Ouite the Opportunity!

The trains that run behind our house periodically stop in our neighborhood from time to time. We have no idea why they stop and there is never a set time they stop for. Last Saturday a train was stopped on the tracks by our neighborhood for 12 hours. I figured that one day, when the weather turned a little nicer I would take Joshua to see the train a little closer (not like it's not close enough in our yard as it is, but I knew it would be a thrill for a little boy). Well today we saw the typical Friday afternoon train come through as we stood out on our deck. Joshua waved and the engineer opened his window and waved as well as tooted his horn for him. Joshua was tickled to say the least! Then we watched as the train came to a stop as it sometimes does at the cross street by our development. With the weather being so beautiful today I figured we could for a walk down the street and take a closer look. I grabbed my camera and told Joshua I would take his picture by the train. Once we got close to the edge of the tracks by the first of the two engines we stopped to look at the massive size of the train - Joshua was amazed! As we stood there just looking the engineer came out of the engine and came over to us he asked Joshua if he wanted to go in the train engine! Joshua of course said yes and immediately began walking over to the engine (which is very high off the ground). Thankfully the engineer helped him up the steps of the engine as I tried to get myself up. We got to go inside the engine and Joshua got to sit in the engineer's seat. The engineers (there were two other guys in the train besides the engineer that had greeted us) showed Joshua the gears and levers they pull to make the train go and they let him blow the train whistle and bell and turn the bell off! Joshua was just in awe! Let me tell you those are some close quarters those men ride in for up to 12 hours at a time. These guys were the same engineers who happened to haul the Barnum and Bailey circus train into downtown GR last September. By chance that evening we were visiting the house to see the building progress and saw that train come through. They told me it actually carried all of the equipment, all of the circus crew and some of the circus animals.
After a few minutes in the train we had to get out as it was time for this crew to head out (their 12 hour shift was done) and be picked up by a taxi and another crew to come and take over driving the train. Apparently they "tie down" the train quite often in our neighborhood so they can trade crews. We were able to snap a few pictures, none with the engineers as we really weren't supposed to be on the train (I'm sure for legal and safety purposes). Even though we weren't supposed to be on the train the engineers said they knew it would make Joshua's day and wanted to do that for him. What an once in a lifetime experience that was for Joshua!

Looking at the massive engine!

Pretending to drive the train (his hand is actually on the throttle).



Pulling the lever that sounds the horn and the bell!