"The Anzio Express" and the "North Platte Canteen
www.anzioexpress.org
www.anzioexpress.org
The 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division in cooperation with our generous sponsor, the Illinois Railway Museum of Union, Illinois Presents our 2nd Annual WWII REENACTMENT.
Join us at the Illinois Railway Museum, in Union Illinois, Memorial Day Weekend May 28-30, 2010.
This event will utilize a great mix of small skirmishes and vignettes culminating with an Italian rail yard battle on one end of the site, and a re-creation of the famous homefront North Platte Canteen at the main rail station. This will be a US Homefront and Italian MTO event with sections of the museum grounds divided into the proper venues. All scenarios will utilize period working trains, Pullman passenger cars, troop transports, trolleys, and streetcars. Yes, you get to ride on the trains over a 8 mile track network and inform the public about the time as they ride with you! And in 2010, possibly a Union Pacific period steam locomotive.
Planned scenarios include:
- Afternoon Major Public Battle in either the Italian Rail Yard, fighting over, under and around the fixed position authentic period cars, or in the newly purchased 89 Acre wooded, hedgerowed and creek venue.Smaller Skirmishes along the Trolley Line, during the day.
- Recreation of the North Platte Canteen in North Platte Nebraska for our servicemen and women on the troop trains which will be passing thru the museum.
- Several venues of the MTO reenacted along the Museums secondary Trolley line.
-Downed Airman Picked up by German Troop Train, captured and interrogated.
-Resistance Sabotage of Train Tracks and Bridges.
-Germans Capture of Resistance Fighters and related skirmishes.
-Allied Troops encounter German Patrol.
-German Troop Train and interrogation of Passengers. Document checks, etc.
- Trolley stations to be decorated in Italian posters and bunting.
and much more only limited by your imagination!
New for 2010, a Saturday nite swing dance with 10 piece orchestra in a Trolley barn with transport to the barn by night rail or bus electric trolley!
All civilian impressions centering on the US homefront are welcome and needed for the North Platte Canteen scenarios. If you are unfamiliar with this most famous of all Canteens, follow the YouTube link on the website below and learn more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07DGeLvD ... re=related
All Military impressions are welcome, but MTO- Italy is the order of the day--be prepared. Airborne allowed to fight if you can galvanize over to 82nd which was in Italy, if not, static displays only please. If you can do Italian campaign impressions, we want you. We need German, Brit, US, Italian, Partisans, etc.
There will be scrip provided by the Railway Museum for a meal.
Military Unit Commanders: Please Contact Doc Phil (dogcot5 on this forum) via PM to inform him of your units willingness to participate in the skirmishes and battles, and camp set up.
Civilian and Resistance: Please Contact our Italian resistance coordinator at film_spirit@prairiestarproductions.com
We are planning semi-scripted scenarios. If you would like to participate as a Civilian in our North Platte Canteen Re-creation or in one of our other Civilian and Resistance skits, please email her directly so that she can add you to the Civilian/Resistance list. We are in need of donut dollies, matrons, rail workers, canteen staff, musicians and ladies to dance with our servicemen during their brief stop over at the canteen.
You must be a member of a recognized ww2 reenacting organization to participate (TSG/HRS/etc...). TSG & HRS S&A rules will apply. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! If you are not part of an organization, please access our event website and contact me personally and we can talk. We want to be as inclusive as possible under recognized S&A guidelines. We won't automatically rule you out if you're not HRS or TSG. We only want a safe and authentic program. We are presently working on obtaining a block of rooms at a local hotel at reduced prices for those who wish to attend but not camp.
We need VENDORS--call me for approval to attend.
We are searching for units to assist in various stages of the event. MP/S&A/etc.... if you want to assist contact Doc Phil via PM.
Directions, rules and regs, pictures, and schedule of events, etc. can be found at our website: www.anzioexpress.org
To register for the event please vist our on line registration at http://irm.eventbrite.com/
Wheeled vehicles are welcome, tracked vehicles may be allowed this year, we'll know as soon as the host museum confirms to us. If we get some of the new 89 acres to use, all vehicles will be welcome. Sorry, no bounty for vehicles is available. Bring out your toys to show them off, after all, isn't that why you bought them?
Guys and gals, its like an airshow, but on rails! See the exact period rolling stock used and experience how our boys moved from place to place in the US. Also, ride the trolleys in Italy and be prepared for ambush by any of the antagonists of the theater.
Some photos of the last program day at http://nlphoto.zenfolio.com/p1024443579
and at
http://tgdavison-photography.smugmug.co ... 5936_AjakM
You can also view some imbedded YouTube video of the event on the Event Website....
Email me for more info. Include your phone # if you want to speak personally.......
Thanks for your consideration...
Doc Phil