MILLTOWN — The annual Milltown Raritan River Railroad Holiday Train Show will celebrate the railroad’s 125th anniversary.
“This year’s show will have a strong emphasis on the amazing story of this little railroad,” said Kathy Heilman, president of the Milltown Historical Society.
The train show, which features a Christmas scene and over a dozen working model trains, vintage and modern, will be held on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 at the American Legion hall.
Heilman said there will be many never-before seen artifacts, photographs and train parts from the railroad on display. Former railroad (RRRR) employees and some of their family members will be on hand to give personal accounts of their association with the railroad.
Tom Reynolds will be presenting slides, historical maps and photographs in a new presentation of the RRRR history covering the past 125 years.
Joseph L. Mania, featured columnist in the magazine “Classic Toy Trains” and owner of JLM Toy Train, will be available for free consultations for those that have non-working trains or have questions about repair and maintenance.
Also, there will be a buyer of toy trains and layouts available .
The event will feature a student section with two individual working layouts, as well as a visit from Santa.
Door prizes, a refreshment stand, a shopping area and the famous model replica of the last remaining RRRR train station will be on hand.
The show will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the American Legion located at 4 JF Kennedy Drive.
Suggested donation is $5 per person. Children under 3 are admitted free.
All donations will go toward relocation and restoration of the former Milltown rail station on Washington Street, which was part of the Raritan River Railroad.
Since 2010, the Milltown Historical Society and Raritan River Chapter of NRHS have combined their efforts to raise funds.
The site was once the location of the Kuhlthau Feed and Coal Co., which was serviced by the Raritan River Railroad. The station was a passenger train station in the 1930s and then was used as a freight station until the late 1970s. It ceased operation in 1980.
The first passenger train departed from Milltown on Jan. 6, 1890, and from New Brunswick on July 4, 1890.
Event sponsors include: Jim Reid, owner of Frosty Automotive, the Milltown Historical Society, Milltown Library and the Raritan River Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
For more information, contact Kathy Heilman at [email protected].