Thursday, March 16, 2006

Railroad's 1880 arrival here feted

PAUL L. ALLEN

Tucson Citizen

The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum invites all of us to an 11 a.m. gathering Monday to celebrate the 126th anniversary of the arrival of the railroad in Tucson.

The free event at 400 N. Toole Ave. will include a proclamation by Mayor Bob Walkup and excerpts from historic speeches made here March 20, 1880, when the first locomotive chuff-chuffed into the Old Pueblo.

Also on tap will be a performance by the 4th Cavalry Regimental Band and a chance to view the silver spike presented to railroad officials in Tucson at the time of the arrival.

The program will take place outdoors near the historic locomotive No. 1673. Attendees are invited to a free tour of the museum. Additional information is available at 623-2223.