7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Hands-On Activities for Kids at Railroad Days
The model train and toy shows bring thousands of people to Carl Sandburg College during Railroad Days.

A number of families come to see the trains, but find a lot more before they even walk in the door.

Sitting outside the door was Max Betenbender of Coggon and John Gustafson on Galesburg.

The men run a scale model old fashion hay baler and rock crusher for children to get some hands on experience.

Gustafson tells WGIL the rock crusher is a popular attraction.

"After they have been told for two hours or so 'don't touch it; you'll break it,' then they come out and [I say] 'you wanna destroy something?" Gustafson said.

Betenbender says kids also like to climb on the Caterpillar equipment the men bring for shows.

"We had a little girl, I'd say she was two-and-a-half [or] three," Betenbender said. "She was wrapped tight against her dad's leg. Her dad took her and sat her on the little (Caterpillar) 10, and it's just like somebody flipped the light switch. She grabbed the two steering levers and she's going a mile a minute pushing and pulling those levers."

The two have been attending Railroad Days for five years. Betenbender says he will be back next year and may even have a few more "toys" for the kids.
06 27 10 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.