Amtrak presents the 5th Annual National Train Day, a celebration of trains and the different ways trains touch the lives of people around the country in Tampa on Saturday, May 12, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The event will celebrate National Train Day and the Tampa Union Station Centennial, and include operating model train displays, entertainment, historical exhibits and tours of train equipment.

National Train Day is for people who relish the journey – not just the destination. This one-of-a-kind train event will bring the ‘rail way’ to life for those in attendance, as well as those participating online and through social media. To join in the celebration of this year’s National Train Day, passengers who are inspired by their train travel experiences can share what they see and do on their train journeys by submitting photos, video and stories at NationalTrainDay.com, on facebook at facebook.com/NationalTrainDay or on Twitter at @natltrainday for a chance to win prizes.

The National Train Day celebration in Tampa will feature operating model trains from the Suncoast Model Railroad Club and the H.B. Plant Railroad Historical Society; displays of Amtrak equipment including an Amtrak 40th Anniversary locomotive; Amtrak Police Department K-9 demonstrations; and numerous historical and railroad exhibits. At 11:00 a.m. the event will feature a history program with Rodney Kite-Powell, Tampa Bay History Center Curator of History, providing a lecture on the history of railroads in Tampa; Fred Hearns will be speaking about Union Station’s role in Tampa’s African-American history; and the National Railway Historical Society will be adding Tampa Union Station to the list of Historic National Railroad Landmarks.