I plan on being at Railroad Days in Galesburg IL this June 22 - 24 (be there or be square) – the railfanning and train show are great, even if the equipment displays are not what they once were. Sounds like Erik Bergstrom is going to be there this summer on behalf of Kalmbach. I sense a Steak N Shake meal or two in my future!
So I was Googling Railroad Days and found that there are a number of towns and cities that have Railroad Days. This is probably not a complete list. Does your town have a Railroad Days, if so tell us about it, or comment on what any of the ones I have listed are like.
Dave Nelson
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Galesburg IL
Lula, Georgia
Callahan, FL
Moberly MO
Fullerton CA
Brunswick MD
Hinton WVa
Dunsmuir CA
Franklin Park IL (Railroad Daze)
Mendota IL (referred to on one website as “railroad shopping days”)
Golden Spike hosts a Railroaders Festival on the first weekend of August each year. This is in honor of the many railroaders since 1869. More details later.
another good 1 in MI is about 25 miles due north on blacktop from Hamburg to Durand…was once a major GTW crossing\junction with the Ann Arbor thrown in…in its heyday was a true Railroad town…full circle roundhouse…large flat yard… more than 60 passenger trains a day …town of maybe 10,000 now but they remember their RR heritage…put on a good show
Homewood and Rochelle also have Railroad Days For information on Rochelle Railroad Days go to www.rochellerailroadpark.org and click on “the future”. Homewood Rail Heritage Day is usually the day after Franklin Park Railroad Daze.
A date has been set for Railroad Days - June 14th-17th, 2007. If anyone wishes to participate in the fun of the Railroad Days event, call the Chamber of Commerce to talk about your ideas.
Deshler used to have “railroad days”.now they call it the corn city festival.Last year csx reminded the residents that trains are still ever present and the importance of stop look listen and live.
The one in Lula… the only reason it’s called “RR Days” is because it’s next to the tracks. There’s realy nothing to it. Just various vendors trying to make a couple of bucks.
Rochelle’s Railroad Days this year are Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10. Trains Magazine and Canon Cameras will have booths there, according to the printed publicity. We might go Saturday after work (be there about 4:30, in time for supper).
It would be really interesting if the concrete-tie machine got to Rochelle about that time. Strings of new rail have been set alongside the tracks in preparation for replacement, as far west as the diamonds. DeKalb is planning for grade-crossing disruption between May 31 and June 9, and the TRT-900 is sitting east of DeKalb getting ready for the big project.
By the way, the gift shop at Rochelle has been reopened–has hours seven days a week. Not quite the same selection of stuff as before, but far better than nothing!
Lisle IL, on the BN racetrack has Depot Days every year in the fall. Last year it was combined with the town’s carnival which helped overall attendence. The town has a small historic area where the old ‘Milk Stop’ depot has been relocated along with a tavern from the old plank road and an old blacksmith shop. There’s also a restored wooden CB&Q caboose and a track speeder. One of the area’s model railroad clubs sets up a portable N scale layout in the basement of one of the buildings. The only live steam is an old steam tractor.