by Bill Thomas, editor, The PennyRail

I need your stories!  To show you how simple this is, listen to one of mine…

My first train ride was aboard a work train assigned to do some ditch work on the Hook & Eye line of Family Lines (formerly L&N).  GP40 4010, in the dark Family Lines gray with red and yellow stripes was literally “chocked” with a wooden wedge at the old depot in Ellijay, GA.  Behind it was a matching ex-L&N bay window caboose, and THEN… A JORDAN SPREADER!  I’d never seen such a creature.  While taking some black & white photos on Kodak Tri-X, I met up with the crew, who offered me a ride down the line.  This was 1980, no cell phones, so I’m going rogue! At 17 I felt like being free anyway! 

We pulled out and ran south (backward) for a few miles, then the work began with the big arms of the Jordan spreader doing their thing. 

We gradually worked our way back to the depot, but my thrill of the day, was blowing the horn at the crossings.  We ran along side my 8th grade civics teacher in her car, who waved to me.  She was not surprised to see me in the cab of a locomotive!

I can remember this outing like it was yesterday.  I hope you might have some similar stories to tell.  It’s ok to make it personal, don’t worry about grammar, I’ll take care of that as your editor.  Just start talking! (my apologies if you’ve heard this story before!)