Love trains? Celebrate National Train Day on Saturday, May 14th at the Railroad & Heritage Museum (315 West Avenue B) in downtown Temple.

Festivities will include family activities and crafts, concerts, food trucks, model train displays, train watching, Railfan presentations, and much more! Attendance to the event is free and open to the public; however food is purchased on your own.

Schedule of events:

9 a.m. – 9 p.m. @ Moody Depot

· CentraMod will be hosting a “12 Hours at Temple” train watching event

· Train watching –  Model Trains – Advanced Train Control System monitor

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. @ Railroad & Heritage Museum

· Family activities :-  games & crafts

–  vintage train car tours

– barrel train rides

– handcar rides

–  motor car rides

-Giveaways from Amtrak, BNSF,  and the Temple Visitors Center including a drawing for free Amtrak trip!

10 a.m. – 4:p.m. @ Avenue B in front of Museum

·         Food-Trucks

11 a.m. @ Railroad & Heritage Museum

·         Welcome Ceremony by CentraMod

Air horn demonstration

Noon – 2 p.m. @ Garden Gazebo

·         Concert by Temple High School Band

3 – 9 p.m. @ Railroad & Heritage Museum

CentraMod’s “12 Hours at Temple” Railfan presentations and slide shows

Festivities kick off at 9 a.m. when the Central Texas Area Model Railroaders (CentraMod) open the Moody Depot to showcase their model train layouts. Club members will be running several different scale trains throughout the depot. A train-watching area will also be set up outside with live updates on train movements.  A welcome ceremony will also be held at 11 a.m. courtesy of CentraMod.

Starting at 10 a.m., spend the morning enjoying family-friendly activities, games, and crafts hosted at the Railroad and Heritage Museum. Amtrak, BNSF, and the Temple Visitor’s Center will have information and giveaways for visitors, including a drawing to win a free trip for two on Amtrak! Railfan presentations showcasing videos and slides of trains throughout North America will begin at the top of each hour from 3  – 9 p.m.

Outside the museum, the garden gazebo will serve as a bandstand from noon until 2pm  to add a little jazz to the celebration. Musicians from Temple High School’s Blues-N-Trouble and Temple High School Blues will entertain visitors as they explore several historic railcars, including sleeper cars, a locomotive, and a caboose.

Parents will love dining at the food trucks, while children will love taking a barrel train or handcar ride, or the railroad motor cars operated by Railroad Partners, Inc. Donations for the barrel, handcar and motor car rides are greatly appreciated, although not required.

National Train Day is sponsored by Amtrak, CentraMod and the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum. This event is free and open to the public.  For more information about the National Train Day festivities, please call 254.298.5172 or visit facebook.com/templerrhm.