If you're looking for previous schedules:
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017.

An archived complete 2018 Festival Schedule in PDF form is here.

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October 5-7, 2018

If you'd like to be a Sponsor, Participant, or are interested in developing a program for the upcoming Festival, please connect with us via our Contact page.

Actually, some events start in September and go afterward until October 13th, but the Festival proper is October 5th through the 7th. The model railroad layout tour starts on Thursday the 4th and goes through the 7th, details.

You might want to join our mailing list to receive Festival news: click here.

All events are FREE unless otherwise indicated here or in the details.

• Coloring Contest at all San Luis Obispo County Library Locations
  • Win round-trip Amtrak tickets (Surfliner) for four from SLO to Santa Barbara
  • Coloring pages are available at all SLO Library locations throughout September
  • Turn in your colored page at any SLO Library location by September 30th to be entered in the drawing
  • The drawing will be at the SLO Railroad Museum on Sunday, October 7th at 1:00pm.
  • For ages 0 through 12 years
  • The artwork will be displayed at the Library branches

• Train Story Times at San Luis Obispo County Libraries
  • Appropriate for young children
  • Attendees receive a goodie bag with an Operation Lifesaver coloring book, some crayons, a SLO Railroad Museum pencil, and a picture postcard
  • San Luis Obispo
    • Tuesday, September 18th 10:30AM
  • Cambria
    • Wednesday, September 19th 11:00AM
    • Thursday, September 20th 10:15AM
  • Cayucos
    • Friday, September 21st 10:30AM
  • Atascadero
    • Tuesday, September 25th 10:30AM (Preschool)
    • Friday, September 28th 10:30AM (Toddlers)
  • Arroyo Grande
    • Tuesday September 25th 4:30PM
    • Thursday October 11th at 10:30AM
  • Morro Bay
    • Tuesday October 9th at 10:30AM
    • Wednesday October 10th at 3:30PM
  • Los Osos
    • Thursday October 11th 10:30AM
    • Friday October 12th 10:30AM

• Model Railroad Layout Tour 2018
  • Thanks to Bob Chaparro and the Model Railroads of Southern California Layout Tour No. 58
  • 2018 Layout Tour Details (This document contains the basic schedule at the top; some detail has been removed for privacy reasons.)
  • 29 Railroads at 21 Locations, Paso Robles to Santa Ynez
  • Thursday-Sunday (dates and times vary by railroad)
  • See some photos from the 2018 tour
    
    
  • Richard Abraham
  • Central Coast Trains
  • Geoff Clinton
  • Jim Davis
  • Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab
  • Mark Edwards
  • Mark & Lori Hays
  • Ken Kelley
  • Karl Kvilvang
  • Andrew Merriam
  • Ed Morse
  • Ed Muraski
  • Bill Obermeyer
  • Oceano Depot Assn
  • Orange County 'N Gineers
  • Jeff Parker
  • Central Valley Model Works
  • Skip Purper
  • San Luis Obispo Model RR Assn.
  • San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
  • Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum
  • Michael Sassard
  • Walter Wajda

• Festival Wine-Rail Excursion October 5th
  • To Pomar Junction Winery, Friday, October 5th, Details
  • SOLD OUT

• Festival Beer Train Excursion October 6th
  • To BarrelHouse Brewing Company, Saturday, October 6th, Details
  • SOLD OUT

• Saturday: FREE Festival Shuttle
  • Starts 10:00am, ends 4:30pm
  • Stops:
    • SLO Railroad Museum
    • Sands Inn and Suites
    • SLO Vets' Hall
    • SLO Library downtown (2 large parking buildings nearby)
  • Parking is limited at the Museum
  • Pedicabs available at modest cost

• Model Train Layouts at Public Locations:
  • Central Coast Model Railroad, part of the SLO Railroad Museum: Friday-Sunday. Recent video by Jim Zimmerlin (YouTube).
  • SLOMRA layouts at the Oceano Depot, Friday-Sunday
  • Central California Coast Garden Railroad Society layout at the Oceano Depot, Friday-Sunday
       
  • Orange County 'N' Gineers layouts at the downtown SLO Library. Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
  • Central Coast Trains in Atascadero, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm. Model train store with several operating layouts.
  • Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab in Arroyo Grande. There's a g-scale train running around the ceiling all the time.

• At the SLO Railroad Museum:
  • Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: details/photos
  • Highlights include: large HO-scale model railroad (CCMR), swap meet, artwork and photos, food and beverages, excursions, trains coming and going, displays and information, various presentations and demonstrations, new exhibits, walking tour of the Historic Railroad District, win an apple tree sponsored by the California Rare Fruit Growers

• Oceano Depot:
  • Friday through Sunday, 10am-4pm
  • oceanodepotmuseum.org
  • Relocated and restored SP depot
  • Displays, layouts, SP boxcar, SMV caboose
  • SLOMRA layouts
  • Central California Coast Garden Railroad Society layout

• Daylight Division of the Pacific Coast Region/NMRA:
  • Saturday, October 6th, 8:30am-12:30pm
  • Limited Train Meet
  • Registration is $4 for NMRA members, $5 for non-members
  • SLO Veterans Hall (map), 801 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo

• Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum:
  • Sunday, Noon-4pm
  • Behind the Transist Center at 708 S. Miller St., Santa Maria
  • Sugar mill locomotive, SN boxcar, SMV caboose
  • Model layouts in N, HO, and O scales
  • smvrhm.com