New RailCamp Location for 2012
For 2012, the NRHS is expanding it's RailCamp program with an additional venue in Tacoma, Washington. This 7-day program presents campers with an array of railroad experience from Antique to State-of-the-Art. From morning Safety Briefing to lights out at night they’ll learn how railroaders do their challenging jobs, much of it with hands-on experience.
After learning about Station Operations they’ll participate in turning an arriving passenger train to see what it takes to make it ready to head the other way. They’ll watch heavy maintenance on conventional equipment as well as the amazing high-speed Spanish Talgo trains to see how they differ.
They will discover what makes an FRA track defect, learn how to fix it and then run a train over it to see how they did. They’ll conduct an Annual Inspection of a working, in-service locomotive, then see a cold steam engine get its fire and watch it come up to operating pressure so they can take it for a spin.
They will watch intermodal operations at a major seaport and learn how the railroad’s people keep track of the thousands of containers offloaded every day, and watch a yardmaster direct the complicated dance that sends the 100-car platform trains out on the main line and across the country while at the same time receiving returning trains coming back.
There will be fun, too; like an evening barbeque right in the middle of a railroad yard and a ride on a speeder. They’ll come away after 5 intense days with a greater sense of what it takes to be part of the art and science of railroading, and just maybe a plan to find a career in it.
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