Eight & Sand is regularly updated with news and information about the Amherst Railway Society, the Railroad Hobby Show, the Amherst Belt Lines modular model railroad, the organizations we support, and other railroad-related topics.
Table of Contents
Chasing 4014
A New Fiscal Year
Z-scale railroad – for sale
Surplus Equipment Sale – August 8
Commemorative Coal Car
Holyoke Senior Center Model Railroad
Amherst Railway Society – Help Wanted
Upcoming Shows & Events
Chasing 4014
Amherst members are recording the historic tour of Union Pacific 4014. As we receive photos, we will post them here.
The current photos were recorded at Steamtown by Zack Lauzon and Nathan Louis.
A New Fiscal Year
July 1 marks the beginning of the 2026-2027 fiscal year for the Amherst Railway Society. And, with the new year comes some administrative changes.
Dave Owens takes over as Amherst President, and will serve two years in that capacity. Steve Belforti was elected to a second term on the Board of Directors. And, Bob Marshall was elected to his first term on the board.
At the annual business meeting on June 10, Executive Director, John Sacerdote, reviewed the opportunities we took advantage of over the past year, as well as the challenges we faced.
Kids ON TRACK continues to be a key growth program for the organization. We now have two HO-scale model railroads on the upper level for younger modelers to learn all aspects of model railroad construction and operations on Saturday mornings. And, the train ride program with CTrail, Springfield and Hartford Union Stations continues to expand, with he latest addition being the Bunny Hop this past March.
Throughout the industry, the Railroad Hobby Show has come to be recognized as America’s premier railroad-themed trade show. After two years of record-setting attendance, the 2026 show was well on it’s way to setting yet another record. Then, it snowed on Sunday. Never-the-less, the show was a huge success, marked by the addition of the first-ever, and wildly popular Sunday morning Brunch Express.
The Amherst Garden Railroad continues to grow with more track, more plants, and more ideas for how to use our beautiful outdoor space. Because of the garden, we now have a new annual event, the Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival. And, what a great place to celebrate holidays. The list of possibilities for the garden is long.
John’s remarks were followed by incoming President, Dave Owens.
Dave emphasized the uniqueness of Amherst in that we embrace and support all aspects of the railroad hobbies – modeling, historical, photography, preservation, and rail-fanning. And, we are good at it. People see that in the shows, events, and programs we sponsor.
What people don’t see is the skills, energy, and commitment that makes all the things we do – happen. People working together. That’s the foundation the organization rests on. That’s the glue that holds us together. And that’s the key to the future of growth and development of Amherst – people working together.
Now, we have several key assets that will help us make that growth and development a reality.
First, we are a welcoming organization. If you are a railroad enthusiast, Amherst is for you.
Second, we are willing to try new things – things that nobody has done before. We are not stuck in the – we’ve always done it that way – mentality.
Third, we are collaborative. We work with other organizations like CTrail, Springfield Union Station, the Steaming Tender, and the NMRA just to name a few.
We have a solid foundation to build on, and key assets to work with. So, what are the opportunities for Amherst in the next couple years?
Women in Model Railroading – this is an important next step for Amherst. We need to find ways to grow this part of the model railroad hobby.
The Garden Railroad – as a community builder. The garden railroad can be the catalyst that draws us closer to the Palmer community through events and programs.
Kids ON TRACK – we are drawing more and more younger rail enthusiasts to Amherst. We have all kinds to potential here to tie KOT to STEM education, develop modeling skills, rail photography skills, and ties to libraries and schools.
Photography – rail photography is a big deal in the hobby. Still photography, video, drone photography should all be part of Amherst.
So, here we are – we have a solid foundation, key assets, and some great opportunities to build our future. I look forward to it.
Z-scale Railroad For Sale
The Amherst Railway Society if offering a complete Z-scale railroad for sale. The railroad is approximately 3’ x 6’ and includes structures, locomotives, and rolling stock. All scenery is complete. The railroad is DC powered.
This is an impressive, European-themed railroad.
Asking price is $4000 for non-ARS members, $2500 for ARS members.
If interested, contact John Sacerdote at: [email protected].
Surplus Equipment Sale – August 8
The next Surplus Equipment Sale will be held at the Pioneer Valley Live Steamers In Southwick, Massachusetts. The event will begin at 9:00 am and run to 1:00 pm.
If you have railroad or model railroad equipment that you would like to sell at this event, contact John Sacerdote at: [email protected]
In addition to the sales event, Pioneer Valley will have trains running.
Pioneer Valley Live Steamers is located at:
108 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Commemorative Coal Car
Here’s a unique opportunity to own a special commemorative car. Amherst has commissioned just 100 commemorative G-scale coal cars to celebrate two important events – the ongoing development of the Amherst Garden Railroad and the upcoming Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival in June.
The cars are beautifully done by Bachmann, include Springfield Terminal or Amherst Belt reporting marks.
The cars are available now and can be purchased here.
Holyoke Senior Center Model Railroad
In 2012, the donation of model railroad equipment started the Holyoke Senior Center and the Amherst Railway Society on a fascinating journey that resulted in a thoughtfully designed, highly detailed HO-scale model railroad.
With the technical assistance of John Sacerdote, a track plan was drawn to fit the space allocated by the senior center – and construction was underway. In July, 2013, the first train ran. Over the next several years, key features of the town of Holyoke were added to the railroad as well as a miniature amusement park.
Today, the railroad continues to delight senior center visitors. While the railroad can be seen anytime, the model railroad “crew” meets every Thursday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm to operate the railroad.
Additional Amherst members involved in the construction of the railroad included: Ken Harstine, Joe Lepage, and Gerry Vautrain.
The Holyoke Senior Center is located at: 291 Pine, Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040
Help Wanted – the Amherst Railway Society
As the Amherst Railway Society continues to grow, we need people to fill key management roles. Open positions with responsibility descriptions are listed below.
1. Railroad Hobby Show – Lead Floor Manager
reports to: Show Director
Responsible for:
• coordinating all floor manager schedules
• recruiting and training new floor managers
• work with Show Director as part of the show management team
2. Railroad Hobby Show – Volunteer Coordinator
reports to: Show Director
Responsible for:
• coordinating all volunteer schedules
• recruiting and training new volunteers
• work with Show Director as part of the show management team
3. Speaker/Clinics Coordinator
reports to: Executive Director
Responsible for:
• recruiting speakers and presenters for Amherst events and clinics
• coordinating dates, AV needs, and catering
• work with Marketing Director to publicize and promote presentations
4. Event Coordinators
reports to: Executive Director
Responsible for:
• managing specific Amherst Special events.
• Amherst sponsors several special events such as Kids ON TRACK programs and the Brunch Express. Event Coordinators manage all details of specific special events.
5. Trip Coordinator
reports to: Executive Director
Responsible for:
• managing all Amherst Railway Society sponsored trips
6. Display Layout Coordinator
reports to: Building Manager
Responsible for:
• setting up and maintaining all scale layouts on the upper level.
7. Special Programs Coordinator
reports to: Executive Director
Responsible for:
• setting up and managing Amherst special programs, including:
• summer camp
• modular sales
• disability program
• scholarships
• T-Trak program
Upcoming Shows & Events
| Date | Event | Location | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
|
July 10, 11, 12, 2026 |
NH Garden Train Run |
Raymond, NH |
nhgrs.org |
|
July 18, 2026 |
Surplus Assets Sale |
Auburn, ME |
greatfallsmodelrrclub.org |
|
July 25, 2026 |
Flying Yankee Open House |
North Conway, NH |
flyingyankee.org |
|
August 16, 2026 |
Concord Model Railroad Show |
Concord, NH |
|
|
August 22, 2026 |
Flying Yankee Open House |
North Conway, NH |
flyingyankee.org |
|
August 22 & 23 2026 |
Superhero and Princess Day |
Kennebunkport, ME |
trolleymuseum.org |
|
August 22 & 23 2026 |
Great Falls Open House |
Auburn, ME |
greatfallsmodelrrclub.org |
|
September 12, 2026 |
Railyard Tour Train |
Adams, MA |
|
|
September 12, 2026 |
New Haven Historical |
New London, CT |
nhrhta.org |
|
September 12, 2026 |
Flying Yankee Open House |
North Conway, NH |
flyingyankee.org |
|
September 19, 2026 |
Upper Valley Model Railroad Show |
White River Junction, VT |
cvrr.railfan.net/cvmrr |
|
September 20, 2026 |
Old Colony Model Train Show |
Taunton, MA |
|
|
September 26, 2026 |
Southern New England Open House |
Gardner, MA |
facebook.com/SNEMRR |
|
October 3 & 4, 2026 |
Railfair 2026 |
Boxboro, MA |
nvrra.com |
|
October 17, 2026 |
Great Falls Train Show |
Auburn, ME |
greatfallsmodelrailroadclub.org |
|
October 24, 2026 |
Flying Yankee Open House |
North Conway, NH |
flyingyankee.org |
|
October 31, 2026 |
Great Northern New England Train Show |
Dover Elks – Dover, NH |
[email protected] – 603-363-4300 |
|
November 7, 2026 |
Madnock Railroad Train Show |
Peterborough, NH |
|
|
November 7, 2026 |
470 Club excursion |
North Conway, NH |
conwayscenic.com/excursions/470-club-excursion |
|
November 21 & 22, 2026 |
ExTRAINaganza |
Auburn, ME |
greatfallsmodelrrclub.org |
|
November 27, 28, 29, 2026 |
ExTRAINaganza |
Auburn, ME |
greatfallsmodelrrclub.org |
|
November 29, 2026 |
Upper Valley Model Railroad Show |
White River Junction, VT |
cvrr.railfan.net/cvmrr |
|
December 12, 2026 |
Surplus Assets Sale |
Auburn, ME |
greatfallsmodelrrclub.org |
|
January 30 & 31, 2027 |
Railroad Hobby Show |
West Springfield, MA |
railroadhobbyshow.com |
|
February 13, 2027 |
Maine 3Railers Annual Show |
Augusta, ME |
|
|
March 14, 2027 |
Vermont Rails Show |
St. Albans, VT |
nwvrailroad.org/events/ |
|
April 3, 2027 |
Great Northern New England Show |
Dover, NH |