National Train Day, hosted by Amtrak, will roll through Reno and Truckee on Saturday, May 7th, 2011, with a flurry of events celebrating America's love for trains.

National Train Day commemorates the 142nd anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad's inception by bringing to life the rich narrative of how trains transformed America.  Large-scale, family-friendly events will be held in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, with hundreds of smaller events in cities and towns across the country, including Reno and Truckee.

In addition to celebrating the past, National Train Day puts a spotlight on trains for the future.

"National Train Day celebrates the train's impact on our country and provides an opportunity for Americans to further understand the influence rail has on the future of transportation in America," said Emmett H. Fremaux, vice president, marketing and product management, Amtrak.

Amtrak and train travel supporters are touting the fuel-efficiency as well as the less-hectic experience of rail travel.

"With a greater national focus on energy efficiency in travel, trains are already a leading alternative with 20 percent more fuel efficiency than commercial airlines and 28 percent more efficiency than car travel per passenger mile," continued Fremaux. "Trains have always been an important part of this country's fabric and with the spotlight on green and increasing options for intercity and high-speed rail growth, it's clear that they will continue to drive innovation in transportation."

Reno Gets On Board
Rail buffs and Reno residents and visitors are invited to gather to celebrate National Train Day and Reno Railroad Days at the Old Reno Depot. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to tour the facilities. Two brass bands will play to greeting both eastbound #6 and westbound #5 and there will be a drawing for round trip train rides to Truckee. Zephyr Adventures will also be promoting Reno to Truckee day trips by rail.

Truckee's New Rail Museum
In Truckee, National Train Day will mark the 1st anniversary of the new Truckee Railroad Museum, completed in 2010 by the Truckee Donner Railroad Society (www.truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com).

Truckee-Reno Night-Day Trips on the Rise
Many Truckee, Tahoe and Reno residents and visitors take advantage of the convenient and unique experience that train travel offers right here at home. Zephyr Adventures, of Reno, has put a solid effort into developing day trips between Reno and Truckee and is promoting "European style mini-vacations by train from Reno to Truckee, gateway to North Tahoe and back to Reno in the same day."

A round trip on the California Zephyr departs Reno each morning at approximately 8:37am and returns to Reno at approximately 4:46pm. After riding the train up the canyon, day-trippers arrive into Truckee where they can enjoy from 4 to 6 hours of exploring, dining and shopping in Truckee, Tahoe City, Palisades Tahoe, and Northstar.

It's an opportunity to slow down and enjoy an old fashioned getaway experience and leave your hurries and worries behind," says Tim Elam of Zephyr Adventures.

From the other direction, for Truckee and Lake Tahoe locals, catching the train from Truckee to Reno for a night out is another great way to explore train travel.

For information on Zephyr Adventures, visit www.zephyradventuresreno.com. For Amtrak information, visit www.amtrak.com.