Railroading Merit Badge Day at Knott's Berry Farm - The Plan

1. All Boy Scouts must be in Class A uniform to participate in this Railroading Merit Badge Day.
2. The Boy Scout Railroading Merit Badge Day will include presentations and activities that will fulfill all of the requirements for the Boy Scouts to earn their Railroading Merit Badge, assuming the Scout has completed prerequisites 1a, 1b, & 1c and 5a, 5b & 5c using the Special Railroading Merit Badge Day at Knott's Berry Farm Workbook provided HERE. Note: This is a writable pdf file. You can use your computer to complete the prerequisites (and any other requirements you wish to complete) then print and save the Workbook. Don't forget to bring the Workbook with you, when you go to Knott's Berry Farm.
3. Also to help you with requirement 2a, you have been provided with a Time Table HERE. Familiarize yourself with this Standard Passenger Time Table, which will be used at Knott's Berry Farm to help you with answering requirement 2a.
4. The Registration fee for this Merit Badge Day includes the famous Knott's Berry Farm Chicken Dinner Box Lunch, all-day admission (to 10 PM), and the Knott's Berry Farm and Railroading Merit Badge activities from 8 to 1 pm.
5. Registration is available to the first 500 individuals (Scouts, siblings and friends, Scouters, parents and guardians).
6. To attend as a Scout, you must be a registered member of a Boy Scout Troop, Team, Crew, or Ship. Adults attending must be Unit Leaders or parents/guardians/family members of a Scout or members of the Merit Badge Day Staff.
7. Registrants will have their online reservation/ticket scanned as they enter the Park from Beach Blvd., side of the Park. Remember it's on Saturday morning, April 7, 2012 and check-in is (8:00 am sharp) at Knott's Berry Farm's ticket counter.
8. You will be provided Special access to special venues such as the Calico & Ghost Town Railroad Roundhouse, seeing the nearby Galloping Goose #3 (see more about the Goose HERE ) and you'll get to visit the "Edna" Business Car and the Durango Parlor car, which are not normally open to the general public. Check out this link for more insight into the subject.
9. Scouts will rotate through the various Whistle Stops (Merit Badge Requirements)during the Railroading Merit Badge activities time - 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Details of each station is provided in the Special Railroading Merit Badge Workbook provided HERE a writable and savable pdf file.
10. Activities to complete the Railroading Merit Badge requirements will take all the time between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm. Partials will be given if the Scout does not complete all 8 requirements delineated in the Special Workbook identified herein including the prerequisites requirements 1a, 1b, & 1c and 5a, 5b & 5c. Participants are welcome to enjoy the amusement park all day until 10 pm closing as part of this Merit Badge Day event.
11. Scouts/siblings and parents/family members must arrive at the Ticket Gate at Knott's Berry Farm at 8:00 am sharp. See the MAP of the Knott's Berry Farm layout also included in the Special Workbook.
12. Scouts/siblings & Parents/guardians/Leaders who also attend will proceed to the Boardwalk Ballroom where the Scouts will go to their assigned Troop tables. Parents, please check-in at the Information Table just outside the Boardwalk Ballroom. We need your help, so please join our staff and help us help our Scouts. Note: the Park attractions and rides do not open until 10 am (normal opening time for the general public is 10 am) although the Ghost Town Railroad will start running at 9 AM for our Scouts, parents, siblings and friends as part of requirement 8b.
13. Scouts must download the Special Railroading Merit Badge Workbook from this website HERE a writable and savable pdf file. Enter your answers for the prerequisites, Print the the document and bring it with you. Without this Special Workbook, you will NOT be able to complete your Railroading Merit Badge.
14. Scout must have already completed requirement 1a, 1b and 1c and filled the answers into the workbook before arriving at Knott's Berry Farm.
15. At 8:45 am in Boardwalk Ballroom, we will start our Merit Badge Day with announcements, opening flag salute & prayer.
16. At 9:00 am, the Railroading Merit Badge round robin begins. See the round robin (Whistle Stop) Schedule below or in the back of the Special Workbook.
17. On the hour and half hour each Troop will advance to the next Whistle Stop for the next requirement. All requirements except Whistle Stop 8 (requirement 8b) will be conducted in the Boardwalk Ballroom. Whistle Stop 8 (requirement 8) is the historical train ride which is at the Ghost Town Depot.
18. Scouts, Leaders, parents, sibling and other family members will also get the opportunity take tours of 4 areas of Knott's Berry Farm, which are not normally open to the general public. These tours are at Whistle Stops 9a & 9b. Whistle Stop 9a is the Calico & Ghost Town Railroad Roundhouse tour where the steam locomotives and other rolling stock at Knott's Berry farm are maintained and kept in tip-top running order. Here also just to the left of the Roundhouse on the tracks, you get a view of the Galloping Goose #3. Whistle Stop 9b is the tour of the 2 Specialty Parlor Cars: the Edna and the Durango. Whistle Stop 9a & 9b are non-requirement events, so just enjoy the sights and sounds during these two 30 minute Whistle Stops.
19. At 1 pm, the Railroading Merit Badge Day is over. And lunch is served in the Boardwalk Ballroom from 1:00 pm until 1:30 pm. Also during this time if your Blue Card has not been signed already, be sure to get it signed at your Troop tables.
20. at 1:30 pm, Scouts/siblings and parents/family members/guardians/leaders are now free to enjoy all of the rides and amusements of Knott's Berry Farm until closing at 10:00 pm.
21. A few members of the staff will be available to help those Scouts who did not successfully complete all of the requirements during and after the lunch period from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.