It was a peaceful day in Americaville. Tommy was going to the train station to watch trains. He arrived and saw a lovely lady with long blonde hair, blue jean shorts, and a shirt that said ‘U.S.A.’ standing on the platform with her flip flops in her hand.
“Are you here to watch trains?” Tommy stared at her.
“Oh no!” She winked at him. “I am waiting for the train.”
“The train?” Tommy was surprised. “Passenger trains haven’t been here in years.”
She smiled. “I am waiting for the America Train.”
“The what?” He was stunned.
There was the sound of a whistle. He turned and watched a steam locomotive approaching the station. As it came closer, he saw the red, white, and blue colors and the number 250 on the front. The locomotive continued to pull the red, white, and blue passenger cars until it stopped. A man in colonial attire opened the door and stepped onto the platform.
“Hello there, Wendy.” The man tipped his hat.
“Hello there Ben.” Wendy was excited.
“Are you ready to come aboard?” Ben asked.
“Can he come?” She pointed to Tommy and winked.
Tommy could not believe was he was seeing.
“Come. You will enjoy it.” She blew a kiss.
“I think he’s stunned.”
Wendy walked over to Tommy, and she yanked him onto the train. He could not believe what he was seeing. “This is not happening.”
She kissed his cheek. “It is happening.” She tossed her flip flops onto a seat. “This is Benjamin Franklin.”
“It cannot be.” Tommy was shocked to see everything.
“It is happening.” Thomas Jefferson came to him. “Have a seat. You will enjoy the ride.”
Tommy looked around and saw George Washington and John Adams. Wendy sat him in a seat. John Phillip Sousa stood up and sang, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to the United States of America, Happy 250th Birthday to this great nation.”
Abraham Lincoln stood up and said, “Fourscore and 250 years ago, brave, and great men when to Philadelphia and signed a great document. This document formed thirteen colonies into fifty states to create these United States of America. Happy 250th to these United States of America.”
“Is this happening?” Tommy’s face had a stunned look.
Wendy smiled at him.
The train pulled out of the station.
HAPPY 250th INDEPENDENCE DAY to the United States of America.
The Cover Photo is of the Spirit of 1776 Trolley on display at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pennsylvania.
First Locomotive is the Number 1 Locomotive that pulled the American Freedom Train in 1976 and is on display at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore Maryland.
The Second Locomotive is Number 611 of the Norfolk and Western Railway on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia. It is the only surviving Class J locomotive in the world.
The Caboose is from the Lehigh Valley Railroad and is on display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 