National Train Day Events Announced for the Central Coast on May 11th

April 4, 2013

Central Coast Railroad Festival to offer Three Family Excursions

San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum to offer a Free Sneak Preview at the SLO Freight House.



Several fun family activities have been planned for the Central Coast on National Train Day on May 11th. The Central Coast Railroad Festival is promoting three Family Rail Excursions which will start in Grover Beach, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is hosting a preview event at its historic Freight House which is located just south of the SLO Amtrak Station. Railroad exhibits and live music are also being planned at the San Luis Obispo Amtrak Station. National Train Day is sponsored nationally by Amtrak. Local railroad organizations sponsor NTD events in their respective cities.



The first National Train Day Family Excursion on Saturday, May 11th includes a round trip ride on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from Grover Beach to SLO and back. The trip starts in the late morning at the Station Grill in Grover Beach where kids will be entertained by Ballooney the Clown before heading to SLO. Separate excursions will also start in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles that afternoon. Those two trips will feature a ride up or down the historic and scenic Cuesta Grade on the Amtrak Coast Starlight with a return on a private bus. All excursion passengers will be able to visit the NTD activities at the SLORRM's Freight House and at the SLO Amtrak Station. There will be Amtrak gifts for all the excursion kids! The Crustacea Jazz Band will entertain excursion guests and NTD fans trackside that afternoon! There will also be railroad exhibits at the SLO Amtrak Station that afternoon from noon until 4:00pm. Excursion details and online tickets are available on the CCRRF website: www.ccrrf.com

Families and rail fans are invited to join the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum volunteers for a fun-filled National Train Day at the Museum's Freight House! The doors to this historic 1894 Southern Pacific structure will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm for visitors to see the progress of the Museum which will host its Grand Opening on October 12, 2013. Members of the Board of Directors will be on hand to introduce the future Museum to the public.

Freight House Activities include:

Historic Railroad Motorcar "Speeder" Rides on the Museum's Railroad Display Track ($3 donation)
• Historic Walking Tours - Learn about the Museum area and the Museum's Emily Street Yard
• HO Scale 'Free-Mo' Operating Model Railroad Modular Layout
• G Scale 'Garden Railroad' Operating Model Railroad Layout
• Railroad Swap Meet - Railroad items for sale with proceeds that benefit the Museum
• Historic Artifacts & Equipment on Display - A Sampling of Things to Come
• View the Future Museum Interior Improvements within the Historic 1984 Freighthouse
• Visit the Future Museum Model Railroad Area Depicting the Central Coast
• "Through the Window of a Train" photo display by Stacey Kalkowski
• Food and railroad music

The Central Coast Railroad Festival celebrates rail's history, future and fun throughout San Luis Obispo County. The 5th Annual Festival will take place October 10-13, 2013. The Festival also sponsors Wine Rail Excursions and special Santa Barbara Excursions monthly as well as concerts and other activities year round. Further information on the Festival, including photos and schedules from past years, and an email notification sign up, can be found at www.ccrrf.com or by calling the Festival office at 805-773-4173. Further information on the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum can be found at: www.slorrm.com/

###

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

For more information see:

http://ccrrf.com/
http://slorrm.com/
http://www.nationaltrainday.com/
http://www.amtrak.com/
http://www.stationgrill.net/
kalkowski.blogspot.com