The Kanawha Valley Railroad Association’s Model Train and Craft Show is a popular annual draw for families. This year’s show is slated for Feb. 15-16 at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
The Kanawha Valley Railroad Association’s Model Train and Craft Show is a popular annual draw for families. This year’s show is slated for Feb. 15-16 at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
Enthusiasts and newcomers alike can explore miniature railroads winding through intricately crafted landscapes at the 19th annual Model Train and Craft Show coming Feb. 15-16 to the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
The perennial event is designed to appeal to longtime hobbyists or to anyone just curious about the world of model trains. Presented by the Kanawha Valley Railroad Association, the show will feature 175 vendor tables offering every scale of model trains — new and used — that a hobbyist could imagine, plus everything a person would need to build a layout. One local vendor, West Virginia Hobby and Craft, with stores in Teays Valley and Nitro, will have a 25-table setup.
There will also craft vendors on hand — including one that sells railroad-themed T-shirts and other items, and a vendor selling authentic railroad memorabilia.
And then there’s the main attraction: functioning model train layouts.
“Our show this year will feature six operating model train layouts in three different scales, so there should be more general appeal to families — even if no one is actually a model railroader,†said Richard Boyd of Mink Shoals, the KVRA treasurer and show chairman.
“A lot of people appreciate model trains. I think it’s still the most popular hobby in the country,†Boyd said. “The fascination with railroads goes back for decades.â€
Last year the show was held in May and attendance was down. Boyd thinks moving the show to February will draw more people. “Last year it was too pretty outside,†he said.
The KVRA was organized formally in 1977. They maintain a clubhouse at Coonskin, and their first train shows were at the Coonskin Lodge. After they outgrew that space, they moved the show to St. Albans inside the old Value City building. Then, in 2021, they moved to the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
Richard Boyd “My father was a railroader, and I’ve been in the hobby since I got my first train set for Christmas at age 7,†he said. “It was S scale, which you don’t see much today.â€
He said the most common scales today (also called gauges) are HO scale, N scale and Lionel O scale trains, which are larger. Often, when people who aren’t model railroaders envision model trains, it’s Lionel.
“A good starter train set can run from $250 to $500. Most people start off with a basic train set and then start adding to it,†Boyd said. “My favorite part is building things to add to it.â€
He points out that serious model railroading is a multidiscipline hobby. “Building a layout requires some carpentry and electrical skill, among others,†he said.
The train layout the KVRA is bringing to the show measures 15 feet by 23 feet. They have a custom trailor for hauling it. Because it’s modular, it only takes about an hour to set up, according to Boyd. The other layouts are being brought by other groups — including two from Huntington.
Boyd is now in his 70s, as are several other club members. But they also have younger blood in the group ages 12 and up — junior members they call them. And while the group is mostly male, there are women involved. The club recently elected a woman, Monica Horter, as club secretary.
Saturday hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
For vendors, tables are $40; space with no table is $30. For more information, contact Richard Boyd at 615-319-9654, or via email at cnorail@aol.com or kvrailroad@gmail.com.
