Years ago, they called them   “Gandy Dancers”.  Men who laid and maintained railroad track.  There seems to be a lot of confusion about the term Gandy Dancer and how it originated.   The first recorded use of this term was in 1918, and it  was used in reference to the worker tamping down ballast between the ties.  Since he moved in a circle, it may have resembled dancing.  There is another theory also.  Some believ

The restored historic Grand Trunk Depot will be the site of the first annual “St. Johns Depot Railroad Days” to be held on Sept 15,16, & 17th from 10 am until 6 pm.

The railroad first arrived in St. Johns January 16, 1857. That was nearly 150 years ago. Maybe you can see a correlation between the railroad and the beginning of St. Johns. If it were not for the railroad, St. Johns would not have developed as it has, maybe not at all. It seems fitting that we remember the railroad along with our Sesquicentennial celebration.

The “Ghost Train” is back!

Arriving at gates one and two; the only train that still runs through St. Johns, will make a return appearance. Let me rephrase that. It won’t make an appearance. It’s a Ghost Train, you can’t see it! But you will hear it, and the kid in all of us will love it.

On Sunday December 3rd from 1 – 3 pm you can stop in to the Depot and play with the model trains, and listen for the Ghost Train. It is scheduled to pass through town every half hour, and the horn announces its arrival.

June 27th, 2007 started out as any other day. I was busy at the Depot when a man walked in and said “I have your sign”. “Pardon me”, I said. “I have your sign”, he repeated. He then introduced himself as Quentin Kuntz, and it all came flooding back.Well over a year ago, I received a letter from Mr. Kuntz, informing me that he had a sign from the Depot, which he “liberated” in June of 1973, and that he wanted to return. “Great” I said. “Our first annual St.