I've mentioned this before, but for my fourth birthday I was taken on a cab ride on the CNJ out of Wilkes-Barre. There was a switcher standing when we arrived, and we hopped on the cab platform thinking that was what we'd be running... but no! here came three six-motor Alco 1600s in MU! I was shown how to throttle up and down and how to gauge permissible speed (and also watch the engine exhaust through those little windows) although I confess I took a tearful dislike to the air brake, which required far more strength to work than I had and blew down into the cab with a frightful roar.
I find I can't remember exactly where we went -- probably south, although I don't remember anything like the Lehigh Gorge -- or the name of the man who extended me the awesome favor. But I can still close my eyes and remember many things in sharp detail...
Pauley NKP guy Doing a small favor for a little kid certainly can do that for us. As a car guy, I've spent lots of time at cars and coffee type of events. Usually the parents are telling the little kids not to touch anything. Whenver one is near my car (a bright red MR2 with t-tops) I invite them to sit in it and get their picture taken. They love it. Sometimes, while talking to their parents, I catch a glimpse of a youngster holding the steering wheel - pretending. Not having kids myself, it's nice to share a moment like that. (No telling how many crazed car enthusiasts I've influenced - hopefully a lot!)
NKP guy Doing a small favor for a little kid certainly can do that for us.
Doing a small favor for a little kid certainly can do that for us.
As a car guy, I've spent lots of time at cars and coffee type of events. Usually the parents are telling the little kids not to touch anything. Whenver one is near my car (a bright red MR2 with t-tops) I invite them to sit in it and get their picture taken. They love it. Sometimes, while talking to their parents, I catch a glimpse of a youngster holding the steering wheel - pretending. Not having kids myself, it's nice to share a moment like that. (No telling how many crazed car enthusiasts I've influenced - hopefully a lot!)
We don't have children, but I've worked to infect our nieces and nephews with the train bug, and met with some success. Now I'm working on the grand-nephews and grand-nieces. Wish me luck!
One of my friends owns a fire truck. Its his pride and joy.
When he takes it to shows, he lets the kids get on, just "don't step on the paint.
Ring the bell, crank on the siren, pose for pictures, they love it.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
www.bostontype.com
PauleyThat will be a "forever" memory for them.
One of mine happened about 1958 when I was 10. My family lived next door to the Nickel Plate and our neighbor two doors away was a senior engineer with the New York Central out of nearby Collinwood. Sixty-three years later this vivid memory still gives me pleasure.
One nice summer day, Mr. Simpson took me along with his daughter to the Collinwood yards where he simply walked us over to an idling SW-type switch engine and helped us climb aboard. For the next 10 or 15 minutes he moved the switcher a few hundred feet or so in each direction. He let us kids ring the bell, and while Martha was brave enough to blow the horn at his urging, I simply couldn't, even though I wanted to. It seemed too exalted a thing for me to do! I still regret saying No when I meant Yes.
That afternoon is etched in my mind for several reasons, not least that he was simply a nice older guy wanting to show his daughter and the neighbor boy who he knew liked trains an afternoon of fun of a different sort. His demeanor and appearance was similar to a school superintendent's and he drove the best car on the block. He even shared his B of LE magazines with me, and for years I considered following his example and entering railroading.
Bill Simpson's regular gig with the NYC was the run from Cleveland to Erie. This man for years actually had his hand on the throttles of Hudsons and Niagaras pulling the best passenger and freight trains the NYC fielded. Maybe he ran the wonderful P class electrics in & out of the CUT!
Mr. Simpson embodied what Emerson meant when he wrote that "to win...the affection of children" was one of the definitions of success. Doing a small favor for a little kid certainly can do that for us.
Reminds me of my trip down to Ludlow, Kentucky last year when a mom brought her daughter down to the railfan platform so she could see her dad heading out of Cincinnati on a southbound Norfolk Southern freight.
Before they left, I gave her my business card with my YouTube channel written on the back. In the description of the video, I asked her to e-mail me as when I got home, I saw that I had some good pictures of the train with her husband leaning out the window waving to them. She did e-mail me, and I got the pictures sent to them.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
That will be a "forever" memory for them.
Very cute video. Thanks for posting.
Until I was five years old, my father worked in the Transportation Office at Ft. Stewart, GA. He knew the guys who operated the trains on the Army's short railroad spur out to the Atlantic Coast Line's main line. One of my earliest memories is of the day he took my next younger brother and me to work and got the engineer to fire up the switcher and give us a short ride. All I remember is pulling the cord to blow the horn, but it was major-league AWESOME!!!
That it is! Thanks for posting, it made my morning!
Great video.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhJA9YOjcLw
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