A big hello to Little Giant.Harry can you let everyone here on the board in on Galesburg 2001 events.I'm hoping that everyone who can will attend from the board. For those of you who don't know this is a BNSF/Carl Sandurg College train fair/show that the entire town of Galesburg gets into.It is the best train fair/show that I have ever been to.And once you have gone you will be hooked.
I can tell you all this, it is held June 21st through June 24th this year. The 21st. is the day all the cool REAL THING Railway displays arrive downtown at the Amtrak Station. Then Railway Days offically kicks off on Friday, the 22nd. The Model Train Show at Carl Sandburg College is on Saturday and Sunday, the 23rd and 24th. This is a "DO NOT MISS EVENT"! There is something for everyone at this event. Here's a website that will give you an idea of what you will see, and get addicted, to at Galesburg Railway Days. Bill's Galesburg Journal [ 08 February 2001: Message edited by: Maxwell Plant ]
Anyone who is going should plan to spend the whole weekend there. I suggest spending one day at the train fair and one day at the BNSF's yard. Spend all your money one day and shoot all your film the other! You say your wife/girlfriend/kids don't like trains? Drop them off in downtown Galesburg for the street fair. They have a carnival and food booths. Plenty to keep them busy Want to get away from the crowds? Go over to the Cameron connection or Knox Station. There are plenty of options to keep you busy. Whatever you do decide to do, you can't go wrong. Plus MILW 261 is scheduled to make an appearence. Should be coming from St. Louis. I'm not sure on any details. Hope to see everyone there. Eric
I thought that was possible, but I wasn't sure, it's a Beastie! I hope to see all of you at the "Alter" (Bridge over the Yard), Model Train Show, Cameron and maybe at "Big Muddies" in Burlington, IA. for dinner Saturday Night. NO, I'M NOT BUYING!
Galesburg...schmuck...is located in Illinois. Follow the old ATSF from Chicago WEST till you find it. It's in Western Illinois about 40 Miles from Burlington, IA.
Hey Maxwell, who says you have to follow the ATSF to the 'burg? It's much easier to follow the BN, especially if you're in a car! As for shop tours, I haven't noticed them in the past. Sure would be nice though. They run down a Metra from Chicago, usually one of the new dinkies that works the racetrack. Eric
I just picked one! Not to slight the BN, but I mostly railfan along the ATSF line so that's the one I picked out. Besides, it's the one most people, who are not from our area, would most likely know about. Yes, they give tours of the yard by Metra Train, but I think the stopped giving tours of the Shop area years ago. Uncle Harry is the one who will have all the details of what's going on this year. I hope he chimes in soon!
Thirwell Bridge, 6:00 PM, Saturday. I'll probably head for Burlington, IA for dinner with some of the NTBN crowd after 7:30 PM. Anyone who want's to tag along is welcome!
Hello all from the red rock country of Northern Arizona. Yes, I do have a life other than coordinating the Galesburg Railroad Days Train show at Carl Sandburg College. Now that I have hung up my cap and gown as an instructor at CSC, I spend a couple of months out here in Sedona, Az. each winter. Sedona is 28 miles south of Flagstaff, which is on the BNSF main line to California. BTW, just so nobody gets the idea that I'm golfing and laying in the desert sun, they had 17 inches of snow in Flagstaff on Tuesday. Even tho it's only 28 miles away, its 2,000 feet up. We only got three inches of snow and it was all melted by noon. I spend about three days per week hiking in the most beautiful country that the Good Lord ever created. Another day is spent schmoozing with one of several members of the Sedona Railroaders group. They are really nice bunch of guys. Talk about open houses, they get the use of a vacant space in a newly built strip center and move in their modular layout and operate for the public from noon until four PM from December 15 until New Years day! Of course they are all retired and have the hours to do such things. Their regular monthly meeting is a "breakfast" at a local resturaunt. One of the guys out here (Duane Buck) is a prize winning HO modeler. He showed me some of the awards he has won at Regional and National NMRA contests and I thought I was in a trophy shop. Duane is originally from Lacon, Il and models the Great Northern. I suspect that some of us will have a chance to meet him and see his work at the NMRA convention in St Louis this July. While visiting his home the other day, he excused himself for a few minutes to handle a phone call from the people at Life-Like Manufacturing wanting his input on the paint job for a new Great Northern loco they are going to produce. That's really playing in the big leagues! This Saturday will find me going to a train show down in Phoenix. Needless to say, I will be doing some promo work on the upcoming Galesburg Railroad Days Festival. If you folks are serious about wanting to meet sometime during the weekend, the train show would be more than happy to allocate a room somewhere in the College for a specific hour or so. This would give some of us a chance to see just how we look in real life. I have done this with other groups in the past and it seems to work out well. Sunday tends to be less hectic but it's your call. Just let me know. I plan to return to the frozen fields of the Midwest on or about March 1. That's when my condo lease runs out and the Spring train show season starts in the Midwest. Too bad I have to miss Madison this weekend, it's always a good one. It is possible that the street fair will be moved from the downtown area of Galesburg to the Mall as there will be some major construction projects on Main Street that would cause serious conflicts with the street fair. The carnival and some food booths will still be in the downtown area. An additional shuttle bus is proposed to link the mall with the College so those not intrested in the train show will have access to the activities at the mall as well as downtown. The actual details of this whole change are not firmed up as of yet but this is what I read in the Galesburg newspaper. On a sad note, we learned of the passing of Ron Hatch's dad last week. As many of you know Ron is the artist responsible for the beautiful promotional posters for Galesburg Railroad Days. He, and his wife Rita, run the Knox Station Bed and Rails B & B in Knoxville Il. in addition to his full time job in the design shop of the Galesburg Maytag plant. Anyway, that's the latest on happenings on the life of the Little Giant. See ya at the train shows this Spring and certainly at Galesburg Railroad Days, the Midwest's premier Railroad Festival. Little Giant
Gee I wish I could travel, but health prevents that. I'll be thinking about all of you who can attend! Have a grand time, and hopefully together.
Upon returning to Galesburg from my winter in the West I was pleased to find that the Galesburg Railroad Days Train Show is 50% sold out. That means that 125 of the 250 vendor tables are spoken for. I suspect that the remander will go soon as we now will accept space requests from vendors who were not with us in 2000, If any of the folks reading this board are interensted in joining us next June in Galesburg, please contact me ASAP. Train Show Carl Sandburg College 2232 South Lake Storey Road Galesburg, Illinois 61401 or harryg@galesburg.net Vendor tables are $25.00 for the 2 days of the Festival. Non profit orgaizations (RR Historical Groups, and clubs) may have space for $12.50. Any group or individual wishing to show railroad models or displays should contact me regarding participation. Space is limited but we can try. Last year we had 19 displays of one kind or another. I suppose that most of you are now aware that that Topeka Railroad Days Festival in Kansas has announced that it will not operate on the Labor Day weekend in 2001, due to increasing costs. This makes Galesburg Railroad Days the largest as well as the longest running community festival devoted to a railroad theme! Little Giant
It's about time you got back! We missed you at the NTBN Monday Night Meetings! Welcome Back! Will you be attending the Urbana, Il. Show at the end of the month?
Well, I could not let this topic go by without a word. I know I'm biased - as the handle might imply, but Galesburg is simply one of the more underrated spots in the midwest to railfan. That's my motivation for creating the website thing. I'm glad to see that Kalmbach has a spot for it in their "railfanning spots" guide/booklet of late! As the other fellow mentioned, once you visit - you will be hooked and return yearly (if not more)! I ensourage all of you out there to take "the leap of faith" and make the journey. Especially during RR days. Uncle Harry sure works hard to put on a really great train show!!! It is quite large and has a great variety of vendors. If you would like to find out more about the festival, you might surf my section on "fieldtrips to RR days". I also try to offer some rail history of the town and region. http://www.billselleck.net [ 16 March 2001: Message edited by: galesburghead ]
Brent and All, Tomorrow, Saturday will see me at the Boeing show in the St Louis area. Sunday I will be at the show in Bloomington. "Train show and Famous Dave's an unbeatable combo!" No wonder Bloomington-Normal is the fastest growing city in Central Illinois. Save some space on the layout for me to run. I will also be in Urbana later this month as well as at the BRHS meet in Mendota. Except for the weather and lack of mountains for hikes, it's good to be back in the Midwest Train Show Country. Little Giant.
I can't make the Bloomington-Normal Show this weekend but the rest of the NTBN Gang will be there! There will be plenty of room for you to run trains! I wish I could make it but we have inventory Monday at our store! Famouse Dave's is one of my favorite places too! YUMMY! By the way, Bloomington Normal is one of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the US! And yes, we do like our Trains!
