Sometime in the 70's, the Canadian National Railroad restored steam locomotive 6060, and placed her in regular scheduled service, pulling a passenger train from Toronto to Niagara Falls on summer Sundays. Once in Niagara Falls, it would discharge it's passengers for an afternoon touring Niagara Falls, and the locomotive would then take rail fans for a ride around Niagara for a few hours before taking the tourists back to Toronto.

One day I took the kids to experience a real steam locomotive; I remember seeing the engineer, he looked older than the engine, and I thought "Well, no excitement today." As expected, we took a slow ride about 20 miles out into the country, and I knew the kids were thinking "What's the big deal?" Then the old engineer stopped the train, and let anyone off who wanted off for a photo run by. I got off with the kids, and the old engineer backed the train up about a half mile, and then accelerated towards us. I don't know the technical terms for what was happening, but you could have told me I was at the gates of hell and I would have believed you. Black smoke billowing straight up out of the smokestack, white smoke and steam coming out the sides, indescribable noise, the ground shaking, and above it all, the steam whistle wailing away, with the old engineer leaning out the window, a look on his face that said "This is how we used to do it." With that very engine, not a replica, thundering through the night, maintaining the schedule.

He came back and picked us up, and then he let us feel the power. It's amazing anything that massive and heavy can accelerate like it did, pulling at least eight passenger cars. Everyone on that train was in awe, and now, nearly thirty years later, the kids still remember that day, that old engineer, and that mighty engine.

I hear that 6060 is still around, out west in Alberta someplace. I doubt any steam era engineers are still around, but if they are, I now know how you used to do it. Thanks to an old engineer, and an old steam engine.