Good evening, Track Gang—this Side Track Sunday was basically me being a little frazzled, trying to get everything fired up, and then diving head-first into one big topic: AMHERST. It also happened to be my birthday (I’m 21 with 35 years of experience… we’ll just leave it at that), so it was a laid-back day around the house, taking down the outside lights while the weather was decent. Around here in the Mid-Atlantic, you don’t trust the forecast this time of year, and that’s exactly why I’ve always been skeptical about traveling north in January. But this is the year I’m finally going to the Amherst Railway Society show in Springfield, Massachusetts—my first time. I asked the crew for tips on how to attack a show that big (eight acres, multiple buildings), whether cash or card is the better move, and if there’s a YouTube meet-up. The big takeaway: plan your route, wear good shoes, bring water/snacks, take reusable bags, and if you see something you want… grab it because it might not be there later. We also nailed down a YouTube meet-up: Saturday at 1:00 PM at the Around the Layout Podcast booth. I’m taking Amtrak up—no flying and definitely not driving in unpredictable winter weather.