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Old Colony Model Train Show on Sunday – Jeff Gross
by Jeff Gross, contributing writer
In 1845 the Old Colony Railroad stretched across Southeastern Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island. Now some 156 years later, it is the namesake of the Old Colony Model Railroad Club. For 21 years Old Colony Model RRC puts on an annual show at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, Massachusetts. This show occurs generally on the 3rd Sunday of September, with the 1st year occurring in 2002. This year is no exception.
September 19th, 2021 is the date for this year’s show. The show will make up a lot of lost ground as the show was postponed in 2020 due to Covid. The hours are 10am until 3:30 pm. The hotel is at 700 Myles Standish Blvd in Taunton.
Old Colony Model Railroad Club started in 1997 with the layout track work and table construction carrying into 1998. The Operational Layout is a work in progress as there are always details that are added to give a real life feel to the scenes. The layout itself is modeled after the New Haven Shoreline route from Providence to New Haven, Connecticut. The New York, New Haven, and Hartford, aka the ”New Haven” Railroad acquired the Old Colony trackage in 1893. One of the club benefits is a member can operate Engines of any specific era. It is not unusual to see the Amtrak Acela being followed by a Union Pacific “Big Boy”, though there is an occasional club night that only era specific locomotives are used.
This Sunday’s train show will have on average 500 attendees, with a mix of all ages including many families. This show is a great starting point for those looking to get into the hobby. Moms looking to start a family hobby that gets away from the video game world can lay the track work foundation so to speak. Even small 1 bedroom apartments can be fitted with an HO or N scale layout that be slid under the bed. There will be an operational N scale layout that can get the wheels turning. There will also be on display a Bluetooth Layout that the children can drive.
There is a manned test track that one can test a potential purchase to ensure it works. Another added benefit is the show gives out four $25 door prizes to be spent that day at the show. This gives incentive to the show attendees and a little sales income to the dealers who have sales displays at the show. Purchases of tiny Z scale to as large as G Scale for outdoor railroading can be made with such cherished oldies as all metal pre-war tin plate trains to boot. This is indeed an all inclusive, all gauge show.
So, this Sunday September 19th at the Holiday Inn, Bay Street exit off of Interstate 495… Hope to see you there!
YouTube Old Colony layout video:
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Jeffrey “Jeff” Gross spent 21 years as an Analytical Chemist at the USCG R&D Center in Groton, Connecticut, Woods Hole Laboratories, and Helix Technologies. Changing careers is a “great learning experience for everyone”, Jeff says, and I’m an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, a student of the sciences, and the world. The US holds too many wonders not to take a chance and explore them”.
Jeff is the Model Train and Railroad entrepreneur. Proud Golden Retriever owner. Ultra strong Second Amendment Advocate and Constitutionalist. “Determined seeker of the truth”.
Jeff is a RIFGPA Legislative and Legal Officer, Freshwater Chairman, NRA Liaison.
His subjects include Outdoors, Second Amendment, Model Railroading, and Whimsical.
He can be reached at: [email protected]