35th Annual Winter Train and Toy Show Draws Families, Collectors to Hamburg

Operating LEGO layouts and running model train displays drew families and collectors to the Hamburg Fairgrounds Event Center for the Western New York Railway Historical Society's 35th annual Winter Train and Toy Show, which ran Feb. 14–15, 2026 at 5820 South Park Ave, Hamburg, NY 14075. The two-day event combined hands-on activities for children with a marketplace of vintage toys and railroadiana.

The show featured multiple operating model train layouts alongside LEGO train displays that included interactive activities for attendees. Vendor tables filled the floor with vintage toys, trains and collectibles, while scheduled attractions on the program included NMRA demonstrations, a silent auction, door prizes and slot car racing. Organizers also offered opportunities for children to operate select displays during the weekend sessions.

Marty Visciano with the Western New York Railway Historical Society summed up the event's family-and-collector appeal: “This is a wonderful event for families and kids to come out and see the trains, hobbies, crafts, different things for the kids. They can operate some things and there’s a lot of things to look at and watch and go around the train tracks, and you can also purchase a lot of unique items for collectors.”

Practical details reflected the event's accessibility. Per the society's event listing, Saturday hours were 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday hours were 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission was $8 for adults while children age 12 and under were admitted free; free parking was available on site. Tickets could be purchased in advance through the Hamburg Fairgrounds event page to skip the line, and the Western New York Railway Historical Society can be reached at 716-837-1791 for further information.

Beyond the show floor, the society maintains a presence at local historic depots and a museum. The Heritage Discovery Center is located at 100 Lee St, Buffalo, NY 14210 with phone 716-821-9360. The WNYRHS Williamsville Depot is at 86 S. Long, Williamsville, NY 14221 - phone 716-633-7002 - and the Orchard Park Depot is at 395 South Lincoln Ave, Orchard Park, NY 14127 - phone 716-662-7002. The society's year-round schedule includes events at those depots and museum hours at the Heritage Discovery Center.

Photographs from the weekend captured trains "whizzing past delighted faces" and colorful vintage toys filling dozens of tables, underscoring the show's dual role as an introduction to model railroading for children and a marketplace for collectors seeking unique pieces. The 35th running of the Winter Train and Toy Show kept that balance between hands-on family activities and the collector-focused marketplace that the Western New York Railway Historical Society has cultivated over three decades.