Running Sessions

From time to time members may host/schedule Fun and Run sessions; these are ad-hoc with no normal schedule.  All BTS members and prospective members are welcome.

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Society Meetings

The club normally meets on the second Saturday of the month.  Club meetings include time to socialize, a brief club meeting and a presentation by a club member, or invited guest.  Members are welcome to bring trains to run on the host's layout.

In 2026 we will be spending time working on the new club layouts both OO scale and N-Scale T-Trak.

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​2026 Meetings and Events

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January  10th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: Alex Jackiw's in Mokena,

Program: We plan to work on scenery on the 00 layout in anticipation of upcoming shows.

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February  14th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: Jon Szajkovics home, 603 Raub St, Joliet, IL.

Program: We intend to discuss the quickly upcoming All-American Railroad
Show. Also on the agenda is proceeding with scenic work on our OO gauge layout.
Suggestions, materials and assistance are all welcome!

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March  14th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: Jon Szajkovics home, 603 Raub St, Joliet, IL., 1:30 - 4:30 pm

Program: We will be working on the OO scale club layout in preparation for the All American Train Show 28 March.

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March  28th, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm - All American Train Show, Lyons Township High School North Campus,

Program: The 2026 All American Train show.  The show is held at the Lyon's Township High School, North campus in LaGrange Il..  The doors open at 9 am and the show closes at 5 pm.  We will be setting up the club layouts the Friday night before the show starting at 6 pm.  During this time, please feel free to bring the trains you plan to run at the show.

For the show, club members are encouraged to arrive by 8 am to see to any last minute work.

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April  11th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: TBD.

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May 9th, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: Elmhurst Public Library

Program:  We will be joining Chicagoland T-Trak on May 9th at the Elmhurst Public Library in lieu of a regular meeting.

The Elmhurst Public Library is at 125 S Prospect Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126.

Setup will be on Friday, May 8th, from 5:00pm - 9:00.  

Saturday, the show will be from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

 

June 13th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: TBD

 

July 11th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: TBD

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August 8th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: TBD

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September 12th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: TBD

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October 10th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: The October meeting typically includes the annual club swap meet.

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November 14th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: The November meeting is typically participation in the Roselle Library show.

Setup is typically on Friday evening and the show runs on both Saturday and Sunday.

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December 12th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Monthly BTS meeting.

Location: TBD

Program: The December meeting is typically the annual BTS Christmas party.

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Local & Regional Events of Interest

Below are some of the model train activities of interest in the local area.

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All American Train show - March 28th, 2026

The 2026 All American Train show has not yet been scheduled; however, it is typically the third weekend in March.  The show is held at the Lyon's Township High School, North campus.  The doors open at 9 am and the show closes at 5 pm.  We typically setup the layout the Friday night before the show.

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Roselle Library Train Show - November 7- 8 (TBC), 2026

This local event is usually held the first weekend of November at the Roselle Public Library.  The club brings a variety of smaller layouts including the N-Scale T-Trak layout.

In to the club layout, many members have brought their own portable layouts to present.

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Milwaukee Trainfest - November (TBC), 2026

Trainfest 2026 is not yet scheduled for 2026.

 
Website: https://www.train-fest.com/

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Chicagoland T-Trak 

The Chicagoland T-Trak group holds frequent N-Scale T-Trak focused events in the Elmhurst and Palatine libraries.

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8/9 May 2026 - 

The spring library show will be on May 8th and 9th at the Elmhurst Public Library.  It will be in the children’s section of like the prior year, but not in the big meeting room.

Setup will be on Friday, May 8th, from 5:00pm - 9:00.  

Saturday, the spring show will be from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

CLTT will have 14 tables, with 2 being for Kato.

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NMRA Calendar of events

The NMRA holds frequent events; their calendar can be found at https://www.nmra.org/calendar

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Great Midwest Train Show -  

Typically the first Sunday of the month from 9am-3pm, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL.

Website: https://www.trainshow.com/gmtspages/great-midwest-train-show-information

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2026 Show dates​

January 4  - 
February 1  - 
March 1  - 
April 12  - 
May 3  - 
June 7  - 
August 2  - 
September 13  - 
October 4  - 
November 1  - 
December 6  - 

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