The day was overcast and windy but it wasn't raining. Hooray! Our van was parked way out. Steve spotted the Ford from the 50s immediately and took a photo with his cell phone. Parked next to it was a very nice Porsche but he liked the Ford better.
Tom and Steve headed toward the entrance to the show. I tagged along behind.
Inside, Tom paid our entrance fees and we put on our wrist bands. My first thought was if this is the train show, it has really shrunk in size. And then the money taker told us this was only one of four sections to the show. There was another tent the size of this one and two permanent cement block buildings as well.
The buildings are the first ones that have been put up at the new Montgomery County Fair Grounds. I am impressed. The chosen site is beautiful, and large. The old Montgomery Fair Grounds was close to the heart of Dayton and crowded.
Steve had two goals in mind. I don't know was highest on his list but I think it was seeing Sam Swanson. The other goal was just being at the Dayton Train show.
Steve is well known at the show. His dad, Ray, was active in setting it up for many years. Vendors know him...
And Exhibitors know him...These two asked me to remind Ray, Steve's dad, that Ray had been the one who got them into working this show.
I followed Steve from place to place until my legs wore out.
Here is an overview of part of one of the buildings. When Steve saw closest train, he ran to the layout. "It's The Spirit. It's The Spirit. I saw the real one with my dad."
The Spirit is first in line, a locomotive painted to honor the U.S. Armed Forces. Here is a closer look for you. It was traveling at a good clip so the photo is not quite in focus. I didn't think about switching to video mod.
While Steve and I were roaming about, Tom found a treasure, an advertisement with a map of the Nickel Plate Railroad which ran along the back property line of his childhood home. He gave it to Steve to hang in his bedroom.
By the time I saw Tom, I was worn out from keeping up with Steve. Tom took over keeping up with Steve. I found a chair and sat down.
Shortly afterward, Terry came and sat down beside me.
I told him Steve was searching was searching for Sam. Terry said, " I know he is here. Maybe he stepped out to get something to eat."
What was even nicer was that Terry started calling Sam on his cell phone. Sam's phone was busy. Terry kept trying every five or ten minutes and eventually reached Sam. By this time I was back to following after Steve. We were at a train layout talking to a vendor when along came Sam.
There were trains in every imaginable gauge. Steve seemed most drawn to the HO and N gauges.
Above is a rail yard in an N gauge layout.
This man's hand adding a car shows the tiny size of N gauge.
This is the town on the N gauge layout.
Here is FRED...The arrow points to him...Flashing Rear End Device. Like always, Steve said, "Hello, FRED. Goodbye, FRED."
Closer view of FRED...
And here is Sam. Thanks, Terry and everyone else who alerted Sam that Steve was looking for him.
Mission accomplished. Steve and Sam had a good reunion. Later Tom and Sam had a good talk, too.
