Today in celebration of my daughters 2nd birthday we went to the St. Louis Museum of Transportation. Before we ate cake, some members of my family and I went up to the train sheds and got a close look at the engine my Grandfather was the fireman on when he worked for the Alton and Southern Railroad when steam was the rule and diesel was just sputtering around. Grandpa Fred Siddle died before I was born and seeing a steam engine in action was long over. My uncle and father remember the story of when their father and his friends questioned " if we the use diesel electric engines when it rains won’t we get electrocuted?" I was told that my Grandfather was the last fireman to work on the on the Alton & Southern Railroad, his ALCO 0-8-0 #12 was the last A&S steam engine in use and my grandfather was the last one who worked her. Where he took her to the museum in 1948.
To see it in such sad shape is unbelievable, considering other things I have seen and have of his are very well taken care of. But we were told for $30,000.00 the museum will sand and repaint her. Well if Ed MacMan and that huge check show up at my door on Super bowl Sunday or the Lottery gods look favorable upon me forget the paint were talk’n total restoration. (I can get the live steam engine I always dreamed of)
Despite being told don’t go near or in it by a museum official that didn’t want us back here in the first place… I waited till the group left toward the shed then I walked around the engine and climbed aboard. To sit in the seat he rode for most of his job was truly an experience that I will always cherish. As I looked around the cab touched its levers and gauges, the thought of this big beautiful girl thundering down the track at full steam was truly exciting. I swear I could smell the steam and the smoke billowing from the front as it rolled toward the back of the train. After a few moments in the cab I stepped into the tender and looked forward I really felt as if my grandfather was there telling shovel that coal and she will go!
As I got down and headed toward the rest of my family covered in rust and dirt, I looked back upon #12 and not seeing a rusting relic of our past. Instead I saw my grandfather standing on the side of cab waving to me as she rolled on by.
Yes I do have pictures I would post them if I knew how. I tell she is a beautiful engine the pictures just do not do her justice. Over all A great day was had by my 2 year old daughter and myself. It was nice to see an old relative that gave so much to this family years ago.
Funny thing though, I don’t remember a relative working for the railway. Odd, eh?!?
