In our last issue, we reported on the Great Train Expo at Del Mar, CA (Del Mar is a few miles north of San Diego). During the weekend of January 6-7 it was the good fortune of over 7,000 train lovers in Anaheim to experience a professionally run and enjoyable train show. The location was the Anaheim Convention Center, Hall E. Bill Grove was the show manager and, as can now be expected from any Great Train Expo, provided an excellent and enjoyable show for the vendors, model train clubs and the general public at large. It was great to see Bill at local model train show as he had not been in Southern California since the late 1990's.

Bill Grove was the number two man of the old Great American Train Show (when it was really great) from its inception until the company was sold in 2001. Bill has to be considered one of the brighter minds in the model train show business and we can only wonder what would have happened if Bill had purchased the now defunct Great American Train Show in 2001. He still runs one of the most successful monthly train shows in the United States, the Great Midwest Train Show at the DuPage County Fair Grounds in DuPage, Illinois.

The train vendors should know that the Great Train Expo expended over $18,000.00 among the following resources for this show:

1. Twenty-four TV commercials on KCAL, KCOP and KTTY - $3,700.00
2. Fourteen newspaper ads in the Los Angeles Times and
twenty-one newspaper ads in the Orange County Register - $3,200.00
3. 9,600 email addresses of past show attendees emailed twice prior to the show.
4. 22,000 direct mail postcards to past attendees - $5,200.00
5. Full page, four color ad in Model Railroader magazine - $4,000.00
6. Full page, four color ad in Classic Toy Trains magazine - $2,000.00
7. PR Campaign to all major media outlets, which resulted in a great story in the Orange County Register on Sunday morning which bought out a Sunday crowd, equal to if not greater than the Saturday attendance levels. If you would like to read rest of the article, click here.

As part of the advertising effort, George Huckaby, owner of Custom Traxx and founder of the Southern California Traction Club, was caught on film while being interviewed by the Orange County Register.

After reviewing the effort expended in advertising this show, it is no wonder that such a large attendance was achieved. This data is published in the Train of Thought Newsletter which is given to all vendors upon their arrival at the show. Vendors are also provided a complete floor plan at least three weeks prior the show and this makes set-up much easier. Vendors who have been attending model train shows for the last five years no longer need be concerned whether the Great Train Expo will bring sufficient customers to them. There were at least 87 vendor booths and at least another 100 vendor tables full of merchandise for the show attendees. There was even a riding train for the smaller folks. It now appears that if vendors bring the correct merchandise, they should leave happy on Sunday evening.

There were over fifteen excellent layouts/model train displays at the show including the Orange County Tinplate Trackers (O scale), Orange County 'N'gineers (N scale), Canfield Family Circus (HO scale), Orange County Module Railroaders (HO scale), Del Oro Pacific (Large Scale), Pacific Coast Modular Club (HO scale), N-Trak Express (N scale), Orange County O Scalers (O scale), AV N-scalers (N scale), Piute Flats (N-scale), Door Hollow Short Line (Large Scale), The 20s & 30s Model Railroad Club (HO scale), the Zocal Modeling Group (Z-scale), Monorail Models and, of course, the Southern California Traction Club (HO traction), displaying the new Walthers New York City Transportation Authority R-21 Subway Cars. These cars are shown in the next photo entering the Civic Center Station.

Last month, we showed a nice large scale double cab work motor on the Door Hollow Short Line. We finally asked about the source of the name of the line only to be told that the entire layout is constructed on hollow core interior doors. They were exhibiting a model of an very early steam powered train, named "Heidi", shown below. We did not get the story behind the name ....yet.

Because of the public satisfaction with the quality of the layouts, sales of vendors adjacent to those layouts were in some cases, phenomenal. The model train vendor adjacent to the Southern California Traction Club experienced sales at almost twice normal levels. Sales were reported as "brisk", "busy" and "outstanding" by the vendor. One vendor, who is usually glum after most recent train shows, was seen skipping and singing on the way out of the show on Sunday evening. Hall E at the Anaheim Convention Center is one of the more difficult halls for vendor set-up and teardown. Access to the hall must be accomplished up one narrow ramp with several restrictive tight turns which makes trailer maneuvering difficult. The show manager was active in facilitating set-up and at the conclusion of the show, he was on the ramp until until 7:00 PM ensuring that the vendors exited the show with a minimum of difficulty.

So the bottom line is, when the Great Train Expo arrives in your area, plan to go! If you are a vendor, sign up early and go! Most likely, you will be really glad you did! The next shows in the Western half of the United States are:

Salt Lake City, UT - February 10-11, 2007
Utah State Fairpark - 155 North 1000 West
Denver, CO - February 24-25, 2007
National Western Complex - 4655 Humboldt Street
San Francisco, CA - March 3-4, 2007
Cow Palace - Geneva & Santos, Daly City

For those of you who attended the Anaheim show last year, you know the vast difference in the content, conduct and general attitude displayed by all who presented, participated in and visited this show. What a difference a Dave makes! (Referring to Dave Swanson, CEO of Competitive Intelligence Advertising, Inc, who is the parent company of both the Great Train Expo and the World's Greatest Hobby on Tour Shows) _____________________________________________________________________

Another Model Train Show in pleasant surroundings draws record crowd!
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For the last few years, as we watched the deterioration and the final destruction of the once proud Great American Train Show, Trolleyville has been examining other shows, mostly run by model railroad clubs, that were conducted well and were enjoyable. We have reported many times about the Roseville, CA show as we have a great time each time we attend but here is another really enjoyable show held every January in Bakersfield, CA. at the Kern County Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds are located at Ming and P Streets in the southern portion of Bakersfield. Trolleyville was forced to miss this show in January 2006 due to a conflict with the first Great Train Expo in Sacramento. But we enjoyed this show so much that we will try an never mss it again. This show is presented by the Golden Empire Historical And Modeling Society (G.E.M.A.H.S.) and has been under the direction of Doug Wagner, a local train buff and fire fighter. Doug is shown below behind the layout that the club will give to the winner of a raffle.

Every year the club builds a model railroad layout similar to the one shown above, conducts a raffle and gives it away at the end of the show. A local home depot donates the lumber to build the layout. Club members do the rest. The show has been held in Horace Massey Hall at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield, CA since 1994 and in the same hall since 1995.

Trolleyville along with several traction vendors, such as Custom Traxx, Railway/Traction Miniatures and Holland Traction Products have been frequent visitors to this show over the past thirteen years. Custom Traxx was at the show with their demonstration traction layout, which is always a hit with the younger visitors.

Attendance at this show was a record breaker with 1,971 on Saturday, January 13th; 1,289 on Sunday, January 14th or 3,260 total. This shattered the previous high attendance of 2,750 set two years ago. the weather cooperated as the show was presented during the "chill" that enveloped California at the time. Bill Walter of Central Coast Trains (Atascadero, CA) is shown below preparing his booth for the show, dressed for the temperature inside the building during vendor move-in.

Set-up for layouts began at 10:00 AM on the Friday before the show while the vendors began set-up at 2:00 PM on the same day. The Fairgrounds is very friendly to the public and vendors with easy parking and access for the vendors. On Saturday, the show opened at 10:00 AM and there was a long line visitors waiting to purchase tickets and enter all day. The hall was available for set-up until 9:30 PM Friday evening, enabling those vendors from Southern California to brave the Grapevine and Interstate 5 to get there. Show hours were very friendly for vendors and the public. Saturday hours were 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday hours were 10:00 AM to 4:00PM, allowing vendors to tear down and get on the road while there is still some daylight. Custom Traxx was on the road forty-three minutes after the show closed to the public. This show is unique in that it allows vendors to have tables on Saturday alone, Sunday alone or both days. Table prices have always been reasonable and the show normally produces an adequate crowd, most of whom are avid model railroaders. Doug always asks vendors how they would like their tables arranged and he normally complies. Additionally, he provides a "straw horse" floor plan to paid vendors in advance of the show and maintains constant communications with the show participants to ensure that all possible problems are solved prior to the show opening. Despite many misconceptions about Bakersfield, there are plenty of fine eating establishments with quality food of all types in the area and, of course, railroading action is plentiful as trains are continuously readied to assault the Tehachapi Loop.

The society maintains two permanent layouts, currently under construction at their clubhouse. The clubhouse is located in downtown Bakersfield on the northeast corner of 19th & Eye Streets on both the 2nd and 3rd floors. The permanent HO scale layout is 30 by 90 ft and will have 14 scale miles of mainline track when completed. The permanent N scale layout is 18 by 80 feet and has 17 scale miles of mainline track. Trolleyville had the opportunity to visit both layouts on Saturday, January 13th and found the operation impressive. The club also has one portable, or modular, N scale layout which they display at local train shows. For more information about the club please visit their web site at www.gehams.net or call Doug Wagner at (661) 589-0391.

If you are a streetcar, subway-elevated, interurban or light rail vehicle modeler and you have photos of your models or your model railroad, we would love to show them here. Send your photos to the Trolleyville Times.
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