Just received a sample copy September issue of The Civil War Courier, a newsprint tabloid for Civil War buffs. It runs 72 pages. Judging from the news articles on reenactments, historic preservation, and book reviews as well as ads for memorabilia, the publication is part of a large and thriving cottage industry.

Railroads played important strategic roles during the Civil War. I wonder if some rail museums could leverage that history (even without period appropriate rolling stock) by hosting encampments and historic presentations that relate to railroading. I'm not a fan of battle reenactments or train robberies (water pistols OK). Too much can go wrong.

Maybe some museums already have Civil War events. I'd be curious to learn of their experiences. Were the events financially rewarding? Did they attract new visitors? Or did new visitors come just to see Civil War stuff and not the trains?

Sloan

I have been quietly suggesting for years an Andrews Raid event on the Georgia Northeastern, perhaps using the two 4-4-0s from Stone Mountain, but the only result was having my sanity questioned. I wonder what other significant events of that era would include a high railroad participation and entertainment value?

dave

I know for a fact that Railroads have hosted these type of events you are speaking of. Gettysburg has in the past, usually in July. I think they still hold this event, even under new ownership. I think its kinda a given with them...I mean it is Gettysburg. I think Pine Creek in NJ held or does hold one on occasion.

Wilmington & Western held them annually in September. They always did well, they had a skirmish too. The encampment was at the station, and the skirmish was up the line, while enroute the reenactors traversed the train telling stories answering questions etc...sometime playing out a skit or two. Ususally the 2 day event would easilty get over 2,000 on the 4 trains they would runduring the 2 days. They also ran a night train at one time that would sell out or just about sell out.

Unfortunately the last time they had a big Civil War event scheduled was the weekend that Floyed hit the railroad in 1999.

Many scoff at shoot outs and the like, but the numbers always showed high on these type of events and also the Wild West Days. In my observation of the W&W, these days ranked right up there with the Easter, Fall foliage and Xmas runs as far as head counts and revenue.

The B&O Museum has hosted reenactors in the past. The reenactors are usually Union soldiers who portray the forces occupying Baltimore.

In 1996 the Museum pulled its "Memnon" antebellum 0-8-0 and a pair of pot hoppers out of the Roundhouse and placed them on Carroll Siding by the federal-era Carrollton Mansion, with the soldiers encaped around the train. The Union soldiers camped around that authentic Civil War-era train made an impressive sight.

IRM hosts a Civil War Day each year, and has for the past four or five years. It's always been a success and each year the battle reenactment depicts some sort of railroad-related fight (one year it was the Andrews raid, another year the seizure of a Confederate supply train in spring 1865, etc), although the railway equipment used is generally c1900 and not c1865.

On the lighter side, a couple of years ago when the reenactors were all camped out at IRM the night before the reenactment, a couple of the reenactors acting as nighttime "guards" actually surprised some local kids who were trespassing on the museum's property. I bet they didn't expect to find an armed encampment when they climbed that fence! :-)

As a long term rail preservationist and an active reenactor, I think the combination of the two is fantastic. There is a great deal of similarity between the reenacting community and rail preservationists. Both groups are composed of people with a strong interest in history and a desire to relive the past, not just read about it. I've met many reenactors who are "latent" railfans, as well as a few of us who are active in both areas. Reenacting and living history is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States right now. It would be a wise move on the part of the rail preservation community to seek closer ties with reenactors. There is much common ground here. The reenacting community also has a strong leadership hierarchy and close co-operation between individual units that could act as an excellent model for strengthening our efforts. Down here in "northern Dixie", the fall Autumn Leaf excursions on the Buckingham Branch RR feature a reenactment on some weekends, and one of the Potomac Eagle's extra trips is tied in with a local festival that features a reenactment. One of the regular events in central Virginia is the "Battle of Lynchburg" reenactment which recreates Union General Hunter's attack on the Virginia & Tennessee. Unfortunately, we have to make do without trains. Many of the battles which took place in Virginia were on or near a railroad line. I would recommend that if anyone has a chance to go to a reenactment, do it. You'll have a great time.

Orange Empire Railway Museum in southern California has for several years hosted Civil War reenactors. This has become a two-day event with the forces camping out on our tree-shaded lawn areas

The organizers have selected battles that involve railroad junctions, etc. This year we even provided a few hundred feet of rail transportation to start off the battle; the Union one day and the Confederates the second day.

RR Museum of PA is doing "Trains and Troops" the week-end of November 6-7. This will include Civil War through Vietnam. See:
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/visitors/seas ... troops.htm
for details.

Thanks to all for your enlightening and informative responses.

Sloan

TVRM has had Civil War events involving re-enactors, but they have all basically been occasional or one time events. Back 7 or 8 years ago, a group of local re-enactors cleared overgrowth from a redoubt that was one of three that protected the East Tennessee and Georgia and Western and Atlantic Railroad bridges over the South Chickamauga Creek. The group occupied the position, giving tours to our visitors and putting members on the train to give historical information, answer questions and look for "Yankees" or "Unionists."

Later, in the summer of 1999 a TVRM train was chartered by a re-enactment group to run a train between Chattanooga and La Fayette, Georgia over the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway. This was a re-enactment of the movement of Confederate troops that occurred in late 1862 or early 1863. It was more symbolic than authentic in nature. The rail line that the train operated over wasn't completed to Chattanooga until 1889 (Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad/CoG) and the train itself was nowhere close to period. The train consisted (in following order) of TVRM 610 (ex-USA 2-8-0, BLH 1952), two ex-Southern Railway flat cars, TVRM 1829 (ex-USA GP-9, EMD 1951), a water tender, an ex-Seaboard MoW car equipped for fire fighting and four air conditioned passenger cars including a commissary car. The passenger cars were necessary as the re-enactors had to ride them until the train was well clear of the Norfolk Southen Railway at Rossville, Georgia. At Rossville, the re-enactors boarded the flatcars and the train was separated. The 610 ran ahead to La Fayette once the local fire authorities were convinced that we had made adequate provisions to prevent setting fires. The 1829 ran behind as a fire train and did make a couple of stops to put out smoldering embers. To my knowledge, this is the extent to which TVRM has been involved in re-enactment events directly related to the war.

This year TVRM started a new round trip to Chickamauga, GA dubbed "The Chickamauga Turn". Passengers who rode this service encountered a living history demonstration upon arrival in Chickamauga. This demonstration consisted of encampments and skirmishes by civil war reenactors. Later trips also had some reenactors on board the train. We operated 5 Turns this year and they were very well received by the public. We expect to continue this service next year.

This Saturday will see a special version of this trip called the "War Between the States Special". This trip will also kick off our Fall Season excursion season with 11 trips down the C&C into North Georgia and 21 trips on the L&N Old Line through the Hiwassee River Gorge.

TVRM is in a particularly good location because the turning point of the Battle of Chickamauga occurred when Gen'l Longstreet's Corps (CSA) arrived by train from Northern Virginia just when they were needed.

One of the reasons the subsequent siege of Chattanooga was lifted was the arrival of 2 corps under Gen'l Hooker (USA) from a rapid (for 1863) rail movement from Washington, mostly on the B&O.

At the Florida Gulf Coast RR Museum we host Civil War encampments and battles once or twice each year and their success has wavered from very good to so-so and back to very good. We're planning to host another Civil War event next month.

This past May we hosted a World War II event, "Von Kessinger's Express". It turned out to be an outstanding success but it was really "different" from other military-related events. This was a real enactment in which museum visitors became players in the action. The scenario was in France in June, 1944, just after the Allies had landed in Normandy. The action involved a "French" train under German control on which the fictional General Von Kessinger was making an escape to Paris with his troops. The museum's visitors were passengers on the train and were issued their "papers" by the German troops as they bought tickets. The Germans were in full uniform and had authentic WWII weapons. Passengers had their papers checked frequently as they boarded the train and during the ride.

After departing, the train was attacked by the French Resistance and the Germans de-trained to fight them. The Germans won and the train continued. Later, the train came under attack by U. S. and British troops and the Germans lost with the train then coming under Allied control. The Allies turned the train back to it's originating point, coming under attack again by German paratroops and finally by a much larger attack by Germans in an attempt to free the general. In the end, the General was taken away to be sent to England as a POW. He also lost his code book and defense plans to the Allies.

The event was performed three times, twice on Saturday and once on Sunday. Tickets were limited to seats available, about 400 on each train.
It was a virtual sellout and will be repeated on November 13-14 (Veteran's Day Weekend). WWII veterans were admitted free. The re-enactors carried out their performance throughout the train so all passengers witnessed the action but no weapons were fired aboard cars in which passengers were riding. The event drew wide local media coverage for the museum.

For the re-enactors, working with an operational train has become a major attraction. We had over 100 re-enactors the first time but more are expected for the repeat. This was not a tongue-in-cheek event and the promotion for it specified that it was going to be realistic with a lot of shooting. Over 20,000 rounds of ammunition were shot in a wide variety of weapons, including pistols, rifles, machine guns, cannons, morters, and pyrotechniques (sp?). The battles were staged in locations where all passengers could view them from the train. We suggested that this event may not be suitable for small children. The re-enactors were in uniforms for U. S. Rangers and paratroopers, British paratroops, German Panzer Lehr, SS, Field police, nurses, and more. There were both Allied and German encampments set up and passengers could visit them, ask questions of the participants, etc. WWII Vehicles and equipment were on display as well as used in the battles.

A video of the event is available under the title "Von Kessinger's Express". The video does take some artistic license by inserting German steam trains in the cutaway shots for added realism so the viewer has to allow for that plus such things as modern automobiles in the background, etc. So far as we know, the Florida Gulf Coast RR Museum is the only location to host such an event.

Tickets for the both the Civil War and WWII events are available from the museum web site at: www.frrm.org.

-Jim Herron

I am speachless. That had to be an incredible sight to see!

OK – I understand that operationally the reenactments are a success, but do they contribute much to the bottom line. My limited observation suggests that the reenactors and their families are admitted free so the grounds look crowded without much of a boost to ticket sales. Hotdog consumption may increase, but that will never lift the mortgage. Is it enough for the railway museum to send out a press release or is an advertising budget necessary? Do the reenactment groups have any marketing plan or resources that can be applied to the event? Is there any need to share revenue or incur expenses of the reenactment group? From this thread, I don’t get a sense of whether the events contribute financially. Special events are great, but with a limited operating season and an even more limited budget is necessary to back only the winners.