LION ROARS - Lionel Collectors Club of America

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Can I Host aTrain Meet?by Gary L. Lape RM 17436The answer is “Yes” if you are a LCCA member. It’sfun to do, but it’s a job for a group that respectsorganizational skills and honors the value of energeticwork. Based on our experience in Tennessee, here aresome things to consider if you want to host an LCCAsponsoredtrain meet.Learn by DoingIn March, my train friends and I co-hosted andpresented the fourth annual train meet in Clinton,Tennessee, so we’re now “seasoned veterans.” But thefirst one was, well — a learning experience. I scheduledit for the first weekend in May, but unknown to me at thetime, there were several other activities going on in thearea: a car show, May Day activities and an air show.Oops, a classic case of “overlap!” But it was a start, andthe next two train meets got better and better.The next question I have for you is, “Have youattended a train meet?” This is a good way to gather firsthandknowledge about train meets and how to operateone smoothly. Prior to my first train meet, I attendedseveral train meets in the region and even rented a tableto get the hang of it. I wondered if I could host one. Iwent to the train meet host and asked some questions.He told me whom to contact in LCCA, and the rest ishistory.I had a contact within the Norfork-Southern Railroad,and I was able to arrange for NS engine #4610 to parknearby — quite a drawing card! It helped boostattendance during the first year and last year.The LocationThere are lessons to be learned from geography.A) Has there been another train meet within a 90-minutedrive of your locale? B) What is the potential for drawinga good number of LCCA members and the general publicto the train meet from your town and neighboring areas?C) Has there been another train meet in your town in therecent past, and was it successful?The DateAvoid head-to-head conflicts with other activities inthe area. Consider the “competition” for people’s timeand attention. If you live in or near a college town,sporting events are a major factor in drawing a crowd;that is, away from your event. If your town has highprofile Spring and Fall events, choose a date that is not inconflict with the “White Lightning Festival of Spirits” or“Miss Piggy Look Alike Beauty Contest” — or anythingelse of major importance.The PlacePopular venues for train meets are a local schoolgymnasium, church fellowship hall, lodge hall, or civiccenter. A National Guard Armory might be available at avery reasonable rate. A practical concern in securing aplace is the rental cost. If the hall will furnish the tables,you can avoid the expense of renting the tables. Checkthe atmospherics. Does the hall have heat and/or airconditioning; this can be a factor according to the time ofyear of the event. While LCCA sponsors train meets topromote the train hobby — not to make money — theclub doesn’t want to lose money.The TimeScheduled times will very from to meet to meet.Some have set-up and member-only trading on Fridayevening and open the doors to the public on Saturdayfrom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other hosts schedule a Saturdayonlymeet with 7:30 to 10 a.m. for set-up, member-onlytrading from 10 to 11 a.m., and public entry from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m.. Last year, I had early set-up on Friday from 2to 6 p.m., set-up on Saturday morning from 7:30 to 10a.m., then member-only trading from 10 to 11 a.m., andpublic participation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on bothSaturday and Sunday. This worked well for us as we hadseveral dealers who had to drive some distance to attendthe train meet.Food ServiceThis is a good thing to offer. Attendees like it anddealers love it; they don’t want to leave their tableunattended for a lunch break. Although LCCAsponsorship does not include food expense, you canarrange a deal with a local food vendor. They will providethis service on their own. All you have to do is allocate asuitable place for them. We were lucky to have a localcountry store do this for us.Host and Co-HostsA train meet is a big undertaking for just one person,so engage at least two or three other co-hosts to share theworkload. Organize a workable committee structure.FinanceLCCA will advance you the money to get thingsstarted, but the Host must keep accurate records andaccount for all the money.12The Lion Roars April, 2001
AdvertisingThis is a very important point because the success ofthe train meet depends upon your getting the word out tomembers and train hobbyists in the area. You can sendout flyers to train friends and club members in the areaand consider a two-hour driving range as the “target zone.”Contact news reporters at local newspapers, TV stations,and radio stations and present the train meet to them as afeature news story. Our group sent announcements to 27newspapers and 14 television and radio stations.After our first train meet, we sent flyers to previousparticipating dealers and attendees of the last show.LCCA will place announcements of your train meet inits publications, but the club does not pay for ads in areanewspapers or TV and radio stations. Most mediaorganizations will make “Community Calendar” noticesfor free, but stretch your imagination and seek on-sitenews coverage of the train meet with a clever angle —Lionel’s 100th anniversary is a good attention-getter. PRtip: send each reporter that shows an interest in yourevent a copy of the current Lionel catalog to whet theirappetite.When you’re ready to begin the process, contact theLCCA President-elect (now John Fisher) for an “officialOK” to proceed. He’ll send you the information you needand a helpful list of LCCA rules and guidelines. A trainmeet is a lot of fun, and it can be a rewarding event foryour group. See you at a train meet!Upcoming LCCA Train MeetsThe Convention at Lexington, KentuckyJuly 27-28, 2001The train meet within the annual LCCA Convention isthe “really big show” of the year. LCCA members registeredfor the Convention will be admitted to the Trading Hall onFriday evening July 27th and on Saturday morning July 28thuntil 1:30 p.m. at the Lexington Center, Heritage Hall East &Center, at 430 West Vine Street (adjacent to Hyatt RegencyLexington) in the host city. Friday evening and Saturdayadmittance (up to 1:30 p.m.) will require full LCCAConvention registration.The general public and LCCA members not registeredfor the annual Convention may enter the Trading Hall onSaturday afternoon July 28th from 1:30 p.m. to the closinghour at 5 p.m. The Trading Hall will not be open on Sunday.LCCA members and immediate family admitted free.Public and guests, $4; children under 12 w/adult, free. Tablesavailable only with LCCA convention registration. Co-hostsare Harry Overtoom (859-268-1942) and Larry Black (502-695-4355).Wheeling, West VirginiaSeptember 15, 2001Host Allan Miller will present a LCCA-sponsored trainmeet on Saturday, September 15th, at the Kruger Street Toy &Train Museum, 144 Kruger Street, Wheeling, WV. Take I-70to Exit 5 at Elm Grove/Tridelphia, left at this exit and leftagain onto Kruger Street. Registration and setup from 8 to 9a.m. with LCCA members-only trading from 9 to 10 a.m.;public trading 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. LCCA members and familiesfree; guests $4; children 12 and under, free. Tables are $10with a limit of five. Lots of free parking, handicappedaccessible, and concessions onsite. For additional information,contact Allen at 304-243-1896; 877-242-8133; or e-mail himat: .Chattanooga, TennesseeSeptember 29, 2001Bill Stitt (423-894-1284), George Baltz (423-842-6094),and Ron Herman (423-344-5799) will co-host a LCCAsponsoredtrain meet in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Saturday,September 29, 2001. The event will be held at Olph ChurchParish Life Center, 501 South Moore Road (I-24, Exit 184,Moore Road) in Chattanooga. Registration and setup will befrom 9 to 10 a.m. with LCCA member trading from 10 to 11a.m. Public and guest trading will begin at 11 a.m. and continueto 3 p.m.LCCA members and family will be admitted free. Guestswill be admitted for $5; children under 18 accompanied by anadult free. Tables $9, no limit.Lexington, KentuckyOctober 26-27, 2001Co-hosts Harry Overtoom (859-268-1942), Larry Black(502-695-4355), and Bill Crace (859-299-2423) will organizea LCCA-sponsored train meet on Friday/Saturday, October26-27, 2001, at the Continental Inn, US 60 & New Circle Road(1.8 miles west on US 60 from I-75, Exit 110). Setup/earlybird trading for LCCA members only on Friday evening from6 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday morning from 8 to 10 a.m. Thegeneral public will be admitted on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. LCCA members and families will be admitted free;guests, $3.50; children under 12 accompanied by an adult,free.13The Lion Roars April, 2001
Page 1: Volume 30, No. 5 April, 2001TheLION
Page 5 and 6: LCCA BoardMeeting MinutesFebruary 2
Page 7 and 8: exclusive limited edition Lionel se
Page 9 and 10: The “thank you” 6464 boxcar was
Page 11 and 12: As a freight train rumbles by, thes
Page 13: 3My biggest Lionel standard gauge t
Page 17 and 18: 4So What’s New?Although I’d alr
Page 19 and 20: 10Corning Hopper. Ours was a quad h
Page 21 and 22: allow salesmen to carry them around
Page 23 and 24: As My Old Kentucky Dinner Train rol
Page 25 and 26: Form may bephotocopiedLionel ® Col
Page 27 and 28: convention registration numbers at
Page 29 and 30: YEAR 2001 CONVENTION TIMETABLEIMPOR
Page 31 and 32: travel by air-conditioned modern va
Page 33 and 34: CONTACTS AND DIRECTIONS FOR CONVENT
Page 35 and 36: What Lionel Means to Meby John Neum

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