The Hostler Model Railroad Club shares the model railroading hobby with the public is through its two annual train festivals, each offering visitors the opportunity to experience operating layouts, historical displays, and the excitement of railroading both miniature and full-size.

Hostler Model Railroad Festival – Ogden, Utah

The club’s flagship event is the Hostler Model Railroad Festival, held each year during the first weekend of March at historic Ogden Union Station. The festival has grown over the years into one of the largest model railroad events in the region and attracts visitors from across the western United States.

During the three-day event, Union Station is filled with operating model railroad layouts representing many different scales and styles. Visitors can watch long freight trains wind through detailed scenery, see switching operations in miniature rail yards, and experience the creativity of model builders from across the region.

The festival also includes:

• Model railroad vendors selling new and used trains, tools, and supplies

• Judged model and photography contests

• Railroad films and historical displays

• Educational demonstrations and clinics

• Access to the museums inside Union Station

This event is welcoming to both experienced hobbyists and families discovering model railroading for the first time. Children often become fascinated watching trains run through realistic landscapes, while longtime railroad enthusiasts enjoy the opportunity to meet fellow hobbyists and expand their collections. 

Evanston Roundhouse Festival – Evanston, Wyoming

In addition to the Ogden festival, the Hostler Model Railroad Club also helps organize and operate the train show portion of the Evanston Roundhouse Festival in cooperation with Evanston Roundhouse & Railyards Restoration. The festival takes place each summer at the historic Evanston Roundhouse, a restored railroad roundhouse that once served the Union Pacific Railroad.

The event celebrates both railroad history and model railroading, bringing together operating model train layouts, railroad exhibits, and historic railroad equipment. Visitors can explore the roundhouse buildings, view a functioning turntable, and see full-size locomotives alongside the detailed miniature railroads created by hobbyists.

Unlike many train shows, the Evanston festival is free to the public, making it an accessible family event for the entire region. The weekend often coincides with other community celebrations in Evanston, turning the festival into a lively gathering for railroad fans and local residents alike.