Model Railroading > Trainfest 2021 Cancelled

From Trainfest's official Facebook page:

Dear Friends,

I have some sad news to share. After a lengthy discussion The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Southeastern Division of the NMRA has made the decision NOT to proceed with Trainfest this year. We really wanted to have Trainfest this year, however we think the risks are too great to hold the show in 2021. Trainfest is facing large challenges with the cost structure of the event and the number of volunteers it takes to put on the show.We are at a point where we should start spending money to put on the 2021 show. Money we cannot recover if the show has to be cancelled. Such a loss would place the 2022 show at risk.It is too early to tell where the direction of the show will be 12 months from now.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 15:16 by CaliforniaSteamin.

I work for a major organization that has a big fest every year with vendors, performers, sales, etc. and it has made the decision to have a just a virtual fest this year again. Trainfest is not alone. It does seem that if more people (almost half) in this country had received their vaccinations, we would have been much ahead of this. From what I understand, Polio would have been very much still with us if folks had acted like this back in the 50s.

Victor



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 17:48 by wabash2800.

How much you bet they cancel the 2022 show. 

Everything is opening up now and more events including model train are being scheduled. Personally a virtual show is a non-starter. What? Sit in front of my computer all day. No thanks. I'll wait for an in person show.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 16:59 by SPDRGWfan.

It will be interesting to see how well SummerFest (a two-week outdoor music festival in Milwaukee) goes this September. Usually it is in late June / early July. I 'm flying the family up for Zac Brown and ZZ Top.

Russ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 17:21 by NSTopHat.

Living in Milwaukee Trainfest was always a highlight of the year for many modelers, clubs and hobby shops.  This announcement came as a surprise to many in the area.  I hope that it isn't the end for Trainfest but it is going to be hard to start up again after a 2 year hiatus.  I agree a virtual show is just not the same.  I enjoyed sitting at my N scale clubs layout and visiting with people.  Also getting to show off some of my equipment running trains on a portable layout.  Hopefully the other big shows like Amherst will be able to bounce back.  

Keith

Keith Schmidt
Milwaukee, WI

Oh boy.....It's amazing to me that EVERY YEAR we have the flu. NOBODY wears a mask, people with co-morbities are dying yet we STILL manage to have large groups of people. And we have AT LEAST TWO VACCINES. If you're afraid to live, STAY HOME. At least let some of us have some fun. And the virtual show is as about as interesting as the virtual fun it provides. 

I have been hearing from friends in both the entertainment industry and people that deal with large conventions first hand of major issues afoot with convention centers and hotels getting very greedy trying to makeup for last years losses.  In most cases they have the groups stuck in a contract to boot.  

gandydancer4 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh boy.....It's amazing to me that EVERY YEAR we
> have the flu. NOBODY wears a mask, people with
> co-morbities are dying yet we STILL manage to have
> large groups of people. And we have AT LEAST TWO
> VACCINES. If you're afraid to live, STAY HOME. At
> least let some of us have some fun. And the
> virtual show is as about as interesting as the
> virtual fun it provides. 

People with your thinking, or lack of thinking, are why we can't get back to normal yet.
It's not like the flu. Not everyone will get a vaccine. No one will know if the person next to them got the vaccine.
You will expose family members to the virus. You show a self centered, it's all about me, lack of compassion for those close to you.
Are toy trains worth dying for?

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 18:06 by needles_sub.

gandydancer4 Wrote:
 If you're afraid to live, STAY HOME. 

No it's not the fear of living, it's the fear of dying that causes me to "STAY HOME",as you wrote, from train shows, at least for now and away from possible carriers such as maybe you. This is not your 4-6-0 variety of flu, it's more like your great-grand-dad's 4-8-8-4 variety of flu that killed 50--100 million during and after WW1. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 18:26 by RRBaron.

Hello! There is a vaccine.

Posted from Android

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello! There is a vaccine.
>
Hello! 100% of model railroaders haven't been vaccinated and the vaccine isn't 100% fail-safe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/21 18:41 by RRBaron.

I'll bet a higher percentage of model railroaders have been vacinated as most are in the higer age group that is at higher risk...

Victor

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SPDRGWfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hello! There is a vaccine.
> >
> Hello! 100% of model railroaders haven't been
> vaccinated and the vaccine isn't 100% fail-safe.

I think your off your rocker. Get the vaccine and quite putting a downer on everyone else. I just spent three weeks driving from California to Texas, New Orleans and Tulsa, OK. The only area I wore a mask was in New Mexico to protect the Native American people. Which I had no problem doing. Aside from that I never wore a mask. I was around an awful lot of people on Bourbon st. in NOLA wide open restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma. I got the vaccine in February. It works! I never got a sniffle. Plus I’m diabetic. If you haven’t gotten the vaccine, don’t tell others what they should or shouldn’t do. If have gotten the vaccine, then go live your life. You can’t make up the days you’ve lost.

Valleyman

needles_sub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gandydancer4 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Oh boy.....It's amazing to me that EVERY YEAR
> we
> > have the flu. NOBODY wears a mask, people with
> > co-morbities are dying yet we STILL manage to
> have
> > large groups of people. And we have AT LEAST
> TWO
> > VACCINES. If you're afraid to live, STAY HOME.
> At
> > least let some of us have some fun. And the
> > virtual show is as about as interesting as the
> > virtual fun it provides. 
>
> People with your thinking, or lack of thinking,
> are why we can't get back to normal yet.
> It's not like the flu. Not everyone will get a
> vaccine. No one will know if the person next to
> them got the vaccine.
> You will expose family members to the virus. You
> show a self centered, it's all about me, lack of
> compassion for those close to you.
> Are toy trains worth dying for?
>
> Posted from Android

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SPDRGWfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hello! There is a vaccine.
> >
> Hello! 100% of model railroaders haven't been
> vaccinated and the vaccine isn't 100% fail-safe.

Nothing is 100% safe, including getting in your car and driving places; you don't live in a cacoon.  Generally the highest percentage vacinated are older people and the vaccine is very effective and it is working.

We seem to be polarizing in this discussion, but there is a common sense approach.  Those at high risk can live accordingly and stay home - that's fine.  But obviously we are reaching a point where transmission is at it's lowest point since the beginning of the pandemic.  Parts of the country such as Maryland and Virginia are at about 70% vaccinated, although there are areas where it's lower. 

I am looking forward to train shows returning.  I think the first one in my area will be the Greenberg show in August.  Hopefully Timonium will be back this fall.

Cheers,
Jim