck Conway $80 Just a good as the first book, Crest Of The Continent. I just need to figure out how to get it signed now! As before, excellent photos, mostly color, with a few B/W added. Showing the same scene, then and now. And a number of winter scenes as well. A fantastic addition to the library. And a highly recommended book for the Rio Grande fan!!
Had a variety of new stuff to see, from new vendors such as: BLI Bachmann Kato MTH Walthers Caboose Industries Iwata Airbrush North American Rail Car - PWRS And even a discussion by Ed Dickens, of the up steam program. Friend of mine saw it, was NOT impressed with it though. Interesting however, is that all of these folks were NOT here back in November, for the last TCA show!! Aside from those folks, it was the same clubs and vendors as every show! And other than the book I picked up, I didn't see anything that really caught my interest!! Think I was the first though, to get a FREE hat, being handed out by Broadway Limited. Saw some painted test shots, of the upcoming N Scale Centepede locomotives to be released! Gonna be nice, from the looks of it! If I were going back Sunday, I'd bring my camera along for a few photos! But, I will NOT a be returning. One day alone, pretty much did me, and my feet, in. Overall, a good show, and not to bad for $40,000 in advertising they did, to help promote the show! A good size crowd most of the day.
This has me wondering, why? Hopefully someone was there with a camera! Wow. They must have quite a budget!
But that show was Thanksgiving weekend. I did what I could to encourage them to keep attending the spring show. I was there yesterday and this is my report. Walthers had a small both which they displayed zero N scale stuff. Sounds like there is some internal push for more N scale and with the new management now would be a good time to send them e-mails about what you'd like to see. I asked of the old LL Centuries could be run and got in return a nightmare story about the acquisition of LL. Overall I got no indication of anything new, but the guys at the booth basically said they don't know any sooner than what gets out on the internet. They were both N scalers and would love everyone to send Walthers all their N scale ideas. Hornby was a bit of a surprise to see at the show. No SW1 samples only the U28C. I asked if they had any plans to release their new coupler for sale and they said it's been talked about but not a priority. I asked when we might see the SW1 and was told maybe this year. I was also told the that Charlie Vlk coupler is dead, at least with Hornby. I asked if they had any plans on something other than locomotives and they said that they would likely not do steam because of all the specific road variations. I was asked what I'd like to see and said an updated GP30. Kato had a sad little booth mostly featuring the sound system which should have more sounds in a month IIRC which should have a steam cartridge to go with the UP steamer. THey had on display the F2/3s and some ATSF 'Late Warbonnet' F3s. I haven't been able to find the ATSF B units and asked if they were going to run them again and he said 'What, the new one's?". So if you were looking for these, I guess they've been or are being restocked without much notice. I also pitched the idea of a new roof for the the F3/F7 with low fans and DB vent. This one roof would yield two new F3 Phases. Leon said to email him directly so will see where it goes. Intermountain didn't have a booth but I saw Bill (of former Red Caboose) at the Whiteriver Publications booth. Sounds like the -2's are still getting tweeked. I didn't try and pin down anything in particular moslty because because he was just there socially and there are just too many questions to cover in regards to that loco. Plus Bill is sales and probably wouldn't know all the details. I did get the official word on Red Caboose. All the HO is now officially IM and all the N scale including parts is FVM. BLI had a booth but no M1 samples, just the Centipedes and a couple freight cars. I asked about future N scale production and as long as I didn't misunderstand, was told that the new catalog next month will have a new N scale steamer. As for pictures, nothing to see that hasn't been out on the web. Jason
I was, but I only shot photos of the Lego display (as I was there to help out with that). In other news, I got something neat, a photo of Rio Grande SW1000 142 (and a nice copy of Never On Wednesday, a book about the RGZ).
