BY DONNA HUNT

Herald Democrat

Denison always has been a railroad town and in past years the majority of her citizens had a direct connection with the Katy, then the Union Pacific Railroad.

After the merger of the two railroads much of the excitement of being a railroad town subsided.

The Red River Railroad Museum was about to close for lack of volunteers and the unique Katy Depot was quiet without the excitement that the trains created.

This weekend all the excitement will be returning and Denison once again will be celebrating its railroad heritage with the grand re-opening of the Railroad Museum with lots of other activities all weekend.

The Union Pacific's "Katy Heritage" or "Union Pacific 1988" locomotive will arrive on Friday to kick off the celebration. Just looking at the engine will bring back lots of fond memories.

The train is painted in the colors of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad as one of the Union Pacific's locomotives that are painted to commemorate the railroads that existed before merging with the Union Pacific in 1988.

On Friday evening the UP 1988 can be viewed on nearby tracks by those attending "Rockin' at the Rails," a major event with dinner, music and a live auction that will benefit the Red River Railroad Museum. The bash will be at T-Bones Bar and Grill on the north end of the depot platform. Performances by one of Texas' hottest acts, Spur 503, and BlueRock band, a fajita dinner, a live auction by David Whitlock, a silent auction and a 2009 membership in the museum are included in the $20 cost. Doors open at 7 p.m. The BluRock Band will feature such local luminaries as Ronnie Cole, Tony Kaii and Robert Crawley.

The Texoma Children's Museum on Main Street is also offering babysitting with fun activities for kids while their parents enjoy the T-Bones event. A place for the kids can be reserved by calling 903-463-5678.

The engine also will be on display at the depot during the many events of the weekend that also includes the Denison Service League VIP Party and tour of the Denison Hotel and tours of Denison loft apartments on Saturday. Visitors cannot enter the engine, but it can be viewed free, and will be available for photographs.

Saturday morning St. Luke's Run for the Rails", a 5K run for adults and a kids fun run will take place trackside at the depot.

Anyone who's always wanted to drive a big locomotive will have the opportunity following the unveiling of the new train simulator in the museum. You won't actually get to take the throttle of a train, but you'll get to do the next best thing and that's climb the steps, sit in the cab and operate digital controls of a modern day diesel locomotive.

This "virtual" train trip, described as something between a video game and a roller-coaster ride, is created using state-of-the-art Dell equipment and a RailDriver Desktop Train Cab Controller with a realistic throttle, brake, reverser and switch controls.

The replica locomotive cab housing the equipment was constructed by Red River Railroad Museum board member John Scott. A second simulator, a replica of a steam engine, will soon be available. Both simulators were acquired through a grant from the W.B. Munson Foundation.

A complete overhaul of the museum has been going on in recent months. This included the addition of a new "Educational Media Center," a state-of-the-art meeting facility and theater with 35 seats and high-definition, large-screen projection equipment.

The room is available for meetings and other events.

Visitors can take a break from other weekend festivities and cool their heels to watch a classic film, Strangers on a Train," at 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.

It was the Clara Blackford and Aubrey W. Smith Foundation and the Oliver Dewey Mayor Foundation that provided grants to establish the media center. It's already been booked for foundation board meetings and a catered Valentine dinner for two.

Strangers on a Train is a 1951 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. If more people show up for the film than can be accommodated, the film will also be shown later in the day. The Museum hopes to make the movie the first in a planned series of showings of movies with railroad themes.

The "Little Pat" train will be operating free between the Texoma Children's Museum and the depot and TAPS Park & Ride buses will be transporting those wanting to travel to Eisenhower's Birthplace, Frontier Village, the children's museum and the railroad museum. Eisenhower Birthplace will be celebrating the occasion with an open house and free admission from 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Living history tours will be given at Frontier Village from 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Educational monologues will be given by Jim Bowie at the children's museum from 10 until 11 a.m. Brian Burns will perform Once Upon a Time in Texas from 2 -3 p.m. at the children's museum.

Also on Saturday Dallas Cowboy Greats will be on Main Street from 5 -8 p.m. for dinner and autographs at the Homestead Winery.

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday a Performance Arts Series 2009 is planned for the Rialto Theater.

Art tours are planned from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. downtown Saturday and again at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Eisenhower Birthplace's open house with free admission will continue on Sunday from 1 -5 p.m.