Credit: Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

May 15, 2018 - JAMESTOWN, Calif. – To kick off the summer season in rail-related style, popular weekend excursion trains will be running throughout the extended Memorial Day holiday weekend – May 26, 27 and 28, 2018 – at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown. On Saturday and Sunday, steam-powered excursion train rides behind the famous Sierra No. 3® are available; then on Monday, visitors have the opportunity to take a ride behind a vintage diesel locomotive. Steam or diesel, excursion trains rides delight visitors from near and far during a six-mile, 45-minute round trip ride along the rails of the famous Movie Railroad, passing through California’s scenic Gold Country. Additionally, on Saturday and Sunday, crowd-favorite Speeder rides and interactive activities and crafts are available.

Plus, there are lots of other activities happening at the Park on a regular basis, including:

• The Depot Store, historic Roundhouse & Shops, Interpretive Center and grounds are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with guided tours available;
• Hands on History boxes on the deck where volunteers conduct “show and tell” activities and allow visitors to touch and learn about riveting, railroad signaling, track laying and more;
• Wooden caboose visits where guests can climb aboard a classic to get a sense of what it was like to be a brakeman on the railroad;
• Behind-the-scenes locomotive cab rides are available (for an additional fee) to get an up-close look at a historic locomotive in-action and experience railroading in a new way;
• Families are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on-site on the sprawling Roundhouse lawn.

With regular excursion train ride departures at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Memorial Day Weekend, capacity is limited and visitors are encouraged to arrive early. Train ride tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for youths ages 6-17 and kids five and under are free. Park admission costs are $5 for adults, $3 for youths ages 6-17 and free for children five and under. Plus, limited behind-the-scenes cab rides are available for noon and 1:30 p.m. departures, cost $50 for steam and $40 for diesel, and advance reservations are recommended. All train ride tickets include Park admission and are available for advance purchase at www.railtown1897.org as well as at the ticket window beginning at 10 a.m. on the day of the ride (based on availability).
Source: Railtown 1897