July Newsletter

Kids ON TRACK

August 3 & 4, 2024

Union Station

Springfield, Massachusetts

Kids ON TRACK returns to Union Station - August 3 & 4. Model trains that kids (of all ages) can operate, morning train rides with CTrail, and Maggie the Railroad Clown.

It's all happening at Springfield Union Station on August 3 & 4.

Details.

In This Issue

Kids ON TRACK - August 3 & 4

July Calendar

Belt Lines @ Six Flags

Leadership Changes

More - about Kids ON TRACK

Surplus Equipment Sale - August 24

Railroad Hobby Show - January 25 & 26, 2025 - tickets

Union Pacific 4014 - Westward Bound Tour

This Month

July 6 - Closed - July 4 weekend

July 10 - July Presentation

July 13 - Work Day

July 17 - Board of Directors

July 20 - Work Day

July 27 - Work Day

August 3 - Kids ON TRACK

August 4 - Kids ON TRACK

Full Calendar

Belt Lines @ Six Flags New England

The Amherst Belt Lines modular railroad exhibit will be on display at Six Flags New England through the end of July.

Known as the Rockville Train Show, the exhibit is located in the Rockville Theater. Six Flags New England is located in Agawam, Massachusetts.

Leadership changes

Effective July 1, 2024, Joe Biagioni moves from President-elect to President of the Amherst Railway Society. Joe will fill that role for a two year term.

Also, on July 1, John Sacerdote moves from President to Past President and will serve in that capacity for one year.

Board changes

Effective July 1, Shane Wilson rotates off the Board of Directors. Shane's position on the board will be filled by Ken Schneider from Rapido Trains.

All Leadership changes were approved at the Amherst Railway Society annual meeting on June 12, 2024.

More About Kids ON TRACK

photo: Greg Grice

Kids ON TRACK (KOT) is an initiative of the Amherst Railway Society (ARS) designed to give elementary, middle, and high school students experience with railroads and model railroads.

Kids of all ages are fascinated with trains and model railroads. Give a kid a chance to ride a train, or put a throttle in a kid’s hands and they light right up. Parents are fascinated, too, because they see the effect that trains and model trains have on their children.

There are two parts to the program.

Part One – get kids riding trains and running trains

ARS works in partnership with CTrail and Springfield Union Station to provide train rides for children and their families. Among the train ride events are the Kids ON TRACK weekend each summer and the Track-or-Treat Halloween train ride each October. In addition, ARS sponsors train rides during the Northeast Large Scale Train Show weekend in April, and the Railroad Hobby Show weekend in January.

ARS also has an HO-scale modular display railroad that travels to a variety of events. The layout is setup for operation by children, and their parents, too. The purpose of the display layout is to let children experience the pure joy of running trains.

Part Two – get kids building a railroad

Aimed at middle school and high school students, Part Two is intended to get kids building model railroad modules, programming engines, adding scenery, and operating the railroad. Our goal is to come up with classroom and after-school programs that will engage children in model railroading.

Part Two is STE(A)M education – science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

Collaboration

Kids ON TRACK is intended to be a collaborative effort to promote model railroading – schools, manufacturers, clubs, retailers. After all, the things we are learning could benefit others, and, it’s likely other organizations are learning things that could help us.

Surplus Equipment Sale - August 24, 2024

The next Surplus Equipment Sale will be held on Saturday, August 24 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Amherst Building in Palmer, Massachusetts.

If you have model railroad equipment or railroad artifacts that you would like to sell, here's your chance. Our regular surplus equipment events are attracting a growing audience of knowledgeable railroad hobbyists.

If you would like table space at the August 24 event, please contact John Sacerdote at: showdirector@amherstrail.org.

Railroad Hobby Show - January 25 & 26, 2025 - tickets

Advance tickets sales for the 2025 Railroad Hobby Show are now available.

Single day ticket: $18.00

Two-day Ticket: $30.00

Children 15 and under are Free when accompanied by an adult.

Online ticket sales - HERE

Union Pacific 4014 - Westward Bound

Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 will be on tour from June 30 to July 26 at the following locations. The locomotive will also be on display during specific hours in Roseville, California and Ogden, Utah.

There is no public access to the locomotive outside of the listed stops.

June 30 Cheyenne, Wyoming to Rawlins, Wyoming

July 1 Rawlins Wyoming to Rock Springs, Wyoming

July 3 Rock Springs, Wyoming to Evanston, Wyoming

July 4 Evanston, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah

July 6 Salt Lake City, Utah to Elko, Nevada

July 8 Elko, Nevada to Winnemuca, Nevada

July 9 Winnemuca, Nevada to Portola, California

July 11 Portola, California to Roseville, California

July 14 Roseville, California to Sparks, Nevada

July 16 Sparks, Nevada to Winnemuca, Nevada

July 17 Winnemuca, Nevada to Elko, Nevada 

July 19 Elko, Nevada to Ogden, Utah

July 22 Ogden, Utah to Montpelier, Idaho

July 23 Montpelier, Idaho, to Rock Springs, Wyoming

July 25 Rock Springs, Wyoming to Rawlins, Wyoming

July 26 Rawlins, Wyoming to Cheyenne, Wyoming

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

Trainz.com 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