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 Holiday Party
Save The Date – December 11, 2024
The Amherst Railway Society Holiday Party will be held from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Amherst Building in Palmer. Massachusetts.
Special holiday treats will be served. Plus, it’s an Open Mic Night. Bring your railroad photos, slides, videos, and stories to share.
Who knows – maybe Santa will even stop by.
Surplus Equipment Sale
Save The Date – December 14, 2024
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the Amherst Railway Society will hold its quarterly surplus equipment sale. The event runs from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Model railroad equipment of all kinds and scales, actual railroad artifacts, and railroad books and videos are all included in this event.
The surplus equipment sale will be held at:
The Amherst Building
1130 South Main
StreetPalmer, Massachusetts 01069
This event is open to the public.
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.
