Northeast Ohio Train Day Activities Set for May 9

A full slate of activities, including equipment displays, art displays and model railroad layouts, will highlight the May 9 Northeast Ohio Train Day.

Carrying the theme “a day of celebrating railroads past, present and future,” the activities will be spread over venues in Cleveland, Sebring and Alliance.

The event is part of the Amtrak Train Days national event being celebrated across the country.

At the Cleveland Amtrak Station (200 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway), there will be displays of railroad freight equipment from CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Cleveland Harbor Belt.

Displays inside the station will include Amtrak travel information and timetables along with book authors and other displays of railroadiana.

Also having displays will be All Aboard Ohio, the National Association of Railroad Passengers and the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.

At the former Cleveland Union Terminal, now known as Tower City Center, there will be activities for children, tours of the onetime train station and views from the observation deck ($5).

The Midwest Railway Preservation Society will host a night photo session on Saturday (May 9) at the former Baltimore & Ohio roundhouse at 2800 W. Third St. in Cleveland.

The photo session will be held from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.  Admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.

The Sebring Model Railroad Club, 135 E. Vermont, will have an open house at its layout housed in the former Pennsylvania Railroad station.

Train watching and other activities are planned for the Alliance Amtrak Station at 820 E. Main St.

For additional info contact David Mangold at davemangold@hotmail.com or at atdcleveland@neo.rr.com. A website devoted to Northeast Ohio Train Day has been established at www.neotraindayCleveland.com

To find out about other train day events, visit the Amtrak Trains Days website at: www.amtraktraindays.com

Amtrak Exhibit Train to Visit Toledo on May 2

Amtrak’s exhibit train will visit Toledo during that city’s National Train Day event on May 2. The Toledo stop will be one of three Midwest visits by the exhibit train through late June. Other sites where the exhibit train will stop include:

• Railroad Days 2015 in Fullerton, Calif., May 2-3.
• Amtrak Train Days at Chicago Union Station, May 9.
• Amtrak Train Days at Salem, Ore., Riverfront Park, May 16.
• Amtrak Train Days at California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, June 6 -7.
• Amtrak Train Days at Dunsmuir, Calif., Railroad Days, June 13.
• Amtrak Train Days at Galesburg, Ill., Railroad Festival, June 27-28.

For more information, go to www.amtraktraindays.com.

Events Announced for Chicago Amtrak Days

Amtrak is offering a series of events as part of its Amtrak Train Days in Chicago next month. The events, some of which require a ticket purchase include, self-guided tours of the Amtrak Exhibit Train, an excursion train, VIP train tour, “Hard Hat” Tour and a tour of the Joseph Szabo Control Center.

Joseph Szabo Control Center Tour

May 8, 9, and 10 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Cost: $50. A 45 minute tour with each tour having a capacity of 20. Codes for the tour are CHI to CCT. The center controls 583 train movements a day. Participants will hear a short presentation on the history of train movements, the technologies used at the center, and visit the control office where trains are controlled. No photography will be permitted and a signed waiver of release will also be required.

Hard Hat Tour

May 9 at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Cost: $75 (must be 18 or older). A 90 minute walking tour with a capacity of 20 people per tour, Codes for the tour are CHI to HHT. Participants will receive souvenir hard hats and take a tour of Chicago Union Station. Doors to hidden stairways will be opened, secret unused underground tunnels seen, and special one-time only access to areas not seen by the public will be provided. The sights will include the top of the five-story Great Hall glass atrium, the kitchen space where meals were prepared and the three-story restaurant space where travelers enjoyed them, a steam tunnel that carried super-heated steam, and former mail platforms. The tour cannot accommodate those unable to walk or anyone who cannot climb stairs. A signed waiver of release will also be required.

VIP Train Tour

The Chicago to Three Oaks, Mich., trip will operate on May 8, departing at 5 p.m. and returning at 10 p.m. Cost is $100 and the capacity is 200.  Codes for the tour are CHI to THR and return THR to CHC. Passengers will visit the Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks and ride in Superliner coaches. Assorted adult beverages, snacks and entertainment will be provided. There will be a tour of the distillery while visitors sample beverages and enjoy appetizers. After the two hour tour, the train will depart for Chicago Union Station. Only adults 21 and older are allowed to purchase tickets and IDs will be checked before boarding.

Excursion Train May 9 with departures at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Tickets are  $10 for adults and $5 for children. Each train has a capacity of 210. Code is CHI to CTD. Booking for the Joseph Szabo Control Center Tour, Hard Hat Tour, VIP Train, and Excursion Train may be made online at Amtrak.com for the VIP Train and Excursion Train. All other tours have to be booked in the station that day or via 1-800-USA-RAIL. For more information, go to www.amtraktraindays.com.