Back to the Index of Announcement Emails

December 12, 2023

Content

• Friends/SMVRR Holiday Event This Thursday 12/14/23
• Garden Railroad at Atascadero Zoo This Saturday 12/16/23
• SLO Railroad Museum Announces 2024 Excursion Schedule
• Last-Minute Gift Shopping
• Norgrove Seeks a Welder/Fabricator
• BSA Railroading Merit Badge Day
• SLORRM Winter Newsletter Available
• Santa Visited the SLO Railroad Museum
• Year-End Giving
• LA Rail Charters
• Orange County Train Parks/Museums
• CRP&A Photo Contest: Conveyance
• 2024 NMRA National Convention Long Beach, CA
• Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner
• California Railroad Radio Frequencies
• Area Railroading Opportunities
• Want Your News/Event Promoted? (It's free)
• Want to Subscribe? (It's free)

Friends/SMVRR Holiday Event
This Thursday 12/14/23

You are invited to the Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad Holiday Reception and Market! Thursday, December 14th, from 5pm to 8pm at the Santa Maria Valley Railroad's Yard Office, 1599 A Street, Santa Maria, CA 93456. We will have lite bites and warm drinks to celebrate this holiday season. Friends members can meet their new president, Garret Matsuura. Also the Santa Maria Valley Railroad has been restocking its Company Store in time for Christmas gift ideas! Stop on by for some refreshments, socializing, gift purchasing, and holiday cheer!

Garden Railroad at Atascadero Zoo
This Saturday 12/16/23

The Central California Coast Garden Railroad Society will have a garden railroad layout display this Saturday (12/16/23) at the Charles Paddock Zoo (in Atascadero) as part of the zoo's Holiday Magic event. Details.

SLO Railroad Museum Announces
2024 Excursion Schedule

The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum recently announced its 2024 Wine/Rail Excursions schedule: here. Tickets are available now.

Last-Minute Gift Shopping

Looking for a little last-minute something for the railfan in your life. Try some of these stores and gift shops:

• SLO Railroad Museum
• Oceano Depot (limited edition Depot ornament)
• Central Coast Trains
• California State Railroad Museum
• South Coast Railroad Museum
• Union Pacific Company Store
• Union Pacific Steam Store

Norgrove Seeks a Welder/Fabricator

Norgrove Gardens Railway is looking for a welder/fabricator to join their team. They're all about rolling up their sleeves and breathing new life into heritage narrow gauge equipment. See the flier for details.

BSA Railroading Merit Badge Day

The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum will hold a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Railroading Merit Badge Day on February 25, 2024, from 12:30pm to 4pm. It's a fun and fascinating way to earn this merit badge. Space is limited. Details are here.

SLORRM Winter Newsletter Available

The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum recently published the winter edition of its Coast Mail newsletter. See it here.

Santa Visited the SLO Railroad Museum

Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the SLO Railroad Museum by train on Saturday, December 2, 2023. Check out the story and photos here.

Year-End Giving

Please remember that some of your favorite Central Coast Railroad Festival Participants are charitable non-profit organizations that depend on donations to keep operating. These are typically 501(c3) organizations, donations to which are tax deductible depending on your own tax situation. As best we can tell, these Festival Participants are 501(c3) nonprofits: San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, SLO Model Railroad Association, Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum, Oceano Depot, History Center of SLO, Paso Robles Pioneer Museum, and Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. Please check with your favorite railroad organization, even if not on this list, to see if they have a Year-End Giving program. Thank you! [For information only, do not rely on for tax advice.]

LA Rail Charters

La Rail offers group charter excursions for any U.S.A. destination on the Amtrak system. Their offers include an LA/San Diego weekend charter for up to 20 people where you can go from LA for a weekend in San Diego using their railcar as your hotel. Experience the world of Private Rail Car Travel.

Orange County Train Parks/Museums

FunOrangeCountyParks.com offers a list of 30+ train parks and railroad museums in or near Orange County. If you're headed anywhere near Orange County and are looking for rail-related activities, especially those good for kids, check out this post.

CRP&A Photo Contest: Conveyance

The Center for Railroad Photography & Art has announced its 2024 theme and deadline. The theme is "conveyance." From their website: "From the beginning of time, humans have devised conveyance mechanisms to move themselves and goods from one place to another. Since the invention of the steam engine, railroads have evolved into an essential mode of transport that touches many aspects of daily life, whether a commute to work or the delivery of goods to a place of residence - chances are a railroad has been part of the journey. The 2024 John E Gruber Creative Photography Awards theme explores the idea of conveyance as it applies to all aspects of railroading. Contestants are asked to interpret the theme as creatively as possible." Details start here. First Prize is $750. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2024. The submission process is easy, but the competition is stiff as submissions come in from around the world.

2024 NMRA National Convention
Long Beach, CA

The 2024 National Convention of the National Model Railroading Association (NMRA) will be held in Long Beach, CA on August 4-11, 2024. Details.

Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner

What?! You've never ridden Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner!? Not between any of its 29 stops from San Luis Obispo to San Diego!? Get all the info you need starting at the Surfliner's webpage which is here.

California Railroad Radio Frequencies

Did you know you can listen to railroad radio conversations? All you need is a proper radio receiver for the frequencies and what frequency to tune. The California railroad frequencies are listed here. Listening ONLY without proper authorization!

Area Railroading Opportunities

There's a plethora of railroading going on in our area (broadly speaking, in some cases). Check out this Index of Area Railroading. Be sure to check with any of interest to you to verify their open status and schedules.

Want Your News/Event Promoted?

Do you have a Central Coast railroad-related event or news item to add to our next broadcast email? It's free! And it doesn't have to be part of the Festival itself (could be any time throughout the year). Email the details to: addevent@ccrrf.com. The next issue will likely be in a month or so. See the Announcements Index for past e-blasts.

Want to Subscribe?

If you want to be subscribed to this Announcement Email list, go here. It's free.

---