2021 Railroad Festival at the Museum
For a complete Festival schedule (including events at other venues at other dates and times), click here.
Parking is very limited at the Museum. Additional free parking is available about four blocks south of the Museum along South Street at the Unitarian Church, 2201 Lawton Avenue (see an aerial view). A narrow entrance-only driveway is off Lawton and the main parking lot in/out driveway is off Meadow. It's a 10-minute walk.
Some COVID-related limitations remain.
This schedule is subject to change so please check back as the Festival approaches.
Saturday, October 2, 2021
10:00 AM
1. Museum Opens, $5/adult, $3/child (4-15), members free
2. Operation Lifesaver table
3. Model Layout Open (CCMR)
4. Bob Wilson's hands-on model railroad layout
5. Music by South Street Roundhouse on the Platform
6. Railroad Vendors and Displays on the Platform
7. Totally Revamped Exhibit Area
8. Neil Fernbaugh's Timesaver Switching Puzzle, try your luck...
9. Outdoor G-scale Train Layout and Display by the Central California Coast Garden Railroad Society
10. Trackside demonstrations
2. Operation Lifesaver table
3. Model Layout Open (CCMR)
4. Bob Wilson's hands-on model railroad layout
5. Music by South Street Roundhouse on the Platform
6. Railroad Vendors and Displays on the Platform
7. Totally Revamped Exhibit Area
8. Neil Fernbaugh's Timesaver Switching Puzzle, try your luck...
9. Outdoor G-scale Train Layout and Display by the Central California Coast Garden Railroad Society
10. Trackside demonstrations
10:00 AM
Live Presentation, "Open Car Loads" by Bob Chaparro. A look at loads modelers can duplicate with an emphasis on general service flat cars and gondolas in the steam and transition eras. Prototype practices are explored through photos and diagrams. Examples of accurately modeled loads and common modeling errors also are covered.
11:00 AM
1. Railroad BBQ Co.,
food and beverage through lunch time.
2. Video Presentation: Davenport 2-6-2 Restoration, by Karl Hovanitz, by far our most popular Parlor Car Chat about a fully restored WWI locomotive right here in SLO County at Norgrove Railway.
food and beverage through lunch time. 2. Video Presentation: Davenport 2-6-2 Restoration, by Karl Hovanitz, by far our most popular Parlor Car Chat about a fully restored WWI locomotive right here in SLO County at Norgrove Railway.
1:00 PM
Video Presentation: The Circus Train.
The greatest video on earth... Don't miss this! Kelly Ballagh brings a jam-packed talk about everything
you were curious about regarding circus trains. Kelly was a Circus Clown for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He lived on both the red and blue unit trains for seven years. What's the pie car? Where do these specialized cars come from? What's it like to live on a small town on rails, over 1-mile long? Why are the animal cars upfront on the train? There will be plenty of Circus Train stories, too. (68 minutes)
you were curious about regarding circus trains. Kelly was a Circus Clown for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He lived on both the red and blue unit trains for seven years. What's the pie car? Where do these specialized cars come from? What's it like to live on a small town on rails, over 1-mile long? Why are the animal cars upfront on the train? There will be plenty of Circus Train stories, too. (68 minutes)2:15 PM
Coloring Contest Winner Drawing, contest details. Congratulations to Betsy G. and family of Shandon, CA.
2:30 PM
Presentation: Swanton Pacific Railroad Review and Update, by Charlie Crabb.
3:00 PM
Amtrak Train Activity just off the Museum platform
3:07pm Amtrak's Coast Starlight southbound arrives/departs
3:22pm Amtrak's Coast Starlight northbound arrives/departs
3:07pm Amtrak's Coast Starlight southbound arrives/departs
3:22pm Amtrak's Coast Starlight northbound arrives/departs
4:00 PM
Museum Closes
4:30 PM
More Central Coast Model Railroad photos from today are here on a Festival webpage.
