Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to ride the rails? Or have you seen long lines of engines and cars and wondered what they are hauling and where they are headed?
Mike Offineer, “The Train Guy,” will present a program on railroading at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 10, that will address these questions. The free program will be at the 1870 Appleton City MK&T Depot on Hwy. 52 in downtown Appleton City.
Mike, a retired locomotive engineer, will also have a display of artifacts and photographs set up at the depot at 1 p.m., with the program starting at 2 p.m. Rick Kraus of Marshal, Mo., will have two model railroad tracks set up in the depot waiting room, with an emphasis on the MK&T, also at 1 p.m.
Mike worked for both the MKT and Union Pacific in his 41 years working on the railroad. He started as a brakeman for the MK&T and worked his way up to engineer. After the MKT merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1988, Mike continued as an engineer until retirement in 2014. He loves to share his love of the rails and the engines, and speaks on how trains and locomotives operate, lantern and hand signals, and the history of the caboose.
The program lasts 90 minutes, and is recommended for ages 12 and up. Donations will be accepted to support preservation efforts of the Appleton City Depot, which is in the National Register of Historic Places and was the last operating depot on the line.
Mike speaks to libraries, clubs, historical societies and groups interested in the romance of the rails. This unique opportunity to learn more about the MK&T, and is presented by the Appleton City Museum.
While we may not see trains come through St. Clair County anymore, the fascination with trains continues.
