Beyond the train ride, a place on the crew

The first time I washed a train engine, I remember thinking, “Ooh, this is hard.” It was the first job I’d done at the railroad, and it felt different from chores at home.

I’d loved trains long before that first job. When I was little, I rode the smaller-than-full-size trains at the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and watched them run. The railroad had a roundhouse, too, so I could go behind the ride and see where the trains were kept. I remember getting a tour when I was still very little.

On a return visit when I was six, there was a sign-up sheet for volunteering. My parents signed it, and I began working at the railroad. Washing an engine is a favorite memory because it was the first time I got to do a job there, even though it wasn’t easy.

Repairing the bell

I’ve since helped replace a bell on a steam engine. The piece inside the old bell that struck it had fallen out, so we replaced the whole bell. I cut a string, unscrewed bolts and helped carry the heavy old bell to a table. Then I helped put the new one in place with bolts and a new string. It was awkward as well as tiring because I wasn’t tall enough to reach the top easily. When we finished, the new bell rang as it was supposed to.

I worked on that repair with Doug, an engineer who’s regularly there to help. I’ve also helped repair and lay track. Near Christmas, I went up on a crane lift to help put a star at the top of a tree for the railroad’s holiday drive-through. That was fun.

Friends among the volunteers

The other volunteers talk with me while we work, explain what to do and share what they know. I call them friends.

My parents learn things there too. I keep coming back for the work and the chance to get out of school early, but also for “just hanging out with them ’cause they’re my friends.”

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