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We live in a town with a steam train. Or should I say "Steam Train." This is key to the eight year old in my life. On a quiet day you can here the steam whistle at the station three miles away. It's kinda cool.
The railroad isn't officially open for the season and visitors yet. But in the weeks before the season, and just following the visit of Thomas the Tank Engine at the end of the season, they hold classes they call Hand On The Throttle. Unfortunately, like everything else associated with this railroad, you have to be 18 in order to take the class.
Fortunatley, if you know the firemen (and the engineers), you can find out when they are going to fire up one of the engines. We have had the good fortune of being able to watch the crew start their day, check the water and get an already warm boiler going for the day. But we have yet to catch them starting the fire in a cold loco. This, for now, is the holy grail for our junior engineer.
And we have two more opportunities to catch them at it, before the season starts and the trains are kept warm 'round the clock.
Meanwhile, because he shows up in full railroading kit - striped coveralls, workboots, engineer hat and decent work gloves - he has endeared himself to the crew and can be found in the cab shoveling coal to bank the fire, raking coal down from the tender to make it easier to shovel, and then sweeping up the mess. And telling anyone who will listen everything he knows about trains.
The crew is very kind and patient, and a little boy has the occassional opportunity to live his dream. And cover himself in coal dust.
Doesn't get much better than that.
The railroad isn't officially open for the season and visitors yet. But in the weeks before the season, and just following the visit of Thomas the Tank Engine at the end of the season, they hold classes they call Hand On The Throttle. Unfortunately, like everything else associated with this railroad, you have to be 18 in order to take the class.
Fortunatley, if you know the firemen (and the engineers), you can find out when they are going to fire up one of the engines. We have had the good fortune of being able to watch the crew start their day, check the water and get an already warm boiler going for the day. But we have yet to catch them starting the fire in a cold loco. This, for now, is the holy grail for our junior engineer.
And we have two more opportunities to catch them at it, before the season starts and the trains are kept warm 'round the clock.
Meanwhile, because he shows up in full railroading kit - striped coveralls, workboots, engineer hat and decent work gloves - he has endeared himself to the crew and can be found in the cab shoveling coal to bank the fire, raking coal down from the tender to make it easier to shovel, and then sweeping up the mess. And telling anyone who will listen everything he knows about trains.
The crew is very kind and patient, and a little boy has the occassional opportunity to live his dream. And cover himself in coal dust.
Doesn't get much better than that.
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