About Us

In simplest terms, the Amherst Railway Society is a community of people who share a fascination with railroads, and has been for over 50 years. If we go all the way back to the mid-1950s, we find a small group of University of Massachusetts chemistry students and faculty members who realized that they shared a common interest in railroads. So they started meeting regularly to share railroad knowledge, photographs, and stories. - Read More...

About The Show

Every year late in January or early in February, the Amherst Railway Society holds its Railroad Hobby Show at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds (The home of The Big E) in West Springfield Massachusetts. More than 20,500 railfans and public attended the Show each of the past five years.  In 2018, the 50th Anniversary Show boasted 400,000 square feet of trains and train related exhibits...that's 9 acres of trains! - Read More...

Who's Who

The "Who's Who" of the Amherst Railway Society's Railroad Hobby Show Reads like a Directory of some of the best in the business. Anything and everything having to do with trains is located somewhere on our 9 plus acres of display area. Please check out the Floor Plan and the listing of Exhibitors from our most recent show to get an idea of the folks that exhibit each year. - Read More...

Clinics

The Amherst Railway Society "Clinics Department" continues to grow every year. For the 2019 Show, planning is already in the works!  Please check out the CLINICS pages to see what it available already! - Read More...

Our 2020 Show will be January 25 & 26, 2020 

• Boothbay Railway Village is bringing a recently restored S.D. Warren #2 0-4-0T locomotive. It was built by Baldwin in 1895 and Amherst Society grant money played an important part in getting the restoration finished. It is the only operational 2 foot gauge industrial locomotive that ran in Maine.  (live and UNDER STEAM!!!; located outside at the 2019 Train Show!!).  This is a link to their Facebook page from last August when the locomotive was going to be christened (with a can of Moxie) S.D. Warren Baldwin Public Celebration
• New Product Announcements from Manufacturers
• Maggie The Clown!
• Hard to Find Items..."If it's not at this Show, it no longer can be found...anywhere!"
• 60+ Operating Layouts, Flea Market Tables, Historical Societies.....everything Railroady!
• Volunteering!  How would you like to be a part of the largest Train Show in North America!  CLICK HERE to see how you can help!

• 

  "I look forward to the 50th with great anticipation. Last year was my first and all I could say was OMG! And, now I understand it is even bigger than last year. How can they top that live steam locomotive from Boothbay? I understand that it will be returning and there will be even more....I have my hotel reservation a day early because I am not missing this!"

  Jonathan Richards, January 7, 2018
• 

  "We live outside of Chicago and decided to attend 2 years ago. When we saw the size of the Show, we decided to start at section 1 and work our way up. Mid-way through the first day, we were only at section 25 and we had to work our way up to section 170! We never did make it to all of the sections, thankfully. I am not sure how much money we would have spent if we did (LOL)!!! "

  Tony Bruno, January 15, 2017
• 

  "I was at the 2016 Show for the first time. I started in the Mallary Building and after 4 hours there, I found out that there were 3 more buildings! I have never seen anything like this is my life. Just be ready to spend a ton of time there. This year, I am staying both days!"

  David Brown, January 15, 2017
• Read More