I wanted to explain where my dream of love for trains started, but in order to do that, I have to pay respect to the man that I knew as my uncle for all my life. My Uncle Dick passed away suddenly on October 22, which was a big surprise. I won't get into details because that is not what this is about exactly. I could have popped this in the traditional, but figured it would be better suited here because it is more about the photos than being narrowed to one category alone.
So, my uncle was born in what most call the best time of trains, the Postwar Era. My grandfather bought the first train(s) from the hired farmhand Hans for his son. While I cannot tell you exactly what it was, it gave birth to his love for trains. My uncle collected trains much like we all do, we love the way they look, love the way the sound, and whatever action we can create with them.
So, how does this pertain to me, the way any kid would be with someone operating trains at any given social family event. While the rare occasion would have a few runs during the normal calendar year, Christmas was of course the World Series of things for any kid. Nothing more could be true than running upstairs to see my uncle pop on the switch to his ZW, green light go, and pull that paddle. Off raced whatever trains he would be running.
We would be upstairs at Christmas in between dinner and opening presents, as us kids needed to be occupied for a while and settle down apparently, trains will solve that. Hardly, "run this one next please", may be heard. "Could you get the milkman going?", someone may ask. What little time between dinner and presents was a world away from it all, trains everywhere you could imagine. Moreover, what was new uncle?
My sister had asked me if I could come up with some information regarding my late uncle's trains, being that I was the one that probably knew quite a bit. I told her that I knew some things, but there was no way I would be able to give her the good on the majority of what he had, no way at all. So, I did the best I could, being that I do have an excellent memory.
I started jotting things down in an email, starting with the main things everyone should remember. Ah, Pennsy S2 Turbine, #671, yeah, Uncle Dick always started with that one. The engine had white from all the smoke pellets it ate way back when. He'd run that around a good while. Time for a change, up pops the Santa Fe Warbonnet passenger set. I cannot tell you how many times it ran, or even what the number was on the units. The Texas Special would be changed in sometimes, but not very often as the Santa Fe was King Diesel. The Fairbanks/Morse Virginian, yeah, the colorful beast would pop on the rails too. Some other engines would definitely be run, but the #671 dominated the rails almost every time.
I had to make sure my sister knew about the accessories. So, first off, the Milkman and the stand where he ejected the milk cans too. The Operating Sawmill was one of the newer things that came later, but look at the log get made into planks of wood. The Oil Derrick bubbling in the background, pumping much needed fuel somewhere that cannot be seen. Those cows look like they're ready to be loaded in the cattle car. Where are they going? Oh, right back into the corral, they'll be okay there. The operating mail car much like the milkman, though the mail would get launched way off where it was supposed to land for some reason. The coal elevator(or conveyor) which would spill tons more coal outside than getting it into the car. Operating News Stand, Operating Freight Station, Operating Flagman, Beacon, where does it all end? Oh, the icing on the cake, Hobo being chased by the Cop. Once popped behind #671 with them running about the place, found a better spot in the yard where the action could be seen better.
Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, Uncle Dick knew them all and new them well. A collection of books used to sit by his chair long ago with the engines of old(Lionel books V1, V2) looking sharply waiting to be read. With so much of my memory seeing all these things that I haven't seen in what seems like ages, it is good to have them come bubbling up much like the Oil at the Oil Derrick. So, here is the man I knew as the trainman, the dream weaver if you will.
Last year being honored.
This past summer in July catching the local Trenton Thunder game.
This I don't know when it is from but I knew exactly where this is. This is my grandparents house(now a museum) at the dining room table. My sister asked why are the trains on it? I don't know, but why shouldn't they be, eh? I believe in front of my uncle(striped shirt) is an American Flyer bridge, I don't know what one though. You have the Flagman, crossing gate in the foreground, Beacon back by my uncle, barn and some sort of tinplate station to the left it looks like, but I can't be sure. I know he had some old Railroad Crossing signs, I believe Lionel, that weren't on the layout back during my childhood, but I don't see any there. Hey, the girder bridge is in the back as well.
In closing, who started your dream of trains? What was the most memorable thing or things that come to mind when you think of this person and what they started for you? I don't know what other questions are waiting to be rattling out of my mind tonight, but I do need to eat something.
