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Kids ON TRACK @ Springfield Union Station
The Kids ON TRACK summer program filled the Springfield Union Station main concourse with operating model railroads on August 1 & 2. And, 185 children and adults rode CTrail trains between Springfield and Hartford on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Two television stations covered the event, and a Springfield newspaper reporter rode the trains, interviewing passengers along the way. In addition, a western Massachusetts radio station rode the trains testing broadcast equipment in preparation for live coverage of the Track or Treat train rides in October.
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In This Issue
Kids ON TRACK @ Springfield Union Station
September Calendar
September Presentation - Connecticut Valley Railroads
Member Picnic - September 19
Belt Lines @ Boxboro
Railroad Hobby Show - preview: 'Bella's Blue Train
Athearn @ Amherst
Surplus Equipment Sale/Swap Meet
MBTA Heritage F40
Railroad Hobby Show - January 30 & 31, 2027 - advertising options
Member Discounts - Apollo, Steaming Tender
Upcoming Shows & Events
| | September Presentation - September 9, 7:00 pm | |
Connecticut Valley Railroads
Phil Johnson
Early railroads developed primarily north/south main lines connecting population centers in the Connecticut River Valley. But, there were branch lines, too, providing rail service to smaller towns and industrial areas.
On Wednesday, September 9, Phil Johnson will describe how the Boston & Albany, Boston & Maine, New Haven, and Central Vermont built a Connecticut River rail network that consisted of eight main lines and eleven branch lines. And, he will show how those early lines tie into today’s rail network.
Phil is a rail historian and author of two books, one covering the Hampden Railroad, and the other documenting the Ware River Railroad.
This presentation is open to the public.
Meeting details.
| | Member Picnic - September 19 | | |
The annual picnic for Amherst members and families will be held on Saturday, September 19 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on our property in Palmer, Massachusetts. We often say we work together, we play together. Well, this is a day to play together.
The picnic is a great opportunity to enjoy our garden railroad (possibly with live steam running) and the HO-scale railroads in our clubhouse. And we will have plenty of picnic foods and drinks as well.
The picnic is also a big Thank You to everyone in the organization that contributes time and effort to our success. The Amherst Railway Society is recognized throughout the country as one of the premier railroad hobby organizations. And that recognition is the direct result of the skills, experience, and energy of our members.
The Amherst Picnic is open to all active Amherst Railway Society members and their immediate family members.
A separate invitation will be sent with RSVP instructions. We need an attendance count to order the correct amount of picnic supplies.
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The Amherst Belt Lines will have a large modular model railroad running at Railfair 2026 in Boxborough, Massachusetts on October 3 & 4.
This is a big show with a variety of operating model railroads and a good selection of exhibitors offering a wide variety of model railroad products.
The Belt Lines crew will begin setup on Friday afternoon, October 2.
If you would like to participate in this Belt Lines event, contact the modular coordinators at: AmherstBeltLines@amherstrail.org.
Full Belt Lines show schedule
| | Railroad Hobby Show - preview | | |
'Bella's Blue Train
Isabella Sacharczyk tells her Hydrocephalus story through model railroading.
'Bella's Blue Train will be running at the 2027 Railroad Hobby Show on the Dry Hill Model Railroad in the Mallary Building.
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The Athearn on the Mainline road show arrived in Palmer on August 22. Brand manager, Jim Wiggin, reviewed the company’s current HO and N scale products and described how Athearn selects new models for production.
Jim also brought freight cars and an Athearn Genesis locomotive that were raffled off to the audience.
| | Surplus Equipment Sale/Swap Meet | | The August Surplus Equipment Sale & Swap Meet turned out to be a “two-fur” - lots of great model railroad equipment to choose from, and train rides on the Pioneer Valley 7 ¼ gauge railroad. | | The MBTA's latest heritage F40 is painted in the Boston & Maine "McGinnis" colors. Other heritage F40s honor the New York Central and New Haven, as well as the Boston & Maine maroon and gold "Minuteman" scheme. | | Railroad Hobby Show - January 30 & 31, 2027 | | |
Railroad Hobby Show - advertising options
The audience for the 2027 Railroad Hobby Show is expected to be in excess of 25,000 visitors. To reach this audience, exhibitors have three advertising options.
• Print ads in the 28-page Show Guide
• Static ads on the monitors in the Better Living Center and Mallary buildings.
• Video ads on the monitors in the Better Living Center and Mallary buildings.
Ad specs and pricing information can be found HERE.
To reserve ad space for the 2027 show, contact Meaghan Royce at: showoffice@amherstrial.org.
For questions about ad specs, contact Greg Maas at: webmaster@amherstrail.org.
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Amherst members are eligible for 10% discounts at two Palmer area restaurants - Apollos and the Steaming Tender.
To qualify, your membership must be current, and you must show your Amherst Railway Society membership card.
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September 12, 2026
Railyard Tour Train
Adams, MA
info@berkshirescenicrailroad.org
September 12, 2026
Flying Yankee Open House
North Conway, NH
flyingyankee.org
September 20, 2026
Old Colony Model Train Show
Taunton, MA
rickcross749@gmail.com
September 26, 2026
Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum Trolleyfest
Shelburne Falls, MA
sftm.org
September 30, 2026
Nix Train Night
Auburn, ME
nixtrainz.com
October 17, 2026
Great Falls Train Show
Auburn, ME
greatfallsmodelrailroadclub.org
October 31, 2026
Great Northern New England Train Show
Dover Elks – Dover, NH
efmenter@aol.com – 603-363-4300
More Shows and Events
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September 11, 12, 13, 2026
New Haven Historical Convention
New London, CT
nhrhta.org
September 12, 2026
New Haven Historical
New London, CT
nhrhta.org
September 19, 2026
Upper Valley Model Railroad Show
White River Junction, VT
cvrr.railfan.net/cvmrr
September 26, 2026
Southern New England Open House
Gardner, MA
facebook.com/SNEMRR
September 27, 2026
Great Falls @ Cumberland
Cumberland, ME
cumberlandfair.com
October 3 & 4, 2026
Railfair 2026
Boxboro, MA
nvrra.com
October 24, 2026
Flying Yankee Open House
North Conway, NH
flyingyankee.org
| | 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
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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
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