Model trains of every gauge and vintage are packed across York Expo Center this week, as the York Train Fair wraps up its run with main meet days on Friday and Saturday. The event, presented by the Eastern Division of the Train Collectors Association, bills itself as the world's largest model train gathering, pulling in collectors, operators, dealers and enthusiasts from well beyond York County.
According to easterntca.com, this year's fair runs October 20 through 24 at the York Expo Center, continuing a run at the same venue under the same organizer as in 2025. The fair advertises thousands of tables stocked with trains of all makes, gauges and vintages, along with dealer halls, modular layouts running throughout the show, and museum and library deaccession tables, per clem2026.ccmftrains.com.
As Fox43 reports, the fair gives attendees a chance to explore historic model trains, shop for trains and accessories, and connect with fellow collectors. Michael Nowicki, host of the RailChief 74 podcast, told the station his own interest in model railroading began at age seven with a Norfolk and Western 611 Rail King starter set, and grew from there.
A Hobby That Spans Generations
Scott Griggs, who is affiliated with Trainz, first attended the York fair back in 1975, when he was just 15 years old, according to the same Fox43 report. Griggs said he's made many friends at the fair over the years, a reflection of how the gathering has long doubled as a social hub for people who share the same niche obsession with miniature locomotives and layouts.
That kind of multi-generational pull is reflected in Fox43's account, which describes the fair as an opportunity to share an interest in model railroading and build friendships. The report says Griggs first attended in 1975 and that Nowicki was introduced to the hobby as a child.
Panels, Dealer Halls And Free Parking
Beyond the shopping floor, this year's fair includes a social media panel and a manufacturers' panel, according to clem2026.ccmftrains.com. Fox43 similarly notes that attendees can hear a panel discussion with toy train social media influencers, giving visitors a chance to hear from voices in the hobby's online community as well as browse physical merchandise.
The fair also offers free parking and a free shuttle running between all halls, per the same clem2026.ccmftrains.com listing. Earlier in the week, a preshow took place Monday through Wednesday in the Purple Hall, also known as Heritage Hall, which was free and open to the public, according to yorkpa.org. That tourism listing also states that children under 18 accompanied by a paying adult are admitted free of charge.
Scale, Hours And Some Conflicting Details
The yorkpa.org listing says the fair features more than 1,900 tables of trains for sale, while the NMRA notes the event has been open to the public since 1969. The NMRA listing also confirms the main meet days as Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24.
Hours and admission costs are reported differently across sources. Fox43 states the fair continues Friday until 6 p.m. and returns Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while yorkpa.org lists public hours as 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and easterntca.com lists Saturday dealer-hall hours as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission pricing is similarly inconsistent: yorkpa.org says the public can attend Friday and Saturday for $10 each day, the NMRA listing puts Saturday public admission at $20 with access to two dealer halls and a public layout building, and clem2026.ccmftrains.com describes Saturday-only public access with a $25 adult wristband and free entry for kids 18 and under accompanied by an adult.
Despite the differing figures on hours and cost, the core draw remains the same as it has for decades: thousands of tables of trains, dealer halls, layouts and a community of enthusiasts converging on York Expo Center. For collectors like Griggs, who's been making the trip since the Ford administration, that community is as much the point as the trains themselves.
