Found Dreaming

I am trying to get ready for the 2026 Indiana Model Engine Show in Auburn Indiana this Saturday and Sunday.
I will only be there on Saturday.
Setup is on Friday.

https://indianaengineshow.net/2026-info

The last model enigne show (and also the first and only) I attended was NAMES in 2019.
Then COVID hit, and they postponed the show the next year, then again, and then it went POOF !, gone forever.

I am hoping the Alburn show will recapture some of the interst and exhibitors that previously attended the NAMES show.

I was planning on attendng the Alburn show last year, but had too much work, and could not find a reasonably priced hotel.
They are very proud of their motels up north.
I finally found a hotel I could afford, and so I am going to make the attempt.

Drive is 9.5 hours, which may mean 10.5 hours or more, depending on traffic and road construction.
I would like to break the trip into parts, but the motels/hotels in between are like five star prices for even a lower grade hotel.
Anything anywhere near Indianapolis is almost double what I am paying in Auburn.
Hope they are not having the race the same weekend.

My wife and I were traveling one time, and started looking for hotels.
Everything at every exit was full for 100 miles.
I asked "what is going on in this part of the country ?".
She said "Talladega".
Apparently everyone, their brothers, sisters, mother, cousins (first, second, and third), uncles, and half the rest of the country decend on Talledega all at once.
So we were exhausted, but had to continue driving half the night to make it all the way back to our house at a very late hour.

I have not traveled in so long that everything is scattered all over.
I am trying to get engines out that are burried in the back of closets, behind a bunch of stuff.

I have food allergies, so what I eat I have to bring.
If I run out of food, I guess I start the BIG diet, which I need, but don't necessarily want.

Not sure I can drive that far in one day, but I guess I will find out Friday.

If I crap out midway, I am going to call a Uber, and send the engines on to the show.
The show must go on with or without me.

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That would be about a 3 hour drive for me. We have the grandkids this weekend and are going to a car show.

I had a great time at the show, and met a lot of nice folks.
I originally was not planning on attending, but decided to attend about a week before, so did not really get very organized prior to the show.

I got my table somewhat set up and organized.
While most use the show to showcase their engines, I try to span across pattern making (manual), 3D printing patterns, castings, backyard foundry work, and engine building, so makes for a long table.

I brought only a fraction of what I wanted to bring.
The larger green twin is 70 lbs, so a bit of a lift to transport it and lift it on and off the table.
Where it that giant Chirpyman when you need him ?

The show has grown a lot over the last few years.
Makes me wonder how big it could be next year.

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Looks like a great set-up. What did everyone think about your patterns? Did you get any orders?

There was some interest at this show in castings/patterns/foundry work, unlike at the NAMES 2019 show.
I only had the green twin engine and one flywheel casting at NAMES.

There were several folks who came up and talked about backyard casting, and several who were making their own castings in aluminum and sometimes bronze.

I do it for a hobby and so don't sell anything.
I had two different people express an interest in two different 3D printed flywheels, so I just gave them those patterns.

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