Monthly Archives: March 2025

Chicago Show 2025 – Wrap-up

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The 2025 March O Scale Meet in Chicago was fantastic! There were tons of nice models calling my wallet. I had a great time, sold some of my surplus models and brought home some new-to-me models.

Here are a few more images of the models that were on the tables at the show.

I wanted to buy this nicely built MKT boxcar, but the table holder was nowhere to be found. I circled back many times on Sunday and never saw them.

These three RS-3 were built up from Kemtron kits. They were fantastic! They got a lot of attention during the show. What I thought was as nicer than the models was the gentleman behind the tables who built them, Richard Rusnak.

That brings up the thought that the show was not all about the models. It’s about the people and the models. Like Rob Adams and his son John.

Once all the models were packed in the car it was time to think about the ride home. I did split the drive home in two on the return trip.

Funny thing, I sold a good portion of what I brought to the show, but the car seemed to have just as many models in it going home, maybe more than what I had brought out with me.

Chicago Show 2025 – Contest Models

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One thing I’m not a fan of about the model displays is the entry form. It doesn’t tell who the modeler is. That’s important to me. I’d like to know who is doing the modeling. But in a contest I guess they don’t want names known.

This first model of the Blackwood Pickle Factory is Attalee Taylor’s model. You might remember the photo of Attalee looking over one of the cars displayed from the 2019 Chicago Show post. Check out the last image on the post.

Some very nice structures next.

This next bridge model was impressive! It was also amazing that it could be transported to the show.

Now let’s wrap this up with some locomotives, freight cars, a traction model and a caboose.

Chicago Show 2025 – Manufactures / Importers News

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One of the best sites to see at the show was Kadee displaying and selling products at the show. Traffic was steady in front of their table, every time I went by they had guys buying, asking questions and generally checking out their products. We need more manufacturers in O Scale 2-rail and we need them coming out to our major show of the year to meet us at our best.

Next up, some offerings from Atlas O Scale being displayed on Bob Lavezzi’s tables. Mostly modern offerings and a re-release of the former Weaver War Emergency 52′ Gondolas. Atlas O is very good at decorating their cars.

This was a photo of what Rich Yoder brought of his imported truck line. Only a few left.

No, I won’t talk about MMW. Except to say, he was at the show. Until he ACTUALLY imports anything more than sample models, I won’t consider that company to be an importer. Scammer maybe? Thankfully I was not suckered into making deposits to him for models that are more than 10 years “in-production.”

Next up will be the models from the contest display and some more from the tables.

Chicago Show 2025 – What’s on the tables?

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Well the Thursday before the Chicago O Scale show was a travel day for me. As the image above shows, a twelve hour drive. Thankfully it was uneventful until the last 60 or so miles. Then it was rush hour in the Chicago area. Not fun.

But this was a welcome sight. Next day started out simple enough. Set up started around 1 pm. and the unpacking started for everyone.

Lots of things showed up on the tables at this show. This really is THE BEST O Scale 2-rail show of the year. Here are some highlights.

Below we have a simple set up, one USH hobbies hopper, 5 Pacific Limited cars and 5 Robert Parri cars. And just so you know, not all of them sold over the weekend.

The above image was hard on me. Those Key B&O E units looked great. The ABA set was nicely priced. I’m glad these went to a good home.

Below were some of the models from John Dunn’s collection. I know that they moved a lot of his models at the show.

The show is not all about brass models, some tables it’s fun to watch the models get unboxed. Here Jim Zwernemann is unboxing a beautifully built Chock Ultra Scale Northern Pacific Reefer with custom made brass trucks.

Next was a Rails Unlimited SFRD reefer that Jim reworked the walkways and added many extra parts. He did a great job of building a fine model.

Jim also put out on his table a LV gondola that was scratchbuilt by Jim Hickey. I remember seeing photos of the car on the Proto48 website 20+ years ago. It still looked great!

This next scene made me laugh when I walked past it. Precision Scale imported a PRR H27 which was the only offset hopper car the PRR owned. It was a one car class. One car compared to the 40k+ cars of the H21 classes. I always said to myself what is the likelihood of EVER seeing one of those cars pass you if you were to be trackside during the time they were on the railroad. Not very likely. But here we have TWO of them in boxes at the show side by side. What is worse is there were at least two other models of the same car on tables at the show. Four models at the same show of a ONE car class.

Mike O’Connell, former owner of Chooch Enterprises Inc. had a group of tables with various things on the tables. He had parts, converted 3 rail cars, partially built kits and fully built cars.

Much more in the next posts, I still need to recover from the drive.