Chester On Track

CHESTER ON TRACK RETURNS FOR A 31st SEASON May 21, 2022, CHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. The 31st anniversary Chester on Track marks the 181st year since the rail road was opened. The Station was granted National Historic landmark status in January of 2021. MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation will serve as guides to assist visitors get maxi mum exposure to the Keystone Arches, the first cluster of stone arch railroad bridges built in America. Also National Historic Landmarks. There will be a massive parade, Civil War, Revolutionary War and early Irish railroad re-enactors, will be on the north lawn of the station. A train show will be in the station, and The Chester Postmaster will be on hand to personally cancel the commemorative envelopes with a special postal cancellation. A ham radio base camp will be on hand to contact enthusiasts around the globe and doing Morse code demos. A craft fair, face painting and ‘one-lung’ steam & gas engine demos will be along Main St and on the lawn of the Chester Inn with live music throughout the day by the group, Just Us’. A ham radio base camp will be on the Station platform, contacting bases around the globe and demonstrating Morse code. Classic cars from Model ‘T’s to the newest Corvettes will line up on Maple St., where kids can visit the bounce house, and be entertained by Nicole the Rail road Clown, formerly of Ringling Bros. Circus. Chester/ Blandford Police Dept. and Sherriff’s Department will be on hand to introduce and explain new community programs. The railroad station outdoor stage will host live music beginning at 11 AM with the 413’s, Pug Demary, Pitoniak Brothers, Mark Franklin and the Fortified Blues Band. The Pioneer Valley Live Steamers will display their large-scale operating steam and diesel locomotives and a selection of rolling stock on the station’s south lawn. The Hamilton Library will hold a Book and Bake Sale on the lawn, and the Library’s Chester Mineral Collection will be open for tours with John Marge from 10 AM to 1 PM. The Chester Historical Commission will be on hand at the Old Jail and Chester History Museum for tours from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM The Foundation’s own Blue Caboose will open at 8 AM for breakfast and have a hearty railroad man’s menu. throughout the day, where you can cat ‘hobo style’ in an antique wooden box car. Carm’s and Classic Pizza will be open all day as well as The Village Market for take-out. A number of 1920’s-era freight cars, including a 100 year-old wooden caboose and ‘Children’s Boxcar’ will be open to the public. The Fire Dept. will hold their annual Duck Race on the Westfield River at 2:00 PM.