One of the top railroad museums in the country is a short trip from the site of Great American Stamp Show 2022: The California State Railroad Museum. It documents the role of the “iron horse” in connecting California to the rest of the nation. 
According to Wikipedia, the museum features 21 restored locomotives and railroad cars, some dating back to 1862.
Sacramento was the western end of the Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869. Exhibits show how railroads changed American society, influencing travel, commerce and daily life. 
This museum is a focal point of the American Topical Association/American First Day Cover Society joint post-show tour on Monday, August 29th.
And, of course, the railroads helped deliver the mail. 
According to the museum’s website, it is open daily 10 to 5, and it offers excursions along the Sacramento River on weekends. 
Category Archives: Stamp Shows
Exhibits and Major Awards at London 2022
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Exhibits and Major Awards At London 2022
With over 600 competitive exhibits, London 2022, the international sta
mp exhibition taking place on 19 to 26 February at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington, will have something on display of interest to all collectors. With so many exhibits to enjoy, they will be divided between the two halves of the exhibition.
A full list of the exhibits, and when they will be on display, can be con
sulted at www.london2022.co. In addition, the entries in the Literature Class can be viewed in the Reading Room, open through the exhibition.
All the exhibits will be competing for a number of major awards.
The Grand Prix National will be awarded to the best exhibit of a predominantly British subject. It is a cut-glass, silver-capped claret jug kindly donated by the Great Britain Philatelic Society.
The Grand Prix International is for the best exhibit, not of a predominantly British subject. The award, donated by the Royal Philatelic Society London, is a British Gold Sovereign, dated 2020, in a presentation box [below].
The award for the best exhibit in the World Stamp Championship Class is a Moorcroft vase and has been donated by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) [below].
A silver London 2022 medal will be awarded for the best exhibit in each class. Many of these have been sponsored, as follows: Postal History (sponsored by the Society of Postal Historians); Traditional Philately (Bill Barrell); Thematic Philately (Christine Earle Memorial Award); Philatelic Literature (Stuart Rossiter Trust); Open Philately (Irish Philatelic Circle and Éire Philatelic Association); Modern Philately (Deegam Publications); Youth Philately (Stamp Active Network).
Sponsors are invited for the remaining classes: Aerophilately; Revenue; Postal Stationery; Picture Postcards. To sponsor one of these awards, please visit the exhibition website.
London 2022 will be open each day from 10am to 6pm (closing at 4pm on Saturday, 26 February). Entry costs £10 on the first day, tickets now available by visiting www.london2022.co; admission is free on all other days.
Key Facts about London 2022
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
London 2022 – The Key Facts
The international stamp exhibition, London 2022, will take place on 19 to 26 February at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington. The exhibition has FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie) patronage and FEPA (Federation of European Philatelic Associations) recognition.
The Business Design Centre is located in Upper Street and is a short walk from Angel station on the Northern Line of London Underground. The Northern Line provides a direct connection to Kings Cross, St Pancras International and Euston national 
rail stations, and links with many parts of London. However, note that there will be no Northern Line trains between Kennington and Moorgate (thus serving London Bridge Station and Bank) for the duration of the exhibition. Many bus routes pass along Upper Street.
The exhibition will be open each day from 10am to 6pm (except it will close at 4pm on Saturday, 26 February). Entry will be free on all days except for the Opening Day, 19 February. On that day admission will cost £10 (tickets may be purchased in advance by visiting www.london2022.co).
The booth holders will be located on the Village Green, Mezzanine Level and Gallery Bays (a full list of the booth holders can be found on the exhibition website). Present will be dealers, auctioneers, publishers and postal administrations. The stand of Royal Mail will be found on the Village Green on entering the exhibition.
Stamp Active (to be found on the Mezzanine Level) will welcome all young collectors with encouragement and advice.
The Royal Philatelic Society London will have a booth – discover all about the world’s leading philatelic society.
There will be a total of 3,400 frames of exhibits, divided between the two halves of the exhibition. These can be seen in the Gallery Hall and Auditorium. Exhibits of Postal History, Postal Stationery, Open Class, Picture Postcards, Revenues and part of the Youth Class will be on display from Saturday, 19 February until midday on Tuesday, 22 February. Entries of Traditional Philately, Aerophilately, Thematics, the remainder of the Youth Class, plus exhibits for the World Stamp Championship, can be seen from Wednesday, 23 February until midday on Friday, 25 February.
There will be an opportunity during Saturday, 26 February to see those exhibits that have been recognised as the ‘Best in Class’, as well as the Grand Prix National, Grand Prix International and World Stamp Championship winners.
The entries in the Literature Class can be consulted every day of the exhibition in the Reading Room, which will be found on the Village Green.
Catering is provided on the Gallery Level.
Over thirty philatelic societies will be holding meetings during the exhibition while several societies will each have a table at the exhibition on Wednesday, 23 February. In addition during the exhibition FEPA will be holding two seminars, while several of the FIP Commissions will be holding meetings. Full details of all the meetings including day and time can be found on the exhibition website (www.london2022.co).
For those intending to spend a few days in London, hotel bookings can be arranged though HotelSmart, with a link available on the website.
New Version of Boston 2026 Label
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Newest Boston 2026 Collectible Released
Boston 2026 World Expo is pleased to announce that a new version of its first promotional 
label featuring a colonial post rider is now ready.
A limited edition sheetlet of 9 rouletted labels depicting the image signed and numbered by its designer, Chris Calle, is being offered exclusively through the Boston 2026 web site for a donation of $10. No more than 450 will be made available on a strictly one per person basis.
Unsigned sheetlets of Design #1 were first released at the Great American Stamp Show in Chicago in August and since that time have been available by visiting the Boston 2026 promotional table at major U.S. philatelic events. To facilitate collector demand they, too, may be requested on the Boston 2026 web site. Up to three may be ordered per person, free of charge.
Postage and handling for each U.S. domestic order is $5, with international orders at $10.
Unsigned sheetlets may continue to be requested at Boston 2026 promotional tables while supplies last at national and international exhibitions, including:
- Emirates 2022 (Dubai, UAE): January 19-23, 2022
- Southeastern Stamp Expo 2022 (Atlanta, GA): January 28-30, 2022
- London 2022 (London, United Kingdom): February 19-26, 2022
- Philatelic Show 2022 (Boxborough, MA): April 29-May 1, 2022
- CAPEX 22 (Toronto, Canada): June 9-12, 2022
Four additional collectible label designs will be issued, one per year through 2026, 
honoring the exhibition’s theme of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at boston2026.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.
[The Virtual Stamp Club asked Boston 2026 spokesman Tom Fortunato what the difference between this version and the last was. “Only change is the autograph and numbering,” he replied.]
GASS 2022: Old Sacramento Underground
The sights at Old Sacramento State Park — about a mile from Great American Stamp Show — aren’t just above-ground.
After several devastating floods they decided to raise the city by hauling in dirt. The project began in 1868 and finished in 1873. This basically made the first floors of many buildings become the basements and the second floor became the first floor. Today, there are tours of Sacramento underground.
There’s even an underground (or mostly underground) passageway back to the convention center area. 
More Old Sacramento Photos
No, no, this isn’t a photo of a stamp collector in the hotel bar after TurkeyPex 2022 (or 1872, for that matter). 
It’s one of the displays from Old Sacramento State Park, a little over a mile from the convention center where Great American Stamp Show 2022 will be held August 25-28. 
You might want to leave some time in your trip to visit Old Sacramento. It looks as if it will be worthwhile.
Near GASS 2022: Old Sacramento
About a mile from the convention center where Great American Stamp Show 2022 is being held is Old Sacramento State Park. Shown here is the B.F. Hastings Bank Building, built in 1852, which served as the western endpoint of the Pony Express. 
It’s part of a 28-acre state park that was Sacramento’s waterfront during the Gold Rush.
And just to give you an idea of where it is in relation to the stamp show at the SAFE Convention Center:
London 2022 Information
Here are some of the press releases we’ve posted about London 2022, the international stamp show being held 19 to 26 February at the Business Design Centre in Islington in London:
More To See During GASS 2022 Than Just Stamps
Please note these important announcements May 4th on hotel rooms and exhibit frames.
Meanwhile here are some of the messages and pictures we’ve posted on tourism opportunities in Sacramento during Great American Stamp Show 2022, August 25-28.:
GASS 2022 Side Trip: Crocker Museum
One site you might like to visit while in Sacramento for Great American Stamp Show 2022 is the Crocker Museum: 
It began in the mid 1800s as a personal gallery of the wealthy Crocker family and is still one of the leading museums in California today.
It is about 1.4 miles from the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center where the stamp show is being held, or about 25 minutes by mass transit.
