Annual Holiday Open House - Dec. 4

Friday, December 4, 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

 

The holiday season is here! Enjoy the warm festive holiday atmosphere at our restored 1909 Erie Railroad train station at Industry. Enjoy snacks and beverages. Please contact us if you'd like to bring a dish to pass. Everyone is welcome! Open to the public!

 

Directions

Santa Trains cancelled, train rides resume in 2016

We were not able to obtain permission from our neighbors to use the tracks to reach the North Pole this year. As a result, we regret to announce that our Santa Trains have been cancelled. We look forward to seeing you again in the spring! Visit www.rochestertrainrides.com for details.

Pumpkin Patch Trains October 3-4, 17-18

Ride the only Pumpkin Patch Trains in Rochester! Trains depart every half hour from Industry Depot on Route 251 (NOT East River Road). Enjoy unlimited diesel train rides, a pumpkin patch where kids get to take home a baby pumpkin, and visit our petting zoo! Food service also available.

Visit Rochester Train Rides for details

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Dollar off for Kodak and RG&E Employees

All past and present Kodak and RG&E employees get $1.00 off their train ride ticket during our special event on September 19 and 20! 
 

Local industries like Kodak and Rochester Gas & Electric depended on the railroads to serve our communities for generations. To honor those contributions, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum will host Kodak/RG&E Weekend. Eastman Kodak formed the Kodak Park Railroad to transport materials and finished goods within their sprawling 1,300 acre manufacturing facility. Rochester Gas & Electric used a fleet of diesel switchers to move loaded coal cars around Russel Station and BeeBee Station.

Visit RochesterTrainrRides.com for details.

Kodak and RG&E Weekend Train Rides - Sept. 19 and 20

See how railroads and our local industries were tied together for generations. Both Rochester Gas & Electric and Eastman Kodak depended on the railroad to produce goods and service the community. They also operated their own railroad services, owning a fleet of freight cars and locomotives to perform work at their sprawling facilities. We will showcase our RG&E and Kodak equipment during this special weekend event on September 19 and 20!

>>Event Details, Schedules, and Fares

Diesel Days - August 15 and 16

Three Trains. Two Days. One Location.
DIESEL DAYS 2015 - Aug. 15-16

Ride and tour the largest collection of historic trains and operating vintage diesel locomotives in New York State! Trains depart every half-hour from Industry Depot.

>> Visit RochesterTrainRides.com for details.

Train Rides and Classic Cars on July 18 and 19

Antique automobiles are a great pairing for our vintage trains! Enjoy our exhibit of classic cars from a variety of time periods and manufacturers. DO YOU HAVE A CLASSIC CAR TO DISPLAY? All exhibitors receive free admission, but space is limited. Please contact us to reserve your spot today!

Steel Wheels and Classic Cars - July 18 and 19

Your fun and exciting train ride experience starts just 20 minutes south of Rochester! Enter our historic Industry depot and purchase your ticket from the friendly agent inside. Tour our displays while you wait to board your train. You will be welcomed aboard by friendly volunteers as you enjoy your ride aboard restored freight train cabooses. Disembark at our Restoration Shop to tour our collection of historic railroad equipment. Peek behind the scenes to see how we preserve Rochester’s rich railroading history for future generations to enjoy. Your return trip arrives at Industry depot, where you will have time to enjoy our displays and museum grounds.

Tickets are $10.00 for Adults, $8.00 for Youth/Seniors. All seating is first come, first served. Trains depart every half-hour from Industry Depot located on Route 251 West.

>> 2015 Train Rides

Grand Opening June 20-21

Join us for fun family-friendly train rides on June 20 and 21 from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Tickets are $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for youth and seniors. All trains depart from Industry Depot, located at 282 Rush Scottsville Road, Rush, NY, easy to find from Exit 11 off I-390 off Route 251 west. We're also excited to have Cheesed and Confused join us on Saturday June 20 serving up heavenly grilled cheese sandwiches. Don't get left at the station, visit Rochester Train Rides for details!

Visit Rochester Train Rides for schedules, fares, and directions. ALL ABOARD!

Father's Day Train Rides at RGV June 20-21

Take Dad out for a train ride! Train rides are fun for the whole family. The Rochester & Gensee Valley Railroad Museum will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with trains departing Industry Depot every half hour. As New York State's only operating railroad museum, we are home to the largest collection of historic trains and operating vintage diesel locomotives!

Your fun and exciting train ride experience starts just 20 minutes south of Rochester! Enter our historic Industry depot and purchase your ticket from the friendly agent inside. Tour our displays while you wait to board your train. You will be welcomed aboard by friendly volunteers as you enjoy your ride aboard restored freight train cabooses. Disembark at our Restoration Shop to tour our collection of historic railroad equipment. Peek behind the scenes to see how we preserve Rochester’s rich railroading history for future generations to enjoy. Your return trip arrives at Industry depot, where you will have time to enjoy our displays and museum grounds.

TICKETS: Adults $10.00 each, Youth (2-17)/Seniors (65+) $8.00 each.

Purchase tickets upon arrival. No reservation required, seats available first come, first served. For directions, schedules, and fares, please visit RochesterTrainRides.com

Coming Soon

Our monthly membership meetings move to Industry Depot for the warm summer months! Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 21, at 7:00pm. Following the meeting we will be offering train rides on our museum railroad. We will also be giving tours of the Upper Yard and our Restoration Shop. These event are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Bring a friend!

There will be a meeting for all museum volunteers at Industry Depot on Saturday, June 6, at 10:00am. The meeting will last approximately one hour. A private group has chartered our train for a birthday party that afternoon, so stick around if you'd like some hands-on training to become part of train crew.

We officially open to the public on Fathers Day Weekend June 20-21! Enjoy a weekend of train rides, museum tours, and more. For our full schedule of trains and events, please visit Rochester Train Rides!

Trip Updates

The Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad stopped by on Sunday to pick up our excursion coaches and bring them down to Lakeville. Our special LA&L 50th Anniversary Trip is less than a week away!

May 9 - LA&L 50th Anniversary Trip
ALL TRAINS HAVE SOLD OUT! Thank you for your support! All trains depart the Coneseus Lake Sportsmans Club in Lakeville, N.Y.

May 9 - Special Night Photo Session
We only have eight tickets left for our special Night Photo Session at LA&L's Lakeville Shop! Featured equipment will be RG&E 45-ton No. 1941 (a.k.a. LA&L No. 97, their very first locomotive!), LA&L Alco RS-1 No. 20, LA&L caboose 2903 (ex-B&O, exx-BR&P), and whatever LA&L Alco road power is available off our train. Lighting by Steve Barry of Railfan & Railroad magazine. Purchase tickets here.

June 6-7 Overnight Trip to Utica and Cooperstown
We've extended the deadline a week, but seats are filling up fast for our special overnight guided tour to Utica and Cooperstown. Enjoy a tour of Utica Union Station, visit the Key, Lock & Lantern railroad antiques show and sale, a rare-mileage ride on the freight-only Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern to Boonville. The next day, we travel to Milford for a ride on the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad. Tickets are $155.00 each and includes motorcoach transportation. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR OWN HOTEL RESERVATIONS AND FOOD/BEVERAGE PURCHASES. Purchase tickets here.

R&GV Railroad Museum's Opening Weekend is June 20-21! Visit RochesterTrainRides.com for schedules, event details, and ticket prices!

Rules Class and Safety Training Make-up Class

Rules Class and Safety Training

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Rochester Institute of Technology, Slaughter Hall (Bldg  78), Room 2170

This make up class is for any volunteers interested in volunteering around the museum or in train service. Safety training, rules class, air brake class are all included. Class starts at 9:00am sharp. Please bring a three-ring binder, a pen, and a notebook. Please RSVP if you plan on attending.

Two Great Fantrips

 May 9 - 50th Anniversary of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad

The Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad celebrates 50 years of serving western New York! Our special excursion trains will depart from the Conesus Lake Sportsmens Club in Lakeville, New York, on Saturday, May 9, at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. You will enjoy a special end-to-end ride over the LA&L Railroad from Lakeville all the way to Henrietta and return. Ride in comfort aboard our restored 1940s streamlined coaches, pulled by vintage Alco diesel locomotives provided by the LA&L Railroad. Our snack bar will provide chips, candy, drinks, and water for purchase, and all coaches are equipped with restrooms. The round-trip ride will last approximately two hours. ADVANCE RESERVATION REQUIRED. Purchase tickets at all Wegmans service counters.

>> Trip Details, Night Photo Session

 June 6-7 - Fan Trip to Utica and Cooperstown

This June, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is sponsoring a special guided tour of historic rail operations in Utica and Cooperstown. The motorcoach tour will depart from Rochester on Saturday, June 6. Upon arrival at Utica, the tour group will enjoy a guided tour of the Utica Union Station presented by the Landmark Society. Following the tour, we will browse the Key, Lock & Lantern railroad antique show and sale. Our group will then board a special charter train operated by the Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern Railroad with equipment borrowed from the Adirondack Scenic Railway to the quaint village of Boonville and dinner at the Boonville Hotel. On Sunday, June 7, our motorcoach will transport our tour group to the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley, where a special chartered train awaits us. We will visit with the volunteers of the C&CV to learn how they are preserving the heritage and history of this old Delaware & Hudson Railway branch line for future generations to enjoy. ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE REQUIRED.

>> Trip Details, Buy Tickets

Events in March

March Meeting

Thursday, March 19th, 2015

40 & 8 Club, 933 University Avenue,
Rochester, NY

Member Slide Night
March Museum Meeting, feature Member's Slide Night (no digital this time!). To sign up for a slot, please contact John Stewart. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Museum book store. Cash bar. Open to the public.

RGV Annual Banquet

Saturday, March 28th, 2015

River's Edge Party House, 21 Paul Road,
Rochester, NY

Guest Speaker: Don Brown
Please join us for our annual R&GV Railroad Museum Banquet at the River's Edge Party House, located at 31 Paul Road, Rochester, N.Y. Our guest speaker will be Don Brown, a seasoned railroad industry veteran who has enjoyed careers with Penn Central and Conrail as well as the management team that operated the Ontario Midland and Ontario Central railroads. Please join us as we look back upon a year of accomplishments for our organization as well as enjoy Don Brown's 'tales of the rails.' Doors open to a social hour with cash bar at 6:30 p.m. Buffet dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. Banquet Tickets are $30.00 each, and must be purchased in advance by mail. To reserve your seats, please send check or money order with your total order to: R&GV Banquet, P.O. Box 23326, Rochester NY 14692-3326. This event is open to the public. Please R.S.V.P. no later than March 21, 2015.

RGV/NYMT Joint Rules Class - March 14

If you are interested in joining our operating crews this season, taking the Book of Rules class is the first step. Annual R&GV/NYMT joint rules class is mandatory for all operating personnel including track car operators, trolley motormen and conductors, locomotive engineers, conductors, brakemen, and car hosts. All volunteers who work around our trains and tracks are encouraged to attend the Safety Training portion in the morning. Rules Class will be held Saturday, March 14, at Rochester Institute of Technology, Lousie Slaughter Hall (Building 78/CIMS), Rooms 2230/2240. Class will begin at 9:00 a.m. with introductions and mandatory Safety Training. Book of Rules class will follow, then Air Brake/Train Handling class. Coffee and donuts served in the morning, we will pass the hat for pizza delivery at noon.

Please R.S.V.P. to Operations Supt. Jim Otto. 
 

RGV Annual Banquet - March 28

Please join us for our annual R&GV Railroad Museum Banquet on Saturday, March 28, at the River's Edge Party House, located at 31 Paul Road, Rochester, N.Y. Our guest speaker will be Don Brown, a seasoned railroad industry veteran who has enjoyed careers with Penn Central and Conrail as well as the management team that operated the Ontario Midland and Ontario Central railroads. Please join us as we look back upon a year of accomplishments for our organization as well as enjoy Don Brown's "tales of the rails."

Doors open to a social hour with cash bar at 6:30 p.m. Buffet dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.

Banquet Tickets are $30.00 each. To reserve your seats, please send check or money order with your total order to:

R&GV Banquet

P.O. Box 23326

Rochester NY 14692-3326

Please R.S.V.P. by March 21, 2015.