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  • Very Early 2020 Fall Train Show List For Upstate NY

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

 #1549660  by lvrr325
 
and just like that the BCT show is now cancelled, as of 8/6, "Based on New York State Health Guidelines".

I expect more given the latest go round with gyms and the governor; he has his head firmly planted in a dark and unsanitary place with regard to any further loosening of restrictions for those and a number of other businesses.
 #1549781  by lvrr325
 
I should add I got a little flyer from the WNYRHS a couple weeks ago rather than the contract for the fall show, that basically asked "IF we have a show, will you come, will you stay for both days" I emailed Art back that day (of course I would go) but I haven't heard anything more on it. That's another tough one because the venue, I'm thinking the whole thing is closed right now because the casino is non-Native.

So I'm not sure what they're thinking. It's too bad their building on Lee St. isn't in better shape, or they had funds to put up a nice steel building on that property and have their shows there.
 #1551012  by lvrr325
 
In another late breaking update, the Trainorama put on by the Niagara Frontier Division of the TTOS is tentatively cancelled - not because of Covid but because the Pvt. Leonard Post has some kind of issue with the national VFW and is closed. They suggested to check back in a month, they may make some other arrangement for it.
 #1551170  by lvrr325
 
WNYRHS Fall Train & Toy show cancelled per email from promoter.

Be nice if someone would have the gravitas to work with the conditions and say "we're going to do this" and tell the governor he's #1 with a certain gesture. Every big city across the state has empty big department stores that haven't been closed for too long and shouldn't be terrible inside, Sears, Bon-Ton, K-marts. Just rent one for the weekend, call it a flea market (since those are currently allowed), and have the show in there. Sure it's not ideal but it gets you a huge space that is entitled to be open, has parking, has bathrooms, the only thing you don't have is a food vendor and you get a food truck or two to come to solve that problem. Maybe you have to come in and spray the place down with bleach first.

Just as an example, the former Sears at McKinley Mall, about 5 min up the road from the Erie County Fairgrounds, the store is 154,000 square feet; the event hall the WNYRHS uses now is 75,000. In theory you could put the entire show inside the Sears with all the vendors 10 feet apart and still pump 500 people through at any one time.

Right now the only show I know is going to be held for certain is the Fulton show.
 #1551176  by Benjamin Maggi
 
Two other factors to consider:
1.) Just because a show might be permitted doesn't mean that people will attend. The age range of many modelers would put them in the "high-risk category.

2.) Should a show be cancelled, the organization putting it on would likely take a financial hit (and not just the rent aspect). At the same time, if it goes on but it poorly attended (see #1 above) then they still might take a financial hit.
 #1551246  by traingeek8223
 
Just received word that the Model Train Flea Market Show in Schoharie is ON for October 3rd from 10-4. Its at the Schoharie Valley Railroad Complex. Talked directly with the show promoter and he is confident they can adequately spread vendors out to make it work and he also said they would limit attendance if needed.
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 #1551332  by lvrr325
 
Benjamin Maggi wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:12 am Two other factors to consider:
1.) Just because a show might be permitted doesn't mean that people will attend. The age range of many modelers would put them in the "high-risk category.

2.) Should a show be cancelled, the organization putting it on would likely take a financial hit (and not just the rent aspect). At the same time, if it goes on but it poorly attended (see #1 above) then they still might take a financial hit.

If your show isn't paying the rent on the place off the table sales you're not doing it right.

Keep the advertising to low or no cost outlets like Facebook, this site and others. A lot of these shows don't seem to do any serious advertising (relying on mostly flyers put out at other shows and maybe a website) and still get good attendance. If you can't get enough volunteers, ask the clubs participating to provide some people to help man tickets or doors or to stay on after and help pick up, whatever the need is.

The Fulton guys I think did almost no advertising at all for June and still made some money. A little over 150 people came, all ages, some drove an hour to get there. The die-hards will always come. A lot of people are tired of this silly crap.

And a one day show can certainly be cancelled right up to the week of the event with no real ill effect, depending on your venue maybe you lose a deposit, maybe you work out a deal with them ahead of time in case the health department or whatever decides to stick their nose in. Even a small two-day that would apply to.

A large show like a Hamburg or Syracuse, is another story; you'd have to go in with a safety plan like open stores have and all that nonsense. But it doesn't look like the King is leaving the throne anytime soon, so you may as well get used to it and start planning these things. Otherwise you're never going to have another show. I would get with the health people or whoever else and find a way to make it work.
 #1551630  by lvrr325
 
"no place for politics" ... I haven't even started to get into politics. I can't even say what I'd like to see happen to the King down there in Albany in public. If you're going to shut down legit discussion of what options people have to try to hold these events by shouting politics, you're as bad as the ones throwing in the towel months ahead not even waiting to see what will be happening 30 days out from it.


TTCS page has been updated.

All their fall shows are cancelled. Not even going to make the attempt, not even going to wait to see how things shake out.

- Buffalo Falling Leaves in Depew 10/11
- Autumn in the Southern Tier, Olean, October no date ever set
- Rochester Thanksgiving Show, 11/29
- Trains in the Tonawandas, 12/6

Additionally, the 2021 Utica show and their Buffalo Snowball show 2/7 show as "on hold" whatever that means. They don't usually even send out the registration for Utica until December. Maybe they're holding the onion.

The only one that affects me is Utica, and it's worth noting that they too will have a big empty mall department store by January they could look into renting for a weekend.

The Albany show in the Polish Center they've decided not to have. The center isn't open so they have no venue right now.

I'm probably not going to come back and make a new thread at this point. There's not going to be much reason to. Here's what's left so far that is not confirmed cancelled, those in blue I expect will be cancelled eventually:

Sunday 10/25 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Model Train Show, Lackawanna Station Hotel
Sunday 10/25 - Kingston - Kingston Model Train & Hobby Show, Murphy Midtown Center
Sunday 11/8 - Poughkeepsie - Hyde Park Station Annual Train & Hobby Show, Mid Hudson Civic Center
Weekend 11/14-11/15 - Fulton - Oswego Valley Model Railroad Club annual show, Volney Fire Department
Sunday 11/15 - Batavia - Great Batavia Train Show, Genesee Community College
Saturday 11/28 - Binghamton - Binghamton Regional Train Show
Saturday 11/28(?) - Norwich - Bull Thistle Model Railroad Society Annual Train Show, Broad Street Methodist Church (website has this date despite conflict)
Weekend 12/12-12/13 - Rochester - 12th Annual RIT Tiger Tracks Train Show, Gordon Field House
Weekend 12/19-12/20 - Buffalo - Broadway Market Train Show


Of this group:

- no web update for Scranton or Kingston for fall yet
- Poughkeepsie I don't know anything about the venue so who knows
- Batavia and RIT are on college campuses and likely will be cancelled or unworkably restricted by the venue
- Norwich between being in a church and the date conflict I would expect to cancel, although with all the other cancellations they certainly could move it out a week.

Broadway Market actually probably has a chance of happening given the small size and location, assuming they're open in the first place.


Other than Fulton the remainder are up in the air. Scranton is of course an hour into PA so not subject to quite the same rules, but given Greenberg had to cancel their shows it could go either way. The others probably again are up to the venue. I sent an email out to check on a couple of them.
Last edited by lvrr325 on Thu Sep 03, 2020 12:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #1551631  by lvrr325
 
I do have one other update. I had a look at Greenberg's page and they put together a tentative list of fall/winter shows which includes a Rochester date, the last weekend of February. They want to resume shows beginning the end of October and have dates through the end of March listed out, all subject to change. Their shows are a little more involved than a one day VFW post show, between the multiple state travel and the large venues and so forth. They spend a good deal of money advertising the shows. So they're not going to set anything in stone until they're absolutely sure they won't get another deal like the state of PA telling them the Monday before a show they can't have it.

I just wanted to mention they do want to come back to Rochester.
 #1551820  by lvrr325
 
Email from the Tiger Tracks people today, as expected cancelled. Not so much due to potential restrictions, as because classes end at the Thanksgiving break and everyone goes home, so no one will be there. But I would imagine even if they moved it to another date whatever limits would be placed on it make it unworkable.

I also have word that the Legion has in fact finally sold the building in Eastwood and will wind up evicting the Syracuse Model Railroad club, putting an end to their shows. IMHO they should just hold one last show and sell off whatever the club's not going to keep, but liability insurance is an issue.

And so it goes -
 #1552052  by Don
 
There will be an outdoor show sponsored by the WNY all scalers on Sat 10/3/20 from 8am to 6pm. It will be held at 1459 Payne Ave. N. Tonawanda NY in the church parking lot & will be free to the public. For vendor info, call 716 395 6138 or email wny scalers @ gmail.com.
Don