I’d like to wish each of you wonderful railfan friends greetings and best wishes for a joyous holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah keep in mind the reason for the season. I remember my boyhood anticipation of Christmas morning when I’d always receive something new for my American Flyer train set. Maybe it’d be a pair of switches and a crossover, some new cars, working trackside accessories and, on the best Christmas of all, an 0-6-0 switcher to go along with my Pacific “road” engine.
A few years ago I wrote the following in an attempt to capture the spirit of the holidays and railroading as I remember it in my youth. I hope you enjoy the verses.
‘twas the Night Before Christmas a Long Time Ago
By Mark Foster
Merry Christmas dear friends, 'tis the start of admiration of this “poem.”
It’s a picture expertly painted. Its content replicates some of the Christmas Eve trips…trying to get everyone safely where they aren’t but wanna’ be…seeing the lights and trees and decorations from quick glances to the side of the engine…its accurate and appropriate use of “railroad speak” slanguage and situations…
Christmas Eve…called for an, OARV, my wife saying that they told you you wouldn’t be called…and I took the call.
Deadheaded back from Roseville in time for dinner with the FAMILY.
At the end of 1971, before I shipped out for full USAF duty, I celebrated what would my last “stateside” Christmas for a couple of years to come with friends in Phoenix. One of them was very clever and had re-written Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”
I remember the first line.
"On the first day of Amtrak, John Volpe gave to me,