2024 RAIL DAYS 3
SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024 The North Platte Telegraph www.nptelegraph.com
A Welcoming Festival Iowan Mark Reno visits North Platte each year for Rail Days
Hannah Nazarenus The North Platte Telegraph
goes to the events alone he said he never really feels alone. “The first year I went to the opening ceremony which was celebrating some kind of anniversary with Union Pacific. And so, Kirsten Parker, executive director at the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor’s Center, was there, and they had somebody from Union Pacific, and they did a couple of speeches, and then they just cut a cake, and everybody got to have a piece of cake,” Reno said. “And from that moment on, I’ve always felt very welcome in North Platte.” The Rail Days celebration includes many different events like a model train show, going up the Golden Spike Tower at night, and a bus tour of Bailey Yard. “My favorite (event) if I had to pick one would be, I think it was 2021 when Union Pacific had the Big Boy steam locomotive
Since 2016 Mark Reno of Guthrie Center, Iowa, makes the long drive along the Lincoln Highway to attend North Platte’s annual Rails Days. “For me it’s longer than taking Interstate 80, but I get to see trains all along the way,” Reno said. The Lincoln Highway — U.S. Highway 30 — goes along the Union Pacific’s main line and there are plenty of trains that go along it, he also enjoys getting to pass through all the old towns. Reno has been interested in trains since he was a little kid and found out about Rails Days after missing another town’s railroad celebration. As a married father of one, Reno treats Rail Days as a mini vacation for himself, and even though he
WE ARE EXCITED TO HOST VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD! WITH PARTICIPANTS HAILING FROM 46 DIFFERENT STATES AND 4 COUNTRIES. A Canteen Welcome
courtesy photo MARK RENO takes a selfie inside a train engine during a past Rail Days. Each year, Reno comes to the festival from Guthrie Center, Iowa.
coming through, it was on a tour. And it was supposed to be there at North Platte during Rail Days, and I happened to be on the bus tour right as it came into Bailey Yard,” Reno said. “The host of the tour timed it perfectly, and he was watching the whole time, but the steam locomotive came in right as we were about to cross the bridge that you can only get to if you’re in Bailey Yard, so we got to see it cross under us, which as a pretty cool viewpoint from there.” Reno also enjoys getting to explore other parts of North Platte. “There’s a Cody Park train display, which I don’t know too many places where you can actually get to climb onto and explore vintage locomotives, and they have two of them there, but Kirsten Parker and her whole team really make sure there’s always something going on,” Reno said. Another event he enjoyed was a
passenger train ride. “My favorite train I would say, is any train that I get to ride. A couple years ago for Rail Days they were able to get Union Pacific to supply a passenger train and do short little rides,” Reno said. “And those were fun because they were vintage equipment. You got to relive the days of, you know, when America had a lot of passenger trains and that’s how we got everywhere. It was kind of cool to sit up inside those passenger cars, as if it’s the 1950s or something.” Reno’s advice to everyone would be to visit North Platte. “Throughout the year you can visit North Platte and find plenty to do, whether you’re into trains or not, but it’s just a little bit extra during Rail Days,” he said. “Whether you’re just in town in general or Rail Days, they try to make sure there’s something for everyone here.”
WITH 21,263 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS ONLINE. OUR EVENT HAS BECOME A GATHERING PLACE FOR TRAIN FANS NEAR AND FAR. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND MAKING THIS EVENT TRULY SPECIAL.
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease