This past weekend I once again had the opportunity to attend one of the larger train shows here in my neighborhood. The
United Northwest Model Railroad Club has an exhibition/swap meet show which seems to get bigger and bigger each yea. While the show itself gets bigger, I was pleasantly surprised to see an even bigger- in fact, dominant - exhibition of N Scale layouts.
I don't know if these means that N Scale is growing in popularity, or that the smaller size and convenience of the various N Scale module systems just makes it naturally a lot easier for layouts to be created and set up for events like these, but there must have been around 6 or 7 good size N scale layouts, to perhaps 2 or 3 each in HO and O.
N SCALE LAYOUTS:
I'll attempt to show a few pictures of the layouts that I came across in more or less the order in which I saw them. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take notes so I can't credit the various clubs or individuals that were behind such great works.
To start, love the beautiful track work on this layout. Truly humbling!
Something that's hard for me to do on my home layout is to use the zoom on N scale from a distance. A little blurrier than I would have liked, but I still really like this scene!
Another shot of the same area from a different angle:
A different layout, this time with a Pennsylvania GG1 racing towards us....
I got pretty excited with this layout....I was fortunate enough to see the
"Little Joe's" in operation in their last year of service on the Milwaukee Road, so this really beautiful model in N Scale really caught my eye!
It wasn't just electrics on this layout...a nice roundhouse full of steam!
A really nice section where the main lines go through a valley / cross bridges....the below photo only gives a small impression of this marvelous work:
OTHER STUFF:
Of course, in addition to the N Scale Layouts, there was lots of other stuff.
This layout / diorama has been present each year. I don't know quite what to make of it, but it seems to be an O Scale diorama of an abandoned mining line with lots and lots of rusting material strewn all over. Its a fascinating diorama that always invites my attention!
Its always nice to see what the dealers have available....I have a soft spot for O Gauge/Standard Gauge Tin plate trains...
And there was plenty of dealers with modern American products in all scales....some N Scale shown below....
The food:
And of course, something for me! Found the below kits - which I was frankly surprised to find! - at prices
well below what I would have paid on eBay! I've been looking for
any of these old Arnold kits for a long time, so I was pleasantly surprised with this little souvenir (okay, "freaked out" is a better term)! The Vollmer bank and the modern Kibri station were an added bonus!
* Not really in Seattle, about 30 miles North and East in a town called Monroe.
I don't know if these means that N Scale is growing in popularity, or that the smaller size and convenience of the various N Scale module systems just makes it naturally a lot easier for layouts to be created and set up for events like these, but there must have been around 6 or 7 good size N scale layouts, to perhaps 2 or 3 each in HO and O.
Great pictures! And some really interesting-looking sets, can we expect some unboxing/assembly pictures soon?
ReplyDeleteGreat pics and a great write-up of the train show. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
ReplyDelete@Sudasana - Yes! Work on 'buildings' has started again (now that some of the heavy lifting on track laying and wiring is done)! I'm actually working on my Faller 2293 project...not sure when I'll get a chance to figure out what to do with these buildings!
ReplyDelete@TrainsOScale: Thanks for your comment! It was a great train show...its always a good feeling to see so many people from so many different walks of life enjoying model trains together! Thanks for your comment and compliment on the pics!
Thanks for the comments on the show. I am one of the officers of the UNW and we feel very passionate that so many folks enjoy our show each year.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you liked my Little Joe! It is my prize possesion.
@cwwrman - Hey 'neighbor'! :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I feel really fortunate to have a show like this in my own backyard! Its amazing how big it is...seems to get bigger each year! As I mentioned in my post, I was also somewhat surprised at how much N Scale there is...really amazing!
Yes, your little joe is quite the prize! As I mentioned, it has fond childhood memories for me, and it might even explain my current fascination with non-US roads, where double ended big electrics are common! Thanks for your post!