SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - It’s “All Aboard” at the 2025 International Railfair taking place this Saturday, Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9 in Building C at Cal Expo in Sacramento.

The International Railfair (IRF) is a regional model train show with roots going back over 45 years when four local model railroad organizations decided to band together and put on a model train show, said International Railfair spokesperson Tom Campbell.

Members of the Sacramento Modular Railroaders, the Sacramento chapter of the European Train Enthusiasts, Roseville Roundhouse Model Railroad Association and the Sierra Division of the Pacific Coast Region of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) will host the annual two-day event in Building C at Cal Expo on 1600 Exhibition Blvd. in Sacramento.

“We display operating model railroads to the public each year at the International Railfair to educate the public about model railroading, railroad history and prototypical railroad operations,” Campbell said.

“We want to share the best family hobby in the world with you and your family.”

The scales represented at the show range from the very small Z scale, where a boxcar is barely over two inches long, to the very big G scale (where boxcars can be over 20 inches in length).

According to Campbell, most of the layouts fall between these two extremes, including the Sacramento Brick Builders Lego layout. 

Show guests will see 28,000 square feet of model railroads, featuring over 10 different layouts from Z to G scale, vendor tables, how-to clinics and more activities during the two-day event.

Modular layouts from individual groups including the European Train Enthusiasts, the Sacramento Modular Railroaders, a large FreeMo N Scale layout, two Z scale layouts, the Roseville Roundhouse association, the Sacramento Garden Railway Society and the Bay Area S scalers will be featured.

Little ones will be certain to enjoy a large wooden train layout and a special operating children’s HO (Half-O) scale layout where kids can run the train to earn and then receive a “Railfair Jr.” Engineer sticker.

The Sierra Division of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) will be hosting the returning “square-foot” diorama display contest this year, Campbell said, and will invite railfans to test their operating skills with their “TimeSaver” switching puzzle.

Many of the individual model railroad layouts which are seen at the International Railfair are modular railroads, inviting railfans to get a close-up look at scenic details and prototypical operations of a real railroad.

Overhead views of operational model railroads on display serve educate the public about model railroading, railroad history and prototypical railroad operations. Photo courtesy of the International Railfair (IRF).

A typical modular layout consists of transportable individual modules suitable for travel which are clamped together to create a single model railroad, Campbell said.

Modules are typically lightweight, about 30 inches wide and four feet long and packed with scenic detail.

The 2025 International Railfair at Cal Expo will be held Saturday, Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9 in Building C at Cal Expo on 1600 Exhibition Boulevard in Sacramento.

General admission Saturday tickets are $12 online for ages 13 and up or $15 at the gate. General admission tickets purchased on Saturday gain entry to both days of the event. Sunday adult admission is $10 online and $12 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. Active duty and retired military personnel receive a $2 admission ticket discount at the gate.

The California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) has a clear bag policy to reduce security screening interactions and to expedite entry to the fairgrounds. Event parking is $10.

To purchase tickets or for additional ticketing information visit internationalrailfair.com or email Tom Campbell at [email protected].