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Railway Days still chugging along
to success
reprinted from Wetaskiwin Times (Michael Chan) August 21, 2013
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The conductor of the railway, Ken Jones, escorting
passengers onto the train throughout the afternoon during
Railway Day.
Photo by
Wetaskiwin Times
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All aboard!
The annual Railway Day event was held at Alberta Central Railway
Museum Aug. 18.
The event is an opportunity for children and families to learn about
history on the railways. It's also a chance for visitors to take a
train ride around the site.
The museum site features railway stations, railcars and a restored
train.
All of the restoration work on the vehicles at the museum was done
by the Railway Day organizer Bill Wilson and his staff of
volunteers.
Railway Day was a full day event at the museum, which had a number
of activities, shows, exhibits and food for attendees to enjoy.
"It's been a good day," said Wilson. "Very busy like usual."
"This is our big day of the year."
The day began with a pancake breakfast. There were also model train
exhibits, collectors show, a telegraph service demonstration, train
rides, speeder rides, wagon rides and spike pounding demonstrations.
Throughout the day, there was classic music playing in the
background by a band that has been going to Railway Days for years,
the Dynamics.
Families and children were treated to train rides throughout the
day, around the one kilometre track that circles the museum.
Along the ride, conductor Ken Jones not only punches the tickets for
riders but dishes out little tidbits about trains to the children.
"It's a fun thing to do," said Jones, who has been volunteering his
time at railways in Alberta since 1988.
"It's a hobby of mine, I like to help people enjoy trains, it's
nice."
"The more the years pass, the more people forget about trains so
it's nice to help them understand."
It's also a day where the seniors can reminisce about the past and
relive some of that forgotten magic.
"It's a nostalgia thing," said Dwayne Reed, a long-time volunteer at
Railway Day from Morningside. "Especially for the old folks."
"As we grow older you begin to see things a little differently than
you use to."
"You guys will too one day," laughed Reed.
"Every year we do this, everyone gets a kick out of it."
News article: Alberta Central Train Museum
celebrates 17th anniversary
(Wetaskiwin Times June 2009)
News article: New exhibits call Historical
Village home
(Innisfail Province May 2010)
News article: 'Sleeper' village grand
opening set
(Red Deer Advocate May 2010)
Calgary and Edmonton Railway (CPR)
Alberta Central Railway (CPR)
- Red Deer to Rocky
Mountain House
Canadian Pacific Railway Stations in Central Alberta
Current Rail Heritage Preservation in Central Alberta
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