2020 Spring Train Show Schedule for Upstate NY

[lvrr325]

2020 Spring Train Show Schedule for Upstate NY (and selected other events)

January

Sunday 1/19– Utica – TTCS Utica Train Show, Union Station
(Weekend 1/25-1/26 – Springfield, MA – Amherst Model RR Club huge show)
Sunday 1/26 – Buffalo – Trainorama, Pvt. Leonard Post, Walden Ave.

February

Sunday 2/2 – Buffalo (Depew) – TTCS Buffalo Snowball Train Show, Polish Falcons
Weekend 2/15-2/16 – Buffalo (Hamburg) – WNYRHS Winter Train & Toy Show, Erie County Fairgrounds
Sunday 2/23 – Syracuse – Eastwood Model RR Club show
Saturday 2/29 – Rochester – Edgerton Model Railroad Show, Edgerton Community Center

Copying this list? Don't forget to provide some credit where it came from.

March

Sunday 3/8 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Train Show, Lackawanna Station Hotel
Sunday 3/8 – Syracuse (Camillus) – NHRS Spring Ahead Train Show, Camillus Fire Dept.
Saturday 3/14 - Albany - Albany Train Show, Polish Community Center
Sunday 3/15 – Rochester – TTCS Rochester Shamrock Train Show, Radisson Hotel Rochester Airport
Saturday 3/21 – Binghamton – Greater Binghamton Regional Train Show
Sunday 3/22 - Kingston - Kingston Model Train and Railroad Hobby Show, Murphy Midtown Center
Sunday 3/29 – Batavia – GSME Great Batavia Train Show, Genesee Community College

Weekend 3/?? - Webster - WASPS benefit show

April

Sunday 4/5– Buffalo (N. Tonowanda) – TTCS Spring Into Summer show, Knights Of Columbus
Sunday 4/5 – Amsterdam – Alco T&HS Rails Along The Mohawk Show , Riverfront Center
Weekend 4/25-4/26 – Lockport - TTCS/NOME Train Show, Keenan Center

June

Satruday 6/13 – Schoharie – Schoharie Valley RR Museum train show


Notes:

January - Springfield included as it's so big and so many NY folks attend. A few regular vendors set up and sell there too.

February - WNYRHS confirmed via Facebook posting

March - March is another strange month starting on a Sunday; shuffling has the Spring Ahead show technically a week early, the Binghamton show a week later than usual (conflict with using the venue). Scranton is also technically late, it's usually the first Sunday of March. There will be no Greenberg show, due to issues with potential Ticketron service charges, but they do want to return. Fishkill is also cancelled for the second year in a row; my guess is it's done. The Albany Polish Center show I don’t have 100% confirmed but promoter tells me it’s always the second Saturday. Maybe it’s good there’s no Greenberg, it would likely have been March 7-8, there'd be a conflict or someone would have to move.

The WASPS show is typically the third weekend in March but at least once was in April and has moved weeks where it was opposite the TTCS show at the Radisson. It's a small show to benefit the Webster Association of Senior Program Supporters and gets announced fairly close to the event.

April - Had the flyer in hand for Rails along the Mohawk and forgot to bring it home with me. But the Sunday following the 5th is Easter and I don’t recall it showing the 19th. Web and Facebook not updated as of 12/2. I'll probably know for sure after RIT.

June - The Schoharie Valley Railroad Museum is trying this new event. However June is really too late in the year for upstate NY for a show; I wish them luck. Generally when it's nice enough to do outdoor things, train shows do poorly, as evidenced by the attendance drop that ended Ithaca and the stagnant attendance at Lockport. Even I go sell at car show swap meets that time of year.

[lvrr325]

Albany show updated their website, the March 14th date is now confirmed.

Alco H&TS updated on Facebook, Rails Along the Mohawk show is 100% confirmed for April 5th.


Utica TTCS show is this weekend. Should be interesting. I have a few brand new things to bring. At least one article hinting of a scare-cast for the weather I saw in passing on Facebook.

I can add one date to the schedule having finally located the flyer:

Saturday 2/8 - Horseheads - Toy Train Show, First United Methodist Church, W. Broad St.

Flyer notes this is sponsored by Locomotive Works and Chuck's Train Room, the latter of North Collins, some 140 miles or so away. My guess is it's to replace the TCA show that was opposite Binghamton last year, but the TCA is not directly involved. Appears to be primarily a Lionel show, looks like it will be on the small side.

[MACTRAXX]

LVRR: You should get credit where it is due compiling this list of train shows in the
Upstate New York region and neighboring states that do attract NYS residents.

You can add this New Jersey show to the list since it is one of the largest one day
shows in somewhat close proximity for NYS residents Downstate and the Hudson
Valley to attend:

Jersey Central Chapter-NRHS Show at Mother Seton High School in Clark, NJ
Sunday March 8, 2020 - Time: 9 AM to 3:30 PM; Walk-in adult admission: $5
www.jcrhs.org/rrshow.html

I have noticed that the ARHS Springfield Show being one of the largest train shows
in the entire United States other local or regional shows are not scheduled against it.
In the case of NYS only a small local show in the Buffalo area - more than 350 miles
west - is being held.

Since you are based in the Syracuse area and sometimes take note on how far that you will travel to any given show - other than the ARHS show which shows are worthwhile
considering the time, distance and expense to attend?

I will thank you in advance for your thoughts and opinions...MACTRAXX

[lvrr325]

NYC metro area is not upstate; to cover that market properly would require it's own dedicated thread, with only a few shows from this one duplicated there. Greenberg alone goes to Edison, NJ three times a year and at least one other place fairly close to that.

[MACTRAXX]

LVRR: I am fully aware of the Downstate/Upstate "divide" in New York State. There
are train shows that do attract a large region wide number of vendors and patrons
such as the JCRHS show that go beyond state lines. A Downstate or NY-NJ-CT train
show list topic is a good idea provided the information on them is readily available.

I noticed a potential conflict is that both the JCRHS and Scranton shows are on the
same day - Sunday March 8th - and are 119 miles apart. Could the attendance
at either be affected? I agree with the mention that shows like these not have to
"compete" against one another.

Here's a thought: With the ARHS Springfield show just 10 days away would there be a demand for a second large regional show somewhere in the Northeast as another time
of year such as the Fall or would the Greenberg shows as example "fill the bill"?

What I always found interesting about the ARHS show being scheduled at this time
of year is how it can possibly be susceptible to potential Winter weather problems.
www.railroadhobbyshow.com
Has weather troubles ever affected the ARHS show in the past?
Weather is not mentioned anywhere in the ARHS show website. I understand that
this is something no one wants to talk about or deal with but with the sheer size of
the Springfield show does the ARHS have an alternate snow plan just in case?
Let's all hope for the best here and may Springfield continue to be successful!!!
MACTRAXX

[lvrr325]

120 miles apart will affect some dealers and a small percentage of potential attendance. I don't think it will be enough to hurt either show. There is also a show in the Syracuse area the same day (roughly 150 miles from Scranton) and I expect no impact.

Show crowds generally have a percentage of hardcore guys who come to buy stuff, a percentage who come but will only buy something they really need, and the rest are just tire kickers and people who come for something to do and may not have the slightest clue what they're looking at - a small percentage of them buy things. Some of the hardcore guys will have to pick and choose, but they're about the only ones who drive more than about an hour to attend a show.

Because I'm based out of Syracuse I see different dealer pools in Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, and Rochester/Buffalo. There's not a lot of overlap except at shows like Utica where with only one show a year they have to go other places to attend shows. Otherwise, most dealers have a set distance they're willing to go, beyond which it's too much time to invest or the costs get too high for it to be worth doing. For me the limit is about 150 miles and that depends on the drive, the Massena show (in the fall) is that distance but with no interstate for half the distance it's a good 3 hour drive which starts putting driving there and setting up into the too much to do in one day range.

York and Timonium fill the need for other large northeastern train shows. Timonium, near Baltimore, is not really north east per-se but time-wise is about the same as going to Springfield.

I don't know anything about the AHRS show, it's outside the scope of these posts.

[lvrr325]

Utica was on the weak side. Fair crowd, but not spending a lot, it was below average for me at the end of the day.

Looked like they had no food available on-site this year, the restaurant there had a couple of private parties going, I thought they were supposed to be offering take-out service but there was no indication of it. I couldn't get away long enough to walk around in the front entrance to ask.


I heard that the Oswego Valley folks are planning a show, somewhere, April 18th or 19th. I presume in Fulton or Oswego somewhere. If they don't have flyers to put out by the Eastwood show it's probably going to be a big bust, I only got it word of mouth from a member and even he didn't know too many details.

March 20th to April 25th is a bad time to plan a show anyways because Easter moves around year to year and even if it doesn't fall on your date, it may fall on someone else's and they'll have to move to yours.

[MACTRAXX]

LVRR: Thanks again for the reply.

I am in agreement that both the York, PA and Timonium, MD shows do fit the bill being that they have good attendance and are two of the largest train shows in the NE region
over the course of a year. Maryland is in the Middle Atlantic region - some place NYS
in this region as compared to further north in New England as the ARHS show is.

An individual member of a model RR club on LI charters a bus for members of his club
and than sells the remaining tickets to members of other rail enthusiast groups to fill
the vehicle. This is being run for both the ARHS Show this Saturday and the York show
in April. Sometimes it pays to take part of an excursion of this type to attend a large
show traveling with a group that shares your same interest(s).

Taking note to your review of the Utica show could there be any possibility that with Springfield just one week away could some rail enthusiasts from that area be saving
their money to attend that show? I bring this up because I know fellow enthusiasts
that are doing just this skipping local LI shows to focus on the so-called "big one"...

I noticed that you had problems with amenities at the Utica show - did you go to the
show by yourself and had no help? Getting away from your table can be a problem
for a variety of reasons - could a neighboring vendor kept watch on your items?

I agree with your thoughts about the Easter holiday and because it changes from year
to year that it is tough to make changes if your event happens to be scheduled for
that weekend. This can affect attendance at any event - let alone train shows- that is
scheduled on Easter weekend.

MACTRAXX

[lvrr325]

In 2018 I sold about three times as much at that show as this year, which was nearly twice what I expect as average. I have not heard if they have an attendance number or how it compares to past years. I've learned that there is no rhyme or reason to what one can expect at a show.

Springfield has always been the next week or two weeks after.


I do know that at Hamburg and maybe Batavia I'm going to bring in the boxes of junk and put that out since that's what they seem to want there. Used, loose HO crap. The stuff I was trying to get away from carrying.

[tree68]

Amherst attendance was 18,054, with just over 11,000 of that being Saturday's door.

[lvrr325]

I believe it. I didn't spend as much there as some past years. Not a lot of deals to be had. A lot of things that looked like deals but you look online and find no that's about what those bring right now.

[Izzy0575]

April 18th and 19th Oswego valley railroad association 1st annual spring time Express show. Fulton war memorial, Fulton ny. 10am to 5pm and 10am to 4pm. Admission charged. Also looking for vendors. Tables available cheap. Contact me 315-532-8691

[lvrr325]

I would say call ahead and verify if you plan to do that show in Horseheads. Weather's bad enough up here, I don't know what it's like down there, but even if they have it people are liable to still be digging out from it.

If I had been asked for advice for that new Fulton show I would have said make it one day. Whatever the average attendance is in the fall I would cut that in half, then figure 2/3 on Saturday and 1/3 on Sunday. I'm close enough to go home overnight rather than get a hotel and I don't know that the second day will be worth the gas to go back.

[Izzy0575]

The guys in my group prefer 2 days.... it's not worth setting up all the layouts for 1 day..

[lvrr325]

Right, that's fine. It's just going to be a small show, and for some vendors who might otherwise come it won't be worth the additional cost for what would be the same sales either way to be spread across a second day. So you limit the number of potential vendors, which will to some degree limit the attendance. If you don't need to make a lot of money to at least break even on it, then it's fine. If the goal is to raise money for the club it could be a problem.

To me all you need is a couple of basic layouts, so kids can see trains go in circles in a couple of scales.