The Boy and the Pocahontas

Timmy woke up from a restless sleep. He was taking the Capitol Limited to stay with his mother in Washington D.C. for the summer, and this was a journey he had never experienced, but there was something more to it than he ever thought.

Timmy couldn't get a wink of sleep, so he rubbed his eyes, and made his way to a car called the Sightseer's Lounge. It was early in the morning, and the sun poured its light into the lounge car windows. Timmy stared out the window in awe of the vibrant sunrise and there sitting in the opposite seat was an older gentleman. The gentleman stands up and walks over to Timmy and asks him if he could sit with him, and Timmy says yes.

The man asks, "Is this your first time riding this train?"

Timmy couldn't reply, how could he? Timmy states that he has never seen such beauty in the Appalachian mountains and that he always took things for granted. The man laughed quietly as the car swayed from side to side, and Timmy gripped the edge of his seat.

Timmy asks, "Why does this train keep swaying?"

The man replies, "Oh this ole gal is doing the balling jack. Heck, I remember having the same reaction when I rode the Pocahontas sitting in the dome car."

Timmy asks, "What's the Pocahontas?"

The man replies, "Oh it was the flagship passenger train of the Norfolk and Western, led by a mighty steam locomotive."

Timmy says, "I've never seen a steam locomotive, only diesel locomotives, if only I knew what they sounded like."

The man says looking out the window, "The creaking, clanking metal, the hissing of the steam, the deep mournful whistle, and the clickity-clack of the passenger cars rumbling beneath your feet, no single word could describe that feeling."

Timmy says, "I wish I could experience it for myself."

The man replies with a twinkle in his eyes, "Just look out the window and keep that thought with you."

The man leaves just as the Capitol Limited's horn blares as it picks up speed, and everything to Timothy was a blur, and when he woke up, he realized he was sitting in a totally different style of passenger car, which was nothing like the sleek modern design of the Superliner Sightseer Lounge, but it was old, like 75 years old to be precise. A porter asks Timmy if he was alright, and Timmy was beyond confused.

Timmy asks, "What year is it?"

The porter replies, "Uh... 1971, April 30th to be exact."

Timmy asks, "What train am I riding?"

The porter says, "Your riding train #4 the final Pocahontas, led by Nickel Plate 759."

Timmy asks, "Is that a steam locomotive I should know about?"

The porter says urgently, "Please excuse, me but I need to attend to other passengers, but for now, I encourage you to head to the observation car."

Timmy does so and there he looks at the ground as the tracks twist and turned up and around the mountains, and then he heard a loud distinctive chuffing sound along with a clanging noise of a brass bell. Timmy squealed in delight as he caught a glimpse of the NKP 759 from the last car of the Pocahontas. He was one of the dozens of people riding this train. He waved to the crowds as the locomotive roared down the rails. The whistle echoed loudly through the hills and valleys. Hours went by where Timmy just beamed from ear to ear until a porter called that a photo run-by would take place at Lynchburg Union Depot. Once everyone deboarded the train.

Timmy ran eagerly to the front of the 19-car excursion train, and there he stood just a few feet away from a monster of a steam locomotive. The whistle blasts as an N&W freight train rolls into the siding. Timmy shivered in excitement as the train backed out of the station. Then in the distance 2 ghostly sounding blasts of the whistle echo through the holler, silence. The crowd murmured quietly with anticipation. Then chuff, chuff, chuff, hiss, hiss, clink clank, clink, clank. Thick Black smoke poured up into the sky as the locomotive thundered through the station. This made Timmy think about what the man said to him, and just like that there he the man.

Timmy says, "I recognize you, I saw you on the Capitol Limited."

The man says, "I'm not familiar with a train called the Capitol Limited, but hopefully we can talk later."

Timmy says, "Okay, where do you want to meet?"

The man says, "Why don't you meet me in the dome car, there we can enjoy the final hours of this trip."

Timmy says he would love to, and once he got back on the train, he immediately heads to the dome car. The man sat down and Timmy talked to the man. They chatted about how the trip was amazing, and then they stared, out the window. The sound of the Pocahontas' whistle cried out loudly as the train picked up speed and everything once again became a blur to Timmy and he passes out.

Timmy woke back up to find himself back in the Capitol Limited's Sightseer Lounge as a conductor called out saying that they would be arriving at Washington D.C.'s Union Station in the hour, and Timmy hurries back to his room, packs everything, and sat eagerly to get off the train. The train squealed loudly as the Capitol Limited slowed to a stop at Union Station. As he steps off the train and greets his mother, they glance over to the neighboring platform and the man was climbing into the cab of Nickel Plate 765 for the inaugural run of the Greenbrier Presidental Express.

Timmy shouts, "Hey, I never got your name!"

The man replies with a shout, "The name's Ross Rowland!"

Timmy says, "Have a nice trip, but where can I see you again?"

Ross replies, "All you got to do is listen for the whistle."

A conductor says all aboard, and with 2 blasts of the whistle, and the clanging of a brass bell, the Greenbrier Presidental Express chuffed out of the station.

Timmy and his mother wave as the green and white passenger cars roar out of the station, along with the lonesome sound of the whistle.

Timmy's mom asks, "So, how was your trip?"

Timmy replies, "Oh mother, both were amazing!"

Timmy's mother looks at him confused and states he only went on one. Timmy laughed and says that he had a tale to tell her once they got home.