ShowLog – Deland – 4/9/2016

ShowLog – Deland – 4/9/2016

ell, it might be the end of our Deland Shows – we’re not sure at this point. We’ve been told that the fairgrounds is boosting their building rentals by 1003% and the train show is passing their butt-kicking on to us. So we’re not sure if we’ll be out there in July.

Hard to say when we started doing Deland – back then we were hoisting our splintery N-trak modules in on our backs and taking ten hours (or more) to get the chaotically-wired monster running (honestly, it looked like the North Korea Model Railroad club at times). Here is our first real trip out with the new layout, circa 1/9/2011.

So five years later, we’re packing in the kids and running trains around our massive 16 module U-shaped layout. Outside of finishing Folkston, we’re almost done. And now we’re getting pushed onto the siding. There are hopes (if they chase out enough venders) that we’ll have space in the main building. We’ll see. All I can say is that we fit well, we’re a hit with the crowds, and Jerry Dunn always runs those long, long trains!

Anyway, it was a long day for us – having problems with the exit switch out of Folkston (Steve, please, come back from your round-the-world trip!), and the crossing gates through that area were misfiring (how many motorists did we kill? Did anyone count?). But it all came down to the take-down. We meandered through a relaxing 20 minute disassembly, the club stepping up to lift the modules, catch the legs, break-em, rack-em, and roll-them. An hour or so later, lazing on my outdoor lounger (next to my opulent Indian marble table!), enjoying some wine and cheese, I thought of the First Coast boys, probably still lugging modules into transport boxes and sweating them into their SUVs. Yeah, it’s been a good run for us. We’ll see what the future holds!

>>>WHEN NOT REBUILDING CLUBHOUSE PORCH ROOFS, PAINTING THE BUILDING, REMOVING THE WEEDS OR RUNNING TRAINS AT SHOWS, I USED TO WRITE. CHECK OUT MY NOVELISTIC HISTORICAL DRAMAS, HERE!<<<