Amherst Show - January 29 & 30

Time to start planning for the Amherst Railway Society's show in West Springfield. The initial list of exhibitors is now available: http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/listofexhibitors.asp You can start mapping your plan of attack now.

Is really that time already?

dcm74 wrote:Time to start planning for the Amherst Railway Society's show in West Springfield. The initial list of exhibitors is now available: http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/listofexhibitors.asp You can start mapping your plan of attack now.

You should really, really add this to the events calendar...

http://railroad.net/events/

-otto-

I added it.

Yes, I am planning. I only live a few miles away.
Looking for a Genesis light Pacific. Very had to find and Athearn has dropped plans to upgrade to the new version. I have been waiting about three years for the new one while watching the Roundhouse site.

Rich

For anyone who has gone knows what a great model railroad show this is. Nothing compares to it's size on the East Coast. For those who have yet to go, it's a show not to be missed. Money issues forced me to skip last year but I have been going for years. Syracuse in November comes close, but Springfield is bigger and because it's after the holidays vendors are looking to deal and new products are always out on display. Only the NMRA convention every year has more product launches and announcements. Did I already say this is a show not to miss?

When you come down Memorial Ave into West Springfield from Rt 91, stop at
Memo's Coffee Shop. ON the right side going toward the show.
I eat there regularly. They are moving up the street a short ways Jan 2. Many stop there before or after the show.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/ ... _spri.html

At Rt 20/Rt 5 intersection, a short ways from Memorial Ave, there is the Common Ground, a new place.
When you go into the Better Living Center front entrance and take a left, there is a Dunkin Donuts setup a little ways down inside the building.
There are a couple ATM machines there but the lines can get quite long at those machines at time.

Rich

Three weeks and counting. Everybody have their shopping list ready?

dcm74 wrote:Three weeks and counting. Everybody have their shopping list ready?

Yes. But the budget doesn't match. But does it ever?

Two more recommendations of eating places, a bit farther from the Big E:

The Student Prince, a.k.a. The Fort Restaurant, is one of the few really great places for German food in the Northeast. It's on Fort Street just west of Main Street in downtown Springfield, not far south of the Amtrak station.

The Steaming Tender in the old Union Station designed by H.H. Richardson in Palmer, a couple of exits east on the Mass Pike. Ignore the strange name. The food is very good and the atmosphere quite railroady. Several trains will likely go by while you eat; the ones on the CSX Boston Line outnumber those on the former Central Vermont. The weekend of the show is the busiest of the year for the restaurant's crew, but they can handle it. When I'm there alone I volunteer to eat at one of the high small tables near the bar that are usually occupied by people waiting for a "real" table. Be sure to visit a restroom; their walls are plastered with interesting old photographs.

Steve Wagner wrote:Two more recommendations of eating places, a bit farther from the Big E:

The Student Prince, a.k.a. The Fort Restaurant, is one of the few really great places for German food in the Northeast. It's on Fort Street just west of Main Street in downtown Springfield, not far south of the Amtrak station.

The Steaming Tender in the old Union Station designed by H.H. Richardson in Palmer, a couple of exits east on the Mass Pike. Ignore the strange name. The food is very good and the atmosphere quite railroady. Several trains will likely go by while you eat; the ones on the CSX Boston Line outnumber those on the former Central Vermont. The weekend of the show is the busiest of the year for the restaurant's crew, but they can handle it. When I'm there alone I volunteer to eat at one of the high small tables near the bar that are usually occupied by people waiting for a "real" table. Be sure to visit a restroom; their walls are plastered with interesting old photographs.

You should make reservations now at the Steaming Tender (413)-283-2744. The weekend of the show is EXTREMELY busy and without a reservation you might not get in. If you're with a group and can't agree on cuisine, the Hometoen Buffet on Riverdale Street in West Springfield is always a choice. It's a gathering place for a lot of attendees and vendors after the show on Saturday.

I found the food at the Steaming Tender to need heating, and even if hot, would have been mediocre at best.

3rdrail wrote:I found the food at the Steaming Tender to need heating, and even if hot, would have been mediocre at best.

I have had the same. Girlfriend lives in Ludlow and a couple times we have gone to the brunch in the railroad car. Food is like you said, mediocre at best but I do like the area.

Girlfriend sometimes has a meal in the station at other times and says the meals are good.

Rich

2 things to get excited for at the Springfield show....
1 - I didn't get a chance to make it there last year so this year it'll all be new to me. I especially like the clinics (all free) throughout Saturday and repeated on Sunday.
2 - Old friends, some of the vendors I only get to see at this show (especially the manufacturers) besides it's always a great way to meet and meet up with new and old friends there. Where else can you go and be near 100% sure everyone else there is in to trains as well?

If you didn't read my earlier post - Springfield is not to be missed. It's not Timonium MD as far as Railroadania (That's THE railroadania show) but it's huge size is almost guaranteed to have something for everyone. Especially if you collect and run N scale New York Central only....... Or O gauge some other railroad. No judgments here.....Just saying without lightning stripes trains look wrong.

My Wish List for the show -
Bachmann 4-6-0 locomotive in NYC N scale - just released
Bachmann TARS brill trolley - hey it's not completely 100% prototypical correct but close enough. And in N scale it's good enough.
ROWA passenger cars - Yeah they're out of production, but nothing rolls like they do. Unless you convert the heck out of CON-COR cars.
Old Arnold locomotives - Noisy metal gears means they'll run like volkswagens.
Built Structures - I just built a layout and looking to populate it with structures - add vehicles and people as well.
DCC Decoders - Loksound N scale or any DCC decoders would be nice, I have fleets of locomotives awaiting conversion.
A deal on Micro Trains couplers - I know dream on.

Places to stay - well I've run the gamut from "Jeez it'd be nice to have a ceiling" to "Wow indoor pool and Zagat recommended restaurant in the lobby" Priceline has helped me in getting a better deal, I suggest it.

Places to eat - ANYWHERE but the big E - The food there is of the fried beige variety and pretty pricey. A big breakfast before the show on both days and dinner out at one of the nicer (not McDonald's) places will reward your ability to get more trains. Trust me.

If you're in one of the off the beat areas (North of 90, In Ct. on the border) there are a lot of local places well worth your time to check out. Again knowing people showing or attending the show will help immensely.

In case you missed it, there are more clinics this year. A JMRI clinic for using PC software, different DCC systems are among some.

Link below.

http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/clinics.asp

Click on all the links. Some may not be obvious. Print out building and vendor list.

Dining list below. Check them out NOW, not when you are hungry in case the links are not up to date. Many have Google maps info. No telling what the weather will be like.
Yes, might be more convenient in the summer but this fairground is very busy most of the year.

http://tinyurl.com/6ct7sug

Rich