The Meet was held in a large building called the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. The "locals" say it's a misnomer to call it that. Since the location is so near to Valley Forge maybe it should be the Valley Forge Expo Center. The building reminds me of a building supply/lumber yard business which had gone out of business.
The EPTC has no control over to whom the other parts of the building are rented on a weekend. The weekend of the Traction Meet we counted at least 4 other events booked into the same building. The building is huge!
Since the area the traction Meet was in proportion to how large the total space of the building is, on Friday vendors were setting up plus individuals like us who were from out of town and nothing else to do were at the Meet. Far more attendees were at the Meet on Saturday.
If you want to get business done with a particular vendor Friday is the day to do it. I had to talk with Jim Osborn about a number of items so Friday was a "God send". Jim and I were able to catch-up on old personal stuff plus some new business.
The secret to having a good experience is finding out how to get to the Expo Center from your hotel/motel. We always turn southwest at the "fireless cooker" on the corner of Egypt Rd. and Station Ave.; Oaks, PA. There's also railroad station on the corner. I have no idea what the area was a one time but you'll notice railway track and at least 4 very small locomotives on the track to the west of Station Ave as you drive to the Expo.
Since the Expo building is very large drive around it at least once to find the correct entrance for the EPTC Meet along with parking. Many of us have commented to the EPTC about the lack of appropriate signage once the turn at Egypt Rd. and Station Ave. is made. For at least the last 2 years the area around Egypt and Station has been under construction!
Back to the Meet, EPTC is both O scale and HO scale with appropriate portable layouts made up of modules. Since I'm interested in O scale that is what I'll write about. EPTC had both the regular, older form of DC control layout and a new DCC layout.
This was the central control module for the regular control layout. From it cars/trains can be sent into one of 3 different routes. Cars/trains can be stored in the yard behind and next to the station.
The street scene is one of the 3 legs into which cars can be routed.
This is a different routing into which cars can be placed. If you can count the number modules and multiply by 2 feet (Modules can vary in length. The 2 feet was arbitrarily picked by me.) you can get an idea as to how long the leg is.
Multiple cars were running without problems. A form of block control is used to prevent accidents.
On the DCC control modular layout this was the central control module. There were either straight through, around the curve, or turn back, around the monument, running.
These are 2 of the more unusual modules.
One of the more creative displays by Curt Seeliger of a vendor was -
Finally I'm an EPTC member and I live in the Chicago area about 700-800 miles from the East Penn area. You should also be a member. You might say I don't live anywhere near East Penn. The membership dues are not that big. Even if you may not like their newsletter or can't make local meetings, the traction community needs to keep the EPTC alive. Check out their website http://www.eastpenn.org/ . Where else can you find as much up-to-date information about traction? Where else can you find information about modules and module standards which work? What about keeping the EPTC operating if only for them to put on the bi-annual EPTC Meet?
Here is an application. Fill it out today and mail it! Tell them Ed sent you!
Cheers,
Ed
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