For the three years we’ve lived here I’ve watched the trains pass by my house. The bread man’s misfortune became my luck. I was going to finally introduce myself to the train crew.
Before work and after surveying the damage to the crossing, I decided to take a pot of coffee up to the train, which was idling just south of my house. Camera, cups, and coffee pot in hand, I carefully climbed up the hill in my neighbor’s backyard and walked toward the massive locomotives nearby.
Looking up, all I could see was a hand poking through the cab window. A face soon appeared.
“Want some coffee?” I called up to the face as I motioned with the pot.
“Sure!” came the reply. “I mean, I don’t drink it, but he does,” he said motioning to the engineer. He hopped up and opened the cab door as I hauled myself and my gear up the locomotive’s steep ladder.
“So,” said the train driver, sizing me up, “you must be with the family that we always see.” He introduced himself as C.O and his conductor’s name was Don. Both make up the regular crew that bids us good morning as they pass by at 8:30 each day. Both seemed as happy as I was to finally meet.
We spent a good half hour sipping coffee and talking about trains, the kids, the quarries along the line, jobs, and cameras. I learned about the schedules of the crews, the customers along the line, and what train drivers do on vacation (hint: they apparently don’t differentiate work much from play). C.O. is even a neighbor of sorts, living in a nearby neighborhood. I gave them a picture of the kids so they’d know who was waving to them.
It was great to finally put a face to the wave we’ve been seeing for years. Had I not had to get to work I would’ve happily hung out and talked some more. Duty did call, though, so after waving goodbye I scrambled back down the steep hill and headed for my desk. A half-hour later later walked out again when I heard the engines rev. As I watched from the deck I got an even more spirited greeting than usual.
The guys joked that word would get out to the other crews that this was the place to stop and visit. I just hope that word gets around to give a wave when they pass to two train-loving kids (and ok, their train-loving daddy, too).