—H.O.D. Railroad Museum—
I’ve wanted to visit the “Heart Of Dixie Railroad Museum” ever since I learned about its existence.
I love trains. Always have.
The first parts of my life took place next to the tracks.
My brothers and I used to hop on the train to catch a ride to our friend’s house or the nearby park.
As a kid, I just knew I’d grow up to be a train engineer.
Then… life happens. And you end up doing something different after you grow up. And, to be fair, I did enjoy my career in the I.T. Field very much.
So, today, my Dad and I visited the Railroad Museum.
If you love walking up and touching old trains, you should visit.
The Museum is outside.
Some trains are under a roof, and some aren’t.
There are several live tracks nearby, and they keep busy with a lot of train traffic. So, as you go through the Railroad Museum, trains and train horns are heard nearby.
With a big grin on my face, I’d say, over and over, “Look at this one! Look at that one over there!” And I’d go from train to train. I felt like a kid again.
It was like being in a small train yard and being able to legally go around and touch and feel any train in the yard.
Many of the trains have a sign explaining what that particular train did when it was in service. Also, you can climb on some of the trains.
They even have a section with the different types of light signals.
Signs explain each signal, and, with the push of a button, you can turn the signals on and watch and listen to them.
They have a working train on the premises, and on Saturdays, you can buy a ticket and ride.
While we were there, Dad and I had the opportunity to ride the train with a Private Party who had Chartered the train. It was going to cost us 10 Dollars each to ride.
Dad was all for it, but I didn’t feel good about Crashing their train ride. They had Chartered it, after all. And, for all I knew, we could be joining in on someone’s Birthday Party.
I wasn’t sure about the Restroom situation on the train as well.
I felt sure they had a restroom, but I wasn’t sure about how big it was or if it was ventilated. I think about things like that.
So, I didn’t want to join the Chartered Train ride.
They have a gift shop on the premises, and it was fun looking at the items in the gift shop. There was only one item I was looking for, though—a wooden train whistle.
I had one as a child. I used it all the time, too.
But I’d lost it and needed to replace it. It costs six bucks. —Worth-Every-Penny.
If you get the chance, visit the “Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.”
You, too, will probably become a kid again.
After taking pictures and looking at every train, we got back into the truck and headed to our next destination—the Alabama National Cemetery.
Of course, that will be in another post.
Love you,
–Lynn
