
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 25, 1994                   TAG: 9403250148
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

STEAM TRAIN EXCURSION PLANNED

A steam train excursion from Roanoke to Glade Spring will be part of the June 11 activities dedicating a renovated Pulaski train station, which will become a visitor and community center.

Work on the former station, donated to Pulaski by Norfolk Southern Corp., has taken years and thousands of volunteer work hours.

Tickets for the train ride will be about $75 for the trip from Roanoke to Glade Spring and back, with a brief stop in Pulaski. They will be about $45 for those getting off at Pulaski at 11 a.m. for the day of activities, and catching the train between 5 and 7 p.m. on its way back to Roanoke.

Either way, passengers will be able to attend the 1 p.m. train station dedication where scheduled speakers include U.S. Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va.; Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon; Pulaski Mayor Gary Hancock and Virginia Kelly McNeill, who have been leaders in the station renovation; and Pulaski Chamber of Commerce President Wade Lephew.

Railroad officials and many of the people who have given time, money and work to the project will be recognized.

But the dedication will be just one of the activities planned for visitors and residents in Pulaski that day.

A sidewalk sale by stores along Main Street will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be music by the Buckingham Line Singers from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and by bluegrass and blues bands during the afternoon; an antique auction at the Old Courthouse from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., orchestrated by Ken Farmer; a chili cook-off from 2 to 3 p.m.; duck races from Jefferson to Washington avenues from 3:30 to 4 p.m. with proceeds going to Pulaski's Main Street program; cloggers; and a children's art show.

Square dancing is planned along Main Street from 6 p.m. into the evening.

Tours of historic buildings in downtown Pulaski, tours of the Old Courthouse and fishing trips to Gatewood Reservoir also are on the agenda. Members of the Round Dozen Club will guide home tours at $5 per person.

Railroad memorabilia will be on display all day at the station. Vendors and craftspeople will have booths set up in Jackson Park.

by CNB