Little Bedros, my favorite (and only) grandchild, has taken his latest train ride. He treated his Mommy and Daddy to a scenic ride on the Valley Train at the Conway Scenic Railroad. Lucky them. Before that, he took us—all his family—to the New England Aquarium via Commuter Rail. Train trips are so much fun! My wife, Becky, and I have always considered them special. We took our sons on several when they were growing up. The slow, smooth ride, frequent bell clanging, conductor calling, nostalgic feeling and large windows all made for an enjoyable experience.
Like other youngsters of my generation, I was fascinated by trains. Hearing their distant horns late at night while in bed made me wonder where exactly they were. What were they hauling? How many crew members were there? I remember Dad taking me to the rails, knowing when trains would come by and watching the crossing arms lower and then rise once the trains had safely passed. Sometimes I saw and waved to the engineer, who’d smile and salute back. If I were lucky, he’d toot the horn.
Dad demonstrated the train’s power by having me place a penny on the track a few minutes before the train was due to pass by. The engine’s heavy, steel wheels would glide effortlessly over the sacrificial coin, as though it weren’t there. The train’s force would flatten and flip it forward dozens of feet. After the train had passed, I’d run forward looking for the squashed penny. Now about the size of a quarter, it would be very thin and slightly bowed. Abe on one side and his monument on the other would be barely discernible. The coin was no longer a coin but merely a useless piece of copper and zinc.
Trains have always played a significant role in movies, music and literature. How many cinematic renditions of Murder on the Orient Express have there been? Von Ryan’s Express is a thoroughly entertaining film for Frank Sinatra fans. The same is true for The Train starring Burt Lancaster. A Turkish passenger train route has a crucial role in Midnight Express, the suspenseful film about drugs. The repetitive chug-chugging music in James Bond’s action-packed From Russia with Love is mesmerizing. “Chattanooga Choo Choo” was a popular 1941 song by Glenn Miller’s Orchestra and an inspiration for the later film of the same name, with music by Nelson Riddle. Riddle also orchestrated the theme music for the TV show Route 66, where trains often criss-crossed roads. Anna Karenina threw herself ahead of the wheels of a freight train.
None of this is relevant to Bedros. He’s more concerned with watching the buildings fleeting by. He gets especially excited when the passing object is another train. “Don’t reach outside the windows, Bedros.” With a little luck Mommy may have been able to read to him from The Little Engine That Could or Thomas the Tank Engine. More likely, she brought along Thomas and his toy friends. Bedros loves those. He also likes the Hogwarts Express when I read from his illustrated Harry Potter.
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There is something uniquely relaxing about scenic train rides. Comfy wicker furniture replaces former hard benches. The sheen of rich wood paneling and yellow brass has been restored with polish. I’m reminded of the locomotive and train set Dad machined from solid brass, copper and aluminum. I couldn’t resist including the train set in my accompanying watercolor painting, entitled Train Ride.
But wait! Is it possible that the gremlin from the famous Twilight Zone episode with William Shatner is peeking into Bedros’ train car? Can’t be. It must be in my imagination. What I’m not imagining is the joy Bedros experienced with Mommy and Daddy on his second train ride. You may want to take your children or grandchildren, as well. Or let them take you. Be sure to wear your engineer’s blue cap.
