National Train Day facts for kids
.jpg)
National Train Day was a fun holiday started by Amtrak in 2008. Its goal was to teach people about the great things about train travel. It also shared the amazing history of trains in the United States. This special day happened every year on the Saturday closest to May 10. This date was chosen because it's the anniversary of the Golden spike being hammered into place in Promontory, Utah. That event finished the first transcontinental railroad across the U.S.
On National Train Day, big events took place at major Amtrak train stations. Many railroad museums across the country also joined in. These events often showed off cool passenger cars and detailed model train layouts. The biggest celebrations were held in cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Sadly, National Train Day was stopped after 2015. This was because Amtrak had to cut its budget. However, other groups that love trains still celebrate this special day.
Contents
What Happened on National Train Day?
The main events for National Train Day usually featured cool train displays. These displays were set up at the biggest train stations in the Amtrak system. For example, in cities in the Northeast, you might see Acela Express and Keystone Service trains. These are fast, modern trains. In places like Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Florida, you could see Superliner cars. These are the double-decker cars used on long train trips.
Special Train Displays
Many private train cars were also put on display. These are often fancy, old cars owned by collectors. Other big cities showed off equipment from freight railroads. These are the trains that carry goods. You could also see displays from local transit agencies. These are the groups that run city buses and subways. Non-profit train groups and history clubs also shared their train items. Some smaller events had model train layouts built by local clubs. They also showed other cool train-related things.
Toledo's Early Celebration
In 2008, the very first National Train Day had a small problem with scheduling. Because of this, Toledo Union Station held its event a week earlier than everyone else. This became a fun tradition! Every year since then, Toledo has hosted the "first" Train Day celebration.
Museum Fun
Besides events at active train stations, many railway history museums also took part in National Train Day. These museums often offered tours of old, historic train cars. Sometimes, you could even take a ride on a special excursion train.
The 2011 event was extra special. It celebrated Amtrak's 40th Anniversary! Amtrak first started its service on May 1, 1971.
The National Association of Railroad Passengers is a big group that supports trains. They announced that their members would celebrate the first National Train Day in 2008. Many other non-profit groups also joined in across different regions.
In 2013, Duluth, Minnesota, hosted one of the biggest events. They had two real steam locomotives, Milwaukee Road 261 and Soo Line 2719, running on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. There were also huge museum displays and other fun activities.
.jpg)
In 2015, Amtrak announced a change. The community program called National Train Day would be replaced. It became a company-sponsored event called Amtrak Train Days. The new plan changed things. Instead of many events on one day, there would be individual events. These would happen over the spring, summer, and fall.
Famous Faces at National Train Day
Every National Train Day until 2012 had a famous person as an official spokesperson. This person would appear at one of the main events.
- 2008: Al Roker, a famous TV weatherman and actor.
- 2009: Randy Jackson, a judge from the TV show American Idol.
- 2010: Taye Diggs, a well-known actor.
- 2011: Gladys Knight, the singer of "Midnight Train to Georgia".
- 2012: Rosario Dawson, an actress from the movie Unstoppable.
On National Train Day in 2010, at New York Penn Station, the cast of Cake Boss brought a special cake for Amtrak. It was a big hit! After 2012, Amtrak stopped having celebrity spokespersons.
