History Fridays: Amtrak 40th Anniversary Show

Club members watch over the mainline during the Amtrak 40th Anniversary Show.

A couple of years ago, the club was asked to setup a layout as part of the Amtrak 40th Anniversary celebration. On the scorching hot weekend of July 23-24, 2011, the Amtrak 40th Anniversary Train was parked out in front of New London Union Station as part of a nationwide tour for folks to learn more about the history of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

The club displayed a 12'x20' HO scale layout which featured Amtrak equipment cruising around the layout for the duration of the weekend. We had good participation from the membership with plenty of help to setup and operate the layout. The crowds were steady all weekend long as many locals came out to see the Amtrak 40th Anniversary train. The train featured a number of exhibit cars filled with photos, models, and memorabilia since the start of Amtrak operations in 1971.

Besides the club's layout and the exhibit train, the show featured display's from the Amtrak Police Department, Operation Lifesaver, as well as a Chugginton Display.