Railway Days Turns 40: What to See and Do at Heritage Park This Weekend

If you’ve been meaning to get to Heritage Park this fall, this is the weekend to go. Railway Days turns 40 on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20.

The Historical Village runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the kind of railway stuff you don’t get on a regular park day. Both of Heritage Park’s steam engines pull together as a double-header. Crews swing a locomotive on the park’s 1907 turntable behind the Roundhouse, a demo they only do once a year.

You can ride the steam train, pump a historic handcar near the Railway Car Shop, and watch the crew fill a locomotive at the water tower. At Midnapore, Laggan, and Shepard stations, telegraph operators still pass train orders the old way, and you can send a telegram yourself. Model clubs fill the Canmore Opera House, Roundhouse, Innovation Crossing, and Gasoline Alley with layouts. Kids can work through the Railway Challenge activities across the park for a chance to win prizes.

Railway Days runs Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Heritage Park Historical Village, 1900 Heritage Dr. S.W. Activities are included with regular village admission. Annual Members and Heritage Club Members get in for free.