Previewing Trainfest 2025 with NMRA President Gordon Robinson

Trainfest will return to Downtown Milwaukee’s Baird Center Nov. 1-2, 2025. The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), celebrating its 90th anniversary, will take over as this year’s event producer. NMRA President Gordon Robinson previews the upcoming show with Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson, while also discussing plans for the future of the event.

Watch the extended video interview previewing Trainfest 2025 on Trains.com Video.

Q: Could you provide a brief history of Trainfest and its connection to the NMRA?

A: Trainfest has been on the scene for a very long time. It began as a local show in 1972 by the Wisconsin Southeastern (WISE) Division of the NMRA. From those modest beginnings, it became a national show with people traveling in from all over because the event was well established.

People involved then got older. Some passed away, while some key people changed. Then COVID-19 came along, and Trainfest ceased to be an annual event. A few groups have done it independently for two years over the last five.

But there’s still a demand for Trainfest. We really wanted to bring it back as a 90th anniversary event because it’s been well connected with the NMRA for so long. So, that’s what we’ll be doing for this year. 

Q: Looking back, what have you found to be the key takeaways in the event’s growth and longevity as one of the largest, premier train shows in North America?

A:  I don’t think you could just think of it as a North American event because I knew about Trainfest in the United Kingdom. It has a worldwide pull with attendees from Europe, Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

I think the growth and longevity were down to the local groups’ complete and unwavering commitment to making sure they had quality exhibits and vendors. Trainfest has always been the largest operating train show. From a European perspective, operating layouts at shows are a big thing. The key is trains are moving and introducing those to the hobby. Young people love it, and families love it too. Then there’s also something there for a modeler of any experience to go see the manufacturers but also be able to buy things at the vendors.

I also think the timing of the event was really important. It’s the beginning of November, you’ve gone through the fall season, and it’s starting to be the Holiday season as Trainfest is well in advance of Thanksgiving and Christmas, and everything that comes with that.

Q: What led to the NMRA becoming the event producer for Trainfest 2025? Has there been significant challenges?

A: I was aware, before I even became president, that there were challenges in terms of the age of the people that were key to bringing Trainfest around every year. But it was a strategic decision of mine when I became president that we had to bring it back for all the reasons we just talked about.

What I’ve been keen about doing, while also trying to change the culture of the NMRA, is taking away the burden from local resources. Ultimately, I want people, who don’t want to be doing administration, to work on their layouts and enjoy the hobby. National Resources of the NMRA will be protecting the Trainfest brand, as well as part of the agreement we’ve made with the WISE division and the local region. 

We’ve still got local volunteers that have been involved for a long time. That’s a really important step to make sure we sustain the event’s culture and experience people are used to by having local volunteers still involved. But we’ve got them involved in a way that they can best contribute in terms of how much time they’ve got and the skills and knowledge they can bring.

I know there are a lot of people worried because we’ve moved Trainfest from the Wisconsin State Fair Park back to the Baird Center. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve done that. The most important is we were given strong advice by the vendors there last year that it was a very good venue. Also from a financial perspective, we couldn’t make it viable to put the event back at the fairgrounds. I don’t want to bring Trainfest back just for our 90th anniversary celebration, I want to bring it back as an annual event. But it has to be done in a sustainable way.

It’s been difficult, and it’s taken longer than I anticipated to get the necessary agreements in place. But they’re there now.

Q: In addition to the traditional showcases of layouts, exhibits, demonstrations and vendors that have built Trainfest’s reputation over the years, there will also be new programs mixed in for the 2025 showing. What can attendees expect?

A: I’ve got loads of things that I want to do at Trainfest. But my team and I know that we’re not going to get them all in year one. You’ve got to go back to the sustainability of getting it done, make sure it’s done well, and not try to run before you can walk.

For hobbyists, we’re working on a Craftsman’s Corner. We’re also providing our Modeling with the Masters program, which we’ve never done at Trainfest before. This is a program where Master Model Railroaders of the NMRA, who have been in the hobby for years and achieved certificates for various skills, will come in and provide tips and tricks. We’re also looking at social media and media training to help people learn how to showcase their models online and share them with others because that’s important.

We’re working with the Railroad Prototype Modelers, particularly the guys down in Chicagoland, to make sure we’ve got an RPM component. I want to engage with other groups within the hobby that have not traditionally been represented at Trainfest and grow this event as a more community-wide representation of model railroading and real trains. Potentially watch this space as there can be some rail fanning element as we go into the future.

There’s also going to be a Welcome to Modeling room where we’re hoping to bring brand new people in and let them have a go at doing different beginner activities. We’ll be teaching them how to do different things so that it’s not so daunting getting into the hobby. I think sometimes the most difficult thing about getting involved is to get out and do it. 

Q: What does the future hold for both Trainfest and the NMRA?

A: We’ve got a ten-year agreement in place with the WISE division to continue holding Trainfest. But, we’ve made a 3-year commitment. It’s got to be able to break itself even, be successful, and show it can still be done. That starts this year. We then have two more years where we add more and build something that is a holistic event for the entire community, from my children’s age all the way up to 100 years old.

We’re even looking at adding more than one Trainfest. There may be regional and big events that we’ll allow to be a Trainfest, as long as it’s up to the quality standards we expect. Watch this space as I know it’s a long way to travel from the West and some parts of the East coasts.

I really want to see Trainfest come back and we will make it come back this year and the next few years. But, I want to see it back on a consistent basis as well.

Visit the Trainfest website for more information.