The Train Engineer Wannabe

Andrew's Grandpa Ken is a member of the Nebraska-Iowa RR model train club here in Nebraska and Andrew learned to love trains at an early age (yep, even earlier than his 2 1/2 years).

The club has a free train facility at Nebraska Crossing located on the Interstate between Omaha and Lincoln where the guys keep their trains and run them for the general public. Its a big place and has plenty of room for the trains and for the children and their parents to wander around looking at each of the modules. Members are always willing to discuss their trains, show them off, and invite the visitors to join the train club.  The facility is open on Saturdays from noon to 4:00.

The facility has 7 different train layouts each suited to whichever size model trains the members own. Some are 0 scale others are HO, N and O27. Each layout has buildings and scenery, some have mountains and tunnels and enough track to run 2 or 3 trains at a time.

Andrew and I went to see the trains on Saturday. He was awed by the many different trains, but his very favorite was the Thomas the Train layout. Thomas, Percy, James, and Gordon were all there.

Chick, one of the train club members, was in charge of the Thomas the Train table. He showed Andrew how to press the red button that made the train whistle blow and from then on he was Andrew's best friend! Andrew would stand next to Chick and would gently tap his arm and say "I blow whistle now?", Chick would nod "yes" and Andrew would have Thomas toot tooting all around the track.

It was a fun way to spend a hot Nebraska afternoon....in an air-conditioned building surrounded by model trains, train books and guys who were more than willing to pick up little boys and girls to give them a better look at the trains going around the tracks.

And, if you're lucky, you'll see a real train engineer dressed in his striped overalls and cap....he'll make his train toot-toot for you too!