It was a bright and sunny day. A young man wearing a coat and sweatpants and sneakers was sitting on a bench at the train station. A young woman wearing a blue dress and jacket with flip flops on her feet approached him. “Is this seat taken?”
He looked on the seat next to him. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” She sits down and crosses her legs. “You must be waiting on the train.”
“I am. I am going home. I live in Roanoke, Virginia.” He smiled at her.
“Nice. I am on my way to Altoona, Pennsylvania.” She said.
“I guess we are going in two opposite directions. Bummer. It would have been nice to ride with you.” He admired her beauty.
“Well, I don’t get to ride with people very often, but my puppy is waiting for me at home. I miss him.” She looked at him.
A group of men wearing black suits with black ties arrive at the station, and they line up along the platform. The man and woman thought it was very strange.
“Excuse me. What is going on?” The young man was curious.
One of the men turned to him. “The Dover Harbor.”
“The what?” The young man was puzzled.
“The Dover Harbor. It is coming.” The man in the suit smiled. “Here it comes.”
They heard the sound of a whistle. A shiny gold steam locomotive with white steam puffing out of the stack was pulling into the station pulling a green Pullman car, and it stopped in front of the station.
The men sang,
“Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday Dover Harbor.
Happy Birthday to you.”
The conductor stepped off of the train. “All aboard!”
The men climbed aboard the Dover Harbor. The conductor looked at the young man and woman. “Would you like to ride?”
They looked at each other.
“Come aboard.” The conductor smiled.
They looked at each other again… and they went aboard the Dover Harbor. The train pulled away from the station.
The Dover Harbor was built in 1922. Happy Birthday to the Dover Harbor.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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