Visiting a show can be a worthwhile time investment in your hobby. There are basically two different types of shows that you can attend.

The first show that I will mention here is really a combination of a sales event and an opportunity for local clubs to set up and display their modular layouts. You will typically find hobby shops from all over a region or even the country set up at these events. This is a great opportunity for us to browse the show and find the best deals on those items that we have been drooling over for months. You will also find that many of the dealers will have those hard to find items, as well as, those discontinued items that you have been looking for and have been unable to find! Normally all scales are represented in new and used condition. Many times manufacturers are at these shows to introduce new upcoming items.

The second type of show is typically a show that a local club or group of clubs will put on together. Many times this type of show is designed to increase the exposure of Model Railroading to the general public or as a fund raiser for the local club(s). The show normally does not include sales and is usually based on one certain scale of model railroading. By attending one of these types of shows, you can get many ideas and learn many facets of the hobby that you may not be familiar with to use on your own layout.

Attending a show of either type is very interesting, informative and just plain fun. You can normally find information about these shows in model railroading magazines or at the Model Railroader Magazine website .

Below are some photos from a show that is held every year in Stone Mountain, GA. The show is normally held the last weekend in July and the clubs that come together to combine their modular layouts donate the proceeds from the show to the host of the event, SmokeRise Baptist Church. This show is intended to promote modular railroading in HO Scale.

These pictures are from the SmokeRise July 2005 show and all of the modules shown in the pictures join together to form one giant layout that fills this entire gymnasium.