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April 10, 2019

Central Coast Railroad Festival
October 4-6, 2019

Website: CCRRF.com

The details for this year's Festival are being pulled into place. If you'd like your organization to participate this year, please Contact the Festival as soon as possible.

The Central Coast Railroad Festival is hosted by the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. The Museum will be open all three days with the bulk of the activities on Saturday and Sunday.

As has become a tradition, the 2019 Central Coast Railroad Festival will feature a free, self-guided tour of model railroads and garden railroads organized by Model Railroads of Southern California (website). The tours will take place roughly Thursday through Sunday of the Festival (actual schedule TBD) in San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties. During the 2018 Festival there were 29 model railroads and garden railroads open at venues for the public to enjoy. A similar number of railroads is anticipated to be available during this year's Festival. See layout schedule from last year and here are a few photos.

Follow the Central Coast Railroad Festival on Facebook.

You can watch the Schedule develop here. Right now we highglight those participants who are returning and those who are new, including a new food vendor, the Railroad BBQ Co. The full Schedule will start to develop late summer.

Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad

Check out the April 2019 Friends newsletter for historical articles and info about upcoming activities and programs:

• April 10th, The Airbase Branch, talk by Rob Himoto, details
• May 18th, 5th Annual Dinner Gala, details

Here's the Friends' website.

Will This Be on the Test?

April 13, 2019, 11am talk and book signing by Jim Gregory at the SLO Railroad Museum. Will This Be on the Test? is a collection of nonfiction stories about his family, about teaching teenagers (he liked it) and about San Luis Obispo County history, including Arroyo Grande's Civil War veterans, the Great Depression years, and World War II. Details.

Model Railroad Days

April 13-14, 2019 at the Oceano Depot from 10am-5pm each day. Presented by the SLO Model Railroad Association (SLOMRA). See the Depot, different gauges of model trains running, and a swap meet table for great bargains! Admission is free, donations are welcome.

Southern Pacific's Coast Line Reaches SLO

May 4, 2019, 11am talk by Andrew Merriam at the SLO Railroad Museum. 1894 was a banner year for San Luis Obispo. The extension of the Southern Pacific Railroad's Coast Line route from San Francisco meant San Luis Obispo and other coastal communities finally had an efficient physical link to northern (and to southern California seven years later) that could be accomplished in under 12 hours. May 4th 2019 marks the 125th anniversary of the Southern Pacific Railroad's arrival into SLO. Details.

SLO Train Day: May 11, 2019

The SLO Railroad Museum will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad completion at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869. We'll also be celebrating the contribution by the Chinese and the Irish in building our railroads.. The San Luis Obispo Train Day event runs from 10am to 4pm at the SLO Railroad Museum and features kids' activities, all manner of railroad displays with interpretation, as well as various presentations and tours, and the Museum's world-class model railroad. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 4 and older, free for Museum members. Details.

Wine Rail Excursions
June - October

Riders will take the mid-afternoon Amtrak Coast Starlight over the Cuesta Grade, head to the Fableist Wine Company (formerly Pomar Junction Winery) for one of their infamous Train Wreck Fridays, and then head back to the SLO station by bus. Contact the Museum at (805) 548-1894 or email media@slorrm.com for Wine Rail Excursion tickets. Tickets are limited. Details.

Beer Train Excursions, too

Board the northbound Starlight train, leave the SLO Amtrak station at 3:35pm, travel over the beautiful Cuesta Grade and detrain at Paso Robles where our tour group will be picked up by a large tour van. You will be transported to BarrelHouse Brewing Company, where you will sample their craft beer, enjoy live entertainment, and play corn hole (if you wish!). Details.

SLORRM Fundraising Dinner at Bitter Creek Western Railroad

Saturday, June 29, 2019 starting at 5:00pm. A great evening of train rides, cocktail hour, "Surf and Turf" dinner, wine pairings, and silent auction at the Bitter Creek Western Railroad. Details...

Art After Dark at SLO Railroad Museum

August 2, 2019, 6-9pm. Artists include: Joan Sullivan, Ray Spencer, Glen Matteson, Alan Upshaw, Jamie Foster, Jeff Perry, Phil Loarie, and Johnathan Haile. Admission is free. See previous Art After Dark photos and details.

What's Up at the SLO Railroad Museum

The SLO Railroad Museum is open EVERY Saturday from 10am to 4pm. And there are lots of other activities and programs on the SLORRM Events page.

Oceano Depot

The Oceano Depot is open every Sunday from 1-3pm. Tours can be arranged by appointment by calling Linda Austin at 805-489-5446.

Historic Railroad District Walking Tours by SecretSLO

Join SecretSLO any 3rd Saturday of the month at 2pm for a guided walking tour of SLO's Historic Railroad District: details.

Anyone Going to Promontory Summit?

Might be fun to know who from our area is going to the 150th Anniversary of the Golden Spike at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10-12, 2019. If you're going and willing to share contact and itinerary info amongst other folks going, contact the Webman@CCRRF.com (he'll be at Promontory Summit on May 10th and in Ogden on a surrounding day for the Big Boy, etc.).

Central Coast Year-Round Railroading

Broadly defined as "in the area," here is an index to all manner of railroading opportunities.

Year-Round Calendar

A Central Coast Railroading Calendar offers up-to-date listings for all rail events in our area: CCRRF.com/calendar.html. Do you have a Central Coast railroad event to add to our calendar or announcements? Email it to: addevent@ccrrf.com