SPECIAL EDITION

Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival

June 19, 20 & 21, 2026

Palmer, Massachusetts

outdoorrailfest.org

The first-ever Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival kicks off on June 19, 20 & 22. The festival is a celebration of larger scale, outdoor model railroads. And, it’s just for fun. Not a show. Not a convention. Just a chance to enjoy model railroads running in beautiful outdoor settings.

Here's what you can expect:

• G-scale model trains - both steam and battery-powered
• Trains you can ride - 7.25 gauge railroads
• Tours - of area garden railroads
• Clinics - for children, too
• Rail-fanning - Amtrak, CSX, New England Central, Mass Central
• The Steaming Tender - a landmark railroad restaurant

Registration

There is no admission charge to attend the Festival. However, registration is required.

Please register in advance if you plan to attend. HERE

While there is no admission charge, donations are appreciated to help offset the costs of sponsoring this event, and to support the Amherst Railway Society grant program. Since 1991, Amherst has donated $845,052 to protect and maintain historic railroad artifacts throughout the country.

Check-in

When you arrive at the Festival, please check-in at the Information Desk.

You will be given a laniard or bracelet that will identify you as a Festival attendee. This is your “ticket” to the various events occurring throughout the weekend.

Operating Sessions

The Outdoor Railway Festival is a chance to run a train - ours or yours - on the G-scale Amherst Garden Railroad. Operating sessions are planned for all three days of the fetival.

The Amherst garden has a large section of raised tracks primarily for live steam operations, as well as garden-level tracks.

If you have G-scale locomotives or cars that you would like to operate, you are welcome to do so. All tracks in the Amherst garden are dead-rail, so battery power or steam will be needed to run your train.

Railroads - you can ride

Three 7.25 gauge railroads are part of the Festival. These are trains you can ride.

Graham Central Railroad

Pioneer Valley Live Steamers

Waushakum Live Steamers

Directions and a schedule for all three railroads will be available at the Information Desk.

Garden Railroad Tours

Self-guided tours of area garden railroads are available all three days of the Festival.

Directions to each railroad, and hours of operation are available at the Information Desk.

Making Trains Fun

Making Trains Fun is a special hands-on clinic for children 15 and under, and includes two parts.

Part 1 is Flat Car loads. In this session, students design and build a G-scale flat car load using materials provided by the festival. The completed flatcars are then taken out to the Amherst Garden Railroad and run together as a train. The completed flatcars belong to the students and are theirs to take home.

Part 2 is Railroad Structures. In this session, students decorate a line-side railroad structure. The completed structures are then taken out to the Amherst Garden Railroad and set up along the tracks for trains to pass by. The completed structures belong to the students and are theirs to take home.

Commemorative G-scale Coal Car

Here's a unique opportunity to own a memory. Amherst has commissioned 100 commemorative G-scale coal cars to celebrate the Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival.

The cars are beautifully done by Bachmann and can be ordered with either Springfield Terminal or Amherst Belt Lines reporting marks.

The cars are available now and can be purchased HERE.

The Steaming Tender

The Steaming Tender is a landmark Massachusetts restaurant located in the 19th-century Boston & Albany/New York Central Palmer railroad station. Rail enthusiasts from around the world make it a point to find their way to this unique restaurant.

Amtrak, CSX, Mass Central, and New England Central trains pass the station on a daily basis.

Railroad Hobby Show - January 30 & 31, 2027

Bachman Trains is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Rapido is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Scale Trains is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Spring Creek Model Trains is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Trainworld is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Trainz.com is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Virtual Railfan is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

Women In Model Railroading is an Allied Member of the Amherst Railway Society

The Eight & Sand newsletter is a regular publication of the Amherst Railway Society. To submit information for publication, contact Gregory Maas at: webmaster@amherstrail.org.

Amherst Railway Society

1130 South Main Street

Palmer, Massachusetts 01069

The Amherst Railway Society is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation