Big Deal! Okay, maybe I’m a little cynical. I went to Springfield with Lorenzo, John, and my friend Wilbur on Saturday to see the largest train show in the East. Granted, this claim is most likely quite true. There were more people there than you can shake a stick at! Vendors were everywhere and layouts and trains were present in abundance. However, with everything so spread out, there seemed to be no order to anything. As large as this show is, it would seem that the people who set it up could find some common theme for each of the four buildings and arrange it so people could find things in a more organized fashion. How about by size? Say you put all the large scale stuff like G-scale, tinplate, Lionel, and S-gauge in one building. Put HO in another building along with the N-scalers. Then you could have scenery and electronic products in another building and finally, the miscellaneous items such as books and railroadiana in another building. At least this way, you wouldn’t have to travel to every building numerous times to find that one item that you knew you saw somewhere, just not where you remembered. After all, we model railroaders tend to be somewhat organized with our model railroads. We plan out routes, set up timetables, make switch lists, build benchwork to accommodate our track plan, and a myriad of other details that require relatively tight organization and order. Why not help us out with our shopping?
With organization in mind, FUNTRAK is preparing for this year’s upcoming railroad shows. The first big event will be in April when FUNTRAK hosts its annual “Valley Rail Sights” show at the Masonic Lodge in Ilion. Then comes the summer shows, many at Dave’s Diner in Schuyler, followed by the annual FUNTRAK PicNik, the Fonda Fair, Clayton, the annual awards banquet, Fulton, Syracuse, OCHS for Christmas, and other shows I am certain I have forgotten. At least we are planning to be organized and have some idea of where we are going.
So where has all my raving lead to? Less confusion makes for better model railroading for everyone. If you have a plan, you can reach your goal with perseverance and hard work. It will be much easier to achieve the success you are looking for if you are organized and it is a whole lot easier for others to help you when you need it if you have some idea of just exactly what it is you need help with. In spite of the lack of organization and order that I found in Springfield, I still managed to make to all four buildings and see most of the stuff that was there. Twice, anyway! I also find that I am much pickier than I used to be because I really don’t need many things anymore. I have most of the supplies I need, just not the time, ambition, or assistance I need to get started. It is my own fault, I realize, but recognizing that is a least a beginning for me. Now if I can just overcome these shortcomings, I’ll build the worlds greatest model railroad. Right! As the old Chinese proverb says, “The longest journey begins with the first step.” Let’s step on it!
Brian
