West Springfield, MA Railroad Show

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

The yearly Model Railroad Show at The Eastern States facility in West Springfield, MA is coming up on January 25 & 26. I just saw the first advertisement for it on a local tv station. For all those who might be planning to attend or participate this is the first announcement.

Duncan

[Mark Spremulli]

This will be the first time i am there as a worker. Can't wait to see everybody there.

[Stephen Piwowarski]

Thank you Duncan for getting the ball rolling by setting up this thread!

I am helping to organize personnel and travel to the show this year and wanted to check in on the forum. I have a list of folks who usually help out at the table which includes Duncan, among others who will have passes provided.

We are transporting materials to W. Springfield the Friday night prior to the shows opening. Bill Reidy has stepped up to carry the majority of materials in his vehicle. However, his schedule is sometimes effected by work emergencies. Is there anyone else headed from the Sheepscot area to W. Springfield arriving in the area on Friday night who would be willing to haul show merchandise in a pinch, or simply to ease the burden on Bill?

At the show, John McNamara will have the passes for those who have already committed to volunteering and we need to figure out how best to distribute them. If you are planning to volunteer and are in need of a pass, please PM me and I will see what we can arrange.

This year, I will not be at the show. Instead I will be at Sheepscot helping to ensure smooth sailing (or sledding) during Steam and Sleighs. Hope you all have a blast!

Best,
Steve

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Stephen, those folks who have already agreed to be part of the WWF crew should be able to arrive Friday evening and get their pass either from John or, if they get there before john, from the show office. I expect to be on-site Friday afternoon so I could grab all of the passes and paperwork if that would help out. Whoever will be in charge of such things could always see me at our usual location where I could had over all of the paperwork and passes.

Duncan

[Bill Reidy]

I expect to be bringing show material out on Friday.  What time is our show crew meeting at our tables Friday?

[John McNamara]

I'm shooting for 2:30.

-John

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

John and Bill, I can be there at whatever time works best. If one or both of you plan to be at the show facility around 2:30, I can do the same. That way there will be that many more hands to help out.

[Dwight Winkley]

I  can also be at WW&F tables at 2:30 on Friday.

[John McNamara]

Bill, Duncan, Dwight:

Great! Thanks!

-John

[Bill Reidy]

I'll likely be a bit later, like 4ish.  But I'll try to get there sooner Friday.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Cindy and I will be there Friday afternoon as well, we can help bring in the WW&F stuff once we have Don's layout set up.
 
Steve, so you know -
Dealer/exhibitor set up is on Friday. ARS urges vendors to set up before Saturday morning when there are hundreds of people waiting to get into the buildings. The groups with large layouts and displays start Thursday afternoon or Friday morning which is what we did when we took the dairy car and railcar.

There are usually 40 - 50 WW&F members at the show and we look forward to seeing many of you at narrow gauge corner or outside with Monson #3. 

[Wayne Laepple]

No report on the Springfield show? No verbiage, no pictures? What's up?

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Paid attendance was 21,540.  With vendors and exhibitors the total show crowd was around 25,000. 

We counted 48 WW&F members who either worked our table, other groups tables or were visitors.  Many thanks to John, Duncan, Marcel, Susan, Ray, Cindy, Dwight, Bill and Dave for working the WW&F tables. We had solid merchandise sales along with memberships totaling $2,887.40.  A pile of brochures and event schedule cards were handed out plus having Monson 3 right outside was a great way to introduce people to the Maine Two-Footers. MNG and ML&MW did a nice job of setting up and running the locomotive.  A TV news crew from Springfield came over to do a live remote with #3 and crew on Sunday.

All in all it was one of the best ARS shows we have had. Photos will be posted on FB in the next day or so.

[John McNamara]

I second Stewart's report and note that having sold 4 (right?) copies of the Two Feet to Tidewater 3rd edition at $65 helped the bottom line immensely. I'm sure Cindy and Linda will soon have some more available in the Gift Shop.

[James Patten]

We have 48 (now 44) copies of Two Feet to Tidewater 3rd edition in the gift shop at the moment - with many more on the way.  These were hot off the press, by the way - I fetched the boxes on MLK Day.

We also have a number of 1980s/90s Peter Barney books that also are hot off the press as reprints.  His Structures volumes 1 and 2, the B&SR, WW&F, and KC/Monson Technical Review books (3 of them).