Train Shows are Back! WCMRRA Swap Meet and Open House.

 

Had the pleasure on Saturday of attending my first train show since the onset of COVID hosted by the Will County Model Railroad Association in Joliet, IL.  It was an extra special event as I was able to attend with my father and my son.   For a few years now we've gone the WCMRRA Show in December on my birthday weekend, so this was a nice return to something we had missed out on during lockdown.

I didn't buy much as I have a couple deals in the works for comparatively big purchases and hobby $ is tight.  However,  there were a a few finds that definitely reinforced why this is one of my favorite train shows in the Chicago area. 

I found great prices on a few relatively uncommon items from my favorite Chicago-area lines.  C&EI covered hopper, C&IM 40' Boxcar, Illinois Terminal 50' Boxcar and a NIB CNW coil car!  

Some nice odds and ends too.  2 Walthers coil loads (I have lots of EJ&E gondolas that need loads), a Tyco flat with issues  (picked up for the cable load, KD trucks and couplers), an IC baggage car that I have trucks for already and of course I can always use more containers!

The two pictures below are the sorted contents of 4 train car boxes of parts I picked up.  I've now got more railings and stanchions than I'll ever need.  Probably going to flip some of these bits so if you see something you need get in touch.

Then we headed over to the WCMRRA's new club location.  It's a nice clean and well lit room in the basement under a bank.  Most of the modules I had seen at their earlier site, but whenever I visit I always find at least a few interesting bits of the layout to photograph.

The highlight of the day was when they handed my son a controller and let him spend 10 minutes running a train around the layout.

Thanks WCMRRA!