Interpretive Program

While all volunteers at Railtown help interpret Railtown's history, the following docent roles have a primary focus to interpret the park for the public.

Interpretive Program Docents

Tour Guide

Tour Guides are the core of our interpretive program, taking visitors through the historic Jamestown Shops and explaining the critical role that these buildings and the equipment inside once played in keeping the Sierra Railway working during the Steam era. Tour Guides interpret everything from the timeline of the Jamestown complex and the equipment inside to stories and anecdotes of the people who worked here and the jobs they performed.

Roundhouse Host

Our Roundhouse Hosts serve an important role, greeting visitors at the entrance to the Roundhouse between tours, answering any and all questions about the structures and the equipment, chaperoning guests into the Roundhouse for a quick look, and overall leaving them with a fun and positive experience. Roundhouse Hosts also keep a watchful eye on wandering visitors to ensure they remain within public areas.

Station Agent

Station Agents act as the lead Greeter, welcoming visitors to Railtown and facilitating the safe and timely loading and unloading of passengers. By facilitating communication between Ticket Agents, Park Staff, and Greeters, the Station Agent helps ensure train arrivals and departures run smoothly. Station Agents also confirm that volunteers sign in and out of their assigned shifts, coordinate pre-boarding and ticket sales, and announce "All Aboard!" to signal when passengers may start the general boarding process. In addition to helping ensure train loading and unloading runs safely and smoothly, the Station Agent also engages with the public to interpret their role in train station operations.

Car Hosts

Onboard our excursion trains, many points of historical interest are interpreted by our knowledgeable Car Hosts. The excursion trains are an extension of our living history program, transporting passengers back in time to an earlier period. Car Hosts help immerse the visitor in that era by sharing the history of the train, the railroad, and the region in addition to an assortment of fun anecdotes.

Greeter

In addition to Tour Guides and Roundhouse Hosts, Greeters are roaming interpreters who roam about the park, and the depot area in particular at train time, welcoming visitors to Railtown as well as answering questions. Greeters wear period costumes representing late nineteenth and early twentieth century attire to provide visitors a sense of authenticity during their visit, making the park feel "lived in". Greeters may also use interpretive displays which further complement and enhance Railtown's interpretive programs.

Deck Interpreter

Deck Interpreters are similar to Greeters in that they engage with the public and interpret Railtown history. However, Deck Interpretation or "Spot" Interpretation involves a fixed display at which a Deck Interpreter is stationed. While Greeters roam the park and interact with visitors in a freelanced manner, Deck Interpreters focus on an interpretive theme or subject that complements the history of Railtown and the Sierra Railway.

Living History Program Docents

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park utilizes its railroad shop buildings, historic atmosphere and trained docents to provide a unique living history visitor experience. Each historic building or site offers an opportunity to provide a living history demonstration to the public.

Boiler Shop Demonstrations

The Boiler Shop was constructed circa 1910 when the current Roundhouse was built. The Boiler Shop resides within the space which was once an alleyway between the old Roundhouse and the Machine Shop, and today houses several tools and machines essential to the upkeep of steam locomotives, such as a coal forge, tube tumbler, and a gantry crane.

The Boiler Shop is the most commonly demonstrated Living History program at Railtown, used several times each year during holiday weekends and school tours. Staff and volunteers portray the Boilermaker and make use of the coal forge and Ring-of-Fire to demonstrate the various trade skills employed in the Jamestown Shops.

Machine Shop Demonstrations

The 1898 Machine Shop is a one-of-a-kind railroad maintenance shop built initially to store and service steam locomotives, later converted to house machines used to maintain various components on steam locomotives and rail cars. The building features a boring mill, shaper, hydraulic wheel press, lathes big and small, and many more. It is the oldest building within the Jamestown Shop complex.

On special occasions, various tools and machines are demonstrated by staff and volunteers in the Machine Shop. This building was once vital to the continual maintenance of steam locomotives and rail cars in the Jamestown Shop complex.

Blacksmith Shop Demonstrations

One of the more unique aspects of Railtown's volunteer program are our Blacksmith demonstrations, bringing the historic Jamestown Shops to life. Volunteers practice the ancient art of blacksmithing to forge tools and various parts in line with those made here over the past century.

The Blacksmith Shop was built in 1899 to provide a dedicated space for the Blacksmith. In later years, the building was leased to a local spring manufacturer as the railroad's need for it gradually declined.

On special occasions, staff and volunteers give demonstrations using the tools and appliances in the Blacksmith Shop. Similar to the Boilermaker, the Blacksmith used a coal forge to create tools and jigs to facilitate repairs and construction of buildings and rail cars.

Ring of Fire Demonstrations

Similar to Blacksmith forge demonstrations, the Ring-of-Fire demonstrations create an authentic atmosphere in the Jamestown Shops. However, these demonstrations are performed by volunteers portraying the Boilermaker in the Roundhouse Boiler Shop. The Boilermaker, while employing some of the same skills as a traditional Blacksmith, primarily performed various repairs and maintenance tasks on the steam locomotives.