49.5 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeEventsTrainfest to pull into Clarksville this weekend

Trainfest to pull into Clarksville this weekend

The model train layouts at Clarksville’s Customs House Museum always draw a crowd. Once a year, the museum and the Montgomery County Historical Society (MCHS) host TRAINFEST, where people who like model trains will find much more to enjoy.

Trainfest 2010 will be held May 1st and 2nd at the Customs House Museum and the L&N Depot in Clarksville, Tennessee.

C. David Elliott surveys the world of trains as he prepares for TrainFest 2010. (Joe Filippo)
C. David Elliott surveys the world of trains as he prepares for TrainFest 2010. (Joe Filippo)

At the Customs House, the museum’s train layouts will be running all weekend. More trains will be brought in for TRAINFEST, including layouts by Dale Beagle and by the Train Collector’s Association’s Music City Chapter. An Operation Lifesaver exhibit will promote safety around railroads. On Saturday, there will be a train clinic; visitors can bring old trains in for a checkup.

Buildings from the Nashville Children’s Museum train layout of 1955 will be displayed. When it was dismantled, many of the Nashville building models were preserved by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. Some of those buildings will be shown during Trainfest; others, including the Nashville Union Station, are on display in Nashville.

At the L&N Depot, the focus is on railroads in Clarksville’s history. Visitors can tour the restored 1890 depot. On Saturday, historical re-enactors will play the roles of station master and of people waiting for the train at different times in the city’s past. Historical dioramas by Chris Taylor will show a train robbery and an accident where a train fell into the Cumberland River at Clarksville. There will be more model trains, including trains that can be run in the garden. A diesel locomotive and caboose are also on display.

Trainfest, a National Train Day event, is sponsored by Madison Business Circle, the Hilldale Kiwanis Club, and the MCHS. This event is sponsored in part by The Customs House Museum.

Trainfest 2010: Saturday, May 1st, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Sunday, May 2nd, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Saturday Admission for Both Sites: Adults – $5; Students & College Students with ID – $2; FREE for children 5 and under & for museum and MCHS members. Free passes may not be used for Trainfest.

For more information, visit www.customshousemuseum.org or www.mchsociety.org.

RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles