Lombard: Yorktown Center Train

Ready to ride! 

 Lombard, IL -- With the big kids back in school, my preschooler and I took advantage of one of his last summer days to go on an excursion for just the two of us. I chose Yorktown Center as our destination since I had heard about the mall's train and knew it would be a hit. (Also, my older train lover may be just a bit above the 54 inch maximum passenger height.)

William and I arrived just as the mall opened, even before the Yorktown Express Train operator had arrived at the station. So we peeked at the tracks from above and browsed through a store or two first. Before long the train was ready for rides. One ride costs $2, payable to an automated kiosk that takes payment in exchange for ride tokens. (William wished that he would have been able to keep the golden coin: "They could scan the train quarter and I could keep it and ride on any train anywhere!") The train operator collected the token then let the sole passenger chose his car. For this first ride, he picked the middle car,  but later decided that on any future rides he would ride in the engine. The ride lasts several minutes, enough time to loop around an island of camping mannequins and woodland critters. By the time we left the shopping center an hour or two later several families were watching their young ones enjoy a ride.

View from the mall's second level

The Yorktown Express is just one of the fun features for young ones. At the mall's Center Court, a 2,000 square foot soft-surface play area offers ample opportunity to use those wiggly, growing muscles. During a snack or lunch break smaller folks are treated to kid-sized tables in the food court. Any "nature-calls" moments are made easier by the child-sized toilet options in the upstairs family restrooms, assuming kids can get past the cartoons on the TV in the lounge!

Until this visit, it had been at least 25 years since the last time I had been inside Yorktown Center. I'm impressed with it's brightness, cleanliness and attention to the needs of those bound to spend time in an indoor mall: families of the stroller set. The five-year old enjoyed it enough that he raved about everything to his big brother and sister and wants to bring them back for a train ride soon. I just hope they fit!

Find Yorktown Center at the northeast corner of Butterfield Road and Highland Avenue in Lombard. It is open from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. everyday except Sunday, when its open 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. The train is located near Marshalls/Homegoods on the main floor. Rides are free on "Toot-toot Tuesdays." 

This way to the Yorktown Express! 

Goodbye until next time! 

Railroad Roadtrip: Trains in Wisconsin's Northwoods

At the Minocqua Museum

Northern Wisconsin -- Ah, the Northwoods: a vacation paradise of forests, lakes and trains.

For families who head Up North on their summer vacation, a day away from the cabin can include a whistle stop at local museums with charming model train layouts and retired railroad cars. More avid railroad fans can even enjoy the rare opportunity to ride an operational steam train. This being a tourist paradise, the non-train lover will be rewarded for coming along for the ride with fun sites to see and things to do at the very same spots.

Main-level layout at Minocqua Museum

Large layout at the Minocqua Museum

MINOCQUA

My family  recently returned from our first Northwoods vacation in several years. We knew our week in the woods would include a few train stops, but the first was a chance discovery. During a morning visit to Minocqua we were in need of rest rooms and turned to the Minocqua Museum in our time of need. Lo and behold, what should we discover upon entering but a delightful model train layout on the main level and an even larger layout in the museum's basement. Both illustrate the area's history as towns grew up around railroad lines thanks to logging and tourism industries in the late 19th century. My boys were captivated by both layouts and appreciated being able to operate some of the trains with the push of a button. As is so often the case at small museums, the  engineer on hand, who had built both layouts, was eager to share his love of history and trains with our family. (For my daughter, who was less entranced with the trains, other exhibits fascinated her, including sitting in the Cameron automobile and playing teacher in the schoolhouse exhibit.)

LAONA

The Lumberjack Steam Train
Laona, Wisconsin

The very next day, our family headed in the opposite direction to little Laona, Wisconsin for a ride on the Lumberjack Steam Train. Despite our many visits to train museums and countless train rides, this day marked our first family experience with a real, running steam engine. In truth, it was the dad of the family who was most excited to finally experience the puff-puff, chug-chug! According to the museum, the "Laona & Northern Railway was incorporated in 1902. ... It is the only logging railroad engine left in Wisconsin operating on its original line." The engine itself, a 2-6-2 for those of you who count wheels, was built in 1916.

Playground at Camp 5 

View from the caboose cupola

On our ride from the Laona station to Camp 5 (a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places) we sat in the Open Car. Thanks to the Plexiglass shielding we were able to enjoy a view of the engine pushing us backwards to the camp without experiencing the grit that would have been a feature of steam travel in days gone by. Two coach passenger cars were an option for riders as well, as two -- yes, two -- bright yellow cabooses. The ride lasted not much more than 10 minutes, but it wound through beautiful woods, across level crossings and a lake-side bridge, finally ending in the picturesque Camp 5. During our two-hour visit, our middle-child was rewarded for her train tolerance with a visit to the Animal Petting Corral where she and her brothers were able to pet kittens, hold bunnies, and get close to goats, pigs, chickens and a calf. Everyone enjoyed also wandering through the forestry museum -- nothing like seeing the real tools of actual loggers to put that Paul Bunyan Cook Shanty breakfast into perspective. Of course, no matter where we go, the kids always like the park the best, so the playground next to the "Choo-Choo Hut" cafe could have entertained them for hours. When it was time say goodbye to Camp 5, the kids skipped over the passenger cars in favor of a caboose seat, willing to wait 20 minutes in the cupola to hold their places up high and mastering the art of small talk with other kids doing the very same thing. After we returned to the station and spent some time gazing at the train from the safety of a conveniently placed swing set, we pulled out of the parking lot with a send-off blow of the train whistle and a wave from the locomotive's engineer.

Cabooses!

After disembarking from the return trip,
 children took turns tooting the steam whistle

RHINELANDER

"Steam Hauler" for pulling sleighs loaded with logs

Our final train trek took us to Pioneer Park in Rhinelander. According to the museum docents who welcomed us, most kids head straight to the same place mine dashed upon entering the grounds: the Rhinelander Railroad Museum and Model Railroad. Its focal point is the circa 1890 Soo Line depot, which features four rooms of railroad memorabilia, including telegraph equipment that my 2-year old found most compelling. The Rhinelander Rail Association operates the model railroad layout on the lower level, providing a glimpse of the community's history as the rail lines and town centers would have appeared in the early twentieth century.   

Model train display by the Rhinelander Rail Association

Part of a mural outside the Firebarn. 

Outside the depot, visitors may inspect the 1925 narrow gauge steam engine and a passenger car from the Thunder Lake Lumber Company, a caboose from the Soo Line Railroad, a signal tower, and many other equipment pieces. Kids can walk through the caboose, but at this time the passenger car is being restored and is not open for inside visits. Due to the age of the equipment, climbing on the locomotive is also forbidden, however, a museum brochure points to the cow catcher on the front of the engine as a fine place for posed photos. (While there, take note of the narrowness of the narrow-gauge tracks: just 36 inches apart, compared to the 56 inches between the rails of standard trains.) 

"Number 5," a narrow-gauge locomotive

This museum also features several additional exhibits depicting the varied history of the region and diverse interests of guests. Other sites include a sawmill, one-room school house, Civilian Conservation Corps camp building, restored fire engines, blacksmith shop, boating museum, logging displays, and a gift shop. Aside from the trains, my kids were most engaged by the school house with its sand table and collection of rubber stamps -- apparently children across the generations enjoy spending their free time at school in similar ways. 

After visiting the Hodag in the gift shop -- Babe the Blue Ox isn't the only mysterious creature of the northwoods -- we were begged yet again to head for the playground next to the museum for some running, climbing, and sliding. It was the end of the line our train adventures. We needed a day of playing in the woods and the lake before saying "All aboard" to the family van and heading home.  

Soo Line Caboose from the 1880s

Maple Park: Orchard Train Coming to Kuipers Family Farm

Our first visit to Kuipers in 2007.
Future visits could include a train ride
among the autumn activities

Maple Park, Ill.  -- All aboard the orchard train! According to an article in today's Kane County Chronicle, Kuipers Family Farm has been given the okay to install a train for guests to ride. The Kane County Board approved the action during this week's meeting. The train may not be ready for little engineers for another year, but installation of the track could begin this summer. 

No Polar Express Here: Digging out from the Polar Vortex

We here at Railroad Kids headquarters are just now digging out of the Polar Vortex. Oh, there has been much building of trains this winter. It takes the skill of an Olympic slalom skier to navigate rooms that have been literally covered in wooden train tracks, Lego train tracks and Power Train tracks, not to mention the urban landscapes that said railroads traverse.  As always, our reading of train books and viewing of train videos goes on and on. 

With the layout
she built herself 

Unfortunately, between the frigid cold and the epic power of Winter Germs, we haven't been out to visit many train sites this winter. We aren't the only ones who have sequestered ourselves. I was heartbroken to see the season has been too tough for a great little restaurant in Geneva. Last month, the Boxcar train restaurant announced that it was closing its doors. It was nice place: tasty food, fun for the kids, decorated in a way that even adults could appreciate. The Boxcar will be missed. 

After Christmas there was certainly a lull in train-themed family activities of all sorts, but take heart, those types of events are picking up again. May I point to the Chicago Family Palooza happening this very day in at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles? If you can't stand today's return to snow and icy winds, the many, many indoor attractions include a trackless train ride. It's the kind of thing that my kids would love if all three were healthy simultaneously. Alas, such is not the case. 

So, we continue to dream of Spring. Even now, my two year old is making a substantial Duplo train and station right here in the living room. No cough can hold him back from his engineering pursuits. Someday soon we hope to get out and ride the rails again. Until then, we build, build build! 

South Elgin: Polar Express ride at An Almost Winter Day

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With snow on the ground today and Christmas carols playing in the stores, it is now undeniable that ye olde holiday season is upon us. Here in the land of Kids Who Love Trains, that means I should be gearing up for the seasonal delight of many a family: The Polar Express Christmas train ride. These rides, put on by many park districts and other community groups, feature a reading of the popular storybook by Chris Van Allsburg and a visit by Santa. Unfortunately, despite many years as mom to a railroad fanatic, we have never actually participated in any of the dozens of December rides in the area because:

1. I'm a cheapskate frugal manager of my family's financial resources. 
2. Crowds = cranky parents. (Someday my kids may share with therapists the humiliation of being  dressed in matching neon  -- and easy to locate -- outfits whenever we hit the town, but that means I was, in fact, successful in not loosing them amid the mob.)
3. I'm still learning to plan family activities more than 24 hours in advance. 

It's that last point that is the real issue here for anyone wanting to enjoy the Polar Express experience. I would love to give you a full listing of all your Christmas train ride options. Fortunately, that work has been compiled by other sites so all of us can get a jump on our holiday scheduling for 2014 because if you, like me, don't already have tickets in hand for a St. Nick on a train experience, we're probably out of luck. These events are hugely popular and sell out weeks, if not months in advance. Generally, it's just not a "Hey, what should we do this weekend?" kind of activity. Don't despair, though, if someone in your house had their heart set on a festive ride on the rails. For the procrastinators among us, or those who are simply ready to jump into the holiday spirit nice and early, South Elgin has an event to try. 

This Saturday, Nov. 16, South Elgin's SEBA Park will be the site of An Almost Winter Day. Several Christmas-themed activities are planned, including a ride from the Trolley Museum to the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve as a reading of the Polar Express is presented. No reservations are accepted, so plan your afternoon accordingly. Kids and their families will also be able to enjoy activities such as a petting zoo, s'mores making, sleigh rides, and cookie decorating. Santa is expected at 4:30 p.m. and the community's Christmas tree lighting will happen at 5 p.m. at the Footprints in Time Plaza. Everything gets started at 3 p.m. and wraps up with the the tree lighting. 

By the way, as you are making plans for last-minute Christmas activities this year and thinking ahead to next year's calendar, keep in mind that what was once a "Polar Express ride" may become a "Santa train ride." Concerns over copyright infringement mean that groups offering these rides either need to pay royalties (and raise fees) or redesign their program. The show will go on, but the name of the activity may change. 

Also, tickets for the 2014 Polar Express ride at the Fox River Trolley Museum go on sale June 1, 2014!

Pumpkin Farm Train Rides

Image courtesy of nuchylee
 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The clock is running out on opportunities for pumpkin farm fun this season. Most farm and orchard activities wrap up this weekend or run just through October 31. To find just the right last minute afternoon outing or day trip for your family -- with train ride options, of course! -- try these links:

"Looking for a Great Pumpkin" -- This Sun Times article offers a multitude of suggestions. Do a page search for "trains" and plenty of ideas appear, including All Seasons Apple Orchard in Woodstock, Dollinger Family Farm in Channahon, Harms Farm Garden Center in McHenry, Johansen Farms in Bolingbrook, Kuipers Farm in Maple Park, Randy's Vegetables in Sleepy Hollow and Siegel's Cottonwood Farms in Crest Hill. Take a special look at the steam train rides offered during the weekend at the Dollinger Family Farm. For $3, riders get a ride the rails on a real mini-steam train. 

Pumpkin Patches and More: Trains appear at Yaegers Farm Market in DeKalb, Anderson's Fun-E Farm in Plainfield, Stade's Market in McHenry,  All Seasons Orchard in Woodstock, Royal Oak Farm in Harvard,  Tom's Farm Market in Huntley, Konow's Corn Maze in Homer Glen, and Settlers Pond Shelter in Beecher. The Royal Oak Express at Royal Oak Farm offers a ride for parents and kids on a miniature replica of a 19th century train. Rides are $2.50. 

Make it Better:  A crisp, clean site with orchard suggestions for Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. 

University of Illinois Extension: If you would like to head beyond the Chicago area, here's a good resources for farms in other areas of the state. 

Illinois AgFun Another list of Illinois pumpkin patches. 

Be sure to call ahead before you go to be sure your farm destination is still open! 

Oak Lawn: Southland Model Railroad Show

This weekend, go see some trains for a good cause. Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn will play host to the Southland Model Railroad Show this Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds from ticket sales support "music programs, including biennial trips to Disney World and the purchase of equipment and supplies at Richards" For your $6 admission ($5 for seniors and free for kids under 12), you can expect to see the "largest HO layout in Chicago" as well as displays from at least a dozen model railroad clubs. The Will County Model Railroad Association promises to fill the school's gym with 7,000 feet of model railroad layout. Other exhibiting clubs hail from all over Illinois, as well as Indiana and Wisconsin. Other activities include Lego train displays and kids' activities, such as train races. There will even be a ride on train to enjoy. Guests will also be able to shop from numerous vendors on site at the event. 

The Southland Model Railroad Show happens Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. H. L. Richards High School is located at 10601 S. Central Ave. Oak Lawn, IL.  

Deerfield: Halloween Hoopla

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is just one more weekend before Halloween and it will be filled with so very many local family activities. For those in the Deerfield area with young ones, head over to the Jewett Park Community Center for the annual Halloween Hoopla. Thanks to one of the event's sponsors, Koenig and Strey Realtors, a trackless train will be on hand for rides, as well as inflatables and other activities, too. Other activities will include visits by costumed characters, hay rides, crafts, face painting, balloon twisting and games. Kids are encouraged to come in costume. Activities are scheduled for the evenings of Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26 and Saturday afternoon. Check the park district's website for a complete schedule of activities and times. 

Jewett Park Community Center is located at 836 Jewett Park Drive, Deerfield. 

Mt. Prospect: Hoot! Hoot! Express train at Howlin' Halloween

Image courtesy of supakitmod
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Halloween train alert! This Saturday, October 19, visit the Mt. Prospect Park District's Lions Recreation Center for their annual  Howlin' Halloween event. The kid-friendly activities include rides on the Hoot! Hoot! Express. This colorful, trackless train is just right for the youngest railroad fans. Kids are welcome to come in costume and enjoy all the festival's activities, including kids' games, crafts, face panting, hay ride, pumpkins and live entertainment. Edible goodies will be available, too. (Take a look at the park district's website for photos from last year's event.) Everything happens between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Kids' tickets are $4. Adults get in free! 

The recreation center is located at 411 S. Maple St., Mt. Prospect. Call (847) 632-9333 for more information. 

Batavia: Pete's Train at Poplar Acres

A favorite miniature train ride from north-central Illinois has a new suburban location this fall. The Waterman & Western Railroad is currently chugging away at  Poplar Acres, just west of Batavia. "Pete's Train," named for builder and owner Pete Robinson, is a  "1/4 scale model F-3 Electromotive" in bright red and yellow pulling passengers in open-air cars also built by Robinson and his team. This is Poplar Farm's first public season in over two decades, and they have plenty more activities for fall fun. For $10 guests can ride the train as well as enjoy a tractor ride, two corn mazes, three big slides, baby animals, larger farm animals and more. Individual train ride tickets are $3. Hours are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 pm. and Sundays from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. 

Poplar Acres is at 39 W. 100 Main Street, Batavia.  

Update: The Kane County Chronicle features a profile of Poplar Acres in the Oct. 5, 2013 edition of the paper. 

Road Trip: National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI

The Union Pacific Big Boy and Pennsylvania electric locomtive

Big Boy

The goal of our recent family get-away (because we're predictable like this) was to head up to Green Bay, Wisconsin to see the National Railroad Museum. Sure, the Illinois Railway Museum in Union is bigger and certainly closer, but Green Bay has a shining star: the Union Pacific Big Boy. This steam engine was one of just 25 built in the early 1940s to tackle the mountains of the Wasatch Range in Utah. Only eight still exist in transportation museums around the country. It's notable because it's enormous, the largest steam engine ever built. Truly, words cannot express how massive this machine is. Any self-respecting train lover needs to take a look at this thing. Neither #4017 nor it's surviving peers run any more, so it's worry-free exploration for the kids. This Big Boy is living out its retirement in a comfy indoor shed and guests are welcome to climb into the cab and ponder the skill of the engineers who knew how to work the countless levers, gauges and dials. Those were men of serious skill.

They know their audience:
climb-on train structures at the playground

Anytime we visit a train museum, my kids are completely overwhelmed by how much there is to see and do. The National Railroad Museum is no exception. We arrived a bit before the museum opened for the day, but that was okay because a play area right next to the parking lot features wooden train climbing structures, as well as a large swing set and sand box. The play area alone could have entertained the kids for a good long time and might make for a good picnic spot on a warmer day. (Green Bay in October is chilly, after all.) Inside there are several interesting permanent and temporary exhibits on railroad history which I would have loved to digest, but small kids have no patience for things like railroad china, especially with giant engines down the hall. In addition to the indoor center, the train pavilion outside displays the streamlined Aerotrain, several additional steam engines, passenger cars from all eras and maintenance equipment. The kids love walking through the passenger cars, especially looking at the tiny sleeper car bedrooms and climbing around the observation car's tables and kitchens.  Behind the museum is an observation tower that gives a great view of the grounds and surrounding area. Several times each day, a train ride departs from the "Hood Junction Depot" for two loops around grounds. Honestly, it was the slowest train ride we've ever experienced, but it's not a long stretch of track, so at least we spent a respectable amount of time riding. Following that, a movie on the history of the Big Boy is shown in the museum's theater. I had to duck out with a squirmy toddler but my 6-year old assures me it was great. (That's a good review from someone who is actually more interested in diesel engines than steam, if truth be told.) To cap things off, there's a fully-stocked gift shop with a huge number of items for kids and adults.

We combined this visit with stops at other sights along the way and in Green Bay, which made for a very pleasant trip. The National Railroad Museum is definitely worth a stop either as a destination for train lovers or as a side trip during Wisconsin travels. Like so many train sites, there are special events planned for autumn and Christmas holidays for extra fun.

Aerotrain and other engines in the train pavilion

View from the observation tower -- 99 steps up!

In an old mail car, the town labels looked very familiar:
Geneva, St. Charles, West Chicago, Skokie, DeKalb, etc. 

Road Trip: Jelly Belly Center,Pleasant Prairie, WI

Thanks to a long weekend off from school, my family was recently able to get away for a few days and visit some places that have been on our to-see list. Our first stop was Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin where the folks at Jelly Belly have turned their candy-distribution warehouse into a very sweet train ride. The tour around their facility takes visitors on a half-an-hour train ride with stops along the way to see videos about the history of the company and the making of their jelly beans, as well as displays of candy-making equipment. Sure, it's basically advertising, but it's a  free train ride that ends with free samples! What's not to love? The "retail center" even features a sample bar where guests can taste (one bean at a time) the many, many unique flavors. My kids wisely chose various chocolate flavors, but my husband and I tried the flavors we would probably never buy: dirt, grass. Of course, if you wanted to buy crazy flavors, standard flavors, tiny packages or giant gift boxes, those options are all available to you.

The Jelly Belly Center is a short jaunt off Interstate 94, just past the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

Getting off the Jelly Belly Express

Pumpkin trains

The apple-picking season is coming to a rapid end, thanks to our odd spring weather, but the pumpkin farms are now open in force.  Just like the orchards, the pumpkin patches are full of kids' activities, including trains! Yesterday I noted that I'd seen adds for trains at Bengtson's in Homer Glen and Siegel's in Crest Hill. My local paper today has an add for Pumpkin Train Rides in Waterman, Il. According to the add, there is a walk through the Haunted Train Station, a ride past Halloween-themed spooks, including a long tunnel, and a stop at a pumpkin patch for a free pumpkin. This train runs weekends in October, but if we miss out a visit during the fall season, it looks like the Waterman & Western Railroad is worth a visit throughout the year for other events or just a weekend jaunt on a small-scale model RR. 

From the family archives:
A visit to the pumpkin patch at
the Fox River Trolley Museum

I've mentioned it before, but pumpkin train rides are coming up at the Fox River Trolley Museum, too. It's a nice low-key outing for fall, especially with the beautiful scenery of the Fox River to enjoy. 

So, I keep looking at the holiday activity listings of all types. Finding a train ride with a seasonal twist isn't difficult at all.