Iron horses weighing from 425,000 pounds to less than 4 ounces will congregate in Wartrace, the cradle of the Tennessee Walking Horse, on Saturday April 20. The motorized cousins of the flesh and blood variety are railroad locomotives and they’ll be on display in all shapes and sizes during Dixie Line Days at the Walking Horse Hotel. The all day train show will feature operating model trains, dealer swap tables, how-to-clinics for model railroaders, switching and model contests, Q & A with a steam locomotive engineer, live music by The Dixie Flyers, food, and door prizes.
As an added attraction the roar of 12,500 horsepower in motion, courtesy of CSX Transportation, will be on display as full sized 10,000 ton freight trains rumble through the heart of Wartrace just yards from the hotel.
Dixie Line Days is sponsored by The Dixie Flyer train shop in Wartrace and the Tennessee Valley Model Railroad Club from Murfreesboro. The Nashville Ntrak club will set up and operate over 30 feet of their N scale model railroad empire. Dealers in used Lionel, American Flyer, and the popular HO gauge brands will also be on hand to display their wares.
Show hours are from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Admission is $5. with children under 12 admitted free. The Walking Horse Hotel will provide lunch and offer snacks and drinks throughout the day. For information about the model contests or dealer tables call 615 428-7366 or e-mail contact@thedixieflyer.net.
Wartrace is on State Highway 64 10 miles west of exit 97 off I-24 at Beechgrove, or eight miles east of Shelbyville on Highway 64.