Train Excursions: Day Trips To Roanoke, Va. and Asheville, N.C. Scheduled for October 30 and 31

The N.C. Transportation Museum Foundation and the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society will host day trip train excursions to Roanoke, Va. October 30 and Asheville, N.C. October 31. These excursions, now in their fourth year, allow travelers to see beautiful fall foliage, experience a great destination and enjoy the romance of riding the rails.

The N.C. Transportation Museum and Watauga Valley NRHS revived fall excursions in 2007, offering trips to Charlottesville, Va. Sell out crowds and satisfied passengers made those excursions incredibly popular. Last year’s addition of Asheville, N.C. as a destination created an even greater demand for tickets. The trips sold out in record time, with dome car tickets selling out in mere minutes.

This year, the “Virginia Autumn Special” will travel to Roanoke, Va. Saturday, Oct. 30. The “Blue Ridge Special” will travel to Asheville, N.C. Sunday, Oct. 31. More dome car tickets have been added but the demand is expected to be just as strong as years past.

Departing Spencer at 7 a.m., Saturday’s Virginia Autumn Special” will offer additional passenger pick-up at the Greensboro Amtrak Station at 8 a.m., allowing those in the Triad a more convenient boarding opportunity. The train will travel through the northern portion of the North Carolina Piedmont, including the cities of High Point and Reidsville before crossing into Virginia. The western part of central Virginia offers spectacular views of the fall foliage, crossing the Dan and Roanoke Rivers. Moving onto the old Virginian Railway line, passengers will travel westward, passing through several tunnels and enjoying the rolling Virginia countryside.

The train will arrive in Roanoke, the “Star City of the South,” at noon. Passengers will have nearly three hours to enjoy the attractions offered. Downtown Roanoke offers an array of dining experiences, shopping and sightseeing opportunities.

Passengers will depart the train at the old Norfolk and Western Passenger Station, home of the O. Winston Link museum. The museum offers a grand photographic and auditory history of 1950’s steam engine locomotive history. Advance tickets to the museum are available to excursion passengers at the discounted group rate of $4 per person.

Meals will also be available at the famous nearby Hotel Roanoke

The nearby Taubman Museum of Art features a permanent collection of 19th and early 20th Century American art, while the Historic Roanoke City Market has fresh food and handmade crafts.

Passengers can also take a drink from the historic Dogmouth Fountain, constructed in 1898. Legend says those drinking from the fountain will always return to Roanoke.

Departing Roanoke at 3 p.m., the train will arrive back in Greensboro at 6:45 p.m. and Spencer at 8 p.m.

During Sunday’s trip, the “Blue Ridge Special” will travel through the western Piedmont into the foothills and on to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Departing Spencer at 7 a.m., the train will roll through the cities of Statesville, Hickory, Morganton, Marion, Black Mountain and Swannanoa. The train will climb the famed "loops" of the Blue Ridge Mountains and pass through several tunnels before arriving in Asheville at noon. Passengers will have nearly three hours for an outing at Biltmore Village.

Established in the late 1890s as a planned community near the entrance of the Biltmore estate, Biltmore Village stands near the entrance to Biltmore Estate. Shopping will be available in unique, locally-owned boutiques. Passengers can dine in restaurants and take walks along brick sidewalks that parallel tree lined streets. All of this will be enjoyed alongside spectacular views of the North Carolina mountains.

Departing Asheville at 3 p.m., the “Blue Ridge Special” will return to Spencer at 8 p.m.

Dome Tickets offer the best views of passing scenery with two levels. Windows stretch across the walls and ceiling on the second level, providing a panoramic view of the entire ride. Dome tickets are available for $280 per person.

Premium First Class fare includes continental breakfast and newspapers on the journey to both Roanoke and Asheville, plus dinner on the return trip served in vintage lounge and dining cars. Premium First Class tickets are available for $245 per person.

Deluxe Coach Class tickets feature spacious seating with large windows, lunch on the dining car and light snacks during the trip. Deluxe Coach tickets are $175 per person.

Coach seating, featuring wide windows, adjustable seats and convenient access to the commissary car, are also available for $145 per person. All cars feature air conditioning, heat and rest rooms.

For those wishing to eat on the train to provide more time for sightseeing, an optional box lunch will be offered. The $14 meal, served in a souvenir lunch tote, includes include a half turkey wrap, pasta, chips & salsa, a cookie and drink.

Tickets will be available online at www.nctrans.org or by calling 704-636-2889 ext. 232. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 24.

The N.C. Transportation Museum, located in historic Spencer Shops, the former Southern Railway repair facility is located just five minutes off I-85 at Exit 79 in Spencer, N.C., and about an hour from Charlotte, Greensboro or Winston-Salem. The museum is part of the Division of Historic Sites and the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Visit www.nctrans.org for more information. For information on the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, visit www.wataugavalleynrhs.org.
---
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP
---

Discover the Rail Way(SM) on National Train Day

/PRNewswire/ -- Amtrak will celebrate America's love for rail travel with events across the country at its second annual National Train Day, May 9, 2009. Marking 140 years of connecting travelers from coast to coast, National Train Day commemorates the day the first transcontinental railroad was created and looks toward the future of rail travel with large scale events in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, and many more locally organized events in communities nationwide.

"Train travel is deeply rooted in American culture and it shows great promise to become a growing part of our country's transportation future," said Emmett Fremaux, vice president marketing and product management, Amtrak. "National Train Day gives the public a glimpse into how the train shaped the country and how it will continue to do so through exhibits showcasing how train travel provides greener travel options with clean technology and greater efficiency through high-speed rail travel."

On May 9, Amtrak will host complimentary events in four of its gateway stations across the U.S., Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles from 10am to 3pm. An experience for the whole family, National Train Day allows Americans to Discover the Rail Way while enjoying live musical entertainment, interactive green exhibits, VIP appearances, a Kids Corner, and train exhibits from the past, present and future. In addition to the four major market events, communities across the country are encouraged to develop and host their own National Train Day events, which nearly 100 local sponsors participated in hosting for the first National Train Day in 2008.

In honor of National Train Day, Amtrak is offering members of its loyalty program, Amtrak Guest Rewards, the ability to earn double points for any trip taken between March 16 and May 8, triple points after their fifth trip taken during this timeframe, and quadruple points for any trip taken on National Train Day, May 9. Amtrak Guest Rewards enables frequent train travelers to earn points redeemable for free Amtrak travel year round in addition to a variety of other rewards.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Riding The Rails Into American History

(NAPSI)-Railroads have long held a special place in the history of our country. In 1841, in a tribute to our nation's beginnings in Philadelphia, William Henry Harrison took the train from the "City of Brotherly Love" to Washington, D.C., to kick off his inauguration. In 2009, President Barack Obama continued the tradition.

Whether it is railroad history, fond memories or fictional characters of our youth, our fascination with railroads touches both children and adults. For example, one special engine, his friends and their adventures have enchanted Americans for years.

Thomas the Tank Engine, a blue steam engine created by a father for his son nearly 65 years ago, is fostering a love of train history in a new generation of kids and parents. Thomas is teaming up with historic railroads across the country for the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails tour, a program that encourages families to embrace the past and preserve their local history.

Tapping into the passion that children and their parents have for railroads, Day Out With Thomas events keep this spirit alive at more than 40 regional railroads across the country. Each railroad station stop has its own distinctive history for participants to explore; many stations have welcomed presidents, dignitaries and celebrities, and led passengers to great destinations.

Presented by HIT Entertainment and sponsored by The LEGO Group, the Day Out With Thomas 2009: The Hero of the Rails events run through December 2009. Rolling out of the station for its 14th consecutive year, the tour is expected to welcome more than 1 million passengers at approximately 300 event days. Each event offers fans the opportunity to take a ride on a 15-ton replica of Thomas the Tank Engine and features a variety of Thomas & Friends-themed entertainment.

This No. 1 blue engine, based on the real trains that traveled the English countryside in the 1940s, is a lens through which children experience and explore the magic of the railroad today.

The Hero of the Rails tour--named for the DVD special starring Thomas and his engine friends in a heroic adventure that tests their bravery, friendship and courage--will also honor local hometown heroes. At every stop, firemen and policemen will be invited as the guest celebrity story readers.

For tickets, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com/dowt. For general Thomas fun, log on to www.thomasandfriends.com.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page