On May 9, 2009, Amtrak is celebrating rail travel with its second annual National Train Day, with free events being held across the country. National Train Day commemorates the first transcontinental railroad — completed on May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah when the “golden spike” was driven.

Major events will be held in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.  All of these locations will include live music, equipment displays, ceremonies, activities for children and Train Day souveniers. Smaller events will also be held nationwide. You can get more information from the list of secondary event locations.

For members of the Amtrak Guest Rewards program, Amtrak is offering quadruple points for any rail trip taken on May 9,2009.

I’m sorry I was not able to get this infomation onto N Scale Limited sooner, giving you time to plan for the day.  Hopefully, you be able to take advantage of these national events.

Unfortunately, I will be leaving for vacation first thing in the morning and won’t be able to attend the day’s events in Philadelphia. If any of our U.S. readers do decide to attend, feel free to share your thoughts and photos.

For detailed information about National Train Day and the day’s events, visit Amtrak’s National Train Day Web site.