The best Christman gift, ever....

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Got a good reality check today.

Everyone has a bad day once in a while, you know, those days where you could care less about any and everything, catch a good case of the blues, and end up feeling really sorry for yourself?

Had one of those yesterday, and it looked like a repeat for today.

The yard is jammed to the gills with cars, no place to switch them to, more work than we could ever get done, knee deep in gators…that along with some personal issues keeping me down in the dumps, having a real good pity party for myself…

There is a young man, 16 now, who shows up just about every day it isn’t raining…he sits across from our yard entrance watching the action on the old SP line, and watching us switch.

The thing is, he sits in a wheelchair.

His Dad brings him up there in the afternoon, around noonish, and they sit, him in his chair, Dad in the van he has, watching, taking the occasional photo, waving at the crews as they go by.

I have never really talked to either one of them, other than giving them a few cans of water during a scorching summer day, and sneaking a gimmie cap out to the kid once…didn’t really know his story, other than he shows up all the time, and a few of the other regular fans seem to enjoy sitting with him.

Well, we were sitting there on the lead, blocked by another inbound, while we were trying to go grab another switch cut from the receiving yard…just piddling away time really, when I noticed the van drive up.

Dad unloads the kid; they have one of those hydraulic lifts in the side door.

He gets the boy all covered up with a blanket, and they are taking in all the sights.

The boy keeps looking over at us, we are literally just across the street from them, when I get one of those ideas that usually end up with me having to try to explain to someone higher up why and what I

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Thank you, Ed, for posting this.

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Ed, that was so absolutely beautiful…in so many many ways.

Thank you for taking the time to write this.

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Touching story Ed. You made that young fella’s day, and it’s an experience both he and his dad will never forget. I can picture the joy on his face from here. You and your hogger deserve kudos for that. You also discovered that trainmasters CAN have a heart. JOB WELL DONE.

It also made your Christmas a little brighter.

Hearty handshake is hereby extended.

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Great post Ed, thank you.

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Thanks for sharing a soul warming tale this Christmas season. Please let me add another, the Story of Old Shep and his vigil for his long departed master in Fort Benton, Montana.

Here is the link to his story and photo of Shep:

www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=235931963201235&id=111672938867572

One more think to add. When his bronze statue was cast in 1994 (Shep with both front feet on a train rail) the Artist cast it in such a why that kids in wheelchairs can pet him too. Wow.

Enjoy the holidays and remember to pay it forward.

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Thanks so much for posting this again, Ed! It gets me every time I see it, and we have enough new readers that it’s worth putting on every year.

Hope you don’t mind; I put it on Facebook as well. I think a lot of my other friends will like it and be moved by it as well.

Pat and I hope you and Aimee, the girls, and the grandgirls all have a great Christmas!

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Thanks again Ed. Every year I find new people to receive the story, truly a great one!

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Ed That is the best Christmas story (other than the original one) that I have ever heard. A very Merry Christmas to you and all the members of this forum. Rich

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To what Carl said, I would add simply “THANK YOU,Ed!”

It is a beautiful story, and appropriate for the SEASON!

To You, Carl and Pat, Ed and Aimee, To ‘Valpo’ Ed, and his Bride, To Jen, Walt, Joe, Quentin and Wayne and his wife.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless Everyone!

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Amen!

Ed, you know why…I think it’s called special insight…

+1

Charlie

Chilliwack, BC

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Thanks Ed !

Randy

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Thanks again Ed. Randy good to see you around. Where are you these days? Been a while since that day at Derby.

Up to four railroads these days and chasing after all of them is several full time jobs at last count I had at least 8 full time jobs. Not quite sure how I manage…lol…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from an occasional visitor.

8 N’ Sand

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One night during our Polar Express trips, I was the engineer for the trip to the North Pole (we run a locomotive on each end - the other engineer handles the trip back “home.”)

I got a call on the radio from our general manager asking if I’d be willing to have a rider in the cab. That’s not something I’d turn down anyhow, but it turned out it was something of a special passenger.

He was the father of the significant other of the kid of one of our volunteers (confused yet?).

And he’s suffering from several forms of cancer. A cab ride was on his “bucket list.”

His family and I helped him onto the locomotive. A couple of pictures were taken, our regular northbound cab rider joined us (Santa), and once the passengers were boarded, we were on our way.

“Santa” helped relay some of his questions enroute, too.

At the “North Pole” he got off the locomotive along with Santa.

I understand he enjoyed the ride. I wish I could have devoted more time to him.

Sometimes it is the easy stuff that makes a big differenc

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I’m still right where you left me.

Randy

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Glad to hear you are still there. If you get back this way you should look me up.

8 N’ Sand