Binghamton Train Show Returns for Its 23rd Year This March

The 23rd annual Binghamton Train Show ran Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at American Legion Post 1645, 177 Robinson St., bringing together more than 30 vendors selling model trains across all scales, railroad memorabilia, tools, kits, and scratch-building supplies. Admission was $5 for adults, with children 12 and under admitted free with an adult.

The event was organized by The Freight Yard Model Trains and More and Our Needful Things. Co-owner Joshua VanBarriger, who has attended the show since he was 12 years old, said the event "brings together a dedicated community of hobbyists passionate about model railroading." He met his current business partner David Spicer at the show in 2013, and that personal history shaped his commitment to keeping it going. "I personally chose to continue organizing the Binghamton show to ensure this tradition remains," VanBarriger said.

Six new vendors joined the show's regular roster this year. Operation Lifesaver was also on site, offering railroad safety education alongside the buying, selling, and trading floor.

Door prizes came from Lionel Trains, Rapido Trains, and Woodland Scenics, with one additional prize donated by a local Binghamton rail yard. VanBarriger noted that geography makes rail particularly meaningful in this corner of New York. "It's very important because the Southern Tier was built, I'd say, around being able to ship and transport stuff," he said. "And we have two major rail yards right here in Binghamton, and one of which actually donated one of our door prizes. And trains have been a big part of Binghamton history for a long time."

That backdrop gives the Binghamton Train Show a resonance that goes beyond a typical vendor swap meet. For a region currently exploring the return of passenger rail service, a show in its 23rd year feels less like a hobby event and more like a continuation of something the city never quite let go.