Train Show in Sacramento

This past Sunday, instead of bowling, we drove north to the Great Train Expo Sacramento, held at the Cal Expo State Fairgrounds. It is about a 90 minute trip from Alex's St. Denis Home. The show was quite large, extending into two buildings. The main building had some layouts but mostly vendors. I navigated the show for a while with Alex, giving Frank alone time to peruse the merchandise. He was very pleased with the selection and confided he was spending money as if we were at a quilt show!

Alex and Frank with view of the show stretching out behind them.

Here are a couple of his purchases. Since I took the pictures I probably did not hit on which are his prize finds. But these are the items I liked.

Reminds me of the Dreamsicles I loved as a kid.

I wonder if there ever were Christmas train cars like this...
a tanker car full of egg nog and one full of apple cider. WOW!

This is one of my purchases... a man purse! I thought Frank needed this to carry out his treasures. It is fairly big. It is shown draped over the back of a computer chair.

The perfect tote bag for a train show.

We moved on to the second building which is more layout intensive, with fewer vendors. We spent some time admiring the toy train - not model train - layout. Toy train enthusiasts are not such sticklers for scale and authenticity but are more interested in entertainment value. Several of the train cars have lights and animation and the colors are fun focused, not accuracy addicted.

Toy Train Operating Society! This group of men just gather to have fun.

Frank discussed how to get the lights glowing so brightly in the cars and buildings.

We returned to the first building to enjoy a second look at the layouts there. Frank and Alex had a discussion on what the train says.

The train says "Woo-hoo!"
 Just to be clear... not Whoo like the owl.

I took the next photo because I thought this small rounded layout was very pretty and springlike.

Even the colors of the oval trolley cars speak Easter.

The next photo is a concession to all our friends in the snowbound regions of this country. That is a snowplow on the front of that engine.

Have snow, will plow.

Alex enjoyed the car ride there, all the hub-bub at the show, the hot dog lunch mid-day, and, from the lip-smacking sounds coming from the rear seat of the car, the Tootsie Roll Pop on the drive back home. Frank came home with train cars, building kits, hardware, and I think even an electric engine to embellish and extend his layout in the garage. All in all we had a very pleasant time. Fun for all!