ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester railroad enthusiasts are sharing their joy of the rails and all the time and detail that goes into building, running and maintaining model railroads. The Rochester Model Railroad Club is hosting a weekend open house.


What You Need To Know

  • The Rochester Model Railroad Club is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, expansion and education of railroading

  • Club members are given the opportunity to pursue, advance and enjoy the railroading hobby

  • The club open house is a chance to see the 350-foot double track mainline depicting scenes of the Lehigh Valley Railroad of the 1960s with a trolley line with cars running under overhead wire

  • The open house is Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 1 - 5 p.m.

The Rochester Model Railroad Club, located on S. Clinton Ave., is celebrating 83 years of model railroading. It’s like a ride on the Lehigh Valley Railroad from Jersey to Buffalo in the 1960s. The club has a 350-foot double track mainline. There’s even trolley cars. It is all in the details from the trains, trees, lights and people. It’s a snapshot of life along the railroad.

"My father gave me a Lionel train in the '50s and I have been hooked on model trains ever since. That is true of a lot of guys here," said Jim Moe from the Rochester Model Railroad Club.

This club is so good at what they do that they just got a 10-page spread in the internationally published magazine, Railroad Model Craftsman.

"It is one of the top magazines in the country for model railroaders," said Mark Rossiter from the Rochester Model Railroad Club. "We like to view ourselves as having one of the top layouts in the country and this helps verify that. The prototype scenes we try to emulate, the realism, the detail and we are trying as hard as we can to make it like toy like. This is a serious model railroad not a toy train layout."

The club is all about preserving, expanding and educating anyone about railroads. This weekend‘s open house is a chance to see as many as 10 trains running simultaneously. You can also chat with club members and check out the best of the best in model railroads.

The open house is Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. The club is located in the lower level of First Universalist Church at 150 S. Clinton Ave. in Rochester.