Welcome to the
2010 National NTRAK Show
and
Danville Old 97 Rail Days

 
September 24 – 26, 2010

The Crossing at the Dan
677 Craghead Street
Danville, Virginia

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Eastern N Lines Partnership™ (ENL™) clubs, the City of Danville Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department and the Danville Science Center invite you to come to Danville, Virginia for the 2010 National NTRAK Show and Danville Old 97 Rail Days to be held the weekend of September 24–26, 2010. The show is based on the tremendous success and satisfaction achieved at the partnership's signature "Danville Old 97 Rail Days" event, held each September since 2003. Danville Old 97 Rail Days represents the heartbeat of NTRAK model railroading.

If you are an NTRAKer who values the opportunity to run all day and late into the night on a proven, well conceived, dynamic, scenic, DCC layout, perform prototypical operation chores, all within a historic facility less than 50 yards from one of the busiest Norfolk Southern corridors, you will enjoy this unique event. From another perspective, this show will appeal to those who would invite 100 friends to enjoy a large basement empire for three straight days, break occasionally for some rib-filling food and drink, return for several more hours of running, and finish the night cooling their heels by the NS tracks and sipping something very cold.

Event coordination and all modules for the DCC layout will be provided by the ENL partnership; just bring your trains to run. NTRAK members showing the latest copy of the NTRAK Newsletter or an NTRAK club membership card will have no cost other than travel, food and lodging. There will also be a DC NTRAK layout and a T-TRAK layout as well as N-Scale vendors in adjacent buildings such as the Station, Science Center and Freight House (Community Market). More recently there has been interest in traction modules and dioramas. Click on the Traction page at left for more information.

Danville Old 97 Rail Days marks the anniversary of the historic 1903 wreck of the "Old 97," a Southern Railway mail train; tours of the wreck site may be available. Click here for more information on the Wreck of the Old 97. 2010 marks the eighth Danville Old 97 Rail Days since 2003, the 100th anniversary of the wreck.

Not too far from Danville are two of the most impressive prototype railroad museums anywhere in the USA, the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, VA and the North Carolina Museum of Transportation (Old Spencer Shops) in Spencer, NC. Plan to stop by one or both of these attractions during your travel to or from Danville.

Make your plans now to come to Danville, the Heart of Southern Virginia, for this unique NTRAK railroading experience.

2010 is the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America. On Saturday, September 25, 2010 there will be a training session in Danville Station for Danville area Boy Scouts wishing to obtain their Railroading Merit Badge. For more information click on the Merit Badge link at left.

The 2010 National NTRAK Show and Danville Old 97 Rail Days are sponsored by the Eastern N Lines Partnership, in association with the City of Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department and the Danville Science Center. The various pages on this web-site provide everything you need to know to plan your trip and participation in the show.

Registration for the Show is open; click on the "Registration Information" link at left. Registration is free. Your only expenses will be travel, food and lodging.

You must register at the Holiday Inn Danville before August 23, 2010 to be sure of receiving the special room rate. Click here for hotel information and booking code.

The Eastern N LInes Partnership™

Several years ago a number of Clubs that had been participating in train shows in locations distant from their home base formed a partnership to organize and successfully conduct these train shows. These out-of-town shows generally entailed a significant effort beyond what would normally be required to operate a local show. This cooperation among the various clubs was formalized at the first Danville Old 97 Rail Days in 2003 with the founding of the Eastern N Lines Partnership™.

The ENL partnership clubs have also worked together to develop new concepts for prototype operations using standard NTRAK modules. These concepts have evolved and been tested at previous Old 97 Rail Days. They will be the feature attraction of this Show — NTRAK 2010.


Current members of the Eastern N Lines Partnership™ are:

The Danville Rail Days show has been, and continues to be, the signature show for the Eastern N Lines Partnership™. For more information about the Eastern N LInes Partnership™ click here to go to the ENL web site.

City of Danville Parts, Recreation & Tourism Department

The City of Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, among many other functions, manages and operates the facilities at The Crossing at the Dan, the location of the 2010 National NTRAK Show and Old 97 Rail Days. The manager of The Crossing is working closely with the Show Committee to make available and configure the facilities needed to ensure a successful show and 2010 Rail Days.

Danville Parks, Recreation, and Tourism offers an array of activities, facilities and services to meet the varied recreational needs and interests of the City of Danville's diverse population, including: Outdoor recreation programs and services; Sports and athletics programs and leagues; Music, dance and cultural arts programs; Arts and crafts programs; instructional programs and workshops; Hobbies and special interest programs; Special events; Self improvement opportunities; Open recreation; and Camps, after school and child care services.

Danville Science Center

Located at the historic Crossing at the Dan, the Danville Science Center delights all ages with its hands-on exhibits and special programs that make science fun for everyone. During butterfly season (April-October), don't miss the beauty of the Butterfly Station and Garden — one of only a few butterfly greenhouses in Virginia.

The Science Center includes the 1899 Southern Railway Passenger Station. It is registered with the Virginia Landmarks Commission and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Science Center is a division of the Science Museum of Virginia.
The Danville Science Center has been a major sponsor and supporter of the annual Danville Old 97 Rail Days celebration, featuring the NTRAK layout of the Eastern N LInes Partnership™ clubs.

Copyright © 2009–2010 Eastern N Lines Partnership™. All rights reserved.
The various logos and heralds shown here are the property of their respective organizations.

Last updated: Thursday July 29, 2010

2010 National NTRAK Convention
Webmaster: John M Wallis (Email)

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