Railfest (or Railway Festival) is a term used by railway museums and heritage railways around the world on open days and special annual events.

The events are usually fundraising-oriented, and also involved with showing features of museums and their contents not always available in normal visiting times. The term is found in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia for such events.[1][2][3][4]

National Railway Museum

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Railfest is the name given to occasional railway festivals at the National Railway Museum in York, England. There was a Railfest in 2004, and another in 2012. The 2012 event was sponsored by EMAP magazines Rail, Steam Railway and Model Rail.[5][6][7]

2000

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The 2000 event was promoted as being a celebration of 200 years of Steam.[8]

2004

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The 2004 event featured a Class 171 Turbostar DMU, a Class 375 Electrostar EMU, a Class 390 Pendolino EMU and a Eurostar train.

2012

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City of Truro, 33207 and Palmerston at NRM York Railfest 2012.
 
Visitors queue up to climb into the cab of 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley at Railfest 2012

The 2012 event had the theme of record breakers,[9] and featured exhibits such as

References

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  1. ^ "Tennessee Valley Railroad | Chattanooga & Delano Train Rides". Tennessee Valley Railroad.
  2. ^ Bassendean, Western Australia http://www.bassendeanmeansbusiness.com.au/2012/09/railfest-2012/
  3. ^ "Durango Rail Fest". Archived from the original on 5 June 2008.
  4. ^ "Fillmore & Western Railway". Archived from the original on 13 March 2011.
  5. ^ Binyon, Michael (2 June 2012). "Rail record breakers gather in York". The Times. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  6. ^ Clinnick, Gary (13 June 2012). "EC '91' naming and flypast launches rail spectacular". Rail. No. 698. pp. 6–7. ISSN 0953-4563.
  7. ^ Clinnick, Gary (13 June 2012). "Stars of modern traction out in force for Railfest". Rail. No. 698. pp. 8–9. ISSN 0953-4563.
  8. ^ Flying Scotsman comes home 200 years of locomotives, HHO Multimedia, 2000, retrieved 16 November 2012
  9. ^ "Railfest 2012 - Britain's biggest rail celebration". The Press. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2020.