Teco train show

[el Gato Gordo]

On the calendar for February 4th and 5th. In addition to exhibiting the Alpenbahn layout, I have rented an adjacent table to sell off excess train stuff.

I have a box of American HO trains, and numerous N scale structures still in original plastic wrapped boxes. All for sale at 25 to 30 percent of retail. Also many already built structures that people have donated to me over the years, at silly low to free rates.

[el Gato Gordo]

Just two days to the TECO Train Show in Colorado Springs! The Alpenbahn is sealed within it's dust cover, and secured in the horse trailer. Trains are loaded in their travel tubes. All the for sale goodies are loaded in the truck. Beer is chilling in the fridge (no colder than 50°) in the Train Room for when I get home each day!

https://www.tecoshow.org/tecoswap.htm

[astrotrain64]

GG (Gordon Gekko or Gato Gordo?)

Sounds you have a great weekend planned. Wish I could get there and see the layout and your For Sale goodies. If you bring anything not HO back, please share the list with the group! Good luck at the show!

[donzi]

Have fun, Good luck,

[el Gato Gordo]

I was just looking over the layout list and there are 5 N scale layouts. I highly recommend Dave Vollmer's small layout. It is extremely well done, especially the rock work. Shows what can be done in a small space. There are also some very good larger, modular layouts. It promises to be a good show!

[ranulf]

I'm looking forward to this one. I wish I could get there on Saturday, but I'll be lighting off 481 for her trip to Cascade Canyon tomorrow morning. So, Sunday it is.

I haven't been to a train show since before the pandemic. Can't wait to see what the vendors have. Hoping the tool guy might be there again, I need some stuff. I'm always on the lookout for interesting books, as well. And my wife is looking forward to hitting the "good" thrift stores in Colorado Springs.

I'm guessing there's still no hobby shops in town anymore, apart from that Roy's place and Hobbytown USA?

[el Gato Gordo]

Tool guy is there.

One of the vendors, Roy's Trains, bought out my whole table right after I got it laid out. Before I even got the Alpenbahn populated with trains! It was a relief, since I was not looking forward to managing a sale table and running trains on the layout. Being a one person operation does have a few drawbacks.

At any rate, there are a lot of vendors and layouts!

[ranulf]

Great show! I truly enjoyed it. A pretty fair number of vendors. More N scale than I thought we'd see.

I was interested to see Pikemasters club getting into FreeMo. That was neat to see, even if most of their modules are not sceniced yet. I confess I spent more time looking at vendors than I did looking at the modular setups. But I spent a fair amount of time talking with Dave Vollmer about his wonderful Colorado Midland themed layout, and about modeling turn of the century in N scale. I also had a chance to say hello to Gordon and look at his awesome layout which is even more impressive in person than I thought it would be. I even pushed the button to watch little plastic Tom Cook climb the mountainside. I'd have liked to spend more time chatting with Gordon,but he always had a crowd around his fantastic layout.

Also had a really interesting chat with "Chapel Car Ken" Valles about those interesting churches on wheels.

In addition to meeting new folks, I was happy to reconnect with some old friends I haven't seen in a while. Ron Theisman and I go back more than 25 years. He was there selling stuff. And I was happy to see my friend Luke Prince from the Pikes Peak Cog Railway as I had lost his number with my last broken phone.

Overall, it was a fine way to spend a Sunday. And I got some great deals.

[el Gato Gordo]

It was great to see you, Ian! I would truly have liked more time to talk with you, but the show was very well attended,,,,,,,

[ranulf]

Next time, Gordon! I especially liked liked the rotating restaurant on your layout. I would love to eat somewhere like that.

It has been a long time since my last train show,and this was a fun return. I'm already thinking about attending the Rocky Mountain Train Show in April. I went to that show years ago, and really enjoyed it.

[el Gato Gordo]

The Rocky Mountain Train Show is huge! Biggest one between St Louis and California. I'll have the Alpenbahn there for it's first time in Denver.