York TCA - Misc. Observations.

[Bill Lohman <844bill@gmail.com>]

Hi all, my final observations on York follow.

 

Spring and Fall York TCA is the '"greatest show on earth" for O guager's.  Six large to medium halls full of trains, major manufacturers, major retailers, niche market retailers and mom and pop train resellers.  Seminars, demo's.  And York is located in the beautiful Amish rolling hills countryside in close proximity to so many other places and events that it's impossible to list them.  Gettysburg and the National Toy Train Museum, the B&O RR Museum in Baltimore and on and on.    

 

Hope we can work out a Trackers group trip as Scott has suggested.

 

If I were judging the health and committment of the major manufacturers based on York, MTH would win hands down.

 

All the key MTH persons from Mike Wolf the founder and CEO on through the marketing, engineering and support mgt team were there and were interacting and listening. 

MTH's new products are impressive in both variety and in workmanship.  Next gen DCS Proto 3 has real potential.  MTH has entered the HO market in a big way which will give them lots of cash to do things in the O gauge market, too.  

 

In contrast, I found the Lionel's physical presence, energy and products worrysome.  Other than the two new Vision engines (who though of that, Vision, hmmm) nothing much to look at.   Now that Lionel is owned by an investment firm (bottom liners) instead of Richard Kughn and Neil Young (real O gauge train guys) they may be in trouble once again as back in the MPC General Mills days of the 1970's.   Hope I'm wrong. 

 

But, one thing is for sure from attending York.  There has never been a better time to be in O gauge railroading!!  The variety of trains, track systems, control systems, signalling systems, scenery materials,  structures, hobby tools and everything else one can think of is staggering and the best ever!!  I mean hands down, the best ever.

 

It took me about eight hours of wandering and looking at it all to make just one round through all six halls and there was something different around each corner. 

 

Highlights for me.

 

Old Stuff.  A 1940's vintage Lionel Salesman's wooden travelling display case about twice the size of our brief cases with a complete Lionel 00 Guage train set in it.  Reputed to have been the property of none other than Frank Pettit (sp).  Asking price $35,000.

 

New Stuff.  This is a little harder but if I have to choose only one it would be the MTH Premier Proto 2 #80 UP Coal Turbine three piece engine set.  Saw one run on the National Capitol Trackers layout.  Man, UP knew how to do things big!!.  And MTH got details and the sound and the rest right.  But, then the AtlasO F3's and all their rolling stock and  the Sunset 3rd Rail UP FEF-3's and their new line of GGD scale passenger cars are up there too.  And I found some brand new old stock K-Line 21 inch aluminum UP passenger cars and called Ricky since I have those particlular cars.  Hope you got them, Ricky.

 

Bill