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The eleventh day of the month of September is a day that those who lived through it will never forget.  In 2001, four planes were hijacked from three airports in the United States of America.  Two were rammed into the World Trade Center in New York City in the U.S. state of New York causing the two building to collapse.  A third plane was rammed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. taking down a large section of the structure.  A fourth plane that was hijacked was taken over by the passengers and crashed into a field near the small town of Shanksville in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  Like the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, September 11, 2001, was a day that (using the words of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt) went down in infamy.  As many people who were alive on that day and during the attack on Pearl Harbor remember these very tragic incidents and will remember these days for years to come, another tragic incident happened on the eleventh day of September.  Instead of hijacked planes, this involved two trains.

The day was September 11, 1950.  The place is a small town called West Lafayette in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Ohio.  It was early in the morning.  The Pennsylvania National Guard Troop Train Number 4 was disabled on the railroad tracks east of the town.  The train was carrying troops from the 109^th Field Artillery Battalion who were on their way to Germany to be deployed as the Korean War was happening.  The ‘Spirit of Saint Louis’, a passenger train, crashed into the rear of the train.  Thirty-three men of the 109^th Field Artillery Battalion died.

Today, a memorial is at the railroad crossing at Ohio Route 93 in the center of West Lafayette, Ohio.  The memorial has the names of those of the 109^th Field Artillery Battalion who lost their lives in the wreck.  The memorial also commemorates those in the region who were involved in the rescue efforts.  The memorial consists of an obelisk with the names of the soldiers who lost their lives and a commemoration of the locals who helped in the rescue efforts, and small section of railroad track, and an artillery gun.

The railroad memorial remembering the men of the 109^th Field Artillery Battalion who lost their lives in a train crash in West Lafayette, Ohio is located next to the railroad crossing where Ohio Route 93 crosses the railroad tracks in the center of the town.  Parking is on site.  The town of West Lafayette on Ohio Route 93 just south of U.S. Route east of the town of Coshocton and west of Interstate 77.

The seventh day of December and the eleventh day of September will be days that will be associated with great tragedy.  Let us remember those who tragically died at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Let us remember those who tragically died at the World Trade Center towers in New York City, New York.  Let us remember those who tragically died at the Pentagon in Washington D.C..  Let us remember those who tragically died in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  Let us remember those of the 109^th Field Artillery Battalion who tragically died on a train in West Lafayette, Ohio.

Jimmy and his parents were taking a ride down a road that rolled through the forest.

“Are we there yet?” he impatiently pondered.

“Not yet,” the father replied.  “We will be there soon.”

He was getting more and more impatient as he sat in the back seat of the car.

“Are we there yet?” he blurted out again.

“Almost,” the father replied.  “Almost.”

They went around a few bends and up a hill.

“We’re here,” the father said as they saw the steam rising from the locomotive as it was at the station waiting for the time for the passengers to board.

They got out of the car and made their way to the ticket booth.

“How many?” the elderly man in the ticket window asked with a big smile on his face.

“Two adults, one child,” the father replied as he handed him his credit card.

“Three tickets coming right up,” he said as he ran the credit card through the machine.

“Can we get on the train now?” Jimmy blurted out.

“Not yet,” the mother replied.  “It is not time for it to leave yet.”

“Have you ever been on a train before?”  The ticket agent handed them the tickets.

“This is his first ride,” the father took the tickets from the ticket agent.

“Well then,” the ticket agent said.  “I hope he enjoys his ride.”

“He hasn’t stopped talking about it,” the mother said.

“Can I go into the choo choo,” Jimmy blurted with excitement.

“I don’t know if you can get on…”

“Please?  Please?  Can I go into the choo choo?”  He pressed on.

“We will have to see,” the father said.

They walked over to the locomotive.  One of the engineers saw them coming over.

“Hey,” he said to Jimmy.  “How would you like to climb onto the locomotive?”

Jimmy was so excited.  The engineer picked him up and put him onto the train, and he climbed up after him.  Jimmy was jumping for joy as he looked around.  The engineer began to point everything out.

“This is where we sit to operate the train.  We look out the window to see where we’re going.  Over here is the coal car.  You can see all the coal we have here.  As we drive the train, someone with a big shovel scoops up the coal, and they throw it into that hole there that opens to let the coal in and closed to keep the heat inside.  The heat creates the steam that moves the train.

“Wow,” said Jimmy.  “Can I ride up here?”

“I wish I could,” said the engineer, “but it is not safe.  We have to move around so much with shoveling the coal.  You can get in somebody’s way.  You can get the same view from your seat.  Anyway, it is almost time to go.”

The engineer helped Jimmy down from the locomotive.

“That was so much fun,” he said as they were walking to board the train.  “I want to be an engineer when I grow up.”

They boarded the train, and they sat down.  Jimmy put his face up against the window.

“Calm down, pumpkin,” the mother pulled him back.  “We’re not moving yet.”

“ALL ABOARD!” the conductor shouted.

Moments later, the train began to pull away from the station.  For Jimmy, it was a trip he was going to remember for the rest of his life.

This memory was made possible by the engineers, the mechanics, the ticket people, the conductors and all of those who work to make the rail excursions enjoyable, and many of these people do their labor not for pay (as many of them are not paid but volunteer), but for the love of the railroad.  Their reward is the happy passengers who take a ride on the train.

To those who volunteer to keep the rail excursions rolling, consider yourself honored on this Labor Day.  The railroad would not run without you.  To those who volunteer at the railroad museums to keep the history of railroading alive, consider yourself honored on this day, but even if you are paid to work, this Labor Day is in honor of you.  Have a Happy Labor Day.

What in the world is the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association?  If you think that is has something to do with steam, you are correct.  Located on the site of an old amusement park near the town of Mechanicsburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association hosts events throughout the year.  Yes, many of the events involve steam engines, but the main reason for a railroad fan to visit is, well, a train ride.

As you approach the site along Williams Grove the very first thing you will see is a railroad line.  You enter the site crossing these tracks.  Yes, a train does run on this railroad line.  Yes, you can ride this train.  No, it is not one of those tiny little trains.  It is a full size train.

The journey begins at an old train station where you buy the tickets.  This train station also has a small museum.  Then, it is time for the train to leave.  Some trains are pulled by a diesel locomotive, but this could be your lucky day.  Why?  Your train is being pulled by a steam locomotive.

Some of you are saying, “Many trains across the U.S. and around the world are pulled by steam locomotives.”

That is true, but the steam locomotive pulling this train is Number 643 of the Pennsylvania Railroad.  What is special about that?  This is the only Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive, diesel or steam, that is in operation anywhere in the world.  The passenger cars are open air cars and wheelchair accessible with a caboose that is sadly not wheelchair accessible.  The train leaves and goes along the tracks around the amusement park site.  The journey is only one mile, but being one who loves train rides, it is very enjoyable.

Along with the train ride and small museum inside the train station, you also have the Rural Life Museum.  What is great about the Rural Life Museum?  Yes, the museum is about rural life, but it also has a model train display, and it also has toy trains on display.

When you visit the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association today, you see little life of an amusement park, but it is still a special place to visit even if the train is not running.

Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association is located at 1 Steam Engine Hill in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania off of Pennsylvania Route 74 and U.S. Route 15 between Gettysburg and Harrisburg.  Admission is free to visit the park, but train rides do cost $7.00, and, as mentioned, the train is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information and read more into the history of the park as well as Locomotive 643 and to take a look at the events and find the train schedule at https://www.wghsea.org/. Visit the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association, a great place to let off some steam and to see some steam.

There is so much to thinking about when it comes to the U.S. state of Georgia.  It is home to the capital city of Atlanta which is home to many companies like Coca Cola, and it was the host of the 1996 Summer Olympics.  You have the city of Augusta which is the home to ‘The Masters’, the biggest golf event of the Professional Golf Association.  You have the historic port city of Savannah to include the birthplace of Julliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girls Scouts of America which was established in Savannah.  The southern trailhead of the Appalachian Trail in in the northern region of the state.  There is so much in this state, but very few think about the state’s ocean coastline.  Among the towns on the coast of Georgia is the town of Tybee Island.  In Tybee Island is the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 80.  It is also the home of Fort Screven and the Tybee Island Lighthouse.

What is special about the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven?  Fort Screven was a fort that was erected during the Spanish American War to protect the mouth of the nearby Savannah River with Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson protecting the river further inland.  The fort was never completed as it never saw any action during that war.  The Tybee Island Lighthouse is the oldest and the tallest lighthouse in the state and one of the most intact lighthouses in the United States of America.  It is a site to see if you are ever in the Savannah region.

Some of you are saying, “This is wonderful.  Lighthouses were great for guiding ships through treacherous waterways, but lighthouses did nothing for railroads.  Therefore, do not leave the light on for me as I will not be visiting here.”

What history does the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven have with the railroad?  The truth is that neither the lighthouse nor the fort has a history with the railroad.

Some of you are saying, “Well then.  There is no reason to visit here.”

As mentioned, the lighthouse and fort has no history with the railroad, but Tybee Island does.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven features, of course, the lighthouse and a section of a fort.  The lighthouse features, of course, the lighthouse, plus it has the lighthouse keeper’s house and a few outbuildings.  The remaining section of Fort Screven houses a museum about the history of the island itself.  One of the things mentioned is how people traveled to the island.  In the beginning, people arrived by boat.  Travel time from Savannah to the island was three hours, and space was limited.

Then, in 1887, the Central of Georgia Railway built a railroad to the Island.  It brought more people to the island with trains running more frequently.  Sadly, U.S. Route 80 was built allowing more access to Tybee Island, and the railroad service ceased in 1933.  There are many panels that tell the story of the railroad to the island, and there is a small train display to see.  Today, as you travel U.S. Route 80, you can see some of the remains of the old railroad bed.

Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven is located at 30 Meddin Drive in Tybee Island, Georgia.  Parking is on site.  It is open 9:00and to 4:30pm but closed on Tuesday.  Please note that the structures are not wheelchair accessible.  You can learn more about admission and read more into the history of the lighthouse at https://www.tybeelighthouse.org/.

So, you have a reason to visit the Tybee Island Lighthouse.  The railroad may be gone, but the legacy of the railroad remains.

The people were standing on the platform at the train station in Captiville.  A man was walking by and saw all of the people standing there.  Curious, he walked up to a man carrying two suitcases.  “What is everyone waiting for?”

“Oh, the Train to Independence will be here soon. We will be leaving this crumby town.”  The man smiled.

“Why leave?  They give us goodies here.”  The man inquired.

“You also can’t go anywhere or do anything here.  You are stuck in your room all day and all night.  In Independence, they have much to do, and you can go anywhere you want.”  The man with the suitcases smiled.

The man was furious and walked away.

The train arrived, and the people boarded.  The train pulled away.

Along the way, the train stopped in Bondageburg to pick up a small family, and it man another stop in Abusetown to pick up a young woman on crutches with a molten cast of her foot and scars on her face.

Days later, the train arrived in Independence.  Everyone deboarded the train and was very excited to see the city.

Wishing Everyone a Happy Independence Day.