Many kids get a kick out of trains. Now, one young man has decided to create a space for those fellow train lovers. The NYC Transit Club (NTC) will launch in early 2026 and is currently recruiting founding members ages 8-18 who are self-proclaimed transit nerds.
Ryan Balfe, now 15, has been interested in trains for as long as he can remember. His dad, Kevin Balfe, agrees. “When he could walk, we would be on subways with him crouching looking out the window. I wish this type of club existed for us when he was growing up,” he said. When Ryan was young, his father recalled, he would take Ryan to the New York Transit Museum, where he could pretend he was a train conductor.
But this isn’t the first transit club Ryan has been a part of. He belonged to one at his high school, but when the student president graduated, the club ended. That’s when Ryan realized something important: This shouldn’t just be a club for one school. This should be a club for the whole city.
About the club
The club is still in its early stages, but the vision is kid-driven. Ryan wants it to be open, welcoming and most of all, fun. “Anyone who wants to join can join. We’re not auditioning,” he says. That includes kids who love trains in every way: whether their focus is the routes, the actual trains themselves or their history, or if they’re interested in a career in transit.
Kevin says that a lot of the club planning will come after members join so he can get an idea about what parts of the trains they’re interested in. It will be a mix of in-person meetups, fun challenges on the website and perhaps the chance to meet with members of the MTA to learn about things like the day in the life of an operator or who’s planning the Second Avenue subway.
One of Ryan’s favorite ideas is the “the dumbest route challenge.” Instead of finding the fastest way between two stations, members try to find the most ridiculously inefficient route — the one with the most transfers, most loops, most zig-zags. “It’s fun to see who can come up with the most convoluted route,” his dad said.
Other ideas include Saturday group rides, scavenger-style missions and exploring different lines of the system.
Finally, a group for kids
While groups for railfans already exist, they are mostly filled with older transit buffs. Seventeen-year-old Elijah Moore’s mom, Simone, was ecstatic when she saw the Facebook post about Ryan’s club. Elijah will most definitely be a founding member, Simone said. “It goes beyond the ‘trains are cool’ ideal. His obsession ventures into train line history, abandoned stations, train car model numbers, map building. You can’t find that except among Facebook groups that [are] filled with adults. Seeing the post from that page almost made me scream for joy. Like finally, a place where he can really be with his people.”
Teaching safety and street smarts
While Ryan is focused on the fun, his dad adds that this can be a great opportunity for parents to add in an element of safety. For the in-person meetups, parents will often be joining, which will give them an opportunity to teach things like subway etiquette, situational awareness and navigating service changes, along with building overall confidence.
For most New York City parents, letting kids ride the subway independently is a gradual process. First they ride together with their child, then let them do one stop alone, and eventually leaving them to navigate routes on their own. “Adults develop a sixth sense on the train – noticing what’s happening in the car, who to avoid, when to move,” Kevin said. “But kids don’t naturally have that yet.”
How to join
Right now, Ryan is still in the organizing phase — reviewing early sign-ups (many kids have already asked to help lead!) and planning the first month of challenges and meetups. A first meetup is expected in early 2026, and they’re open to partnering with community groups or spaces in the boroughs. While the club is free, slots are limited so they are encouraging those interested to share why they really love transit when applying.
Ryan has a feeling which component will be the most popular. “I think the majority are just gonna want to do challenges,” he said.
Whatever the club brings, his dad will be right next to him, cheering him on. “If it grows? Who knows — maybe the MTA will want to partner,” Kevin said. “It could become something really special.”
To join the NYC Transit Club, sign up here.
Additional ideas for train lovers
If you have a kid at home who can’t get enough of trains, luckily we live in the perfect city. Here are some fun things to do around the city, both seasonal and year-round:
Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden
The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden is the perfect holiday adventure for train lovers. Dozens of model trains run on tracks weaving through mini-New York landmarks made entirely from natural materials. See the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and Yankee Stadium made from leaves, bark and twigs.
Holiday Train Show at Grand Central
A free option is the annual model-train display from the New York Transit Museum at Grand Central Terminal. Trains wind through a tiny version of Grand Central and chug past famous New York City landmarks all the way to the North Pole. Located in the Shuttle Passage at Grand Central (89 E. 42nd St.) from November through February, it’s a perfect stop for kids who love tracks, switches and city magic.
Located inside an actual 1930s subway station at 99 Schermerhorn St. in Brooklyn, the Transit Museum is a dream for train-obsessed kids. Families can climb aboard vintage train cars, test out subway-driving simulators and explore hands-on exhibits that show how the system works behind the scenes.
Every December, the Transit Museum rolls out its vintage R-1/9 subway cars for magical Holiday Nostalgia Rides on select Sundays. Families can hop aboard these 1930s-era trains — complete with old-school rattan seats and retro signage — for a festive ride up and down the city.
And some of Ryan’s transit faves:
- If you stay on the downtown 6 train past the last stop, you will be able to see the abandoned City Hall station (built 1904) as you curve through it.
- Roosevelt Island Tramway – very crowded but worth it if you can get a good view.
- If you are on an uptown B/Q train leaving Dekalb Avenue, you will see a mosaic called the Masstransiscope out the right window that appears to move as you move through it.
- Grand Central Whispering Gallery: Archways on the lower level near the Oyster Bar, where sounds can be heard from the other side of the hall.
