What does Springfield have to offer ?

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M.D.Bentley
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What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by M.D.Bentley »

Looking for a vac spot for 2016. Railroads are a given. What else for the family ? Thanks for your input.

Notch 8
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by Notch 8 »

Not sure why a Person would go to Springfield ? My Brother just transferred back to Springfield from Melrose Park, with Navistar (International Truck)

Springfield is a great example of the Rustbelt, I don't know of anything good to tell you about Springfield but there are a lot of things down that way..

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M.D.Bentley
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by M.D.Bentley »

I am from the "Great Rust Belt" ( sort of ) myself. TON's of urban decay. But I love history. Just looking for options and other that RR stuff to do.

midland sub
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by midland sub »

The United States Air Force Museum is 20-25 minutes away in Dayton. Figure to spend most of a day walking around it if you make any sort of effort to look at everything and read most of the display info and it's free. Cincinnati is about an hour plus away. Plenty to do in Cincinnati with the zoo, art museum and other stuff. Kings Island is just north of Cincinnati and to me better than Cedar Point- probably an hour from Springfield. If you want to stay close to Springfield head south on US 68 to Yellow Springs. Old hippie town with lots of interesting people, food and stuff. Glen Helen state park is also there. It's a beautiful river gorge to hike around. Snyder Park in Springfield isn't bad either. My sister lives in Springfield next to Wittenberg College and that the area on the north end of town are about the only nice parts. I'm not a fan of Columbus so I won't waste your time on it.

Train wise. Good luck with NS and the Dayton DD. I never seem to catch anything so I can't help you with that. I&O has two trains a day meet in Springfield. One comes south for Lima the north from Wash CH. Usually meet sometime in the afternoon and with swap entire trains or just cars. They do the swap just north of town at Tremont off of Upper Valley Pike or at the old DT&I yard on the south end of town. Both are easy to follow to and from Springfield. There's also a local based out of the yard that works during the daylight.

TrainWatcher
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by TrainWatcher »

midland sub wrote:The United States Air Force Museum is 20-25 minutes away in Dayton. Figure to spend most of a day walking around it if you make any sort of effort to look at everything and read most of the display info and it's free. Cincinnati is about an hour plus away. Plenty to do in Cincinnati with the zoo, art museum and other stuff. Kings Island is just north of Cincinnati and to me better than Cedar Point- probably an hour from Springfield. If you want to stay close to Springfield head south on US 68 to Yellow Springs. Old hippie town with lots of interesting people, food and stuff. Glen Helen state park is also there. It's a beautiful river gorge to hike around. Snyder Park in Springfield isn't bad either. My sister lives in Springfield next to Wittenberg College and that the area on the north end of town are about the only nice parts. I'm not a fan of Columbus so I won't waste your time on it.

Train wise. Good luck with NS and the Dayton DD. I never seem to catch anything so I can't help you with that. I&O has two trains a day meet in Springfield. One comes south for Lima the north from Wash CH. Usually meet sometime in the afternoon and with swap entire trains or just cars. They do the swap just north of town at Tremont off of Upper Valley Pike or at the old DT&I yard on the south end of town. Both are easy to follow to and from Springfield. There's also a local based out of the yard that works during the daylight.
I'd side with Midland. Dayton is a good spot, hotels are relatively cheap. The USAF Museum just opened their 4th Hangar. Also, Hamilton and Cincy are but a side trip. Traffic on CSX and NS is not bad and they share trackage thru downtown. You can easily spot from the Dayton Convention Center parking garage.

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AARR
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by AARR »

I agree with midland and TW about the AF Museum. I've visited it three times, spent whole days there and will be going back for more. It has static displays and numerous historical readings.
TrainWatcher wrote:
midland sub wrote:The United States Air Force Museum is 20-25 minutes away in Dayton. Figure to spend most of a day walking around it if you make any sort of effort to look at everything and read most of the display info and it's free.
I'd side with Midland. Dayton is a good spot, hotels are relatively cheap. The USAF Museum just opened their 4th Hangar.
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jallenp7
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by jallenp7 »

The Heritage Museum is a good spot in Springfield, along the tracks on Fountain Ave, it was free, but not sure now.

I think that the Ohio Masonic Home on the West Side has a train display along with the Boonshoft Museum in the Upper Valley Mall, I think both are 3 rail o-gauge

Fred
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by Fred »

Matt,
Between Dayton & Cincy right off I-75 is "Entertrainment Jct" (sp?), HUGE model train layout takes a few hours to view it all.

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M.D.Bentley
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Re: What does Springfield have to offer ?

Unread post by M.D.Bentley »

Thanks again for the input. Always looking for something/somewhere different to do.

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