Publications & Sites 
See a three-engine train at Railroad Daze
Heritage Locomotive courtesy of Union Pacific Railroad. | Photo courtesy of Don Fulmer
AT A GLANCE
What: Railraod Daze
Where: Tower Park at Calwagner Street and Franklin Avenue in downtown Franklin Park.
When: 5-10 p.m. June 7; 5-11 p.m. June 8; 10 a.m.–11 p.m. June 9; noon-8 p.m. June 10.
What can you do: View the trains, enjoy the carnival rides from North American Midway Entertainment. Live music performances.
Cost: Carnival rides will cost $2.50 to $5 per ride or $20 for an all-you-ride bracelet good for several hours.
Phone: (847) 671-4800
Web: www.vofp.com
Food: Mexican, Italian, hot dogs, hamburgers, beef sandwiches, Polish sausages, roasted turkey legs, ice cream and elephant ears. There will also be a beer and wine garden.
Music:
June 7: 6:30 p.m. HiFi Superstar (pop rock)
June 8: 8:30 p.m. ARRA (classic rock)
June 9: 1:30 p.m. Breach the Wall (alternative);
3 p.m. Looney Train (1960s and 1970s music);
5:30 p.m. American English (Beatle’s cover band);
8:30 p.m. 7th Heaven (1980s and 1990’s music)
Article Extras
Updated: September 5, 2012 1:35PM
Visitors to Railroad Daze this year will have a chance to see a locomotive with three engines, the Gen-Set owned by the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway.
“They can save fuel,” said Donald Fulmer, an organizer of Railroad Daze which is set this year for June 7-10 in downtown Franklin Park.
Seventeen years ago the Franklin Park Merchants Association was looking for a fourth event to join Octoberfest, Christmas on the Avenue and the Car Show and Street Dance.
Fulmer had worked for the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad as a yardmaster and conductor. He was also the unofficial liaison between the rail yard and the village.
He suggested an event that would celebrate trains.
“We put it before the board and everybody liked the idea, Fulmer said. “I told them maybe we could get a better relationship between railways and people of the town.”
That first year Fulmer arranged for $1 million in liability insurance so the railroads would be covered in case someone got hurt while climbing through one of the seven engines or passenger cars.
This year there will be 14 locomotives, passenger cars or cabooses scheduled for display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 9.
Those include:
• Two new locomotives and the 1995 Heritage locomotive from Union Pacific
• A remanufactured GP40 locomotive from the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway along with a caboose
• An E9 passenger locomotive from the Canadian National along with expensive passenger cars built in the 1920s. “The president of the railroad rides one around,” Fulmer said.
• “Little Obie,” an engine, flatbed and caboose that will run sans track. Rides will be offered.
Metra and Amtrak will both contribute cars and a Engineer Dan Wolf will bring his miniature train down from Milwaukee to supply free rides for kids.
