Category Archives: O Scale Meets

2021 Strasburg O Scale Show – August

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The Strasburg O Scale Train Show was today. In past years, the August show was often the lightest attended of the three shows that John Dunn and Rich Yoder host each year. Not so this year. It was well attended and buying and selling was at a good pace throughout the show.

They had on display a model that will be auctioned off at the next Strasburg Show, on October 16th 2021. The proceeds will benefit the Strasburg Fire Company where the show is hosted. We should all remember that they have had a rough year with the pandemic canceling the different shows and events that they normally host throughout the year.

This will be a great opportunity to buy a very nice model and help a great organization. The model is built from a kit offered by Wit and Wisdom Models, Dave Vaughn’s company and built by Martin Brechbiel.

On the model front, there were a number of Reading models on the tables, I saw two Weaver Crusader sets with the locomotive on different tables. I also saw the SGL G-3 Pacific and set of five cars. Another dealer had the two car add-on set on their table, while a different vendor had the “Wall Street” add-on car.

As usual I shared a table with my friend Michael Rahilly. Here is a photo of Michael and his daughter Lauren.

One of the things I often hear at train shows is that people attend them now more to catch up with old friends then to buy a bunch of trains. I heard this from more than one attendee today. I was glad to have some time to catch up with a few of the guys that were in the local club back during my time there.

Michael MacEwan, who didn’t have a table at this show, but was hanging out at our table with Michael. As always the conversation always circled back to talking about PRR B6sb’s.

Another former club member was Dave Richter sitting at the end of his tables.

Here at the end of the show was Dave Vaughn talking with Rick Trinkle who was in from Colorado.

One last old fried was also on two different tables at the show. This was a book my brother and I put out back in the late 1980’s. It was a reprint of a Reading Company photo book on the Reading and CNJ 55 Ton Welded Steel hopper Cars.

2021 Strasburg O Scale Show – April

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Glad to talk about an O Scale Train Show again!

Yesterday was the Strasburg O Scale Train Show. I have to say first that it just felt good to attend a show again after this past year. Masks were worn, and the crowds came. It was a very good show.

We did have some new vendors attend the show. The new owners of the All-Nation Line had a number of tables at the show. They were displaying parts from the old line and new parts that were 3d printed. This is very promising that they are not just selling from the old line, they are bringing it into the modern day and making it grow. Lots of stuff to look at.

Todd Architectural Models & Layouts was also there with a wonderful series of laser cut buildings and window parts. It was great to see a new vendor at the show, but I have to admit my mind was not thinking about buildings.

Paul Yanosik brought some new models to share with me. He had a nice DL&W cabin, a pair LNE FA-1’s and a pair of LV ALCo’s. Sorry the only image I made of the LNE FA-1’s were of the models upside down.

Afterwards we went out to his car where he also showed my his second pair of the CNJ Baldwin Babyfaced Freighters. these were built using the noses from the old Locomotive Workshop Kit for the CNJ double ender.

Funny how these locomotives attract CNJ fans. As we were talking, a CNJ modeler came up with a friend of his. He admired Paul’s models and when we started talking about the LW kits. He mentioned that he had built three of the kits in the past. More importantly, he mentioned that he still had one of the kits unbuilt. Talks are underway to see if that kit can find a new home.

2019 Cleveland O Scale Show – November

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The Cleveland O Scale Show was held on November 2, 2019. I took a couple of extra days off from work this year so that I could makes some stops and explore a couple of towns both before and after the show. So you know that meant it was cold, windy and rainy on those days. It even snowed the morning of the show.

I did manage to go to the train show. It was the second year in their new location. I wasn’t able to attend in 2018, so this was a new experience for me.

It is a large room. I think there were over 100 tables in the room. Not all the tables were filled but there was plenty to see and buy. There was also plenty of room to talk to people.

There wasn’t much at the show that was screaming to go home with me. One brass freight car and some parts. That had more to do with me not wanting to bring home more projects than the lack of things of interest. My project list is too long already just like so many other modelers.

I was shown this thing at the show……

It’s just a tool… A tool used to machine my Overland T-1 drivers to Proto48. Carl Jackson, who’s doing the conversion work for me brought this with him to the show to show it to me. It is a multi-purpose tool, used to do many different steps in machining the drivers. I just thought it was so cool. I understood about half of what Carl explained.

The real good news, Carl thinks he’ll have my T-1 ready to deliver at the Chicago show in March. I can’t wait!

I did see blue sky and a little brief sunshine on my drive home. I stopped in Buffalo on the Sunday and had the chance to visit the grain elevators. It was nice to finally see them. I even got to explore a little with the 5×7 camera before it snowed again.

2019 Strasburg O Scale Show – October

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The Fall Strasburg show was today. It was a good too see everybody. Lots of stuff in the show.

Bob Heil was showing B&O passenger cars to try to drum-up some interest in Golden Gate’s newly announced Capitol Limited cars. The display models were built up from kits and not the production cars. They only way to order the observation car is as part of an eight car set. The problem for me (thinking about the B&O running to Jersey City) is the eight car set includes the dome car, which did not run into NY. And I’m not sure about the two unit diner cars either. That would make three of the eight cars in the set not running over the Reading rails from Philadelphia to Jersey City.

Rich Yoder had one of his LV cement gondolas at the show. They aren’t cheap, but they do look neat.

My friend Michael Rahilly was at his usual table selling Intermountain wheelsets, Kadee couplers and a host of other things on his table with the help of his daughter.

John Dunn and Rich Yoder put on another nice show. Lots of modeling stuff finding new homes and good conversations all around.

2019 Strasburg O Scale Show – April

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Today was the Spring Strasburg O Scale Show. Rich Yoder and John Dunn put on another fine show.

Most of my purchases were made prior to the show and I just picking them up at the show. The one big find was two pair of RYM Proto48 PRR trucks for $25 each.

There was a far amount of nice models for the Reading Modeler. I saw a Weaver Crusader locomotives and one set of cars. There was a Weaver G1 on a table. And I saw a pair of Reading T-1’s on different tables. One was an Overland import and the other was an assembled Wolfer model.

Lots of other things to look at also and some very good prices.  It was a nice show and I had many great conversations with different modelers throughout the show.

Jim Mucka was holding some track with too many rails on it.

Attalee Taylor seemed to have recovered from his encounter with the pickle car in Chicago.

It was good to see Michael Rahilly (yellow shirt) at his regular table at the show.

2019 Chicago O Scale Show

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Just returned from the 2019 Chicago O Scale Show. Another great show!

There were some new models from new manufacturers at this show, as well as a host of used models and those from estate sales. I always think this show can’t get any better and it always does.

Let me start with a couple of new manufacturers. Bill Yancey has a new line called Modern Era O Scale. He is offering limited run kits of FMC boxcars in four versions. he also has decals available for the cars.

Next up is Ross Dando, his new business called Twin Star Models. His first offering is a resin kit of a Rock Island rebuilt 53′ flat car. The flat car is among the very best in fine pattern making. Gene Deimling wrote about the steps taken to develop the patterns for this car in his post “MODELING: Applying Technology to Model Making”

The castings for the kit were done by Jon Cagle, he is one of the best casters there is. Good to hear that Jon is still involved in kit making. Maybe he’ll release something new in his own company, Southern Car & Foundry.

Altoona Model Works had a brewery series of models on display at the show. I really liked the size of the buildings. Freight cars should appear small next to large industries.

There was a Key B&O rebuilt EA on a table. I had to fight the urge to take this home. That would have clearly moved my focus to the Reading going through New Jersey. Still not sure I want to make that jump.

There were some great prices on brass freight car models including this PSC B&O W-2 hopper car with a price tag of $75 on it. Strange thing was it was still on a table late into Saturday. I didn’t check on it on Sunday.

You never know what might turn up on a table at Chicago. How about a box full of PRR H25 car sides from an American Standard kit they had advertised but never released.

This year I drove out with John Dunn. I had a great time and really enjoyed our time on the ride. After walking around the show on Saturday, John mentioned that he had found everything he was looking for at the show except an Overland Ferdinand Magellan observation car. Turns out, there was one on the table directly behind our table. Here he is taking a look at it.

Attalee Taylor was having a reaction to a certain pickle car. He just couldn’t put it down.

I did get out to visit a couple of the layouts that were on the tour. I’ll post more on the layouts soon.

2018 Strasburg O Scale Show – April

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Today was the Spring Strasburg O Scale Show. Rich Yoder and John Dunn put on another fine show. I was busy most of the day helping my friend on his table but did get around the show to see some of the models.

There was a far amount of nice models for the Reading Modeler. I saw a pair of Weaver Crusader locomotives and one set of cars. Still think I should have brought that passenger car set home with me. That would have pushed me towards modeling the Reading as it ran through New Jersey. I have to say I’ve been leaning that way a lot lately.

There was also a nice Overland Reading T-1 on a table. Lots of other things to look at also.

2017 Strasburg O Scale Show – April

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This past Saturday was the Spring Strasburg O Scale Show. Rich Yoder and John Dunn put on another fine show. The had over 90+ tables of O Scale materials for sale and they had 111 people through the door, not counting the vendors.

Terry Terrance gave demonstrations on 3D printing. He had a $200 machine and was making a phone booth as the demonstration piece. Rather then have this set up like a clinic Terry kept demonstrating the machine over the coarse of the show. Guys would sit in and ask questions while the machine kept working. This was set up just across from where we were set up so I got to see the crowd that sat in at different times during the morning. There was a nice steady flow of people all morning interested in find out more about the whole process.

From a modeling update, there were a number of interesting models at the show. There were Pacific Limited, Keystone, Precision Scale, as well as Yoder freight cars on the tables. Also there was a nice selection of both high end and regular guy locomotive models at the show. Something for every budget.

For the Reading Co. modeler, there was a Weaver G1 and a couple of SGL G3’s. There was also number of Reading diesels in both the 60’s Green and Yellow second generation paint and the olive green of the first generation locomotives.

In looking at older posts about the shows I noticed that I hardly ever put images of the people that make up the shows. Time to change that, so here are Bill Nesbitt and Buzz Burnley, first photo; Mac (Michael Macewan) second photo; and Carl Jackson, third photo.

2017 Chicago O Scale Show

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Just returned from the 2017 Chicago O Scale Show. All I can say is the show gets better every year. There were many new models at this show as well as a host of used models and those from estate sales.

Some of the new models were on Bill Davis’ tables. He had three new Single Track 139′ Lattice Truss bridges with two on display. One was straight and the other two skewed left and right. They don’t fit my modeling area but they were very nice.

American Scale Models also had more variations of the Erie cars he has been importing.

Norm Buckhart of Protocraft had production samples of two new Greenville Gondolas on his table. These looked really nice. They should be available later in year.

Ted Schnepf of Rails Unlimited had a new resin stock car kit of a CB&Q stock car. The car is available as either a built up body (you add the details) or a flat kit.

Two new kits were on Marvin’s tables. First up was the Southern Car and Foundry New Sand Springs RY Co. kit. It is a beautifully cast model of a prototype that had four cars on the roster in 1952 (my modeling period). I wanted to support our manufacturers but the chance of ever seeing one of four cars out of over 700,000 boxcars on the rails in 1952. SC&F is talking about doing the composite car of this design. If they do I will be ordering that car.

The second new car was the Glacier Park Models AC&F GS Gondola. I did not get back in time to pick-up one of the new gondolas before they sold out what was on the table, I will get one, I’ll just have to order it.

I did get to attend one of the clinics, Lee Turner filled the room with people who wanted to hear about how he paints and weathers models. He was great, sharing lots of good advice from his experiences. My only wish was that it was longer. Lee is very generous in sharing his knowledge and skills.

I’ll post more on the layout tours and the trip later this week.