For as long as anyone can remember, the train at Gage Park has been making numerous rounds a day picking up anxious children and their parents to take them aboard.
Children line up along the red rails eagerly to pick the best seat available.
The conductor takes the shiny gold token that admits the children the ride they had been waiting all afternoon to be a part of.
It takes off at speeds no more than two miles per hour, chugging and chugging along.
People stop what they are doing and look at the train and wave as the train goes by.
The conductor announces his name, he is a little old man, probably retired and you can see the highlight of his life is seeing the sparkle in the eyes of the children when he takes the shiny gold token from their hands.
The conductor blows the whistle, as the children take in every moment of the five mile per hour ride.
The children lean over and look out of their seat at the moving ground beneath them, their curious minds just racing away.
Smiles come upon their face as they look up at their mother as she knows the dollar was well spent.
The train comes upon the tunnel, who can forget the tunnel? It is the best part of the ride.
Screams from the children can be heard a mile away and giggles soon follow.
The train slowly approches the platform and the ride soon comes to an end.
The conductor stops and the children get off.
The next group of anxious children hurry on the train in anticipation for their turn to ride the train at Gage Park.
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2 comments:
I love the train. You might have had the conductor that is a friend of mine--he's a small, frail man who loves to share his stories of Topeka and the joy of train riding. I'm sad that my kids are way past the train stage.
Yes. I remember the train. Oh the great times. My brother lost two or three hats on that train dropping them while it was moving. Lol. We used to go on it quite a bit.
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