Polar Express

It was a beautiful day, the kids were in school and Chad rang up to tell me that as part of the Art Deco Days in Napier, an old steam train would be coming to town. We went down to the old train platform to watch the train arrive. The area was a buzz with stalls set up selling strawberry shortcakes, honey, sausages and tea sandwiches. We heard a cry of "here she comes!" We could hear the train blasting its whistle before we could see it. I felt the excitement in the air and believed I had stepped back into another time. As the train pulled up women with furs and hats, and men with suspenders leaned out of the windows and waved to us. We watched as they disembarked, so nostalgic looking with gloves on their hands and canes in tow. Some even had wicker picnic baskets packed with a lunch to be enjoyed under a tree. We mingled enjoying the atmosphere then went to take a look at the train.
My Grandfather used to work on a steam engine so I found it especially fascinating to watch the engineers check gauges and oil gears. Coal was shoveled into a fiery, hissing furnace. It took a full hour to be sure everything was in proper order before they could turn the engine around to head back.
The conductor came around yelling "all aboard" encouraging passengers to embark upon their journey back to Napier. The train began hissing and chugging as it gained speed, the wheels clacking on the tracks. People waved goodbye out the windows as the red caboose disappeared in the distance. Just as the smoke faded into sky, so my jaunt into the past faded away.

No worries - Kris