26-01-2025
Railroad Hobby Show continues, attracting vendors from around the world
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Railroad Hobby Show continued on Sunday, as thousands of train enthusiasts flooded the four buildings for the show's 57th annual run.
The show is put on by the Amherst Railway Society and dates back to the mid-1960s.
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This is the largest railroad hobby show in North America, showcasing model trains and vendors from all around the world. There are several vendors from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and beyond, displaying artifacts, photos, and designs.
'We design our own digital versions of various trains and then we put it on various garments,' said Nene, a designer from the UK with 'On the Rails.' 'This t-shirt is one of the things we do.'
The show will see more than 25,000 people over two days, coming from as far as the Netherlands and South Korea. Many make it their tradition. One model railroader said he has only missed two years of the show since 1992.
'My son's with me today, and he's been coming with me every year since he was like, one years old pushing him in the stroller,' Steve Rodgers of New Haven said.
Saturday highlighted two railroad milestones. Lionel Trains celebrated its 125th anniversary, and the National Model Railroad Association celebrated its 90th. Both were marked with visits from Tiny and Maggie the Railroad Clowns, remarks by Show Director John Sacerdote, and a big anniversary cake.
Sacerdote says it's the enthusiasm around the hobby that makes his weekend.
'There's a kid in all of us, especially when it comes to trains,' Sacerdote said. 'There's something magnetic. There's something that just brings the kids out in all of us.'
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