Railway Post Office Dog Day at the Danbury Railway Museum

On Saturday, July 12, the Danbury Railway Museum will once again host a celebration honoring the legacy of Owney, the Railway Post Office dog. A centerpiece of the day will be the museum’s fully-restored Pennsylvania Railroad circa-1910 Railway Post Office (RPO) car where the U.S. Postal Service will offer a one-day-only collectible U.S. Postal Service special-event pictorial postmark.  The event at the museum at 120 White Street will run from 10am to 4pm.  Admission for this special event is $15 for all visitors age 3 and up. The admission includes a train ride, a free Owney post card, a dog treat for your furry friend, and a free hot dog, drink and chips. Trains depart hourly at 11:00, 12:00, 1:00 and 2:00.

Owney was a stray dog which found its way into the Albany, NY post office in 1888 and was soon adopted by the Railway Mail Service clerks and became the mascot of this elite government service.  He traveled throughout the state, and then all over the country, in the RPO cars, eventually venturing around the world as a U.S. Post Office Department “emissary” in 1895.  In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service issued a postage stamp to honor him.  Owney has been preserved and is on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC.  

During the train ride, a docent on the train will read from a 1930’s book which tells the true story of Owney, the mascot of the U.S. Railway Mail Service.   A reprint of the book will be available for sale at the front desk when purchasing a ticket. Visitors can also tour the lovingly-restored RPO car where children will receive their free Owney postcard. After applying a stamp purchased from the USPS clerk, the clerk will cancel the stamp with the special DRM Owney Day pictorial postmark and can either hand the postcard back to the child or, after being properly addressed, place the postcard in the regular mail to be received by the child in a couple of days. A unique souvenir of the day!  Children can also participate in a “Hunt for Owney” scavenger hunt.
   
The “Railyard Local” — a short train ride in a 1920's passenger coach or a caboose pulled by one of the museum’s vintage locomotives — will take visitors through the historic rail yard and past over 70 vintage railroad cars and locomotives, including a Boston & Maine steam locomotive built in 1907.  Riders will have an opportunity to “go for a spin” on the historic turntable — on the National Register of Historic Places — and get a tour of the steam-era water tower pump house.  Of course, the fascinating exhibits inside the restored 1903 Danbury station will be open, along with a fully-stocked gift shop.  The model train layouts inside will also be operating.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, staffed solely by volunteers, and is dedicated to the preservation of, and education about, railroad history.  The museum is located in the restored 1903 Danbury Union Station and rail yard at 120 White Street, Danbury, CT.  For further information, visit the Web site at https://www.danburyrail.org, email to info@danburyrail.org, or call the museum at 203-778-8337.