Strasburg O Scale Show – October 2024

Today, was the October 2024 Strasburg O Scale Show. As always, there was lots of buying and selling going on. At times the crowds thinned down, but I can say the sales from the tables were steady throughout the day.

The day was full of surprises. There are different things on the table than normal. Check out this model above. I’ve only seen a ship on a table once before in Chicago. For the Erie fans out there, three Stillwell cars together on a table.

That was nice to see, but the surprising thing was the models were on Fred Stillwell’s table. And yes he was related to the namesake of the prototype cars.

There were some very nice models including some rare like this Kohs PRR K4 with the front end throttle. Or like the Lykin’s kit-built model of a PRR X60.

There were plenty of fine models in the show. Here were some more from John Dunn’s collection.

It was a good show. My table kept me rather busy and I only got through the full show a couple of times.

It was good to see familiar faces and some new ones. There was also plenty of talk of the friends that were no longer with us.

Strasburg O Scale Show – August 2024

Today, was the August 2024 Strasburg O Scale Show. As always, there was lots of buying and selling going on. At times the crowds thinned down, but that just allowed more stories to be shared. I can say the sales from the tables were steady throughout the day.

I was busy between my own table and a table that had items from John Dunn’s collection. One of the surprises was a set of B&O cars built by George Stock from Walther’s kits. These cars featured interior detailing and hand painted lettering.

Rich Yoder also had brass model’s from John’s collection on multiple tables. Above is just a few of the cars. There were many other models throughout the show.

Strasburg O Scale Show – April 2024

Today, was the April 2024 Strasburg O Scale Show. As always there were lots of buying and selling going on as well as a lot of stories being shared. Sometimes I think these events are really an excuse to hang out with some friends for a few hours on a Saturday and enjoy some models as well tell some stories.

I didn’t get as much of a chance to get around to all the tables. I was covering a table selling off some of John Dunn’s collection. I was helping finding new homes for some nicely built kits and Kit-bashes that John had collected.

Ken Kime did a demonstration on using a static grass applicator to flock the trees and ground cover.

John Wubble, owner of The All Nation Line had an interesting drive on his table. It was an underbody for a Gas Car. He also had a bunch of drive component part available. Glad to see the line growing since they bought it.

Finally, I wanted to end with an image that makes me laugh. Atlas O just announced re-releasing the old Weaver 2-8-0 Baldwin consolidation. There was a lot of talk online about how wonderful this is with a release price of $799.99. I wonder how well they willl do against the Weaver models that regularly show up at the shows?

Strasburg O Scale Show – October 2023

Today, the October Strasburg O Scale Show was held. Attendance on both sides of the tables seemed good. Some of the usual faces that were not there in August were there today. I was pleased to see a number of new faces in the room.

There were a number of fine models in the room. I had been looking for one of the Pacific Limited C&O/NKP 1932 ARA boxcar for a number of years. Since I found one last year, this was the third show I’ve been to this year with one on the table.

There wasn’t as much for a Reading modeler, and even less for a Proto48 modeler. But there were plenty of fine models available in the room.

Rich also held the show auction to benefit the Fire House again this year. They managed to raise close to $1200 for the Fire House by auctioning off four items.

It was a good show, I had the chance to talk with a number of folks from various parts of the country and also buy and sell some models. It was a fun day even though the rain made it an adventure to get stuff in and out of the show. Hard to believe we have to wait all Winter now for another Strasburg Show.

Strasburg O Scale Show – April 2023

Today was the Strasburg O Scale Train Show. The Show was very well attended by both table holders and the walk-in attendees through the door. The traffic was steady and busy all through the morning. Which cut down on my ability to get through the hall once the doors opened to the public.

For the Reading modelers in the crowd, I did see a Gem 0-6-0 camelback model on Dave Richter’s tables. I also noticed a couple of the SGL G-3’s and an SGL add on two coach set in the room. Not sure if they found new homes or not. I will tell you a nicely painted Reading Car Works DS4-4-1000 managed to follow me home yesterday. I’ll be posting about that in the next few weeks.

As always it was great to see so many models available for sale. But it was also really nice to see and talk with so many people that we often only get to see in person at the shows. John Dunn was back at the show, now at a table.

They had a couple of clinics during the show. Kerry Kime once again gave her clinic was on making pine trees from heater filters. Kerry did a great job demonstrating haw she has made trees for their home layout using a wood dowel and cut up heater filters. She is also selling trees at her table during the show.

The other clinic was on the Blunami DCC sound decoders. I wasn’t able to get away from my table to attend that one.

After the show, we had a little adventure. We were going to a restaurant for lunch that was about 8 miles from the show. We had five cars headed out for lunch together. The guy leading the group had a different town in mind where the restaurant was. So instead of a short 10 minute drive to lunch it turned into a 45 minute drive. To make matters worse, the guy who knew where we were going managed to loose the four cars following him.

Lucky for us John Dunn remembered the town name where we were going and put that into his navigation. But it did give us a nice scenic drive on some roads without a lot of traffic.

We finally arrived at the restaurant after about a forty minute drive. Then shared in some good-hearted ribbing of the driver that lost us, we all sat down for a late lunch. It all worked out fine, lots of good stories were shared.

Strasburg O Scale Show – October 2022

Today was the Strasburg O Scale Train Show. It was well attended for as beautiful the weather was today. As always it was great to see so many models available for sale. But it was also really nice to see and talk with so many people that we only get to see in person at the shows.

Just before the show started David Vaughn presented Terry Terrance his induction into the O Scale Central Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Terry, a well deserved honor for a fine gentleman. I was not able to get a good image of the presentation but below is a link to a photo that Ken Kime posted in the 2Rail O Scale & Proto48 Model Railroading Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6161435973885245&set=gm.6097898660237578&idorvanity=218119438215559

Views of the engine room of the firehouse. Below was Dave Richter’s tables.

For the Reading modelers, there were a number of notable models on the tables at this show. There was a Sunset L7 (4-6-0 camelback) on one of Dave Richter’s tables. It did not last long into the show. There was also a Weaver Crusader Pacific, an SGL G-3 pacific and some of the SGL passenger cars on the tables.

Clinics have returned to the show. They were presented by Kerry Kime and John Dunn. Kerry’s clinic was on making pine trees from heater filters. John had two presentations, the first was an add on to Kerry’s clinic. John talked about making trees sedum plants.

Kerry did a great job demonstrating haw she has made trees for their home layout using a wood dowel and cut up heater filters. This was the second time she has given the presentation during a Strasburg Show. The first time was at her table inside the show in August. This turned out to be a better location where the participants were not as distracted by everything in the room.

John added onto Kerry’s presentation with a quick talk about making trees from the sedum plant. While not actually making trees John showed examples of trees made and

John’s other presentation was called Pizza-Box Weathering. When John first posted that he was doing that presentation it caught my attention. John explained that he likes to weather using Conte Crayons. If you’re not familiar with them they are a drawing tool that I remember using in art school in life drawing classes. It has a little more tooth to stay where you put it.

For the second time the show held a benefit auction with all the proceeds going to the firehall. This year they had three donated models up for auction, a Diamond Scale Turntable kit, a custom built structure built by Martin Brechbiel and a Yarmouth Models PRR X31f kit built by Cris Crane. The X31f included a correct pair of Rich Yoder PRR 2D-F12 trucks, in either O Scale or Proto48 for the car.

The surprise of the show was the sale price of the X31f. After spirited bidding between two bidders the car sold for $900.

2021 Strasburg O Scale Show – August

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

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 Strasburg O Scale Show – October

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

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.