Trains

Trains come in all sizes, from small,

to larger,

to a size fit for a dragon.

Large enough to ride,

and large enough to take several passengers.

Then there is my train, the largest yet, 

leaving at 2:00 this afternoon!

Amtrak to Minnesota

My daughter and 3 grandkids left on Amtrak to return to Minnesota - on-time departure and a great photo-op. The dragons and other reptiles were left behind in their den. Dover is devastated by the sudden loss of his private supply of admirers, huggers, and tennis ball heavers.

Amtrak hits a home run

I recently travelled to Washington DC and back on the train. It was a great trip on our national railroad and all went as expected; trains were on time, and as usual there was entertainment to be heard from neighboring fellow travelers. There was a guy going to the big city for a court date who was wondering what term he would be given; a woman who apparently worked the streets (oh - there was much more but this is a family oriented site!); sweet and happy kids; whiney whinging and obnoxious kids; first time anxious train riders; an assortment of dour and silent, huge in all directions, and companionable (also silent) seat mates; and a couple who bickered and snarled at each other across the aisle (they stalked forward as the guy was beginning to hit her and she was beginning to tell him he couldn't hit her).


In Union Station on the return trip, our train's station conductor let the business class, seniors and families into a separate waiting area about ten minutes ahead of boarding time and lined us up in our respective groups.


After a bit, he started walking down the line of business class travelers, inspecting each carefully. He stopped at one, and had a quiet conversation with him. I expected an immanent arrest. He pulled the sweet looking young man out of the line, and the young man said: "I'd be glad to do that." All eyes were riveted on the scene, as what else is there to do when waiting to be let through the chute to scramble for seats.The conductor took him over to an elderly woman leaning against the wall, waiting in a line of her own. The three murmured in a low voice. The young man took the woman's suitcase, held out his arm, which she took, and off they went together to the train in a companionable stroll and with beaming smiles. They were the first ones on, and the assembled others all but gave the slight, soft spoken conductor a round of applause. It was a sweet, sweet sight.

The Train to Minnesota

I took the train to Minnesota over spring break. One of our excursions was to visit the Minnesota Museum of Science, a place to spend quality time with kids and science. One of the museum's trademarks is a set of stairs that dings musical notes when walked upon. The video part is lousy quality, but the audio is fine.

When we came home, the kids made a model of King Tut's tomb out of a little figure of King Tut (he's in the box inside a box inside a tomb) and assorted goods found on any active dining room table such as fool's gold, boxes, assorted stones, erasers, etc..

Train Travel

My daughter and kids just spent their spring vacation with us. They took the train from Minnesota to Massachusetts, which was an adventure in itself - two trains each way, with a multi-hour layover in Chicago. Train is my preferred method to travel, as not only does the travel time provide an enforced retreat from demands requiring my immediate response or action, but it also serves up a a glimpse of the countryside - from gorgeous panoramas to trackside dumping grounds - that I can not get when drive.

Anyway, all trains the Minnesota crew took were on time, or close enough, as they say, for jazz. Here are two coming and going pictures: The Lakeshore limited as it pulled in to the Albany train station, to the immanent  departure from the Springfield station, small ones shepherded by their cousin.