If you can make the trip to Mt Pleasant Iowa they have the Midwest Old Thrashers event every year. https://www.oldthreshers.org/ Onsite is the Midwest Central Railroad https://www.mcrr.org/ AND the Midwest Electric Railway (Trolley) https://www.oldthreshers.com/reunion/en ... c-railway/

It will be hot, it will be humid, and it may storm but if you like old trains, trolleys, steam engines, tractors, and old cars it will be a great trip.

You mentioned that your boys were autistic. Let me share you a story.

At my home museum (Orange Empire/Southern California Ry Museum) we have had a father-son pairing that have worked as volunteers during special events and other times.

I work the Thomas events at the front gate area, and we see some children that exemplify some traits of autism. One of the wives that work with me one day told of a mother with a young boy with autism who stopped on the way out and told of being approached by a young man car attendant who shared with her resources available to parents of autistic children.

That same evening I ended up having dinner with this father-son combo and they explained to me that the son was diagnosed as autistic at pre-school age. (But as high school and later -- would be called "high functioning.") At the time of this dinner, the son was attending a junior college.

As a pre-schooler, the son was fascinated with trains and the parents rejected the concept of taking trains away from him; they used the interest in trains to reach into him, expose him to books, etc.

For a number of years, like other juveniles, he was assigned during special events to work with a parent. Later he was given separate assignments --this year the father was helping with the loading of the "Percy" train and the son was a car attendant on the "Thomas" train.

The young man told me that if he spotted a child that seemed autistic, he would begin a conversation with the parent. Then,if necessary, provide information about organizations and groups that provided assistance to such parents.