Amherst Railroad Hobby Show
For nearly 35 years, the Amherst Railway Society has been hosting the largest train show in New England. People come from all over the country to visit the Eastern State Exposition Center in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Train modelers and rail-fans can spend the day looking at over 8 acres of train things in four of the largest buildings on the property.
If you love trains, the Amherst show has something for everyone with over 500 exhibitors and dozens of operating layouts. Exhibitors range from hobby shops, museums, clubs, model train manufacturers, scenic railroads and so much more. During the two days, over 25,000 railfans take in the show.
I haven’t been to the train show in a few years. I use to go almost every year when I was a teenager, and I remember going to the train show after a major snow storm. Thankfully there was no snow this year and the weather was perfect.
On Saturday, my friend and fellow railfan Will Grueb made our way out to West Springfield, MA. We had a two hour ride ahead of us so we got on the road at 6AM before the sun was even up. We stopped at Denny’s for a big breakfast before arriving at the train show. We got in right when the doors open at 9AM, and we spent most of the day exploring the four buildings.
Steaming Tender Restaurant
Weeks prior to going to the train show, I made reservations at one of my favorite railfanning spots and restaurants, the Steaming Tender Restaurant in Palmer, Massachusetts. It is a common practice for visitors of the show to get dinner on the way home at the Steaming Tender. The Steaming Tender Restaurant is located inside the old Palmer Railroad Station, at the junction of two active railroad lines. During your visit, you can see CSX and New England Central Railroad freight activity. – See full schedule
Will and I arrived a little before 3PM to a packed parking lot. There were nearly 2 dozen railfans with cameras and camcorders moving about the property, hoping to snap a photo or recording of the next CSX or NECR train moving past the station. Will and I made our way into the restaurant and were greeted by the owner, Robin Lamothe. The beautiful station was built in 1884, and the large windows and hardwoods are amazing. Will order the Pot Roast Dinner and I had the New England Turkey Dinner. Both meals were hearty and delicious. Save room for dessert, because their famous Whiskey Bread Pudding is amazing.
Palmer Hobbies
After dinner, we took a walk over to Palmer Hobbies located on Main Street. This downtown hobby shop specializes in HO and N scale model trains. I found a book I was looking for called One Town & Seven Railroads – The Railroads of Palmer, Massachusetts Past, Present & Never Were. The shop was open for longer hours due to the train show.
Tips for the Train Show
Here are some tips if you plan on attending the 2017 train show:
- Save time and order the tickets online. When ordering you can do a one day wristband or two day. Once ordered, they will ship you the wristband prior to the show so you can avoid the lines.
- Have a good breakfast before starting the big day at the show.
- Get there early and try to go on Saturday to get the best selection.
- Try to bring some cash because sometimes vendors will give you a better deal if you’re paying with cash.
- If you see something you’ve been looking for, don’t put it down because it may be gone when you decide to buy it later.
- Looking for common products that most vendors stock such as a DCC system? Shop around, often vendors may have a special show price.
- Research, research, research. You may want to research the products you’re looking to purchase. You can even preview the list of vendors on the Amherst Railroad Show website. Almost everyone has websites nowadays.
- Bring a friend, it’s helpful to have an extra set of eyes and ears while you’re shopping.
- Bring a reusable shopping bag, this will save you on carrying multiple little bags.
- Leave the big winter coat in the car, often the building are quite warm with all the people.
- Having lunch at the show? Avoid the noontime hour and try to eat before or after to avoid the long lines.
- Planning on having dinner at the Steaming Tender Restaurant? Make reservations prior to the train show weekend.
