INTERNATIONAL RAILFAIR 2000
Rainbow Girls Help Make International Railfair a Memorable Experience
George Huckaby -
Custom Traxx has been attending International Railfair since 1992 and since that time we have been accustomed to getting a really nice breakfast in Johnson Hall from the Rainbow Girls. At most train shows, there is usually barely acceptable food at usually high prices, but at this show it is different. The Rainbow Girls are mentioned on the pre-show information but we always seemed to notice that many of the "girls" were in fact older women. We never knew that this is a club for young girls under the supervision of both male and female adults. The Rainbow Girls caught my eye because they are very congenial girls from 12 to 20 years old and they are the most pleasant, young people that I have met in a long time. They appear happy to be at the show in the role that they occupy and make you feel glad to be there and glad to know them. They are a very unique organization. The real name of the organization is the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, which was founded on April 6, 1922 by the Reverend W. Mark Sexson.
Although they have assemblies in almost every state, the most assemblies are in California with nearly 150. Another thing about this organization is it is not a religion, cult, or secret order. It is open to all girls between 11 and 20 years of age who believe in a Supreme Being. The order, which has considerable enthusiastic adult guidance, teaches seven lessons, all represented by a seven-color rainbow. The order has obtained and donated over $950,000 over the past ten years to various non-profit charitable organizations and among the recipients were The Blind Children’s Learning Center, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research, Multiple Sclerosis Research, UCLA School of Medicine, and the American Melanoma Foundation. If you wish more information on the Rainbow Girls, please contact Mrs. Anna Lind, 22393 Old Logging Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033.
In the first photo below, the order is busy serving one of the over 75 breakfasts that they will be serving on Saturday morning, the first day of the show. From left to right are Denise Johnson (facing the camera), Jessica Weiss, Katie (last name undisclosed) and her mother, and Patricia Bushore. In the back on the grill is Ron La Sala. Breakfast was $3.75 and consisted of orange or grapefruit juice, a full stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage. Coffee or tea was also provided and all is delicious and cooked to order. You pay your money, get a number and a very cheerful young lady brings the food to you. Trains and pleasant women together are as close to heaven as a train lover gets.
Later on in the day hotdogs, nachos, chili and many other delights are available. The second photo sows Ron again at the grill with Kelly Glazier, Jackie Hensley (Jessica’s mother) and Denise Johnson (back to camera) serving up the chili. The first photo below shows Ron, Bill Moses and Nancy Johnson taking a well-earned break. The final photo shows the first view one gets of these great folks as the train lover orders breakfast. From left to right are Juliana Bushore, Patricia Bushore, Kelly Glazier, Angela Beane and Jessica Weiss. Jessica was all over the place. When she was not serving breakfast and lunch, she was in Johnson Hall canvassing the vendors to see if they would like lunch or a snack.
Nevertheless, if you are within a few hours drive to Sacramento, California or a two-hour flight, put the International Railfair on your calendar for next year. It is held over the three-day Veteran’s weekend each November. Check for the individual dates in the fall issues of the Model Railroader magazine.
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24th Annual Train Show Entertains All
George Huckaby -
For the twenty-fourth year, the West’s Premier Model Railroad show was held at the Placer County Fairgrounds and Trolleyville was there. Custom Traxx has been participating in this show since 1992 and had become very familiar with the facilities, vendors and the customers. There are three facets about this show that makes it so different from most train shows and very worthwhile to attend. The first is that there four and one half fairly large buildings (halls) full of model trains of all gauges and continents. There is a large selection of scale and tinplate, rare items and recent releases. The second is that there is an extremely well stocked hobby shop within three miles of the Fairgrounds, Railroad Hobbies in downtown Roseville. They extend their hours for the convenience of the show customers. The third are the breakfasts, lunch and snacks made available by the Rainbow Girls, but more about them on the right.
The show centers around three halls and the Armory. The Sacramento Live Steamers are on hand with their engines and they give rides to the show attendees behind them. There is even a mobile ATM on hand for those who ‘forgot’ their money.
Johnson Hall is the main hall, so designated because this is where breakfast is served for the vendors each morning of the show starting at 7:00 A.M. Since the show opens at 10:00 A.M., there is plenty of time for vendor set-up and breakfast. One usually can find Custom Traxx, Railway Traction Miniatures and Holland Traction Supply, all Trolleyville vendors in this hall. Bragdon Enterprises with their clinics on scenery are usually in this hall. Below is some of the extensive traction available from Railway Traction Miniatures at the show.
Custom Traxx demonstrated a small HO scale operating traction layout. Below, Angela Beane, 15 and Jessica Weiss, 13, both Rainbow Girls, admire Boston Center entrance Car #6132 as it was running around the three foot square module. This module is one of 25 used by the Southern California Traction Club in their displays.
There is always at least one operating layout in each hall and the Armory each year so everyone in the family has something to see. Lauppe Hall has the consignment store and the European Train Enthusiasts, operating their trains under a maze of catenary.
Jones Hall has many layouts; another snack bar hosted by the Rainbow Girls and normally a live steam locomotive or two. Two of the vendors usually found in the hall are Wayne & Arlene Yamada from Castro Valley, CA. They have been selling model trains for 20 years and they usually have one or two traction pieces. This year they had a Bowser Brill Suburban and a model of one of the Chicago single unit elevated cars featured in the Tom Cruise/ Rebecca DeMornay film "Risky Business" some years ago.
 
Also in this hall was Central Coast Trains, a very well stocked model railroad shop located right off Highway 101 in Atascadero, CA. In fact, the rear of the store is visible from the highway. Bill and Anita Walter have owned this store for five years now and it is well worth a stop when driving up "the 101". This year Walter held down the tables in Jones Hall while Erin, Anita and Mark manned the tables in the Armory.
There were four interesting pieces of HO scale traction available from another vendor in this hall. There was a Ken Kidder Double Truck Birney, similar to those that once ran in Sacramento; a lightweight interurban used by the Sand Springs Railway in Oklahoma, and a double end Pittsburgh Jones low-floor car. For you heavy electric fans, there was a Milwaukee Road "Little Joe".
 
The Armory usually has many vendors and another snack bar hosted by the Rainbow Girls. Clover House and H & N Electronics are normally found here. Both of these vendors manufacture products that are extensively used by the Southern California Traction Club in the development of their modules. Clover House is the enterprise owned by Russ & Jane Clover of Sebastopol, CA and is a real "class" act. They are celebrating their 25th year of operation this year.
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