The Little Engine That Could

Hello World, Well, there is certainly no lack of news these days, on a vast array of subjects, from the thundering power of nature to the intrigues of politics, and from the resounding clash of sports to the bright lights of show business, and everything in between. In fact, a person could be forgiven for wanting to get away from it all for a while, and with good reason. So that's exactly what we did - taking a page out of the old Long Island Railroad slogan: "Traffic a pain? Relax on a train!" And I do mean, all the livelong day. It all began innocently enough, as these things so often do, when the first day of my vacation happened to fall on the same day as the Round Hill Highland Games that we always enjoy at the scenic Cranbury Park in Norwalk. One reason that we always like to go to the Games is that we meet friends there that we know from The Nutmeg State, and it gives us a handy place to gather and have some fun together out in the sunshine, with the skirl of bagpipes in the air, and plenty of Irn Bru to keep us going. (For the uninitiated, Irn Bru is a noxious concoction that they sell to unwary locals at these games, under the guise of being authentic Scottish soda, but they're not fooling me - I'm sure it's just a huge practical joke on the host country, to see hoodwinked Americans gamely trying to choke this slop down in a spirit of cultural camaraderie, which the Scots must find endlessly amusing.) We hated to miss the games this year, but even more, we missed the opportunity to visit with our friends, so we had been on the lookout for another event that would suit the same purpose. And while Connecticut is well-known for being a hotbed of interesting and educational events, there did not seem to be any that met our needs in terms of schedule, distance, or level of appeal, no matter how hard we looked. Frankly, if this was the revenge of Irn Bru, it was doing a heck of a job. Finally we settled on something else that we hoped would fit the bill, and so a couple of weeks ago, we headed for what the brochures describe as "the charming village of Thomaston," where the Railroad Museum of New England runs their popular Fall Foliage trips on the tourist railway along the mighty Naugatuck River. (You can please feel free to go right ahead and visit their web site at www.rmne.org and see for yourself.) This railroad, like countless others across the country, was once a thriving freight carrier to the local region since way back in 1849, and then switched over to commuter service, when passengers supplanted packages as the cargo of choice, before finally petering out around 1958. Part of the line was discontinued, but other sections continued to haul freight until it finally came grinding to a halt for good in 1995, in the aftermath of the transit doldrums of the 1980's that spelled doom for these giants of commerce and industry, very much like the dinosaurs before them, and I ought to know. Now you find many of these relics of yesteryear, newly resurrected by a devoted cadre of enthusiastic volunteers, experiencing a new lease on life as a tourist railroad, offering compact jaunts on reclaimed tracks with scavenged locomotives and assorted rescued cars and cabooses, all lovingly restored to their former glory. They dot the landscape in forgotten and over-grown hinterlands, each one a tiny treasure, carved out of a larger network where once the iron horse was king, but is no more, alas. We arrived bright and early for our adventure, although on Saturdays, there are only trains departing at noon and 2:00 PM, so those are your only choices. The day could not have been more glorious, with bright sunshine and clear blue skies, and temperatures that were refreshingly crisp without being too chilly. We discovered that the Thomaston station has been converted to a railroad museum, with displays, pictures, memorabilia, and a wide selection in their gift shop to tempt railroading fans of all ages. They also serve cider, and invite visitors to examine the variety of boxcars, tanker cars and flatcars in the rail yard - while the more agile are welcome to clamber right up into the locomotive and caboose, for a real taste of riding the rails from days gone by. Of course, the train pulled into the station right on time, as trains should, and not with a shower of sparks and belching smoke, because on this tourist railway, they use a more practical diesel locomotive and passenger cars from the 1930's, rather than steam and rolling stock from a century ago. After everyone is aboard and settled in for the journey, it comes as a bit of a surprise when the train starts going backward from the direction that it's facing - and you suddenly realize how convenient it is that the car is outfitted with handy "walk-over" seats, so you can change the direction that you're sitting at the drop of a hat, so to speak. It continues meandering backwards at a leisurely pace until Thomaston Dam, where there is not actually a station any longer, but has lovely panoramic views and is of historic importance in the area. Once all of this is explained by the volunteer guide, the train then resumes its journey, going forward this time, and right back to Thomaston station where we started, then continuing south from there past several towns with abandoned stations or where stations had been previously, all the way to Waterville, just short of the original terminal in Waterbury. The tracks literally hug the surging Naugatuck River the whole way, and it certainly is very picturesque - although it must be said that the weather has been much too warm for there to be any real fall foliage for leaf-peepers to gaze at. It also passes through the heart of Waterbury's old brass mills and factory district, where world-renowned clocks and sewing machines were their claim to fame. With no more tracks ahead of it, the train has no choice but to go right back the way it came, and it seems like that's about all there is to see. Not so fast! Because we were on this trip in October, it turned out that we were aboard one of their popular Harvest Pumpkin Festival trains, that offers its riders more than just fall foliage - so we were in for a special treat, when the train stopped at a pumpkin patch on the way back, and everyone got out to pick whatever pumpkin might strike their fancy. No need to climb over furrows and hack pumpkins from vines, this was instead a neat grassy field next to the tracks, that the volunteers had decorated with colorful scarecrows and flowers, then strewn with small jolly pumpkins everywhere, that were eagerly scooped up by youngsters and oldsters alike, and we were right there among the rest of the scoopers, I can assure you. With our grab-and-go gourds in hand, we settled back on the train for the return trip to Thomaston station, with the promise of more browsing in the museum, souvenirs, and picture-taking galore. It was still early in the day, so we scouted about for something else to occupy our time with - and what better choice than the signature timepiece that famously "takes a licking and keeps on ticking?" Yes, the Timex Museum (or "Timexpo" as they describe it) is handily located in nearby Waterbury, and features a welter of fascinating displays on several floors, all telling the story of time over the centuries. There are old clocks and watches, clock parts and tools, pictures, advertisements, articles and vintage photographs that are a joy to behold. Their multi-media and interactive exhibits are very entertaining, and I would personally recommend the Indiglo Experience - at least for those of us who are easily amused. Unfortunately, there is no gift shop to speak of, just a retail store selling watches, and not even souvenir postcards as a memento of our visit, or even better, our very own John Cameron Swayze dolls. (The outboard motor accessory pack is extra.) I can tell you that time certainly flies at the Timexpo, and it was starting to get dark by the time we were ready to leave, and only our Indiglo watches to guide us through the gathering gloom. Of course, everyone knows that sight-seeing is hungry work, so it was a lucky thing for us that there's a handy Denny's in Southington, and we hurried over there with our appetites on over-drive, believe me. The friendly staff greeted us with open arms and all of our favorites, adding the veritable cherry on top of a perfect sundae of a day full of adventure and recreation. So if you're ever in the mood for a little excursion, they won't steer you wrong at the storied Naugatuck Railroad, and discovering other points of interest in the area certainly won't take you all the livelong day, Dinah. You can tell them that John Cameron Swayze sent you. Elle