Eight & Sand is regularly updated with news and information about upcoming Amherst Railway Society meetings, the Railroad Hobby Show, the Amherst Belt Lines modular model railroad, the organizations we support, and other railroad-related topics.
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Amherst at the BIG E
The BIG E is New England’s “state fair.” The last two weeks of September at Eastern States Exposition are filled with agricultural exhibits, competitions, entertainment, and a long list of diverse food choices.
And, the Amherst Railway Society was there – but this time as an exhibitor. Yes, Eastern States is also home to the January Railroad Hobby Show, sponsored by Amherst. This year, the Amherst exhibit included a train simulator which gave players a chance to run trains from the engineer’s view, as well as operate throttle, brake, horn, and light controls.
The simulator was a big hit – for visitors of all ages.
In addition to the simulator, the Amherst exhibit provided education about the model railroad hobby and promoted upcoming train shows.
Special thanks to Matt Betzner for putting together the hardware and software needed to run the simulator.
