Ride the train at the annual Rail Fair at McCormick/Stillman Railroad Park!
Harry Huckemeyer
With the heat of the summer and the monsoon season behind us, our area comes back to life in a hurry right from the start of October. There are an abundance of choices we all have to schedule our bonus days and enjoy the great outdoors. Keep your calendars handy as October is the beginning of many things to come. For you railroad enthusiasts, the Arizona Railroad Museum will be open every Saturday and Sunday from Noon-4:00 p.m. Admission is free to walk the grounds where you will find many vintage old railroad cars. There typically is a small selection of cars available to walk through and there would be a minimal charge for that.
A must see for the young and the old is the annual Rail Fair at the McCormick/Stillman Railroad Park. This is just a short trip up the 101 and is scheduled for October 11 and 12. Admission is free and the hours it will be open on both days is from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. There is a scenic train ride through the 30 acre park that the adults and children will really enjoy. Additionally, there is a merry-go-round plus an area where refreshments are available. Rides are $2 and also the City of Scottsdale provides additional activities for the children in the paseo areas at no charge. The main attractions, of course, are on the main concourse where many of the area’s railroad clubs have operating exhibits of model railroad trains for your enjoyment. Brings back a lot of old memories for many of us.
Locally in the Sun Lakes area, many of the communities will be having their annual Community Days starting in early October. Check your calendars for times and locations. Our next club meeting is scheduled for October 11. The location and time hasn’t been finalized yet because of all the activities going on around us. If you need additional information feel free to call me at 480-802-4976, or better yet, send me an e-mail at [email protected]. We also have a website that contains a wealth of information. Check it out at www.slmodelrrclub.org. Enjoy!