ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION

We plan great conventions, so you can plan on having a great time!

LOTS 47th Annual Convention, Buffalo-Niagara”All Scales” Model Train Show

Amherst, New York – July 5-11, 2026

Hotel Information –

Buffalo Marriott Niagara, 1340 Millersport Hwy, Amherst, NY 14221

$159.00 + tax/per night.

You must register by June 8, 2026 to receive the discounted rate.

Registration and Group Tour Information –

All Group Tours depart and return to the Buffalo Marriott Niagara, 1340 Millersport Hwy, Amherst, NY 14221

Link to view the 2026 Group Tours and Schedule – Will be posted as soon as it’s available.

Link to register online – Coming Soon!

Buffalo-Niagara “All Scales” Model Train Show

Buffalo Marriott Niagara, 1340 Millersport Hwy, Amherst, NY 14221

July 11, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

$8.00 per person. Under 12 is FREE! Free Parking!

Train Show Features:

Train Layouts & Displays –

Buying & Selling Trains & Related Items

Train Drag Races – 11:00 am – Loaner engines available. Visit the drag race area to register for the race. Prizes are awarded to the top two winners in 4 age brackets.

Vendors wanting to sell trains or train-related items – Registration begins in January. Limited number of tables are available.

Modular layout individuals or groups:

If you are an individual or group with a modular layout and would like to be an Exhibitor at the Buffalo-Niagara “All Scales” Model Train Show – please all Javen: 316-two-5-three-5918 or email or email him – lotstrainshow (at) gmail.com for more information and to receive a form to submit with the details of your modular layout or exhibit.  All gauges and scales will be considered.

Annual Conventions Typically Feature:

  • Daily excursion tours to various sites of interest
  • Member home layout tours
  • Annual Train Show – table sales of all sizes and types of toy trains (swap meet)
  • Operating layouts
  • Annual Business Meeting
  • Closing banquet – Great Camaraderie with fellow Members!

Visit World Class Layouts

Perhaps the greatest benefit, after camaraderie, is the opportunity to visit world class layouts around the USA. Many of the layouts that we visit have been featured in such magazines as Classic Toy Trains and O-Gauge.

Each layout is unique and interesting in their special ways. These visits leave all of us with ideas for our own layouts, present and in the future. One-on-one conversations with the layout owners/builders give us a unique opportunity to probe, question, marvel and perhaps the impetus to put our layout dreams into operation.

Although most of us are O and O-27 gauge hobbyists, we can learn from every scale/gauge that your LOTS Convention team presents for its attendees. After the LOTS Convention layouts, visit the layouts and collections of your friends and acquaintances. I bet that they will allow and encourage you to bring along a train or two. It is always fun to run trains on someone else’s layout.

Perhaps it will take you back to your initial days in the hobby when you ran your trains at your friends houses and ran them around the track at breakneck speeds to see if and when they would fly off the tracks!

Edward Mazur, DM 3123

Divisions and Chapters

Although LOTS is to remain a national club and shall not be subdivided into formal divisions or chapters (see Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution), LOTS members are encouraged to develop informal local operating groups to promote the enjoyment of operating and collecting Lionel and compatible trains and accessories.

Such operating groups may, for example, build and operate modular layouts; run trains on each other’s layouts; or meet periodically to share their knowledge regarding any aspect of operating Lionel and compatible trains and accessories.

Local operating groups are encouraged to submit periodic reports to the Switcher Editor in the interest of sharing their knowledge, experience and layout construction tips with all LOTS members.

Local operating groups also are encouraged to sponsor regional LOTS train meets. Host a meet today!

LEARN HOW TO HOST A MEET

LOTS’ Annual Convention Cities

1980 Little Rock, AR
John Ourso & Al Otten
1981 Cincinnati, OH
Larry Keller & Al Cigolotti
1982 Kalamazoo, MI
Seth Giem
1983 New Orleans, LA
Dom Schwab
1984 Pittsburgh, PA
Al Jaworski
1985 St. Louis, MO
Adam Laffleur
1986 Philadelphia, PA
Vernon Vercoe
1987 Tulsa, OK
Dave Stonecipher
1988 Seattle, WA
Geoff Swan
1989 Dearborn, MI
Gary Montagne &
Michael Urban
1990 Baltimore, MD
Kenneth Starke
1991 Dayton, OH
Richard H. Johnson
1992 Modesto, CA
Tony Tesoriere
1993 Ft. Wayne, IN
John Gallacher

1994 New Brunswick, NJ
Steve Horvath
1995 Chicago, IL
Cris Matuszak
1996 Boston, MA
Paul Bernier &
Steve Horvath
1997 Scranton, PA
Robert K. Thomas
1998 San Diego, CA
Joe Lesser
1999 Mobile, AL
Herb Kern
2000 Detroit, MI
Joe Wilhelm & Scott Kuntz
2001 Baltimore, MD
Mike Solly, Dave Przyborski & Sherman Silverman
2002 Milwaukee, WI
Scott Kuntz & Cris Matuszak
2003 Lancaster, PA
Herb Kern
2004 Cincinnati, OH
Frank Kammer, Mike Rolcik &
Paula Smith
2005 Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA
Ralph Spoettle & Bruce Goettel
2006 Saratoga Springs, NY
Robert Taylor, Richard Silber & Tony Rudmann

2007 Portland, OR
Paula Smith & Tom Steeves
2008 South Bend, IN
National Committee
2009 Chattanooga, TN
National Committee
2010 Hartford, CT
National Committee
2011 Omaha, NE
National Committee
2012 Rochester, NY
National Committee
2013 Reno, NV
National Committee
2014 Pittsburgh, PA
National Committee
2015 Chicago, IL (St. Charles)
National Committee
2016 Philadelphia, PA (Valley Forge)
National Committee
2017 Denver, CO
National Committee
2018 Manchester, NH
National Committee
2019 Louisville, KY
National Committee

2020 – Postponed – Covid
National Committee
2021 – Postponed – Covid
National Committee
2022 Dayton, OH
National Committee
2023 Knoxville, TN
National Committee
2024 Lawrence, KS
National Committee
2025 Akron, OH
National Committee
2026 Buffalo, NY
National Committee