June is a great month to check out local and regional toy train events. The kids are out of school, the weather is warm but not hot and there are lots of people who recently cleaned out their garages, attics and storage spaces so there are lots of toy trains to choose between. If you want to attend a June toy train event then this is a checklist for your to use.

(1) Know what you are looking for. Create a list of the specific toy trains or accessories that you need for your collections, or select a brand of trains to look for such as Brio Trains.

(2) Know the layout of the toy train show. Usually a venue map will be available either online or at the site of the train show. Review this document and map out the areas that you will want to explore first. (Hint: Hit the areas that have the items you are most interested in first so you can find your items before someone else buys them.)

(3) Create a plan of attack. Identify what you need to get done in priority of their importance. Make sure you plan when to eat and how long you will be staying at the toy train show.

(4) Set a budget for your purchases. Start by establishing an overall budget for what you have to spend during the event. Then identify how much money you are willing to spend on each item on your wish list. Try to stick to this budget and remember to bring enough cash to cover your purchases, as many toy train vendors will only accept cash, although some will take credit cards.

The first weekend in June has several train events on tap for Toy Train Table Plans Store Blog readers. The first event is the Allegheny and Western Early Summer Open House. This event is scheduled for June 6th, 7th and 8th. It will be located at the Allegheny and Western Club of Indianapolis, IN, which is located at 3139 Allison Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. Saturday the doors will be open from eleven in the morning until five in the afternoon and Sunday the doors will be open from one until five. Admission is free, however, they will accept a donation. Here you will see a great layout modeled after West Virginia’s Cass Scenic RR.

The second event that is on tap for the June 7th weekend is the Greenberg’s Train and Toy Show. This event will be hosted at the Garden State Exhibit Center, which is located at 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, New Jersey 08873-4163. The event will run on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission will be $7 for general admission and kids under 12 will get in for free. This is a train and toy show, so if you are looking for Maxim train and accessories or a special piece for your Maxim train set, then this could be the event for you.

The third event scheduled for the first weekend in June is the Prince William County Model RR Club Layout Open House. This is a one day event scheduled for June 7. It will be located at the Quantico VRE Depot, which can be found at 550 Railroad Street in Quantico, Virginia 22134. The doors will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Great event for families and train lovers.

Is there a topic that you would like use to research for you? Are you trying to find information about a particular toy train that you own? Post your questions below and I’ll try to find the information that you are looking for and post it here in a future blog.