1st Annual • Wapakoneta, Ohio

The Midwest’s new gathering place for railroad & transportation collectors.

Railroadiana, transportation collectibles, model railroad items, paper, photographs, hardware, signals, heavy artifacts and more — all under one roof.

See Show Details Vendor Information
Saturday April 3, 2027 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Admission $5 Per person
Location Wapakoneta, Ohio Auglaize County Fairgrounds
Show Floor 12,000 sq. ft. Space for 150 eight-foot tables

Buy • Sell • Trade

A collector show built around what collectors actually want.

Easy access. Affordable tables. Good lighting. Room to sit down and look through paper. Food on site. Security. And enough access to bring the pieces that usually stay home.

01

Railroadiana

Signs, lanterns, china, hardware, timetables, photographs, paper, tools, signals, locomotive artifacts and railroad history of every size.

02

Transportation

Automotive, transit, aviation, industrial and related transportation memorabilia — bringing multiple collecting worlds together.

03

Model Railroad

Model trains, equipment, parts, collections and related items for operators, builders and collectors.

This is railroadiana.

Real railroad history. Not just trains on tables.

From station signs and locomotive builder’s plates to passenger-train advertising and railroad hardware, the show is being built for serious collectors as well as anyone who simply loves transportation history.

Vintage Pennsylvania Railroad South Wind passenger train sign
Passenger & station materialSigns, displays, paper and advertising
American Locomotive Company Cooke Works locomotive builder plate
Locomotive artifactsBuilder’s plates, hardware and heavy railroad pieces
Historic Wapakoneta railroad station sign
Local railroad historyIncluding material with a direct connection to Wapakoneta
Pennsylvania Railroad office sign
Railroad signsFrom depots, offices, shops and the right-of-way

Yes, bring the big stuff.

Signals. Heavy hardware. Large artifacts.

A vehicle capable of lifting up to 1,200 pounds will be available on site. If you have large railroad material to sell, trade or show buyers, this is the place to bring it.

UP TO 1,200 LB LIFT

Vendor Information

Keep the tables affordable. Keep the show full.

That is the idea behind the first Midwest Railroad & Transportation Show. Eight-foot tables are just $20 each, with chairs included.

Vendor Tables
$20

Per 8-foot table

  • Chairs included
  • Easy, no-step setup access
  • Large doors for loading
  • Security when the building is unoccupied and during Saturday’s show
Reserve Tables

Friday • April 2

Early Vendor Setup

7:00 AM–3:00 PM

Get unloaded and set up before Saturday. The organizers may also plan an evening activity — details to come.

Friday + Saturday

Early Admission

$30

Early admission begins Friday at 9:00 AM and includes Saturday admission.

Plus: free shared Friday table space for up to three items. Tag them with your name, price and phone number, place them on the designated tables and go shop the show.
Not a vendor? You are still welcome to bring items for sale, appraisal or trade. Whether it is a few pieces or an entire collection, buyers will be at this show.

Why this show?

Built by collectors, for collectors.

The idea behind the Midwest Railroad & Transportation Show goes back many years, to conversations Bruce Carpenter had with his father. Together, they envisioned a railroad show that would be affordable for vendors, easy to access, safe and, above all, enjoyable for collectors.

Bruce and Jackie have continued to build on that original idea, incorporating years of conversations with vendors and collectors into the inaugural 2027 show.

The inaugural show will fill a modern 12,000-square-foot pavilion at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds, with excellent lighting, large access doors, clean restroom and lounge facilities, room for approximately 150 eight-foot tables and plenty of free parking.

Come early. Stay awhile. Visit with friends. Find something you did not know you needed.

Exterior of the Piehl Family Arena at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds

Piehl Family Arena at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds — home of the inaugural show.

01Excellent lighting
02No-step setup access
03On-site food & seating
04Tables for viewing photos & paper
05Free parking
06On-site security
07Unlimited outside setup area available

Right in the heart of the Midwest

Auglaize County Fairgrounds

1001 Fairview Drive
Wapakoneta, Ohio 45895
→
From US 33

Use Exit 36, Hardin Pike / Blackhoof Street, from either direction. Follow show signs from there.

Open in Maps
Approximate 300-mile radius around Wapakoneta, Ohio, showing major Midwestern cities

Built for a Midwest audience. The 300-mile circle reaches a broad collector base across Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, western Pennsylvania and beyond.

Make a weekend of it

Turn the show into a transportation-history weekend.

Wapakoneta is close to major railroad, aviation and regional attractions — from Neil Armstrong’s hometown museum to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton.

Wapakoneta

Armstrong Air & Space Museum

A state-managed museum devoted to the life and career of Wapakoneta native Neil Armstrong.

Dayton

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

The world’s largest military aviation museum, with more than 350 aerospace vehicles and missiles. Admission and parking are free.

Plan a visit →
Lima

Allen County Museum & NKP 779

Railroad exhibits plus Nickel Plate Road No. 779, business car No. 5, a matching caboose and the Uniopolis DT&I depot.

St. Marys

Grand Lake St. Marys

A major regional destination with historic ties to the Miami-Erie Canal.

Railfanning

Deshler • Fostoria • Marion

Several famous Ohio train-watching locations are within roughly 60 miles, along with the CSX Toledo Sub through Wapakoneta.

Stay in Wapakoneta

Holiday Inn Express • Best Western • Wapakoneta KOA • Glacier Hills RV Park

Camp at the Fairgrounds

Approximately 30 on-site camping spaces with water and electric hookups. Restroom and shower availability is weather dependent.

More lodging nearby

Additional hotels and restaurants are available about 20 minutes away in Lima and Sidney.

A show with a purpose

All proceeds benefit the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.

The inaugural show is supported by organizations that live and breathe railroad history and transportation collecting.

Questions? Ready to reserve tables?

Talk or text the show organizers.

For vendor space, early admission, show questions or additional information, contact Bruce or Jackie Carpenter.

Bruce Carpenter 419-204-9256 Talk / Text Jackie Carpenter 419-302-0132 Talk / Text
bnsf89@bright.net • MWRRTS.COM • Midwest Railroad Transportation Shows on Facebook