Riding The Rails!

           You've heard the story for years. About
New Yorkers who have never been to the
Empire State Building!
            I thought about it yesterday as we took
two of our very good friends, local I should point
out, for their first visit to the Steamtown National
Park in Scranton!
            I've been there many times, most in my
previous life as a news reporter. It's a treasure
right in our own back yard!
            Steamtown brings back a lot of memories
for me because trains were still a big part of
public transportation when I was a kid.
             My Mom and I used to take a self
propelled passenger car from Hazleton to
Jim Thorpe  where we would pick up the "Black
Diamond" passenger train to visit my Dad when
he was working at Madison Square Garden in
New York City.
            And I made my first trip, alone, on that
same train to visit my Dad wearing my Cub
Scout Uniform! Things were a little safer back
then. Especially when the Conductor looked
after you on the train!
             Steamtown, as its name suggests, has
a collection of the Steam Locomotives that
used to ride the rails "back in the day." It was
something special, as a kid, to see those giant
steam Engines roaring along the tracks , smoke
pouring out of the stack, headlight cutting through
the dark night, and the blast of the whistle as it
went by. Night or day you could be sure the
Engineer would wave if he spotted you!
           The guys in the Caboose would wave
too if it was a freight train passing by. I miss
the Caboose. If I were President I'd require
all rail lines to bring back the Caboose! So
what if they're not really needed. Government
funds pay for a lot of things we don't really
need!
           I still ride passenger trains when ever I
can. Sometimes it's just an excursion. But there's
plenty of regular routes still available too. My
wife and I have taken Auto Train to Florida for
the past three years and we'll be hosting a
Thompson Tours Rail trip to Canada in August.
            There's just something about riding the
rails that's fun and relaxing. Guess, for me, it
connects me to my childhood which, of course,
I've never really left! Maybe it's just that I
don't have to steer!
             If you're in New York I hope you'll
stop and see the Empire State Building. If you're
around here I hope you'll pay a visit to Steamtown
and....that all of your NEWS is good!