Fort Worth or St. Louis could host celebration as WGH on Tour eyes attendance milestone in 2013

July 30, 2012 / Updated August 29, 2012

WGH on Tour returns to the region for the first time since 2009, the last stop being in San Antonio, TX. There, Kato (pictured above) was one of many major model train manufacturers that displayed products at exhbits. – Cowcatcher Magazine

The World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour, a popular show that introduces model railroading to the general public, likely will reach an attendance milestone in 2013, and either Fort Worth, TX or St. Louis, MO could be in on the celebration.

WGH on Tour announced in July that the one millionth attendee will be recognized at one of its four shows next year. Since opening in 2004 with one show in Edison, NJ, WGH on Tour has attracted 968,285 and averaged more than 25,000 per show.

For the first time in four years, the show makes return engagements to Fort Worth and St. Louis, and one is likely to mark No. 1,000,000. Fort Worth starts the slate on Jan. 5-6 at Will Rogers Memorial Center, followed by St. Louis at America’s Center Jan. 12-13. San Diego, CA (Feb. 9-10) and Sacramento (Feb. 23-24) complete the schedule.

Unless Fort Worth has a better turnout than it did in 2007, WGH on Tour probably will recognize the one millionth attendee at the St. Louis show, spokesman Randy Bachmann said. Five years ago, Fort Worth drew a little more than 21,000.

Whether it’s Fort Worth or St. Louis, WGH on Tour will break out the confetti.

“We are planning to do something to mark the milestone,” he said. “We’re going to have some sort of recognition, maybe a giveaway, and it’s going to be something special.”

At 38 venues, WGH on Tour has averaged better than 25,481, with a record 41,036 attending the Washington D.C. show in 2010. The turnout eclipsed the previous record of 40,152 set a year earlier in Philadelphia, PA.

The East Coast has traditionally had the highest draws, but WGH on Tour has fared well in five region appearances, including posting 33,000 in St. Louis at the second-ever show in 2005. Houston topped that mark with 33,431 in 2006 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Also, the show visited Kansas City, MO in 2008 and San Antonio, TX in 2009, averaging 19,500.

Last year’s Tour included stops in Indianapolis, IN, Chicago, IL, Salt Lake City, UT, Portland, OR and Cincinnati, OH.

Many of the model railroad industry’s top manufacturers – including Kato, Walthers, Athearn, Con-Cor, Atlas, Broadway Limited, Lionel and Bachman – set up exhibits and demonstrate new products at the show, which tours different U.S. cities each year. Operating layouts by local clubs are featured.

Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.

Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.

The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.

Fort Worth or St. Louis could host celebration as WGH on Tour eyes attendance milestone in 2013

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