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


 

 

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.

Have a question? Try our FAQs page! (<-click here)


One of CSX's 4,400 horsepower locomotives roars past Despatch Junction with a heavy freight train.

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, there is currently have a backlog of approximately 2-3 months for complex or in-depth repairs. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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!

Hemlock Train Show

7370 Water St, Hemlock NY 14466 (Hemlock Fairgrounds)

Saturday, September 23rdth : 10am to 4pm

Sunday, September 24th: 10am to 4pm

A modestly sized show in its 3rd year. Located 40 minutes south of Rochester, it's put on by the FCTT High-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.


Depew Train Show

4555 Columbia Ave, Depew NY 14043

Sunday, October 8th : 10am to 3pm


Great Batavia Train Show (Fall)

1 College Rd, Batavia, NY 14020

Sunday, October 15th : 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. If you model in any one of the three main scales (N, HO, and O) there'll be something for you there.


Syracuse Train Show

Syracuse Fairgrounds

Saturday, November 4th: 10am to 5pm

Sunday, November 5th: 10am to 5pm

One of the two largest shows in the region, this is a great opportunity to see vendors from outside the usual circuit. You can also expect to see quite a few operating layouts. Make sure to check out the collection of historical locomotives and rolling stock while you're there!


Fulton Train Show (Fall)

3002 State Route 3, Fulton NY 13069

     (Volney Volunteer Fire Barn)

Saturday, November 11th: 10am to 5pm

Sunday, November 12th: 10am to 4pm

One of the best small-town shows I've been to. It's comparable in size to Hemlock, if perhaps a little smaller. If you're going to be out in that direction, definitely stop by and check it out. 

Hamburg Train Show (Fall)

5820 South Park Ave, Hamburg, NY 14075

     (Fairground Event Center)

Saturday, November 18th: 10am to 5pm

Sunday, November 19th: 10am to 4pm

While the spring Hamburg show is a definite must-go if you're in the area, the fall event doesn't have quite as much of a focus on trains. It's best to think of it as a German Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) with a heavy emphasis on trains.


GSME Open House

55 Main St, Batavia, NY 14020 (upstairs in the M&T Bank building)

Saturday, December 2nd: 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.


Great Train Extravaganza (Albany)

100 South Mall Artierial, Albany, NY 12242

     (Empire State Plaza)

Sunday, December 3rd: 10am to 4pm

If you're planning on being in the Albany area, it's worth a stop, though not worth a trip in its own right. The GTE is between Batavia and Hemlock in size, and is break from the usual vendors on the western New York show circuit.


Tonawanda Train Show (Fall)

755 Erie Ave, Tonawanda NY 14120 (Knights of Columbus) 

Sunday, December 3rd: 10am to 3pm


RIT Train Show

Gordon Field House, Rochester Institute of Technology

Saturday, December 9th: 10am to 4pm

Sunday, December 10th: 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.


Utica Train Show

Union Station, Utica, NY 

     (Utica Station)

Sunday, January 21st: 9:30am to 3:00pm

Without a doubt one of the most unique shows in the area. Its set up on and around the benches at the former New York Central (now Amtrak) station in Utica. A great show to take the train to.