Thread: I visited Botmann heaven

So my dad calls me on Saturday and asks if I want to take the kids to a train exhibit - kids get in free. I told him sure thing and packed up the kids and drove em to the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Well we got there and it was a model train exhibit thing. They had mounds and mounds of model trains for sale, perusal and trade. I couldn't believe how many people were there. It was jam packed!



My son got to control a train around a track and he totally dug that. We saw some pretty awesome stuff. There were more than a few of these trains that had "steam" coming out of the top of them. Those were pretty cool.



I tried calling you Botmann, but couldn't get ahold of you. I'm sure you would have loved it! My kids did!

I actually, that was part of the World's Greatest Hobby Tour. It was in Sacramento the weekend before, which my parents and I went. It was pretty nice show. What's nice, compared to most shows I've been is there was the major train manufacturers such as Kato, Digitrax, Athern, Woodland Scenes, Bach, and so forth.

I've got a few pictures of layouts, and some video of a G scale train that actually ran off of steam. That was cool. I don't think I have that much bandwidth left on my flickr account to post up, I'll have to check. I'll have to get off my butt and post of the steam engine video though.

I did see you called. I just figured you misdialed me. I don't return calls unless someone leaves a message, otherwise I assume it wasn't that important.

I hope your family and you had a lot of fun. If you boy liked the show, he may like the model train museum in Balboa Park. I don't remember the cost, it's like $7 for adults, but there are like 5 layouts--N scale, two HO, O, and I think an S. And most of the old farts like seeing little kids and watching their face. Some times, they'll give the kids a tour of stuff that's not visible, or if possible, let them control a train a bit. But those are for the big open houses.

Bott - yep, my son and one of my daughters enjoyed it. We have been to the exhibit in Balboa Park, but that was a while ago. Perhaps we'll go back. In the old days my grandfather and my dad built an entire room outside for my brother's trains. They ran electricity and stuff to it and it was like model railroad heaven for my little bro. It was pretty cool.

I can't remember if it is this year or next year, but the NRMA (national model railroading association) will be having their national convention in LA, I think Anaheim. Those can be really fun. And from the pictures I've seen in the NMRA newsletter, ScaleRails, the layouts are huge and highly detailed. I'm hoping to go when it's down there.

I've been to some of the regional ones up here; not going this year because it's in Modesto, and I'm not willing to travel that far for a day of activities. I really like the clinics. I've take my dad to them and he has had fun. I just never pick a day where they have the layout going, LOL.