Awards Banquet
The Awards Banquet will be held Saturday night from 7:00 to 10:00 PM in the Independence Ballroom. Tickets for the meal will be $65 and can be purchased at through registration. There will be a Social Hour from 6:00 to 7:00 PM with a cash bar. The meal will be served from 7 PM to 8 PM, after which the doors will be opened to everyone for the award ceremonies. We encourage attendees to register for the banquet which we anticipate will be a truly special event.
Banquet Menu
Attendees will have a choice of three options:
1) Railroad-themed buffet consisting of:
- - From the PRR: PRR salad bowl with Pennsylvania dressing
- From the Reading: Crusader grilled flank steak
- From the B&O: Shirred sliced turkey with asparagus supreme, baked string beans with mushrooms
- From the C&O: Rice pilaf
- Chef selected desserts
2) Vegetarian plated meal
3) Gluten-free plated meal
Beverages: Coffee, tea, sodas
The options will appear on the online registration form once the "Yes" button is selected for the Banquet.
Keynote Speaker - John P. Hankey
John Hankey is a historian, curator, and railroader whose career stretches back five decades. He is best known for his work at the B&O Railroad Museum and Chessie System, where he served variously as Historian, Archivist, and Chief Curator. He has worked on major initiatives with the California State Railroad Museum, Georgia State Railroad Museum, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, South Shore Line Museum Project, and other institutions throughout the United States. His works include articles, book chapters, papers, reports, columns, radio, and video.
Hankey spent six years in Engine Service on the B&O Railroad and has worked extensively with heritage railroads, most recently the Western Maryland Scenic and Colebrookdale Railroads. He holds a BS from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the University of Delaware (where he was a Hagley Fellow), and is ABD at the University of Chicago. As an adjunct, he taught courses on history of technology and railroading at the University of Baltimore, University of Nebraska, and Smithsonian Institution. He resides on an island off the coast of Maine with his wife, Sharon Wood, a retired history professor.
