Last year I must have made too many wise remarks concerning Halloween trains on this forum, to judge by the number of posts this year. Excuse me, please.

Just now a young family came to my door with their young son dressed as a locomotive engineer, riding in a Radio Flyer wagon which his mother had turned into a small version of a steam locomotive parade float !!!! I was so startled that I didn't even have anything to say about SKELETON CREWS. This proves to me that the entire world isn't going to Hell, after all.

Happy Halloween, RyPN

Like.

For once I wish I had a digital camera....

A few days ago we got a panicked Facebook message from three-year-old train fan Reid's grandmother looking for a hickory stripe engineers cap for his Halloween costume. I gave her a couple of suggestions and she was apparently successful as she shared a photo of him wearing cap and bibs in a cardboard 557. They don't get much cuter. With permission, we posted the photo on the 557 Restoration Company Facebook page.

Mr Morris, That is a great idea, and it doesn't need to be limited to Halloween. It seems like anytime a museum or tourist RR has families with small children on the property, this would be a cheap and easy way to stack up some goodwill. And if the cardboard cutout looks like your signature locomotive, it could also be free advertising.

We had a Halloween-themed day at the Canberra Railway Museum on Sunday. With only social media publicity, we had a record-breaking 324 visitors!
Just goes to show, museums need to think outside the box.

About five years ago a co-worker wanted to dress "like an train engineer" because one of her foster kids was a tiny train nut, and I actually came in handy (for a change). Got her pointed in the right directions and she was costumed up with a couple hours (!) to spare. The hickory-stripe hat was the only thing that required a long drive to get.

Thanks to modern tech, I got to see the reaction from her kids. They were absolutely wild, wide-eyed and delighted to see mom looking "like a real engineer" too! Nobody involved will forget the special day for that little boy. (Yes, she was really the "conductor" of that little railroad-themed Halloween party, but what the heck.)

It was more confirmation of the wisdom of my original mentor of all things railroad, who kept on hand a stock of swag he cadged from various places (he was a retired hogger who never met a stranger and was a man of many contacts). There was always a button, cap, decal, ETT or surplus Star lantern available for any kid - and a few adults - who had been bitten by the bug or need a prop. He understood early that some things are infinitely more valuable when given away.

Locomotive engineer was my ONLY Halloween costume from about the age of six until I quit in the sixth grade.

No phone?

Not one of THOSE kind.... don't want one, either.