It's been a couple of days since the train show and here are some thoughts about the trip...
I was able to set up the night before the show and it was a big help. The layout takes about 40 minutes to set up, clean the track, and hook up the DCC system. I also purchased a new sound-equipped loco for the layout from K10 Hobbies in Maryville, Illinois on my way to Greenville. The new loco runs at incredibly low speed (a huge plus for realism), and the sound unit enhances the experience.
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| New Power |
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| Friday Night Test Run |
The only downside to the new loco is its length. The WFS was designed for small switching locos, so the longer length of the loco prohibits the use of 50' boxcars with it on the tail track. No problem for this train show since I brought along plenty of 40' boxcars.
The venue was ideal for the show. It was climate controlled, so no issues with heat or humidity. My placement at the show was a little cramped, even with a small layout. Traffic flow was good, but my location next to a vendor created a bit of a bottleneck between our tables. Overall, it worked out okay. A good number of people did stop by to view the layout.
Several people were curious about the layout. Some commented, "it's just a switching layout" and passed by quickly. Many children stopped to view the layout. The 30" benchwork height worked out well. I let several of the kids sound the horn. That really brought a smile to their faces! Overall, the children were on their best behavior. Unfortunately, at the very end of the show, two little kids were a bit rambunctious and accidentally knocked one of the covered hoppers to the concrete floor. A little girl became really excited about something at the back of the layout and pointed her finger at it. As she was pointing, her hand bumped the covered hopper. It must have spooked her, because she quickly jerked her hand back and pulled the car to the floor. Thankfully, the new sound-equipped loco wasn't knocked to the floor. Fortunately, the covered hopper wasn't destroyed. The top came off, a hatch broke loose, and the metal weight came out of the car. I had it back together and on the layout within 10 minutes. This old Con-Cor car has taken the plunge at least 4 times and is still operable with very minor damage. The mom of the children was apologetic, gathered her children, and quickly left the train show after the accident. It really wasn't a big issue, because the car only cost me $3 and is over 15 years old. No harm done anyway, since I was able to glue it back together.
Overall, the show was an enjoyable experience, even with the freight car incident. I may attend this show again next year. I will be looking into installing a plexiglass barrier on the benchwork to prevent another accident. It would have been a major bummer if the new loco would have taken the plunge!
Tom
