Facility

Hara Arena is one of the Dayton area's premier show and exhibit facilities. The Dayton Train Show occupies both the East Exhibit Hall and the Ballarena, totaling over 59,000 square feet of show space. Plenty of free parking is adjacent to the building. In addition, the Food Court is open and we use additional space for the Boy Scout Merit Badge program. A map and directions are available HERE. All areas are handicap accessible.

Vendors

Over 400 Vendor Tables were sold for the 2012 Dayton Train Show. We had 360 Vendor Tables sold in the EAST HALL for the 2012 Dayton Train Show with about 40 additional in the BALLARENA. These areas are brightly lit and laid out with double-wide aisles to make it possible to browse and shop without crowding. Access to vendors is easy even at the busiest times of the day. Our participating vendors come from all over the eastern and Midwest US and make available a wide variety of merchandise, including both model and toy trains and railroad memorabilia. Vendors providing custom modeling services, such as painting, decals, structures, and custom layout design are in attendance. There are an abundant variety of parts and tools.

Layouts, Clinics & Demonstrations

The Ballarena always features a large number of operating layouts in a wide variety of scales, from the tiniest "Z" scale to the glorious large-scale garden layouts. And even bigger. A number of groups from around the country combine to build a huge N-Trak modular layout. In addition there will be demonstrations by some of the best modelers in the nation. They will be displaying their skills and will be available for questions and advice. For a little hands-on experience, there will be many clinics by local modelers. AND, we are expanding the clinics to a less crowded conference room where you will not be bothered by the noise of the crowd! There is something for everyone here. Layout photographs from our show appear on websites from as far away as Australia!

Boy Scout Merit Badge Class

A Boy Scouts of America "Railroading Merit Badge Class" is conducted each day of the show. The class is sponsored by Division 3 with support from show vendors, and is offered at no cost to the Boy Scouts. Advance reservations are required, as the classes are very popular and fill quickly, with a waiting list for any cancellations.

Drawings & Prizes

Each paid admission includes an entry for the hourly door-prize drawings. Prizes include a wide variety of items such as models, books, videos, and even Train Rides on some of the area Tourist Railroads, provided by the vendors or Division 3.

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