Despatch
Junction Est. 1982
(585)-385-5570
(585)-385-5570
Hours:
Monday: 10AM-4PM
Tuesday: 10AM-4PM
Wednesday: 10AM-4PM
Thursday: 10AM-4PM
Friday: 10AM-5PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Sunday: Closed
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Since 1982, Despatch Junction has been providing the Greater Rochester Area with an unparalleled inventory of antique, toy, and model trains, and endeavors to deliver a truly unique shopping experience. We've recently launched an online store, and are working to build it up to represent a portion of our in-store inventory.
Located on the CSX New York-Chicago main, you can simultaneously browse and watch real trains! We usually see more than a dozen trains in any given business day, varying in consist from oil trains and general merchandise to Amtrak's passenger services from New York City to all points west.
We specialize in the sale and repair of modern and vintage American Flyer and Lionel model trains, but maintain a wide and varied inventory from N to G scale, with an occasional items from the likes of Z and F. We are an authorized dealer for Atlas, Kadee, Kato, Lionel, Walthers, and others. If you can't find what you need in our stock, we are more than happy to do whatever it takes to find you that special train.
our shop is located at 10o Station Rd in East Rochester, NY - just off Despatch Dr. at the corner of Washington St, across from Leo's bakery. It'll be the first driveway on the right.
REPAIRS:
All repairs and upgrades not performed day-of are handled by Frank and Doug. Frank is in on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30am - 5:00pm, and Doug is usually in for a few hours on Saturdays. Due to high volume and circumstances outside of our control, we've currently got a bit of a backlog. We're still working through the last of the holiday work orders (and boy were there a lot!), so our expected lead time is about 2 months.
Railroad Fun Within a Day's Drive of Rochester
Despatch Junction is not financially aflliated with the following organizations. We do not benefit in any way from listing them here, and it is done so solely for your convenience and enjoyment.
Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
282 Rush-Scottsville Rd. in Rush
RGV features a wide array of operating equipment, as well as extensive restoration facilities and train rides. Open to the public select weekends in the spring, summer, and fall. Check their website, www.rgvrrm.org, for exact hours.
Medina Railroad Museum
530 West Ave. in Medina
The Medina Railroad Museum is housed in a truly immense ex-New York Central freight house, which is open year round, Wednesday through Sunday. They also have a pair of New York Central E8 diesels, and a set of passenger cars with which they run regular excursions. See the musuem's website, www.medinarailroadmuseum.org for details.
New York Museum of Transportation
6393 East River Rd. in Henrietta
Open most of the year on Sundays, the NYMT has a pair of beautifully restored and operational interurban electric passenger cars, as well as a collection of trolley equipment and antique motor vehicles. Their website is www.nymtmuseum.org.
Adirondack Scenic Railroad
Utica Station in Utica
Showing off some of upstate New York's best scenery, the Adirondack Scenic offers dedicated tourist services from Utica and Thendara to Old Forge, Ramsen, and others. It's an incredible experience, and definitely not to be missed! Take a look at their offerings at www.adirondackrr.com.
Upcoming Train Shows/Events
Despatch Junction does not normally attend local train shows and events in any official capacity, however they are posted here for you convenience. We work to ensure these are as accurate and up-to-date as possible, but we nonetheless encourage you to check with the hosting organization before committing to going anywhere. If you have an event you would like posted here, please Contact Us.
Every day is a train show on our Online Store!
Amherst Train Show
The Eastern Sates Exposition Fairgrounds, 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, MA 01089
Saturday, January 27th: 9am to 5pm
Sunday, January 28th: 10am to 5pm
You're probably wondering why there's a Massachusetts show on this list. Then we'll tell you it has 350,000 square feet of exhibition space over 4 buildings, and it's one of the largest shows in the country. If you're willing to make the trip, it is by all accounts well worth it.
Buffalo Snowball Train Show
4555 Columbia Ave, Depew, NY 14043 (Polish Falcons)
Saturday, February 4th or 20th : 10am to 3pm
Here's one I've never been to! A fairly small show located at the Polish Falcons club. Information on when it takes place is contradictory, so be sure to double check.
Hamburg Train Show (Spring)
5820 South Park Ave, Hamburg, NY 14075
(Fairground Event Center)
Saturday, February 17th: 10am to 5pm
Sunday, February 18th: 10am to 4pm
This show, put on by the WNYRHS is a definite mainstay. It's maybe a little larger than Batavia, with the majority of floor space being vendors. It's large enough that you'll often get vendors from Ohio and Pennsylvania, which results in a pleasantly different selection.
Rochester Model Railroad Club Open House
150 S. Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY, 140604
Saturday, March 2nd: 10am to 5pm
Sunday, March 3rd: 1pm to 5pm
With 85 years of modeling under their belt, the Rochester Model Railroad Club's open house is 2400 square feet of spectacularly portrayed Lehigh Valley main line, stretching all the way from Buffalo to Jersey City. There will also be a small model train flea market on Saturday only.
Spring Into Summer (Tonawanda)
755 Erie Ave, Tonawanda, NY 14120 (Knights of Columbus)
Sunday, April 7th : 10am to 3pm
Great Batavia Train Show (Spring)
1 College Rd, Batavia, NY 14020
Sunday, April 14th : 9:30am to 3:30pm
A true Western NY classic- with more than 100 shows under their belt, this GSME-coordinated event is a must-go-to for any model railroader in the area. It's been on the up-and-up the past couple years, and soon may even stand to threaten RIT as the king of Rochester area shows! If you model in any one of the three main scales (N, HO, and O) there'll be something for you there.
Hemlock Train Show
7370 Water St, Hemlock NY 14466 (Hemlock Fairgrounds)
Saturday, September TBA : 10am to 4pm
Sunday, September TBA: 10am to 4pm
A modestly sized show in its 3rd year. Located 40 minutes south of Rochester, it's put on by the FCTT Hi-Railers. There's usually a small but tasteful selection of HO and O. Great for catching LA&L in the morning, then hopping over to the show. This will be their 4th annual show, and we're expecting the dates to be announced any day now.
Great Batavia Train Show (Fall)
1 College Rd, Batavia, NY 14020
Sunday, October 13th: 9:30am to 3:30pm
A true Western NY classic- with more than 100 shows under their belt, this GSME-coordinated event is a must-go-to for any model railroader in the area. It's been on the up-and-up the past couple years, and soon may even stand to threaten RIT as the king of Rochester area shows! If you model in any one of the three main scales (N, HO, and O) there'll be something for you there.
GSME Open House
55 Main St, Batavia, NY 14020 (upstairs in the M&T Bank building)
Saturday, December 7th: 10am to 3pm
The Genesee Society of Model Engineers are the club behind the Batavia show, but that's not to say that don't have their own layouts! They have a fairly large O gauge setup, as well as a moderate HO display. It's in downtown Batavia, so parking can be tricky- if you can, I'd recommend carpooling.
RIT Train Show
Gordon Field House, Rochester Institute of Technology
Saturday, December 14th: 10am to 4pm
Sunday, December 15th: 10am to 4pm
The event on the Rochester train show calendar. It's been a bit smaller than normal the past couple of years for reasons I won't get into, but it's definitely still a must-go. You can expect to see around half a dozen club or individual layouts, along with a very respectable showing of vendors, ranging from N to G, to memorabilia, to artists.