ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Hundreds of people enjoyed the opening weekend of Eldridge Park in Elmira, along with new a special event. The first annual Train Day Event was a way for collectors, train enthusiasts, and those who wanted to learn more about the history of trains in the Twin Tiers.

"It’s an educational event in some ways because some people have brought their kids down, and they learn about the history of the railroad and how important it was," said Co-founder and President of the Chemung Valley Railway Historical Society, Rob Piecuch.

Piecuch said people don’t always realize that at one point in time all the things people bought in stores were shipped by trains/box cars.

He also mentioned how Eldridge Park is almost surrounded by railroad tracks, with the former Erie Railroad and the former Lackawanna Railroad running up/down the Park's east and west sides.

Along the former Lackawanna railroad tracks was a 1955 locomotive from CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) USA in Elmira Heights. CAF USA has made over 500 passenger train cars that are in operation across the United States, according to CAF USA Vice President of Operations, Ed Holzlein.

People could take photos in front of the locomotive, and for many children, this was a brand-new thing to see. For others, it brought back memories from their childhood.

"Train Day Event is super exciting because of what we do for the community. But to bring this here, we’ve had train enthusiasts come up to us and say we remember seeing this when they were a child," said Holzlein.

Piecuch said it was great to see so many people come out for the Train Day event, and is looking forward to next year's event.