JeanneP, thanks, but I have enough to keep me busy Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  Also, I no longer drive, so Tom is my transportation and I'm taking him away from working when he takes me to appointments.  Since much of his work is done by computer, he often is able to work while waiting for me, but not always.

Mary Ann

jack, Mary Ann, so happy to hear your kind messages.

Hi Sato - Great to see you back among us   Hopefully we will soon hear that you are out of hospital and back to your normal surrounding.  Good luck!

Bubble, thank you for your warm words.

Hoping I can get this site to open up in here.  I remember this train when I was growing up. Love it. It runs in my Home Town in the UK. Now back again.  Just love steam trains. http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/105627/flying-scotsman-returns

Flajean.  Hope your husband can bring up the above . I know he loves Steam Trains also.

JeanneP -

The link you posted above works. I very much enjoyed the short clip of the steam engine and love to see them "at work".  Forwarded the link to my younger son who is a train fan.

Thanks

Rammel.  Now was your son a "Train Spotter" I was growing up. Thing is our RR System is big. Lot different than here in The US.  A Train spotter goes all over finding what trains go bye  areas. Take down the Engine numbers and collect. Big hobby for hundreds. Many clubs.

This one in Bury Lancashire was ours. http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/short-breaks/trainspotting/best-spots.html

Quote from: JeanneP on October 18, 2016, 05:40:54 PM
Rammel.  Now was your son a "Train Spotter" I was growing up. Thing is our RR System is big. Lot different than here in The US.  A Train spotter goes all over finding what trains go bye  areas. Take down the Engine numbers and collect. Big hobby for hundreds. Many clubs.

He's nothing like a "Spotter". I hadn't heard heard of that. Maybe it's not a local thing.  As a little kid he made his own model train layout.  There was a local freight line that went past across the street from us and I think that had an influence on him. As an adult he has been to a NYC Transit Museum and a Trolley Museum that I believe is in Connecticut.

JeanneP, that was a great little video.  One of the best memories of my childhood was taking a trip with my parents to New York City when I was 11 yrs old.  We had a "drawing room" which included a tiny private bathroom on a Pullman train.  The porter made the seat and couch into beds for the night.  The sound of the train tracks was magic to me.  One of those experiences you never forget.

Jean. Now we got a train back in 1961 to Montreal from Chicago. A sleeper. Sitting Room was so big. we were 4 people 2G ups 2 children. they came up and changed to beds. Had a toilet and hand sink. Was amazing. Wonder if still have those old trains running in the US. I know they do in Europe and UK. Lovely way to travel. Beats flying now. Maybe First class O.K. Only gone Business Class.

JeanneP, there is an Amtrak train which originates in Washington, D.C. daily that drives to New Orleans.  I don't remember what time it leaves D.C., but it picks up passengers in Birmingham, AL. about 2:00 p.m. and arrives in N.O. about 7:00 p.m. but passengers have to stay on the train until it backs up and turns around.  This sometimes takes 30 minutes.  I've been driving to Birmingham for the past couple of years to catch this train to N.O. and enjoy riding the train to N.O.  Much easier than driving down there.

Sue

Sue. Now we also have a daily train stopping here in town. It goes from Chicago to NO. Taken it a couple times using sleeper down. not on return. It leaves here at 6:45pm and arrives in NO about 8:30 am next day. About same times returning only Leaves the Am and gets me home  about 8:00 PM.  Always lots of people on it as lots of Southern people have family in Chicago.  Pretty lively train on the return but nice and quiet on the going down. Sleeper nice as bed at 10pm and up feeling good in the Morning.  I keep aiming to head down and see what changes since the flooding.  People say getting nice now. I love New Orleans.  Just don't know anyone able to travel anymore. But lots of tours in NO.

Jeanne, when Alex and Nick were 4 and 5 I took them to Memphis on that train from New Orleans.  We stayed in a hotel across the street from the riverfront park--which I think was its first year in operation.  We used local trolleys and buses to go to different attractions.  We were in a children's museum north of the city and Alex was standing beside me looking at an exhibit and I realized Nick was not with us.  I was frantic and we started looking all over for him.  We finally heard him crying like a maniac.  Someone had found him and taken him to the office.  What a scare that was! 

I love riding trains--and since I moved to Auburn, I've driven to Birmingham at least once a year to catch a train to N.O.  It takes about 7 hours, plus about 30 extra minutes to back up and get turned around as the same train leaves N.O. the next morning at 7:00 a.m.  I can't drive yet since my fall and hope that I can get down there for Nick's turn to go to NYC on his spring break and then his graduation from high school.

Sue

Sue.  The way you are healing I am sure that you will be able to do that traveling again by next May. I would go much more if the US had as good a public transportation as Uk has. and Europe also. What trains they have are so slow here and few of them. Maybe one time when you are in NO I will head down. Be nice to meet and do some Touristy things.  Daughter and 3 friend went last month and so much more going on now. It was one of the place we went to last time my family here from UK. They loved it.  We took a month and got in all we could . Mostly down South. My favourite area.  I keep wanting to go and spend some day in Savanna. G. Just walking around. Read so much about the place since young and no idea why I have not yet been. Been other times in Georgia. Atlanta etc.

My one grandson got away from me when he was about 6 years old. Was in a Mall in one of the big dept. Stores.  He was always going off but we were alone.  So Scary. They had security on all floor and here he comes just as cheeky as could be saying,   Grandma. I wish you would stay with me I had to get the Policeman to help look for you. Man just laughed .  My daughter and I took them to England. few years ago.  One GS 20 and this roaming one 16. He did the same thing in London. Left us in The Tower. Took the underground for the whole afternoon just him traveling around. His father said we should just put him on a plane and send him back home as we were there for a month. But I was like that as a young person also so understood him more than his mum did. I thought she was going to have a heart attach that day.  Now he is back home living with them and they can't get rid of him. Divorced with a 10 year old boy and so they just roam off together.

WHOOPS! I didn't realize which Forum we were in.  But will just leave it. Not busy in here today.

jeanneP, I enjoyed your post.  That had to be scary when your GS was gone for a few hours, in London.
When I was in London years ago, we took a subway, and was completely lost, as it did not stop where we wanted to get off.

Jeanne, a train from Chicago to New Orleans runs every day--at least it used to.  Go online to Amtrak.com and look for a schedule.  If you are interested, Amtrak can also make a hotel reservation for you.  I'm hoping I'll be able to drive to Birmingham after Christmas.  I'd like to go down to N.O. for a couple of days--and I will take Nick to NYC during his spring break like I did Alex.  Amtrak will also send you a catalog of all their train trips.  It's a lot cheaper than airline tickets and I enjoy the train.  Having a long train trip can be a delight. 

Sue

Sue
Now the big train ,bus. Terminal is down the road from me. And yes a main stop for the daily city of NO train. 6:45 pm I believe still . I think it goes over to Dallas Texas after. Not sure. I know that it is not just Chicago to New Orleans. Has to be more than one train making the run.
I have used it twice to N O and quite a few to just Chicago.
I think jane uses it also.

Miss new slideshows and I have not helped.  Talking about trains, here is an old one of mine.  The toy train exhibit at Oglebay and a small one that runs around their little zoo.  Check it full screen.

https://vimeo.com/150381533

Love that train video, Jack.  I'm going to miss the Ocala Train Club Christmas exhibition this year.  Maybe they will have something similar here in this area.  Anyway, really enjoyed your video and the music.

Jack. I think that that Train Exhibit is the best I have seen.  I love them. Had a friend whose husband and a friend spent every spare minute putting one together for years.  Did it in his Garage area. Then they had to move. it was put together piece by piece and so doubt they could take and rebuild.

Thought the show was great, Jack, and surprised I didn't leave a comment last time (I did tonight)... but I'm wondering if I didn't see it before.... have you showed a shorter/different version or something?  The music was perfect, just what I hoped you'd play.    

During WWII we lived across the street from an older couple & the man had a whole room dedicated to his trains.  Back in those days he had steam engines & they even had steam coming out of the engine.  I only got to see it a time or so, think I went over with my father (a railroad man), he was impressed with the set up.  They also had a parakeet that talked, they taught it to say it's name & phone number.  The bird sat on his engineer cap bill.  I would visit the "round house" with Dad lots of times and we'd watch the trains, he would explain when I asked questions.... and I still love trains!

Jean, JeanneP and Shirley, thanks.   For a short period I worked at the display and loved it.  Problem was giving up Sunday and Holidays.   I believe I did post another version with the small zoo train, said it was in this one but was not.  Have an old Lionel, no longer set up, but stored in the attic.  It was given to my son by his grandfather.    I checked it a year or so ago and it still ran. 

Norm had a friend who had an extensive (and expensive) railroad set up in his basement.  The train would go through walls (openings, of course).  I seem to remember going with Norm to see it once, but not again.  It was a great hobby for the friend. 

Mary Ann

I have 2 small wooden trains that were my late husband Bob's childhood trains.  One is a small black engine with an empty coal car behind and the second is a circus train with an engine, caboose, and 4 cars which represented cars in which the animals were carried.  These are the only toys he had that he never let our sons play with--I think they were probably the Christmas gifts that he loved the most.  I have them on display in my den.

Sue

Sue, this has nothing to do with the price of eggs (or topic of trains), but whenever I see a post from you SCFSue, I think "Sunflower Sue" and start humming the tune.

Mary Ann

Haha, Mary Ann, I also have things do a number in my brain & I'm off on a whole different tangent! 

Jack, I just ordered enough from Chewy to get free shipping & explained to them it was because of their sending flowers to you.   

Shirley thanks, they deserve the credit, who knows I may someday again use them.