SAVE THE DATES: OCTOBER 3-7, 2017
Every year the HeritageRail Alliance Fall Conference brings railway preservationists together to network, attend seminars and visit tourist railroads and railway museums. This year it will be held in Minneapolis October 5-7, with optional pre-conference trips on October 3 and 4.
The host is the Minnesota Streetcar Museum, operator of two demonstration railroads featuring vintage Minnesota streetcars.
There’s a strong railroad component as well. We’ll visit the Minnesota Transportation Museum’s Jackson Street Roundhouse museum.
We’ll ride MTM’s Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway on a 30-mile trip through the beautiful St. Croix River valley.
We’ll visit the Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261 steam shop and the recently restored monumental St. Paul Union Depot. We’ll also ride the restored 1906 70-foot wood steamboat Minnehaha on Lake Minnetonka.
There will be up to 24 different seminars presented. Our conference theme is Brand Building, but seminars will cover a wide array of topics. Between sessions we encourage you to visit the industry vendors exhibiting their products and services.
Pre-conference trips
Three optional pre-conference trips will be offered.
Tuesday Oct. 3: A railfan tour of the Twin Cities, led by TRAINS Magazine correspondent and local rail expert Steve Glischinski. It will include an 80-mile, 2 hour round trip on the Northstar Commuter train.
Wednesday Oct. 4:
Trip One: We’ll bus to Duluth, where we’ll visit the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in the former Duluth Union Station.
Then it’s a 52-mile round trip to Two Harbors on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. We’ll ride behind Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 #28, currently in the final stages of restoration.
Dave Schauer photo
Trip Two: A traction tour of the Twin Cities on a 1954-vintage Twin City Lines bus. You’ll see traction remnants around town, take a one-way trip on the Green Line LRT from St. Paul to Minneapolis, followed a visit to the Minnesota Streetcar Museum’s Como-Harriet Line for guest operations. If you’re a qualified motorman at your museum, this is for you.
Conference Program
Thursday Oct. 5: Seminars in the morning, then a 30-mile roundtrip on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Ry., then evening reception and rail movie nite.
Friday Oct. 6: Seminars in the morning, then we ride the Excelsior Streetcar Line, featuring newly restored streetcar Winona #10, and sail on the Steamboat Minnehaha. Evening reception and Show & Tell by HeritageRail Alliance members.
Friday evening we visit the home shop of Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261. It will be steamed up and its passenger consist will be open for touring.
Saturday Oct. 7: We ride the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line, then visit the St. Paul Union Depot and Jackson Street Roundhouse. Return for the final reception, annual banquet and awards presentation.
Sunday Oct. 8: Stick around after the conference and ride an all-day excursion behind Milwaukee Road 261 over the Twin Cities & Western RR, formerly the Milwaukee’s route of the Olympian Hiawatha. That trip is operated by the Friends of the 2612 and is a separate ticket from the conference.
Traveling companion and spouse tours
We have a multi-day package just for traveling companions and spouses. You’ll visit art museums, the gorgeous, just-restored state capitol, and other attractions. Interested in shopping? You can visit the 500+ store Mall of America easily by light rail.
The convention hotel
We’re based at the Loews Minneapolis, a first class hotel located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, surrounded by restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Getting there
Minneapolis is a Delta hub, and is served by numerous other carriers. Or take the Amtrak Empire Builder.
No rental car needed
Our hotel is located one block from the Hennepin/Warehouse District light rail station. There’s direct LRT service from the airport and the Amtrak station, so there’s no need to rent a car.
What’s next?
For now, we just want to get this conference on your radar, so you can save the dates. Look for on-line registration starting May 15.
Stay tuned for updates.