At a Glance: Folks have been out in a force we have not seen in a long while, readying the railroad for Applebutter Fest, Sunday, October 11. New vendors, an information tent, a 1916 track-car reproduction, QR signs, a visitor guide, and America 250 lorre carts are new this year.
If you have been by the property lately, you have probably noticed it. Our members have been out in a force we have not seen in a long while.
We have also been welcoming a bunch of new members, and we have been glad to get them in on the work instead of leaving them standing at the edge of it. Task work has been going on through the week and on the weekends: grounds keeping; mechanical service; installation of more interpretive signs, and a kind of enthusiasm that is easy to feel when you walk the place. A lot of that runs right into our biggest day of the year.
That day is Applebutter Fest, Sunday, October 11, 2026, down in Grand Rapids. The village fest has been a fall staple since 1977, and this year it runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. We have had a lot of prep in this past week, with the fest now a week out. The leaps we have made on the grounds and in the shop are the same work that gets the railroad ready for the crowd.
What is new this year
We have new vendors on the grounds. Food and goods both. Booth spots at the 3rd Street Triangle get set this coming week, and the roster is on our events page so you can see who is cooking and who is selling before you come.
There is a new information tent which will be situated just east of the Front Street shuttle platform. Come see how we are pursuing our purpose: preserve, restore, and educate.
We will also have a special piece on hand: Daryl Wright’s reproduction of a 1916 experimental track car from a design by Fairbanks Morse and the Sheffield Car Co. It is the sort of thing you do not often see.
Along the right of way you will see new QR code signs. Point your phone at one and it will take you to https://tlew.org/events, where the fest-day details live.
The event guide is written for folks who do not know the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum yet. It covers how to get to Saylor Lane parking, how the rail shuttle works, and what we have been up to in 2026 as we chase Preserve · Restore · Educate. There are a few teasers in there for new museum programming on the way. We are not spelling all of that out today. Come ask us.
Our graphics team have been at it too, turning out new displays and new messaging so a first-time visitor can tell what they are looking at.
And we are tickled to mark America 250 with the lorre passenger carts painted up for the occasion. Two hundred fifty years of the country, and a little of that showing on the carts that carry people on our railroad. Feels right for a place whose whole job is to keep the old work in front of new eyes.
Getting here
Saylor Lane parking is at 17475 Saylor Ln, off Poe Road. Watch for the signs. From there, the fest-day shuttle runs both ways to the 3rd Street Triangle, and that ride is included with Saylor Lane parking.
There is a second shuttle, also both ways: Front Street at the river crossing, and Grand Rapids Road parking. That one is $5 per person one way, cash only. +$1 per oversized item.
The guide, the map, and the vendor list are all at https://tlew.org/events.
Come on down
Applebutter Fest is the village’s day, and we are glad to be in the middle of it. Railroad history comes alive when the grounds are kept up, the equipment is fit to show, and somebody is there to tell you what you are looking at. That is the work of these past weeks. That is Preserve · Restore · Educate in ordinary terms.
