Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
1st Stop, Oct 24
1st Stop October 24th…
Left the Columbus area this morning and drove about an hour and a half to Lebanon, Ohio. Hats off to their marketing director for the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad. We arrived shortly before the first train departure for the Pumpkin Patch. I spoke with Jim one of their brakeman as well as Carolyn in the sales and ticket office. I was pleasantly Surprised to find they are making three runs a day with a total of twelve hundred passengers from their small depot. That would have shocked me even if they were in a large town, but check the map. Lebanon is at least an hour and a half from any major city; that is good marketing. I counted eight passenger cars and one open gondola with seats. Many of the train companies I’ve visited are big on special events, but it sounds like Lebanon make every run a special event. I took photos of their caboose and couldn’t pass up the little track-side gas station restored to the 1920’s era.
Left the Columbus area this morning and drove about an hour and a half to Lebanon, Ohio. Hats off to their marketing director for the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad. We arrived shortly before the first train departure for the Pumpkin Patch. I spoke with Jim one of their brakeman as well as Carolyn in the sales and ticket office. I was pleasantly Surprised to find they are making three runs a day with a total of twelve hundred passengers from their small depot. That would have shocked me even if they were in a large town, but check the map. Lebanon is at least an hour and a half from any major city; that is good marketing. I counted eight passenger cars and one open gondola with seats. Many of the train companies I’ve visited are big on special events, but it sounds like Lebanon make every run a special event. I took photos of their caboose and couldn’t pass up the little track-side gas station restored to the 1920’s era.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Log
I know from time to time I get a little over ecited about a new caboose or train that I've found, but today we hit gold. Micki was poking around on the Internet and found some information about a restored train depot in Columbus. It wasn't in my train book and I'd never heard of it. We took a short drive out past Ohio State University and followed the GPS to "The Depot." The place isn't run as a museum or tourist attraction, but I wish it were. From the moment we walked into the Depot our mouths fell open and for the next two hours stayed open as Bill Korting gave us a personal tour of their collection. The depot, dining car, engine, parlor car, caboose and miniture train rank among the best we have ever found. The fact that is done as a result of a private collector makes it even more amazing.
The facitility is offered for weddings, birthday parties and special events, but is not advertised as a tourist attraction. Bill was kind enough to guide us through letting us take ample time for questions and photos. Their website is www.the-depot.org
This one needs to go in your Train Log as a "must see!"
The facitility is offered for weddings, birthday parties and special events, but is not advertised as a tourist attraction. Bill was kind enough to guide us through letting us take ample time for questions and photos. Their website is www.the-depot.org
This one needs to go in your Train Log as a "must see!"
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