(The following story by Diane Wetzel appeared on The North Platte Telegraph website on September 9, 2010.)
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Dave Harrold can be forgiven if he is a little bit compulsive about checking the Weather Channel these days. Harrold and other members of the Original Town Association are gearing up for the 2010 Rail Fest Celebration scheduled for Sept. 17-19.
“It looks like we aren’t going to get rain, at least at the start,” Harrold said.
Groups from New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom have plans to attend the event, he said.
“This year we focused a lot of our advertising on train-related websites like trains.org.” Harrold said. “The level of interest doubled, maybe even tripled. This week I received a call from a guy in Chicago who belongs to a train club. Some of them are coming to Rail Fest, so the word is getting out about Rail Fest and the Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard.”
One highlight of Rail Fest is the free tours of Bailey Yard, the largest rail-switching yard in the world. UP employees lead the tours. About 1,800 people have signed up for the tours, Harrold said.
New to the 2010 event is the Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful Fun Run and Walk on Saturday, Sept. 18.
“We try to focus on personal wellness [at Rail Fest],” Harrold said. “And we have always been aware of environmental issues. Having KNPLCB put this together brings those two pieces together. Why revitalize a neighborhood if you don’t do anything for the people who live there?”
Rail Fest evolved out of Original Town’s desire to improve the city’s north side of town and to celebrate the contributions of the Union Pacific and its employees to the community.
Each year Bailey Yard employees receive a Rail Fest commemorative medallion. This year’s medallion features the E-9 Streamliner Locomotive. The E-9 will be among the locomotives the UP will display during Rail Fest. Others will include the DD40AX “Centennial,” created in 1969 by bringing two separate diesel engines together on one frame. The locomotive was built in honor of the 100th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The UP will also be presenting the UP No. 2010 Boy Scouts of America locomotive, created as a tribute to the organizations centennial.
“Union Pacific’s historical ties run deep in North Platte,” said Brenda Mainwaring, UP’s director of public affairs for Nebraska and Iowa. “It’s only fitting that we display historically significant locomotives during Rail Fest.”
Two prototypes in the UP’s fleet will also be on display. The SD40-2E Local Switching Unit and the Progress Rail PR30C-loNOx Locomotive.
“Warren Buffet didn’t invest in the Burlington Northern Railroad by chance,” Harrold said. “He sees, and the Union Pacific sees, a drive toward more environmentally friendly transportation. Railroads can transport almost 500 miles on a gallon of diesel, which is pretty darn efficient. They are working to become more door to door efficient to get traffic off the interstate and onto the rails.”
Railroads are the answer to many environment-related issues, Harrold said.
“It lessens wear and tear on interstate system,” he said. “Interstates are taxpayer subsidized, railroad are private.”
It’s all part of a shift to a greater emphasis on rail transportation, he said. That includes the federal government’s recent emphasis on the development of high speed rail systems.
“You know, it doesn’t matter what happens or when because it’s all going to come through North Platte and through the world’s largest railroad yard,” he said. “That’s fascinating to rail fans and every day they see leading edge technology at Bailey Yard.
“Rail Fest lets you see them, touch them, talk to people who make them and use them. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and keeps Rail Fest at the forefront and why Rail Fest will grow from a local community event to a premier event that is totally family-friendly,” Harrold said.
“And it’s all done by a bunch of amateurs,” he joked.
Among the scheduled activities are:
Opening ceremonies are scheduled at 4 p.m. on Friday, followed by performances by the Sweet Adelines. Entertainment at the Cody Park Pavilion will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and end with a dance at 7:30 p.m. Sunday will feature live entertainment from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bus tours: Bailey Yard and Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All buses leave from Cody Park Pool area. Free, but requires advance registration.
Heritage Locomotive exhibits: Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Front Street, downtown
Equipment displays: Friday, 2-6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun: 9 am. to 4 p.m.
UP Miniature Train Rides: Friday, 2-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Model Train Expo: National Guard Armory; features local and regional model train clubs and vendors. Cost is $3.
Union Pacific Family Day for Employees: Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Motorcycle Unity Ride: Sunday, 1 p.m. registration. $10 or toys or both for Santa’s Toy Run.
Fashion Extravaganza: Sunday 2-5 p.m., Quality Inn & Suites. $6 in advance, $8 at the door.
Hobo Contest for Kids: Saturday, 11 a.m. Cody Park Pavilion.
Wellness Events include a Strong Man competition (10 a.m. Saturday), Healthy For Life Community Bike Ride (10 a.m. Saturday) and the Wellness program in Cody Park featuring exercise, stress testing, low impact exercise equipment, stretching programs, yoga, tai chi, Pilates, cardio and spin classes, walk fit programs and hearing screenings.
For more information and a complete schedule, call (308) 534-3648 or go to www.nprailfest.com.