Hiller Aviation Museum

Trains and Planes
2026-04-04 10:00 - 2026-04-12 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos, 94070, United States
Trains and Planes

Trains and Planes
10 am – 4 pm each day
Saturday April 4 to Sunday April 12
Join us for our annual Spring Model Train Show. This year there will be a number of separate model train layouts set up at the museum.

Display dates: Saturday, April 4 – Sunday April 12
Diablo Pacific Short Line is a large G-scale modular railroad. It is known throughout the Bay Area and exhibits at regional parks, museums, train hobby shows, and community events. It is one of the oldest and largest modular large-scale clubs in the world.

Large layouts are low enough for small children to see and be close to the action.
See a variety of scenic themes with great detail and animation.
Trains represent late 19th-century steam locomotives up to 21st-century diesel-powered engines.
Freight and passenger trains.
Discover the importance of railroads and railroad history.
Learn from knowledgeable hobbyists in woodworking, electrical, and scenic construction techniques.

Display dates: Saturday April 4 – Sunday April 12
The Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club is a group of train enthusiasts that operate three rail O-scale and classic trains on a 20 ft. by 35 ft. hi rail modular layout with three loops of track.
This is the fourth layout they have built since their founding in 1986 by Gerry Bretshneider in San Francisco. It is now one of five Lionel Railroad Clubs in the U.S. The layout is never finished as their many creative members are continually detailing several areas. Look closely!!
For more information about the club, please see their website at www.gglrrc.org.

AsiaNRail

Display dates: Wednesday April 8 – Sunday April 12
Explore exotic, colorful Asia by rail. Follow trains through scenes of rural rice terraces and waterfalls, ancient mountain temples, and enchanting villages. This layout presents 1/150 Asian N scale models of historic steam and modern diesel and electric trains from Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea, Thailand, Russia and other Asian countries. The setting of the layout features traditional Asian architecture and scenery displayed with informative descriptions of each scene to help viewers learn more about the diverse cultures of Asia as they follow the trains around the layout. First displayed in 2008, the layout has been shown at several local shows, including the annual Train Days exhibition at the Los Altos History Museum, and at several regional and national conventions of the National Model Railroad Association.

Display dates: Wednesday April 8 – Sunday April 12
Peninsula NTRAK is an N-scale model railway club founded in 1991 on the San Francisco peninsula. The club is known for the high standard of quality and detail that its members achieve. Peninsula NTRAK modules are built to international NTRAK standards, allowing the modules to be joined by others worldwide. The club has participated in numerous local shows each year, and many members have taken their modules to conventions up and down the West Coast, including the national conventions of the National Model Railroad Association in Sacramento in 2011 and in Portland, Oregon, in August 2015.

Exploiting the advantages of N scale, which is just 1/160 the size of real trains, the layout can run the long trains that represent North American mainline railroading in the U.S., Canada and Mexico – with occasional visits by trains from other parts of the world, including high speed bullet trains, Caltrain and even Thomas, The Tank Engine! Find out more about the club at www.ttrainweb.org/pntrak.

Swiss Narrow Gauge

Display dates: Saturday April 4 – Wednesday April 8
Swiss Narrow H0m Gauge
The Meter Gauge Module Group runs trains that are HO scale (1:87) but with a smaller gauge of 12mm between the rails instead of the standard 16.5mm gauge. There are many meter gauge lines in Switzerland run by private companies such as Rhaetische Bahn (RhB), Furka Oberalp (FO), Brig Visp Zermatt (BVZ), Montreux Oberland Bernois (MOB), and Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB). We run models of the famous Glacier Express and Bernina Express trains, as well as local passenger trains and freight trains from all these companies.
In addition to the pleasant Swiss scenery our modules, we have two particularly attractive areas, a model of the Chamby station on the MOB line, and a stone arch viaduct that goes into a tunnel reminiscent of the Landwasser Viaduct on the RhB network. We run single track mainlines with sidings in stations, and we also incorporate elevation changes in our track, with one module that has the track cross over itself as it loops around.

Display dates: Saturday April 4 – Tuesday April 7
The Golden Gate American Flyer Club comprises members who enjoy collecting and operating S Gauge trains, which were popularized by the A.C. Gilbert Company starting in 1946. We are also interested in other A.C. Gilbert products including HO trains and Erector sets as well as S Gauge trains by other manufacturers. Lionel produced trains under the American Flyer name, but has recently limited production. Other current and former manufacturers include American Models, S-Helper Service, MTH, and Scale Trains.
We meet twice monthly, once by Zoom for the benefit of members who live in outlying areas of California and the West, and once in person at the home of a Bay Area member. At the in person meetings, we enjoy running trains on the host’s layout, buying, selling and swapping trains, sharing repair tips, and showing off our latest acquisitions.
We also have a modular layout which we display at various trains shows and it will be on display at this event.

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This Event is included with museum admission.
Museum Members are Free. Just show your membership at the door.

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Today’s Schedule 10-5
2026-04-10 10:00 - 17:00
The Hiller Aviation Daily Schedule
The Hiller Aviation Museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.
The Museum is closed on Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. And for other special events.
