Central Coast Railroad Festival
Fifty Events in Ten Cities
Family & History Programs Highlighted

September 29, 2010

The Second Annual Central Coast Railroad Festival will offer fifty events in ten cities during the second weekend of October. The Festival's focus this year is on rail excursions, amazing model layouts, concerts and historical family programs. The Festival is set for October 7-11, 2010, at numerous locations from Paso Robles to Guadalupe. Activities will take place at interesting railroad, historical and educational sites. Most Festival events will be free and all will be fun and very family friendly.


SMVRR Caboose #210 at the Guadalupe Amtrak Station
(Photo by Jamie Foster)

Numerous family programs will be presented during the Festival including hands on activities for the kids and history walks and talks for the adults. Children can take part in a model scenery construction workshop or view a classic family railroad film at the SLO Library on Saturday. A Lego train layout will be on display at the SLO Children's Museum on Friday and Saturday. On Friday adults can take a walking tour of the Harford Pier and learn about the history of the Pacific Coast Railway and Miles Station in Port San Luis and Avila Beach. Railroad history talks will be offered in San Luis Obispo on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, in Paso Robles on Friday and Monday, and in Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Guadalupe, Pismo Beach and Nipomo on Sunday. Families can share railroad stories on Thursday night at the SLO Library. The San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society will present railroad themed programs on Friday and Saturday in SLO and on Sunday in Arroyo Grande. History buffs can learn about the railroad resources available at the History Center of SLO County on Saturday morning. Attendees are encouraged to take Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner to special Rail Celebrations on Saturday at the recently restored Freight House in SLO's Historic Railroad District and at Guadalupe's Amtrak Platform on Sunday.


SLO Railroad Museum's 1926 Baldwin logging locomotive #7 will be on display at the Freight House event in SLO on October 9th. (Photo by Jamie Foster)

Wine-Rail Excursion packages have been set up on the Friday and Monday of the Festival for visits to rail-themed wineries in the Paso Robles area coupled with trips on the Coast Starlight up and down the Cuesta Grade between Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. A limited number of tickets for these Wine-Rail Excursions can be purchased from the Wine Wrangler (805-238-5700) in Paso Robles. Three railroad-themed musical concerts will be presented: in Paso Robles on Friday night; San Luis Obispo on Saturday night; and Arroyo Grande on Sunday afternoon. Twenty fantastic model layouts will be featured during the Festival with large club layouts in SLO on Friday and Saturday, Arroyo Grande on Saturday and Sunday, and in Oceano from Friday to Sunday. Four classic railroad films will be shown at the SLO Library over the weekend.


Dave Baumgarten will perform railroad and hobo songs at three concerts. (Photo by Christina Bearce)

The Festival's major sponsors are Amtrak California and Rabobank. The Cities of San Luis Obispo, Grover Beach, Paso Robles and Pismo Beach are promotional sponsors for the 2010 Festival. KCOY 12 and FOX 11 are the Festival's exclusive television media partners.

Event details and downloads, a complete schedule of events and a list of participating historical and railroad organizations can be found at www.ccrrf.com or by calling the Central Coast Railroad Festival office at 805-773-4173.

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For Immediate Release
September 29, 2010

Contact:
Curtis Reinhardt, Director
Central Coast Railroad Festival
805-773-4173
webmaster@ccrrf.com