2017 Fall Train Show Calendar For Upstate New York

I decided to break this up into two posts this year, as there's a number of 2018 dates not yet confirmed.

I believe this is the most complete list of shows in New York State excluding the NYC metro area. But it's not perfect, and there could still be events I didn't find a listing for. I've compiled from TTCS, TCA, WNYRHS, Trains.com and Railserve calendars of events plus individual club web pages when possible and web search by event name to locate it in other events calendars where not possible. TTCS has chosen to make their primary calendar members only since last year, so some events posted there I can no longer directly access.

Dates in BLUE are not confirmed - in all three cases the group's website has not yet been updated for the fall.

The only big changes I see are some moving around of date and location with October TTCS shows - Depew moves back to the first weekend, and what had been in Alleghany is now in Olean. The TCA show that was in Palmyra in September seems to have been given up on (no surprise based on reports of how it was).

For some reason (This Year Only tabbed on the flyer) the Binghamton show is two weeks later - which unfortunately puts it opposite Norwich's little show. I don't know what to expect there, they're close enough together that if you're just going to buy, you could conceivably go to both. Sent a note to the Norwich guys, maybe they can change the date by a week or two.

TCA still insists on putting it's Syracuse show the same weekend as two other shows, severely limiting the number of dealers that can attend. I actually saw guys just coming to buy stuff, from Oswego come to Albany last year, driving right past their show. If they were to hold it on Saturday instead, or move it out two weeks to after RIT, no more problem. I'm sure I'm repeating myself, though.



August:

8/20 - Shortsville - LVRRHS Station Museum Open House (note this is moved up a month)


September

9/9-9/10 - Clayton - Thousand Islands Model Train Show, Cerow Recreation Park Arena.
9/9-9/10 - Buffalo - Buffalo Central Terminal Train Show
9/17- Buffalo (Orchard Park) - TCA Toy Show, American Legion Post 567
9/23-9/24 - Massena - Train, Toy and Collectible Expo, Massena Arena


October

10/8 - Buffalo (Depew) - TTCS Buffalo Falling Leaves Train Show, Polish Falcons
10/22 - Olean - TTCS Autumn In The Southern Tier Train Show, Olean Intermediate-Middle School
10/28 - Port Jervis - Tri-States Railway Preservation Society Train Show, Port Jervis High School
10/28 - Elmira Heights - TCA Toy Train Show, American Legion Post 154
10/29 - Kingston - Kingston Model Train & Hobby Show, Murphy Midtown Center
10/29 - Scranton, PA - 68th Scranton Model Train Show, Lackawanna Station Hotel *



November -

11/4-11/5 - Syracuse - CNY NRHS Great New York State Model Train Fair, NYS Fairgrounds
11/11-11/12 - Fulton - Oswego Valley Model Railroad Club annual show, Fulton War Memorial
11/11 - Jamestown - TCA Toy Train Show, Jamestown Savings Bank Arena
11/12 - Batavia - Great Batavia Train Show, Clarion Hotel
11/12 - Poughkeepsie - Hyde Park Station 46th Annual Train & Hobby Show, Mid Hudson Civic Center
11/18 - Albany - Albany Train Show, Polish Community Center *
11/18-11/19 - Hamburg - WNYRHS 35th Greater Buffalo Train & Toy Show, Erie County Fairgrounds
11/25 - Binghamton - Binghamton Regional Train Show, American Legion 177 Robinson St.
11/26 - Rochester - TTCS Rochester Thanksgiving Train Show, Eagle Club



December -

12/3 - Albany - Great Train Extravaganza, Empire Expo Center
12/3 - Syracuse - TCA Toy Train Show, American Legion Post 787, Cicero
12/3 - N. Tonowanda - TTCS Trains In The Tonwandas show, Knights Of Columbus
12/9-12/10 - Rochester - 12th Annual RIT Tiger Tracks Train Show, Gordon Field House
12/10 - S. Glens Falls - Upstate Railroad Modelers Train Show *


For 2018, TCA and TTCS have most of their Spring dates available, and Greenberg returns to it's traditional date the first weekend in March. That weekend in 2017, TCA had a show in the Elmira area, but no date has been posted for a show that weekend in 2018. Easter is April 1, for once the other guys should all be able to hold their shows on their normal dates. Utica seems like it's a week later this year, on Jan 21st. I'll probably do a posting on them around Dec. 1, usually by then everybody has their dates figured out.

Im pretty sure you meant 2017 shows, but you are saying 2016.

Scot

This weekend kicks things off with Clayton and BCT shows.

I talked to someone who's been to Clayton and he described the vendors; a couple locals, several of the more northern NY guys, a couple from the Thruway circuit, and a big American Flyer vendor who normally does Greenberg and other big shows.

I presume BCT is mostly the same folks who you'd find at all the WNY shows.

Personally, I go to a car show 30 miles down the road and set up there.

Clayton is a nice little show run by a relatively small club in an area with a limited audience. I always have a good time there with our booth.

I don't think it's a bad show, it's just a small show, early in the season, in a direction I don't care to drive.

Meanwhile this car event is one I've done for years, there used to be three in a row with this the middle one so it's easy to just leave all the stuff packed in between, and comparing to numbers from other Buffalo events I come out about the same money-wise here as opposed to going to the BCT show. I don't have any data to compare Clayton but I figure it would be about the same.

Now if it was a month later, say mid-October, then I probably would go up there and try it. By then I'm starting to think train show again.

Didn't get the attendance for the Clayton show, but Saturday seemed pretty good. I talk to one vendor who seemed happy with the day. Sunday was, as always, much slower and mainly families.

That's pretty normal for most weekend shows, even two day summer flea markets with the car shows I see that trend.

A ballpark on their attendance would be interesting to hear.


My event I sold twice what I did the year previous and that with the crowd dying off earlier, partly due to the layout of the vendors there.

With Niagara Hobby and Craft Mart now closed after 31 years (!) - I received the official notice today, but saw it coming with ever-dwindling stock- I wonder if there will be any increased business at train shows in the area.

Never made it in there.

There's still quite a few shops in the Buffalo area including two that are primarily train oriented.

The question is, where does their inventory go?

Niagara's model train inventory has been in a steady decline for the past two years. They went from three of the front aisles to two of the back aisles, to less than one total back aisle.

When I last visited for their "31% off sale" there were less than fifty N Scale cars left, if that many, and very little of anything else. The HO was similarly low on stock. The layout in the back of the store had been dismantled and the piece parts from it were for sale. Also, the entire back end of the store, where their dollhouse inventory and other supplies and the racing track were, was walled off.

For those in the area, on Saturday 16th September there is a one day 70 percent off sale of any remaining stock. I wouldn't be surprised to see some enterprising train show dealers swooping in to buy and "flip" it. Just be sure to take the price stickers off first .

UPDATE - DATE CHANGE

This event:

11/25 - Binghamton - Binghamton Regional Train Show, American Legion 177 Robinson St.

Has been moved one week to December 2nd, per note from the promoter in today's mail. This eliminates the conflict with Norwich's show.

Additionally, the Albany Train Show in the Polish Community Center can be confirmed for Nov. 18th, which puts it opposite the WNYRHS show, but given the distance it's a minor conflict.

The Remsen Arts Center in Remsen NY is having a show on October 14 10-3. It's a very small show, they tired it for the first time last year and had a few locals selling off some items, but the are looking to grow the show this year and in the future. They're currently looking for layouts and vendors. Contact information is in the link below. As I said, a small show. They had about 100 people come through last year.


http://www.remsenartscenter.org/wp/inde ... road-show/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My guess is they can grow that some but what I've seen from the shows in Norwich and Greene you're not going to get a lot bigger than that. It's just too out of the way. But I'll make note of it and if they do it next year try to include it.

lvrr325 wrote: 9/9-9/10 - Buffalo - Buffalo Central Terminal Train Show
9/17- Buffalo (Orchard Park) - TCA Toy Show, American Legion Post 567
10/8 - Buffalo (Depew) - TTCS Buffalo Falling Leaves Train Show, Polish Falcons

Does Buffalo really support three train shows in the course of a month? If I wanted to attend one, which is the largest/best? (Obviously, I am asking for next year).

Benjamin Maggi wrote:

lvrr325 wrote: 9/9-9/10 - Buffalo - Buffalo Central Terminal Train Show
9/17- Buffalo (Orchard Park) - TCA Toy Show, American Legion Post 567
10/8 - Buffalo (Depew) - TTCS Buffalo Falling Leaves Train Show, Polish Falcons

Does Buffalo really support three train shows in the course of a month? If I wanted to attend one, which is the largest/best? (Obviously, I am asking for next year).

I've never been to any of those three events, but I presume BCT is the largest of those three, it's a two day show in the lobby/waiting area of the former NYC passenger terminal. The other two are one day dealer shows in smaller venues.

I believe the WNYRHS shows in Hamburg (November and February) are the largest of all the shows in the market. BCT and Lockport (end of April) would likely be second/third, and the various one day events in an umpteen way tie for the smallest ones, depending on what vendors attend, what the weather is, etc.. The small events are primarily dealer shows which may have one or two small layouts. Clubs with large layouts prefer to do two day events due to all the work involved. The dealer pool, meaning what vendors you will see at each one, is probably 80% the same group from event to event. With a few exceptions most of the dealers who sell in this area travel at most about two hours drive to an event - a guy from Buffalo you might see in Syracuse, but not in Utica or Albany, for instance. But I know several of them will go to Erie, PA instead.


Now does the market support them all, well, they keep having them, dealers keep going to them, so they must be at least breaking even. My personal opinion and my experience has shown that having so many means you sell less at each one, the ratio of dollars in sales per body through the door is lower, which is why I limit the ones I attend in that area given the distance and cost is greater for me than for someone who lives locally. There's about 22 shows a season within an hour or so drive of Batavia. It's easy for people who live there to pass on an item and wait for the next event. Or pass on the show entirely. When there's only one or two shows close by in a season, there's a little more encouragement to buy it when you see it.


To drive from Albany, I don't know if any of them are worth four hours and 300 miles of travel; the only show I go to that is so far for me to go is Springfield at the end of January, and then only as a buyer.


I left out, but there probably will be a show in Buffalo at the Broadway Market the 16th-17th of December, I haven't looked for any details on it but they have been holding one this weekend the last couple of years.