http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=364929

An explanation: This is a Real Ale Festival, where all the beer is fresh from the breweries with natural, fermentation-induced carbonation, no CO2 pressurization or forced carbonation at all. This is craft beer at its finest and freshest. It's to good beer what live steam is to model railroading, or the operation of original locomotives and rolling stock on its original route (or a photo charter) is to rail preservation.

This Real Ale Fest, or Rail Ale Fest, is at Barrow Hill Roundhouse in England:

http://www.barrowhill.org/

http://www.derbybeerfestival.co.uk/rail ... tival.html

Photo gallery: http://www.if-images.com/gallery/index. ... bum&id=104

I've ridden an "Oktoberfest" beer-serving excursion on the Verde Canyon RR, and there's the Napa Valley Wine Train, but both those concerns are for-profit. The B&O Museum has hosted a fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation that included craft beer and wine, but in that instance they acted strictly as a rental hall, not incorporating the rail theme into the event at all.

I'm particularly proud of the fact that "my" loco group, the Deltic Preservation Society Ltd., maintains its loco depot and three Deltics at Barrow Hill (in a separate building we built). I'm also a member of the only U.S. branch of the Society for Preservation of Beers from the Wood, a cask-ale appreciation society that pre-dates the better-known (and more "activist") Campaign for Real Ale.

What would be the reaction if you went to your group/museum and proposed a special beer festival as a fundraiser?

I don't know about a strictly museum operation, but some of the most popular excursions on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic are their wine and beer tasting trains, and since they are a not-for-profit operation I guess they would qualify under your criteria.

Never mind fundraising, that'd be a great way to attract volunteers!

I may be to young, but I'm impressed on how successful events like this are. Just add music, and you've got Octoberfest. Besides, it wouldn't surpise me if one of the more successful museums tries one of these types of events. Not exactally kid friendly, but it gets parents to a museum to see it, and they could possibly decide to take their kids to said museum at a later date. Interesting how just a little bit of beer can make such an impact.

Don't forget the real ale festivals at the Welsh Highland Railway. Very popular events.

I'd certainly want to attend. Good Pub Grub, even more interested.

The Southern Baptists in my area probably wouldn't attend, but they tend to avoid anything that remotely permits an attendee to have a good time, so they don't show anyhow, no net loss.

Colleges nearby, so there's a decent chance of some crossover there.

It's June, Dylan...........sigh.

On a more conceptual perspective, the provision of food and drink makes for an event that provides a higher perceived value to the consumer for staged events, but it has to be done well. Well doesn't mean fancy, beer and pizza events or BBQ pits and local brews might even bring in a larger audience than recreating the golden days of Pullman dining car service circa 1911, and the cost will be available as an impulse buy to a much wider market.

Fall seasonal harvest based events are easy to find partners to produce - summer's heat is waning, winter's cold isn't around yet, regional farmers are ready for a party and to show off their wares. There's an innate impulse within us, culturally as well as hormonally, that encourages us to reflect and enjoy the fruits of our labors come autumn, going back into prehistory and pagan belief systems, that resonate on our modern adaptations of Halloween and Thanksgiving. I'd love to ride a train to a bonfire on a cool October night and have a good pint or two, eat some fresh produce dishes and good BBQ, and hear some good accoustic music. Or, to a Farmer's Market site during the day, or to the county fair.....locavore activists and departments of agriculture as well as vendors of products will show some support and assistance, even grocery chains if you do it right. Almost time enough to pull something together if you start now.

dave

Nope. The music distracts from the real ale. >:-)

Alexander D. Mitchell IV
Card-Carrying member, Chesapeake Bay Branch, Society for Preservation of Beers from the Wood
BeerInBaltimore.blogspot.com

What about Rule G?

I brew my own beer, Rule G Ale.

When I was a brakeman on the D&S, the concession car closed on the return trip at Hermosa, so we would go through the train and let passengers know it was going to close. I also tended to add that the last few miles into town weren't as scenic so they might want to "pass the time". Aside from the rush of 30 kids going to get refills of soda, they'd usually make a last minute killing on beers and other libations.

I also make an IPA: Two Truck Shay

My homebrew is Old Valve Oil Stout.

dave

I see that on the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad's calendar, they just recently added a "Beer Tasting Train" for Father's Day. If I drank beer, I'd be there!

> A Fundraiser You'll Never See At a U.S. RR Museum

You sure about that? ;)

Mt Rainier Scenic's second annual "Rails to Ales" event will be held in October. Maybe you should stop by and have a cold one.

http://mrsr.rezgo.com/details/17584/11- ... -october-1



> What would be the reaction if you went to your group/museum
> and proposed a special beer festival as a fundraiser?

Uhm, they'd say "We're already doing one in October Bob, didn't you read the events schedule?" :)

I hope Rule G Ale, Old Valve Oil Stout and Two Truck Shay IPA have more ABV % than the ones shown in the Rail Ale picture!

This is something you learn really quickly in the craft beer and Real Ale movements:

The British are about subtlety, fine craftsmanship, and quality, and preferably doing it in a manner where you can have an Imperial pint with lunch or dinner and no one notices. (One forum participant related to me the story of the steam loco crew of a North Yorkshire Moors Railway train, years ago, running around the train at the one end of the line, coupling up, then ducking across the street for a quick pint before the return trip! And in several UK heritage lines, you can do that right at the station, as the station comes complete with a pub!!!!)

The Americans, by comparison, are all about seeing how much hops, alcohol, or other "extreme" they can throw at you. Or, as British brewers/importers and I have openly said, "It's all a [naughty-bit]-wagging contest to the Yanks."

This strip applies all too well to far too many craft beer "geeks" in the United States:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nv-69z_Tai4/S ... xtreme.bmp

If you're sampling from 150 ales, you stand a better chance of remembering what was good, or being able to read your notes or understand your dictations, if the beer is like the ones pictured than those at the typical American craft beer festival.

How many breweries can boast they had their own railway? Guinness did. I therefore propose that we in preservation only support Guinness, to the exclusion of all others!