ANNOUNCING:
A Rail Travel Writing and Photography Workshop
for railfans, journalists, writers, bloggers and camera fans of all skill levels
at the Depot Inn & Suites, La Plata, Missouri, on the route of the Amtrak Southwest Chief

Presented by Rail Travel Writers/Photographers Carl Morrison and Henry Kisor
With Guest Speaker Steve Barry of Railfan & Railroad Magazine

Sunday-Thursday, October 21-24, 2012

TrainWeb.com/events/workshop2012.html

The workshop is sponsored by the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation (aprhf.org) Silver Rails Gallery and will be taught by two noted TrainWeb field reporters—Carl Morrison, a widely published professional photographer, and Henry Kisor, author of Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America and other books. Several of their rail travel reports and photos can be viewed at TrainWeb.org/carl and TrainWeb.org/henrykisor.

Participants will learn skills in photographing and writing about train travel, including on-board and trackside shooting, gathering information and interviewing crew and passengers, tailoring stories to specific audiences and publications. Workshop classes will be held Sunday through Wednesday mornings, October 21 - 24, giving plenty of time to write and go out into the field with camera and notebook in the afternoons. An informal optional session will be held on Saturday evening, October 20, for those that arrive early.

James Porterfield, Railfan & Railroad Magazine contributing editor and author of Dining By Rail said: Valuable insights and helpful criticism from some of rail travel writing's true heavyweights.

Participants may want to arrive an extra day or two early for the annual Silver Rails Train Show on Saturday, October 20, 2012, at the Silver Rails Event Center in La Plata.

Tuition: $250 for all five days. Limited to 12 participants.

Audit: $150 for all five days. Those auditing the workshop participate in all workshop events including classes and outings, but will not have their work discussed or critiqued in the workshop class meetings.

Accommodations: The Depot Inn & Suites is providing 20 per cent room discounts to participants who register in advance by September 15 for five to seven nights for $75 per night plus tax. (A continental breakfast is included in the room rate.) Click here for more information about the railroad themed luxurious Depot Inn & Suites hotel.

Participants will be responsible for lunches and dinners at the Red Rooster next door to the hotel or other restaurants in the area.

Participants must bring their own digital cameras and notebook computers. Participants and presenters will show and discuss their work in the classroom sessions. Those auditing the workshop will attend but will not be showing or discussing their work during the classroom sessions.

After Hours: There is much to see and do in the surrounding Silver Rails Country when you are not busy attending the workshop or social activities, or if you stay beyond the days of the workshop. Click here for more information or click here to have a map of Silver Rails Country mailed to you.

Rental cars are available from Enterprise Rent-a-Car in nearby Kirksville, telephone 660-665-3396. Enterprise will bring the car to the Depot Inn & Suites. Mention Code L51EZ54 and get special daily rates of $34 for compact, $37 for mid-size, or $39 for standard.

Transportation: Free hotel shuttle service is provided from the La Plata-MO Station on the route of the Amtrak Southwest Chief, the Ottumwa-IA Station on the route of the Amtrak California Zephyr, and the Quincy-IL Station on the route of the Amtrak Illinois Service. Cape Air also provides daily air shuttle service from St. Louis to Kirksville with connections from throughout the nation. The hotel also provides free shuttle service from the airport, just 5 minutes from the hotel.

Click Map For Driving Directions.
Click Here For Information On Arriving By Train Or Plane

For Further Information send email to Carl Morrison at carl@trainweb.com or Henry Kisor at HenryKisor@trainweb.com. For hotel reservation questions send email to info@DepotInn.com or call
888-814-3669 toll free. For complete train, plane, car rental, hotel and workshop reservations call
877-459-5900 toll free.

Select an option below to register and pay for the workshop:

Note: You do not need to have a PayPal Account to pay online below. Whether you have a PayPal Account or not, just click one of the "Buy Now" buttons below. If you have a PayPal Account, you will be prompted to log in to make payment. If you do not have a PayPal Account, you will be able to use your charge card or debit card without being required to create a PayPal Account.

Workshop - Full Participation ($250):

Workshop - Audit ($150):

Silver Rails Train Show:

The 3rd Annual APRHF Model Train Show and Swap Meet will be held on Saturday, Oct 20 from 9am to 3pm. Admission is $5 at the door of the Silver Rails Event Center just down the street from the Depot Inn & Suites. Come a day early if you'd like to attend this event!

Hotel Reservations:

To reserve your hotel room for the workshop call the Depot Inn & Suites toll free at 888-814-3669. Be sure to mention you are coming for the Rail Travel Writing and Photography Workshop in order to obtain the special hotel discount rate of $75 per night. This special discount rate will be valid for all days of your stay even if you wish to arrive days before or stay days after the workshop. Don't forget you may wish to stay extra days to further explore Silver Rails Country on your own!