Train Days 2025 at the Beltrami County History Center

The Beltrami County Historical Society will host Train Days 2025 on April 12 and 13 at the Beltrami County History Center, 130 Minnesota Ave. SW, Bemidji. This year’s event will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Northern Iron Horse Railroad Society, a local railroad club dedicated to preserving and celebrating railroading history.

Train Days will take place from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, April 12, and from noon to 4 PM on Sunday, April 13. The event will feature model railroads in multiple scales, including an expansive LEGO city and railroad displays. The Historical Society will also dedicate and offer tours of the X259 caboose, a 1948 Great Northern Railway relic that gives visitors a glimpse into the golden age of American rail travel. Additional activities include railroading model train vendors, unique souvenirs, live story times, and music.

Founded in 1985, the Northern Iron Horse Railroad Society has long been a gathering place for train enthusiasts. The club, which meets in the basement of the Beltrami County History Center, has evolved over the decades from informal gatherings in coffee shops to constructing a permanent model railroad layout. Members have spent years expanding and fine-tuning their display, often enjoying the camaraderie of working together as much as the trains themselves.

Chris Muller, the club’s current president, was a child when the group first formed and has remained involved since a young age. “Model railroading and railroading stays with you—it just grows over time,” Muller said. “We enjoy sharing our passion with visitors and helping them connect with the rich railroad history of this area. I was welcomed as a kid from Cass Lake over 30 years ago, and now I’m the president. I have seen kids go from their youth to graduation. These friendships have no expiration date.”

The X259 caboose has a special place in this history. Originally built as a steel, 30-foot caboose, it was an essential part of railroad operations, allowing crew members to monitor trains from an elevated vantage point. Thanks to careful preservation, visitors will have the rare opportunity to step aboard and experience the sights and sounds of a bygone era.

“We are excited to share this piece of history with the community,” said Emily Thabes, executive director of the Beltrami County Historical Society. “The caboose is one more rail in the long track of history that connects Bemidji to the Great Northern Railroad.”

The celebration will include a dedication ceremony for the X259 caboose, live entertainment, and other special events. A full schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

Admission for Train Days is $7 for adults, $5 for veterans, senior citizens, and tribal members, and $3 for students in kindergarten through college. BCHS members and SNAP recipients receive free admission.

Train Days 2025 (1920 X 1080 Px) (2)