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Hickory NC Train Show 2023 – 3/31 … 4/1

Date: Friday, March 31st thru Saturday, April 1st, 2023
Location(s): Hickory Metro Center
Address: 1960 13th Ave Dr SE #5186, Hickory, NC 28602

Hours: Friday, March 31, 2023, Noon to 7 PM
Saturday, April 1, 2023, 9 AM to 3 PM

Admission: Adults $5.00 for both days.  Attendees under 10 years old get in FREE. Free Parking.

Features: There will be over 300 tables featuring model trains in all scales, railroadiana, railroad artifacts and antiques, and 5 large operating model railroad layouts. Admission is $5 per person and free for all under the age of 10. All proceeds from the event will go to the railroad history preservation efforts at the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum at 1123 N. Main Ave. in Newton, NC, and the Museum will be open regular hours during the show! 

Hickory’s 21st Annual Train Show


ShowMyHobby.com will be occupying 4 of the train tables at the Hickory Train Show. Once you arrive, you will have to find me among the other vendors and attractions. I have lots of NEW and Used trains in very good condition. This year, I currently have a lot of great S scale trains available, almost all of them are in their original boxes in very good condition. The collection includes mostly steam era trains but also includes a couple diesel lines. I have A.C. Gilbert American Flyer by Lionel and many trains by American Models. If you are an S scaler, this will be a great opportunity for you to pick up some additions for your layout or collection. Or, if you are someone interested in starting your own S scale layout, you might be the first lucky person to pick-up the very realistic American Models’ tracks that I have which happen to be enough track to create a double mainline layout. The last time I checked with American Models they were OUT OF STOCK on their large radius curves, and I have enough for a complete circle. But S scale is just the beginning of the fine trains you’ll find at my tables. And if you cannot make this event, it’s okay, you’ll find a few of the items for sale on my website and/or on eBay. Items purchased online will begin shipping on Monday after the show.

I also have lots of great vintage HO scale items, many of them are simply NEW items in their original boxes that are 10, 15, 20 or more years old. Some items are factory-built kits and others are kits that someone put together, but rarely, if ever, ran on a layout. I also have USED trains. The majority of all trains I have for sale are in good to very good condition. I also have BUILDINGS and STRUCTURES. The buildings and structures take up a lot of table space at shows so sometimes it is hard to put those out on the tables. So, if you are interested in HO Scale buildings, please ASK me if I have any if you do not see them out on the tables. I have 1, mostly assembled, AHM 6-stall Roundhouse. If you want this, you have to contact me via my contact us page by 8 pm Friday night as I will have to return home, pick it up and have it at the show on Saturday. If time permits Thursday or Friday evening, I will attempt to post images of this roundhouse on my website. It would be best if you actually purchase it online first which would provide me with enough incentive to drive 2 hours and 15 minutes just to get this one item to the show on Saturday for you to pick it up. I do not have a box large enough to put this mostly assembled item in and you will need at least 3′ x 2′ of flat area in your vehicle to be able to transport this roundhouse. It is made of plastic and almost all of the pieces are present with a small box of pieces that did not get attached or fell off. Although the previous owner built the roundhouse, it was not in place on his layout when I picked it up and it was never installed. It was stored uncovered under the layout when it was consigned. A manual HO scale Atlas turntable is also available separately. This roundhouse is designed for large Steam Engines and actually is supposed to be a scale model of a very large and famous Pennsylvania steam era roundhouse. You may need to research how to incorporate this roundhouse into a layout as the instructions by Heljan (a German manufacturer) does not include how to route track to or through the roundhouse. One of the boxes which contains the spare parts has the original instructions with it. This roundhouse can be yours for $100 cash or plus 3.5% credit/debit. Turntable, steam locomotives, and other accessories are all available and priced separately.

Athearn, Tyco, Bachmann, AHM, Lionel, American Models, S-Helper Service, Life-Like, Atlas, Roundhouse, Model Power, Midwest Products, Shinohara, Campbell, Con-Cor, Faller, MRC, Train-Miniature, and Walthers are just some of the manufacturers that I have from. Road names include everyone from Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe to Western Pacific railroad. So come on out, bring the family, see some model trains, and buy a train or train related item either for yourself, a loved one or as a gift for someone. Incidentally, electronic gift cards are available online on my website so if you need to, buy someone a pre-paid gift card and then send them to the show to pick something out. Obviously, the gift cards only work at my tables or for online purchases on my website.

I am going to have a raffle registration on the table at the show. Fill-out the entry form if you wish to be on my direct emailing list and place your entry in the box. After the show, I will randomly pull one of the entries and email the winner. The prize will be the following display model trains that are currently up for sale on my website as 2 HO-like Classic Trolley Street & Cable Cars. One is the streetcar named Desire and the other is the Powell & Mason streetcar. I will email the winner and ask them to provide their shipping address. Once received, I will ship the prize to them on Monday. Because these are display models, they can easily be used by everyone regardless of whether or not you have an operational HO scale train layout. View the prize items on my website at this link address: https://showmyhobby.com/index.php/product/ho-like-2-classic-trolley-streetcars-cable-car-displays-desire-powell-mason/

The following pictures and videos are from the February 2023 Easley Train Show and represent a walk around of the tables I had there and some of the items I have for sale at the 2023 Hickory Train Show. The S scale Union Pacific Big Boy has been sold and is on its way to a new home in Florida. However, there is currently still another great Union Pacific Northern 4-8-4 Steam Locomotive available ($440) along with 2 different sets of Union Pacific Heavyweight passenger cars (set A 4-pieces [$240] and set B 2-pieces [$120], 6-pieces total [$360]) and a slew of UP freight cars.

ShowMyHobby.com sells trains, train related items, and other collectible items at train shows and online via my website as well as on eBay. Most of the items offered for sale are consigned items. If you a collection of trains you would like to get rid of, you can consign your trains by visiting the following link: https://showmyhobby.com/index.php/consign-your-hobby/. I will be attending other train shows throughout the rest of year which provides a great opportunity for your items to be sold. Many of the items currently available have been consigned by model railroaders getting out of the hobby and by recipients who inherited items from the estates of modelers and collectors. I can help your trains find new homes if you want me to. I prefer HO and N scale trains but can eventually sell most trains. I have a large collection of German and European trains that will be featured at future train shows.

If you are looking for electric model trains and accessories in HO scale, N scale, O scale, S scale and G scale, then attend the train show and stop by tables and check-out the model railroad related items I have for sale. I accept CASH and ALL Plastic Credit or Debit cards. I have Ready-To-Run items and kit items that require assembly. You will find a multitude of great items to choose from at this train show. Whether you are just getting started in model railroading or have been involved in it for a long time, you’ll find something that interest you at the train show and hopefully you’ll find something on my tables that you’ll want to take home and add to your collection or purchase as a gift for someone you know that loves trains.

Happy Model Railroading …

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Terms, Abbreviations, and Meanings at ShowMyHobby.com

As you view some the information provided on ShowMyHobby.com, you may encounter certain terms or abbreviations. Many of them may be self-explanatory or overtly obvious. Others, however, may not be and/or they may be the author’s own creation. In some cases, words, phrases, or abbreviations may be linked to site tags or categories. In the descriptions of some products, especially those imported into the site, some of the abbreviations may be expanded for you. In almost all cases where an algorithm was used to expand an abbreviation, you will typically see a term = value pair where the term represents a word or an abbreviation and its meanings is the word or phrase that follows an equal mark. Example: pLFW = Plastic Low-Flange Wheels. The term is “pLFW” and its meaning is “Plastic Low-Flange Wheels”. Below are several sections that identify most of the vernacular used on this website.

Product Conditions

In the shop, many products are listed from time to time. I use the following terms to describe the conditions of the products that are listed on this site. This site uses technology that posts products on this site to eBay and possibly other marketplaces. Those other marketplaces my use different terms for formal conditions. Attempts to match condition between marketplaces may be made, but it all cases, the conditions provided on this site are the most accurate. Conditions have a ranking value as well and many times may be the starting point of the established price or value of an item. For instance, New has a ranking value of 100% which represents that the item is Factory New and believed to be in its best possible condition. The Good condition has a ranking value of 60%. So, you might see a used product listed in the shop that has a starting price of 60% of its original manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Example: A new Bachmann Steam Locomotive that is NEW might have a retail price of $259.99 while that same used locomotive may be in Good shape with a price of $155.99 (60% of the $259.99 retail price of the new one). Be aware, that there is a possibility for an item to be Better Than New.

Conditions Meaning Rank Value
Enhanced This condition is typically a modifier of other conditions wherever 2 conditions can be stated.  When it appears where only 1 condition can be stated, then the previous condition was probably not known, and the item was found to have been enhanced or it was enhanced by this website’s owner.  An enhance by the owner can very easily make an item worth more than it was originally when it was first manufactured. 125%
Upgraded This condition is typically a modifier of other conditions wherever 2 conditions can be stated.  When it appears where only 1 condition can be stated, then the previous condition was probably not known, and the items was found to have been previously upgraded by someone. 110%
New Factory New 100%
Old Stock Older/Vintage Factory New item (Packaging may show signs of age) 95%
Like New Like New, Opened Factory Seal, May not be in original packaging, Probably examined, photographed, or tested. 90%
Excellent Excellent condition better than Great but not NEW. May not be in original packaging. 85%
Great Great (between Excellent and Very Good). May be missing original (or any) packaging. 80%
Opened Opened item.  Unsure about newness.  May not have been evaluated or tested. 75%
Works Tested and Works reasonably well or better. 75%
Very Good Very Good (between Great and Good). Is Functional. 70%
Good Good overall condition, useful, works, original packaging not considered, may have marks, scratches, blemishes, and inconsequential errors, damages or missing parts. 60%
? Questionable as in Not evaluated or not sure what it is. (Condition matches AVERAGE or FAIR) 50%
Fair Fair, Average, Reasonable, Unremarkable. 50%
Unknown Unknown – Not examined, Not Evaluated. Until it is, it is assumed Fair or Average. 50%
Used Used, Assumed Fair or Average, Believed to be functional and working decently. 50%
Untested Hasn’t been evaluated or tested and probably won’t be.  This condition is only applied to items that are believed to be functionally operational.  Until tested, it is assumed AVERAGE. 50%
Okay OK, some issues, (between Fair/Average and Poor), Useable. 40%
Poor Poor and has consequential issues, noticable errors or ommissions, but can probably be useful to someone albeit not necessarily as intended. 30%
NotWorking Tested but is Not Working properly 25%
Broke Broke and disfunctional as intended, may need repairs to be useful, could be missing necessary parts 20%
Bad Bad, damaged, beyond broken, almost unrecognizable. 10%
Junk Really Bad, typically unuseful, might can be rebuilt or used with something else or for an alternate purpose than intended. 5%
Free Free as a condition means this item has no resellable value as is according to me/us, but, I/WE do not with to trash it as someone might be able to make use of it. 0%

Package Types

Below are the abbreviations used for the type of Packaging or Container an item utilizes.

Packages Meaning
ABB Athearn Blue Box
Bag Bag
Bdl Bundle
Box Box
Btl Bottle
Bxd Boxed
Can Can
Crd Card
Crt Crate
Cse Case
Csm Custom Made Package
Ctn Carton
DpC Display Case
Dsp Display
Env Envelop
Fil File
n/a Not Applicable or None
No None
None Not Packaged
Slv Sleeve
Tub Tube
Wrp Wrap
Yes Bxd

Coupler Types

Below are the abbreviations used for the types of couplers on trains.

Couplers Meaning
1HHC 1 Hornhook Coupler
1KdC 1 Kadee Coupler
1OKC 1 Operating Knuckle Coupler
1Rc+1MLc 1 Rapido Coupler + 1 Micro-Line Coupler
2AKCs 2 Automatic Knuckle Couplers
2HHC 2 Hornhook Couplers
2KCs 2 Knuckle Couplers
2KdC 2 Kadee Couplers
2MLCs 2 Micro-Line Couplers
2OKCs 2 Operating Knuckle Couplers
2RCs 2 Rapido Couplers
HHC Hornhook Couplers
HHC+KdC 1 Hornhook Coupler + 1 Kadee Coupler
KdC Kadee Couplers
MC Missing Couplers
NoC No Couplers

Wheel Types

Below are terms and abbreviations for the type of wheels used on trains.

Wheels Meaning
HFW High Flange Wheels
LFW Low Flange Wheels
MFW Medium Flange Wheels
mHFW Metal High Flange Wheels
mLFW Metal Low Flange Wheels
mMFW Metal Medium Flange Wheels
NoTrks No Trucks
NoWhls No Wheels
pHFW Plastic High Flange Wheels
pLFW Plastic Low Flange Wheels
pMFW Plastic Medium Flange Wheels

This information is current as of March 30th, 2023.