Field Trip for RE-1 4th Graders

So what do forest fires, shipping port operations and railroad cabooses have in common?  For one, they were all topics covered in the recent visitation from the Gilcrest, Pete Mirich (Lasalle), and Plattville Elementary fourth grades to the Greeley Freight Station January 26^th.   More than 151 students, accompanied by their teachers, chaperones and principal toured the museum on a field trip designed to education youngsters in a host of railroad-related topics.   The field trip was sponsored by Cecil Vigil of Farmer’s Inn Mexican Restaurant in LaSalle, and a service organization asking to remain anonymous.

         Included on the program for the day were topics that covered the history of the caboose, railroad safety, forest fire prevention, movement of products through a shipping port, railroad car identification, Colorado railroad history,  along with a good dose of train watching. 

         As an added bonus, the Union Pacific added to the event by having a giant “Blade train” from nearby Vestes run through Greeley during one of the sessions.  Students got to see the giant wind machine blades up close and personal and the train rumbled north on the railroad's mainline.

         Instructors for the day included Darrell Ellis, Loveland; Don Allender, LaPorte; Wayne Hansen, Cheyenne; Karl Luce, North Denver, Jake Reese, Johnstown; Bob Owens and David Trussell, Greeley.  Other volunteers for the day included Barry Maxted, Johnstown, who handled the computer control of four trains that were demonstrated on the museum’s massive 5,500 sq. foot miniature railroad.  Phil Todd, Steven Parsons, Christine Ellis, John Vonk and John Eisenman also helped out.

         The program was under the direction of museum director Michelle Kempema and has been made available to regional school districts throughout the Northern Colorado area.