About:

Volunteers keep Railtown rolling!  There are over 100 year-round volunteers at Railtown performing a wide range of duties.

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is home to the Historic Jamestown Shops and Roundhouse—an intact and still-functioning steam locomotive repair and maintenance facility, portions of which date back to 1897. This one-of-a-kind attraction combines industrial heritage and railroad history with the lore of Hollywood’s film industry.

The Railtown 1897 SHP complex includes an authentic railroad roundhouse with operating turntable, functional blacksmithing area, and belt-driven machine shop. Guided roundhouse tours are available daily at this unique facility in which locomotives and cars are inspected, repaired, and rebuilt—just as they have been for the past century!  The complex includes related historic structures and Hollywood “props,” plus a large picnic area, store and interpretive center.

The Railtown 1897 interpretive center, the authentic roundhouse and shops, and the Depot Store (a railroad specialty gift shop) are among the Park’s unique year-round offerings.

Known as “The Movie Railroad,” Railtown’s survival has been aided by the film industry. The first known filming was in 1919, for a silent serial called “The Red Glove.” Railtown 1897 and its historic locomotives and railroad cars have appeared in more than 200 films, television productions, and commercials. Still a popular Hollywood location site today, Railtown 1897’s most famous locomotive, “Movie Star” No. 3, has been called “perhaps the most widely seen locomotive in the world.” The Virginian (first sound motion picture filmed outside a sound studio), the western classic High Noon, and Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven were all filmed here. Movie crews also produced the railroad sequences in Back to the Future Part III at Railtown. TV credits include “Death Valley Days” (with Ronald Reagan) and “Petticoat Junction."

Volunteer Needs:

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Train Crew
• Rail Car Host
• Station Master
• Ticket Agent
• Concessions
• Restoration
• Maintenance and Mechanical
• Special Events
• Interpretation
• Living History, Tour Guides, Docents, Roundhouse Host, and more!