10-29-05 TENNESSEE. VALLEY RAIILWAY
Trip Start
Dec 07, 1999
1
32
57
Trip End
Sep 11, 2009
Chattanooga,
Tennessee,
United States
Monday, October 20, 2008
I LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN OUTSIDE OF WICHITA, KANSAS WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL. OUR HOUSING ADDITION WAS JUST A HOP, SKIP AND A RUN FROM THE RAILROAD WHERE THE TRAIN WOULD STOP AND GRAIN WOULD BE SHOOTED DOWN INTO A GRAIN CAR. I REMEMBER IN THE SUMMER NIGHTS, MY SISTER AND I WOULD LAY OUT ON A BLANKET AND WE WOULD WATCH THE TRAIN GO BY. PARTICULAR TRAINS WOULD HAVE DINNER CARS. THE CARS WOULD HAVE THE LIGHTS ON AND WE COULD SEE THE PEOPLE SITTING IN THERE. I REMEMBER THE SOUND OF THE TRAINS WHEELS MAKING THE "CLICK-ITY CLACK CLICK-ITY CLACK". THE TRAINS RAILROAD CROSSING WAS AWAYS FROM THE HOUSE. YOU COULD NOT SEE THE CROSSING WITH THE BLINKING LIGHTS BUT YOU WOULD ALWAYS HERE THE TRAINS WHISTLE BLOWING BEFORE IT APPROACHED THE CROSSING. YOU KNOW...WHO0000 WHO00000000! LOL. SO, I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE A REAL TRAIN TRIP. ANYWAY, OUR CHILDREN GOT US TICKETS FOR A TRAIN TRIP ON THE TENNESSEE VALLEY RAILWAYS FOR THEIR AUTUMN LEAF SPECIAL. I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL WE GOT ON THE TRAIN THAT HUBBY HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THE SAME. ON THIS SPECIAL WE GOT TO GO TO A CHILLI FESTIVAL IN SUMMERVILLE. WE VISITED A CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WHICH HAD A LARGE ROOM FILLED WITH TRAINS...WORKING ONES TOO! ON THIS DAY, PEOPLE BROUGHT THEIR LITTLE RAIL CARS FROM ALL OVER TO THIS TOWN. WE GOT TO WATCH THE TRAIN ENGINE BEING TURNED AROUND TO GO BACK HOME. THIS WAS NEAT! WE HAD THE LAST DINNER CALL SO WE HAD TO WATCH WHAT WE ATE AT THE FESTIVAL. THE DINNER CALL CAME...RIDING AND EATING ON THE DINNER CAR WAS SO MUCH FUN! THE FOOD WAS WONDERFUL.
TRAIN BROCHURE #1
WE MET SOME INTERESTING PEOPLE THAT WE WERE SEATED WITH. THE TRAIN HAD A CAR WHERE YOU COULD BUY ALL KINDS OF SNACKS AND SOUVENIRS. ALSO, LATER A CART WAS BROUGHT AROUND WITH SOME SNACKS AND ICE CREAMS CUPS (THE ICE CREAM WAS REALLY GOOD,TOO!). THEY DID HAVE A BATHROOM ON BOARD. WE WERE ALLOWED TO WALK THE TRAIN AT OUR OWN LEISURE. WE COULD ALSO STAND IN BETWEEN THE CARS. YOU COULD COMPARE IT TO RIDING IN A CONVERTIBLE EXCEPT YOUR HEAD WOULD BE STUCK OUT ON THE SIDES. WE WOULD DO IT AGAIN, SOMETIME, BUT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SPEND THE NIGHT ON A TRAIN. WE REALLY HAD FUN! I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE... EXCEPT GOING ON A VERY SHORT TRAIN TRIP WITH MY SON AND HIS KINDERGARTEN CLASS. THIS TRAIN WENT A SHORT WAYS UP THE TRACK AND BACK DOWN. I, ALSO, WENT WITH MY SON ON A DINNER TRAIN IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. IT ALSO, WAS A SHORTER TRIP. WE RODE BACK-WARDS ON THE WAY BACK. WHAT A MEMORY...BUT HEY, I WILL CHERISH THAT TRAIN RIDE WITH MY SON INTO ETERNITY! I WILL NEVER FORGET HIM TELLING DUMB BLONDE JOKES TO COMPLETE STRANGERS THAT WE WERE SEATED WITH AT THE DINNER TABLE! HE WAS SUCH A HANDSOME KID AND SO IRRESISTABLE. THE JOKES WERE FUNNY, TOO! HUBBY AND I MADE MEMORIES, ALSO THIS TRIP. I WILL CHERISH THESE MEMORIES, TOO! WE DROVE BACK TO SCOTTSBORO AND STAYED THE NIGHT. SURE DID...WE PLAYED GIN RUMMY AND GUESS WHAT I HAD...THREE CHOCOLATE HERSHEY BARS OUT OF THE SIX PACK WE BOUGHT. DON'T REMEMBER HOW I DID IN CARDS BUT I USUALLY DON'T GET BEAT TO BAD! THANK YOU FATHER FOR THE DESIRES OF OUR HEARTS! 
