Benjamin Hutton took a sip of his tea. Despite being British, or at least half British, he still wasn’t accustomed to the American weather, especially in Pennsylvania. He looked down at a newspaper, which said, ‘Roger Railway Last Run, Halloween! The New Preservation Group took over!’ In bold black letters, he looked at the window, and fall colors were showing their signs. Ben looked at the newspaper; it was a busy couple of months. You see, Benjamin was a railfan, a rail enthusiast. He lived in the U.K. until his teenage years before moving back to America, where his father was born.
Ben would often travel to and from Britain for holidays, and despite the differences between American and British railways, he loved both. Roger Railway was actually a childhood railway for Ben. Before moving to America, his family would travel to America for holidays, and the Roger Railway would be the top choice. The railway is a 50/50 operation, 50 percent of tourists in the spring and summer, and 50 percent of freight in the fall and winter, though tourists were more successful.
His family would have picnics at the park next to the big city of Westminster, and since the railway interchange with the Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad, with a small yard and station, it was common to see Roger next to the big railway. The railway was built in 1880, and their first and only steam locomotive was an 0-6-0T H.K. Porter of a 2-foot gauge named after the first owner of the railway. Ben saw Roger every day throughout his visits, and the Porter locomotive was always happy to see the young lad, though, despite being popular for tourism, the freight side of the operation closed, and tourists were the only revenue.
Ben met the owner of the railway, Saul Harrison, a couple of times during his teenage years. He took over the railway in 1941 after his other railway Bridgton and Saco River Railroad, closed, and his older brother, John Harrison, passed away. His older brother was the owner and General Manager of the railway from 1910-1941. Saul took the remaining rails and machinery to give the railway a makeover during the war years, though, despite that, the freight service ended a few years later in 1946. After a few meetings with Saul in the summer of 1950, when Saul was getting old, which caused him to have a stroke and a heart attack, he could die any moment, with a promise to keep the railway running. Something has to be made.
So on August 31st, 1950, after meeting a few friends and a few locals, they formed the ‘Roger Railway Preservation Society’; the society's goals were to preserve the railway, the rolling stock, and the history. With Ben as the chairman, owner, general manager, and operator, though, Saul wanted to operate the railway in the original ownership until Halloween, so the railway kept on going, with society members being trained to operate Roger. Ben was lucky to know how to operate steam locomotives due to his job at S. D. Warren Paper Mill and the Edaville Railroad, which both operate steam locomotives.
The final run was made on Halloween, 1950, with the society and Saul doing a British handover ceremony. With the society being the new owner of the railway, the railway went through a major overhaul, including Roger, with new ties, an updated machine shop, and a refurbished shed. This took almost a year, with Roger coming home a few weeks before the grand opening.
Roger looked at a road that looked like it led to nowhere. He was on a truck, and he was on that path of road just last year; he spent most of 1951 year at the Juniata Shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where one member of the newly formed society worked, and was able to convince his boss to overhaul Roger at their shops, with some parts being overhauled at the Sandley Light Railway works in Wisconsin, which also helped overhaul his coaches. Roger was glad to be back on his railway. It’s been almost a year since the engine was taken out of service in November, and the little Porter was glad to be home.
“We’re almost there!” yelled the truck driver out of the window.
Roger couldn’t contain his excitement; he felt refreshed, new, just like a young engine. It didn’t take long until the truck arrived at the railway, with fresh ties and a new feel on life, but the most surprising thing is the number of people at the railway. Many folks, young or old, boys and girls, men and women, were greeting the 0-6-0t with posters and signs that said, ‘Welcome Home Roger!’ Roger felt touched. He always knew that the locals appreciated him, but it was nice to see the level of appreciation that the locals have.
Roger could see Ben, the owner, his driver, and the man who saved his railway. He was standing in front of the truck, while volunteers were helping to attach cables to lift the old engine onto the rails, though, while it was an exciting event, the real party would be on Labor Day weekend, 1951. The crowds were surrounding the yard and sheds, and the volunteers were helping the crowd feel at ease.
“How are you feeling, Roger?” Ben asks the old Porter.
“Like a young engine!” Roger told Ben happily.
“That’s good,” Ben smiled, “We've got two weeks before Labor Day Weekend, so we’re going to have test runs the following day.”
“I’ve been waiting to stretch my wheels,” Roger told Ben, “How are Mary, Charlotte, and Taylor?”
“Mary and Charlotte are ready for service,” Ben smiled at the old Porter, “But Taylor isn’t ready yet, we’re converting her into a passenger baggage car, more extra seats for the final summer season and the fall run.”
Roger smiled his excitement, his two coaches and baggage car were his closest friends, they operated with the old Porter on passengers and freight, so having them restored is something that the little Porter is excited about. After the crane put Roger on the tracks, the volunteers pushed the saddle tank engine into the engine shed, where many of the people were asking Mr. Hutton if Roger would be ready for service, to which he told them that the old Porter would go in a series of test runs during the week.
It was nice for Roger to be back in the same shed he called home for many decades. The railway has had a fresh new life ever since the preservation society took it over. Mr. Harrison was a good man and treated Roger well during his short time on the railway, often making sure that the old Porter was up to date, though limitedly. The shed also has a fresh new touch as well; it felt like a brand new railway once again, and Roger knew the tourist had always been a hit on the railway before the society took over.
Monday was a regular day for some folks, but it was a day that Roger would operate one or two, maybe three test runs before Labor Day Weekend. Mr. Hutton, his family, and a few other engine crew would be participating in this test run, and Mary and Charlotte would also be participating to make sure the coaches were ready for operation.
“How have you two been?” Roger asks his coaches outside of the engine.
“Mr. Hutton and his volunteers did extraordinary work,” Mary told Roger happily, “I’m excited for Taylor to come back; she always wanted to carry passengers.”
“Same as well,” Charlotte agreed with her sister, “It’s nice to bring all three of us back to service, but today’s test run will be nice on my wheels.”
“Same as well,” Mary agreed with her sister.
“Well, I’m happy that you two would be operating with me on this test run,” Roger smiled at his close friends, “Especially this whole Cold War stuff that’s been happening now with the world.”
The old Porter could see Mr. Hutton, a woman, two children, and a few volunteers, some of whom the engine recognized pre-preservation. Mr. Hutton was talking to the volunteers while the women were showing the children around Roger and his passenger cars. There were many kids and their families at the welcome home party, and the old Porter knew that the 1952 season would bring more passengers than this season.
“Hello, Roger,” Ben smiled at the old Porter as he came over with the volunteers, “And hello to you, Mary and Charlotte.”
“Good morning, sir,” Roger smiled at his general manager, “Are we going to operate on the full length of the railway?”
Ben shook his head.
“Nope,” He told Roger, “It’s just going to be one mile, just to test to see if anything needs to be fixed before the Labor Day Weekend event, same with the coaches.”
One mile was short, but enough to feel the fresh new rails. Roger and his coaches were excited, and Ben climbed up in the cab of the engine. The firemen had already lit up the firebox early in the morning, and Roger could feel the warmth of the fire throughout his moving parts. The old Porter moved around the small yard, which he coupled up to the coaches. Ben’s family, his wife, and two kids were offered a ride with some of the volunteers who took part in the overhaul.
Roger was feeling quite wonderful; the overhaul parts felt like new, and moving didn’t feel like a chore; it felt freeing. Coupling up to his coaches, he felt a wave of nostalgic feelings of his old past, where passengers would come onto the train and go for a long scenic ride. The fireman was outside making sure that every piston and part was in good order before leaving the yard. After a quick look, the fireman went back into the cab, and Roger started leaving the yard.
The old Porter moved slowly as he left the yard. The scenery was the same; the trees and bushes were in the same place, as if the railway had never changed. Even if the railway had been refurbished, Roger moved slowly to test out the kinks and parts, with Mr. Hutton leaning out of the window to ensure the motion gear was in the right place.
The locals and railfans, who heard about the test run, rushed to the railway to see the run in action, with their film cameras in place. It was an interesting sight to see from Roger’s perspective; it wasn’t the first time that railfans visited the railway; they did so many times in the past, and with an old Porter like him, it was bound to happen again.
After reaching the one-mile mark, Roger stopped, and Mr. Hutton and the volunteers looked over to the old Porter, making that nothing seems to be the problem. The railfans followed the train and were now taking photos and watching the crew working on Roger. His coaches were also given a quick look to see if any issues were also present.
“The new rails on this track made me think I was on a different railway,” Roger happily told Ben, “You and the volunteers did a great job!”
“It was nothing,” Ben chuckled a bit, “But the new rails could last us for decades before being replaced.”
“High quality,” a volunteer piped up.
“I do agree with Roger that these new rails are splendid,” Mary told Charlotte, “Smooth and fresh.”
“Indeed, sis,” Charlotte agreed with her sister.
“How are you feeling, Roger?” Mr. Hutton asks the old Porter.
“Very well, thank you for asking,” Roger smiled at Mr. Hutton, “No problems at all, no weird feelings.”
“That’s good news,” Mr. Hutton sighed with relief, as with the other volunteers, “I was quite worried that the people at the Juniata Shops messed you up during the overhaul.”
“They did a great job,” Roger assured the owner, “Great working folks.”
With the test run and the first time being back in operation since last year being a success, Roger pushed the coaches backward to the yard. After a rest, Mr. Hutton told the old Porter that he was going to perform another test run today and tomorrow, but it’s going to be just a light engine run. Roger felt excited for this, and when the passenger cars were uncoupled, the old Porter left the yard again and operated in the same way as he had half an hour ago.
This test went much quicker since the weight of the coaches was back at the yard, and this test is mostly for the overall engine performance. Doing the light engine run assured Mr. Hutton and the volunteer team that Roger is not only fit for passengers, but also fit for work trains and special railfan charters, knowing that the NRHS would be looking at them for potential excursions during the off days and seasons.
After arriving at the same one-mile mark that he had operated a few hours ago, after stopping, Roger looked around the scenery once more. The railway that he called home is a nice, lovely area, with forests and wild animals and a big park. He looked at the tracks and noticed something on the ground, well, not just one thing, but a patch of it.
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“Four-Leaf Clovers!” Roger said as Mr. Hutton got down from his cab and walked towards the patch.
“Huh?” Mr. Hutton looked at the patch, “I didn’t expect them to be grown around here, and I visited this railway many times when I was young.”
“It is usually a sign of good luck,” Roger pointed out, “Which I’m excited about for my new future.”
“I am as well,” Mr. Hutton smiled at the old Porter, “Which reminds me of future railfan charters, and knowing that a lot of our volunteers are part of the local NRHS societies, and with their help, they’ll probably be sponsoring a few photo charters after the Labor Day weekend.”
“I’m excited whenever that arrives,” Roger told Mr. Hutton.
After Monday’s test run, and with the test runs being a success, Roger was ready for the operation at the Labor Day weekend event, though the old Porter did take one last test run 3 days before the weekend. Mr. Hutton and the volunteers were scrambling to get things ready for the big weekend, getting Roger and the passenger cars ready for this event. Taylor was the big project, and the volunteers working with the baggage car/passenger car 24/7 were truly astonishing, and the result of this overhaul with Taylor was completed before the big event.
Mr. Hutton was also talking with other NRHS societies about photo charters, with the majority of the members being volunteers to the Roger Railway Society. Many photo charters are planned as a thank you for the help, though it’s going to take a while. He also took a sabbatical from the Edaville Railroad for the preservation society and on the Roger Railway. Things are now going smoothly and calmly, and both the engine and the team are excited for the first run.
Roger woke up with the warmth of his firebox. He could hear the sound of the shed and the sounds of footsteps in and out of the shed. He woke up and he could see Ben Hutton cleaning him, although he had already cleaned him yesterday, before the big day, which was today, Saturday.
“Morning, Roger,” Mr. Hutton smiled at the old Porter, “Excited for today?”
“You bet I am,” He told Mr. Hutton excitedly.
“That’s good, since the tickets we were selling already sold out,” Mr. Hutton informed the old Porter, “Probably enough for 3-4 trips today, Sunday, and hopefully Monday until nighttime.”
Hearing that, Roger was excited. With the shed doors open, the old Porter left the shed into the cool morning; it was still summer, and the coolness of the morning would soon give way to the heat of the sun. The news of the railway reopening as a heritage railway was big news throughout the railway industry, and people from railroad magazines visited the railway for a piece for their magazine.
“May I get a photo of you?” a man asks the old Porter.
Roger looked at the man, who had a camera, and was looking spiffy for today’s outing. He looked at Mr. Hutton and nodded.
“That’s David P. Morgan,” Mr. Hutton told the old Porter, “He and his editor, Willard V. Anderson, did a piece on us last year about the society for Trains Magazine.”
“I see,” Roger looked at David, “Is he doing another piece for the opening as a heritage line?”
To which, David P. Morgan nodded.
“Then take as many photos as you want,” Roger smiled at the photographer.
David smiled and took many photos. There were a lot of railfans in the yard, including the news. This was a special event that should be remembered and preserved. Mr. Hutton was interviewed and talked about the remaining 1951 season. Taylor was outside looking good as new, being converted from a baggage car to a passenger car, but still kept the outline of a baggage car.
“How do you feel after your overhaul?” Roger asks Taylor.
“Never been better!” She cried out happily, “As much as I like being a baggage car, being a passenger car is also a very exciting time for me.”
“That’s good to hear,” Roger smiled at his friend, “Though I noticed one of the volunteers brought a small refrigerator into the engine shop during your overhaul. Any ideas?”
“I do, they put a small generator in me to carry drinks and snacks for the run,” Taylor smiled at the old Porter, “I think Mr. Hutton is experimenting with this based on regular standard-gauge passenger trains that use modern refrigeration.”
“That is interesting,” Roger said as Mary and Charlotte agreed as well.
“With the summer heat still hot today, it’s a good idea,” Mary told her sister.
“Look at these passengers!” Charlotte exclaimed as there were many railfans and regular folks in the yard, “I think we need more drinks and snacks to keep them replenished.”
“I don’t think it’s enough for the three of you in total,” Roger said in a worried tone, “Mr. Hutton did tell me that there will be back-to-back runs for the whole weekend.”
“That’s a lot,” Mary said with a worried tone, “I hope you don’t have to overwork yourself.”
“Before I was sent for my overhaul, Mr. Hutton did tell me that I’ll be operating 3 days a week,” Roger assured his best friend, “And that’s mostly during the starting season in late March.”
“That’s a long rest,” Mary sighed happily, “Though, with this service and the popularity of this excursion becoming bigger, I think Mr. Hutton will assign more dates during the winter.”
“Then I can’t wait for that,” Roger said excitedly.
The old Porter coupled up to Taylor, Mary, and Charlotte, forming a train that was once a regular passenger train for tourism just last year; now it’s a heritage passenger train. Many railfans, magazine, and newspaper photographers were taking photos of the whole train. David P. Morgan was having a field day, and Mr. Hutton knew this would be big and hopefully bring new people to the railway. The coaches basked in their new jobs, and they enjoyed the attention that was given.
Roger moved the coaches to the former freight transfer station, which was built as a way to transport freight materials to trucks. After freight service ended, it was mostly used as a place for railfans to take photos in the yard at a distance. The station was created in 1933. It didn’t look like much of a station, but just a platform. The Pennsylvania Railroad donated a few old boxcar bodies to the preservation society and overhauled them into buildings for tickets.
Roger was quite impressed by how the station, which looked like nothing, was transformed into a building, which no one knows that it was made with the bodies of old boxcars. There was also a poster which listed the dates and times after this Labor Day Weekend that the train will be operating, and it was three days a week until two days before Christmas! The line to the building was long, and many folks were excited as the old Porter arrived at the station. Mr. Hutton got out of Roger’s cab and made his way through the crowds.
“Easy now, folks!” He cried out, “I have an announcement to make!”
The folks at the station quieted down, which made it easy for Mr. Hutton to speak, and he cleared his throat.
“To make this short,” He simply said to the crowd, “After nearly a year’s worth of work, I’d like to say, not only is Roger in steam again, but also the railway as well, welcome to Roger Railway!”
What the old Porter and the coaches didn’t know was that a banner covered a sign, which Mr. Hutton had removed, displaying an emblem logo with the railway name and a small artwork of Roger's emblem. Despite being an American railroad in Pennsylvania, this was a railroad with a heart of gold; everyone cheered, including the volunteers who spent their hard work and funds to restore the railway in a short amount of time.
“We’ll operate three days a week, starting today, and ending on the 23rd of December,” Mr. Hutton also announced, “We’ll also operate a 6-day limited passenger run from January 18th-20th, and 25th-27th, with February runs from 15th-17th, and 22nd-24th, with the full start of the season on March 28th. We’ll put up the 1952 schedule before the 1951 season ends.”
Roger gleamed with happiness with the recent news, winter trains are quite popular, and knowing that it’ll give passengers a chance to operate the train before the full season. Mr. Hutton also told the eager crowd that improvements are going to be made during the off-season to make this railway a better visiting experience. After the short announcement, to which Mr. Hutton said there would be another announcement at the end of the line, the passengers got into the passenger train, with 2 dollars a ticket; everyone wanted a seat inside the three coaches.
The coaches were filled to the brim, the seats were all taken, and it was a full train. Roger was quite pleased; a lot of photographers were taking photos of the full train. Before leaving, Mr. Hutton, who was opening a bottle of champagne, was in front of Roger. Then, in a fast moment, he slammed the bottle on the old Porter’s coupling, breaking the bottle into pieces, and the champagne splashing on the ground. Roger was just christening as a completion of a new part of life.
The old Porter blew his whistle, which echoed a bit; his piston was pumping with excitement, and he moved slowly out of the station. The passengers were leaning out of the window and waving at the other folks who were at the side of the tracks. This was the start of the first passenger run of the preserved railway. The smoke billowed slowly out of the funnel, also leaving a train as a sign that the train had left the station.
The run feels familiar for Roger; it should be; he has operated this line for over 70 years now, his siderods clank the track in a good way. He wasn’t operating hard, but his speed was a little faster than his usual speed. 5 miles of track front and back is a total of 10 miles, and he’s excited about the interchange station, since he didn’t get to see the station during his test run, and probably for good reason, Mr. Hutton wanted to surprise Roger.
The scenery was nice for the passengers to look at; the railway is well known for its scenery, which is connected to the very large park of Westminster, which boasted a population of 100,000 last year, making this railway a good spot for tourism. Most of the volunteers are from the city, but a few come as far as Philadelphia and Scranton, with other states such as New York, Maine, Colorado, California, New Jersey, and even a few from Edaville. As Roger goes through a snake curve, the old Porter pushes through the gradient. Despite the railroad not having monstrous grades like the 3-foot gauge or the Maine Two Footers, the 0.1 to 0.3 percent grade doesn’t seem much, but for Roger, it can be heavy in certain times. For the overhaul steam locomotive, this was easy for him.
The old Porter charged through the bend, and the sound he made made passengers get their fancy recorders to record the excursion to the interchange station. It was an exhilarating moment.
“You’re flying, Roger!” Mary cried out.
“I do agree!” Charlotte responded as well.
“I’ve never felt like this since I was built,” Roger happily told his coaches, “I feel wonderful!”
He blew his whistle, which caused a few birds to fly off the railway, also a popular spot for hikers and joggers in this spot of the railway, and his loud whistle can be heard far away from how quiet the forest is. The train rattling along the tracks, Mr. Hutton was obviously the engineer for this run, and he was also quite happy with the operation so far. Doing these test runs was successful, though Ben also noticed that the many passengers at the yard and station before the train left, which indicates that he needed more passenger coaches for the operation.
H.K. Porter locomotives are well known to be brutes, powerful engines in such a small size, and with narrow gauge engines from similar companies like Vulcan and Davenport, though Roger was never really shown his true potential since the railway only had three boxcars and the passenger stock. The railway acquired a few freight cars from the Maine Two Footers during the preservation overhaul, including flatcars and gondolas, mostly for work trains, but also special freight photo charters.
Roger could see he was near the interchange station, which excited him and the coaches. From what Mr. Hutton told the old Porter, the station has been overhauled for modern standards for the heritage operation. He slowly arrived at the newly overhauled station; the station looked the same, but also had a fresh new look. The small yard was also given a facelift, with tracks ending right next to the standard gauge station, and tracks, there were also freight cars in the sidings for future use. It looks beautiful.
“I’m impressed by the hard work that the volunteers did!” Roger exclaimed as he looked all over at the new station and yard, “I remember just last year that the yard and station looked like it needed a freshen up, and look now!”
“It’ll be nice seeing the Broadway Limited passing through here,” Mary commented, “Though, how would this new arrangement work since we don’t carry regular passengers like the big railways?”
“Yeah, we mostly operate tourists and freight,” Taylor also commented on the new station's look.
The passenger train slowly crept into a station, but Roger could see the railfans and regular folks at the station, with a familiar friend, whom the old Porter was happy to see.
“2102!” Roger cried out happily, “How are you doing, and what are you doing here?”
“My general manager heard that your railway is being preserved as a heritage railroad, and sent me here for the celebration,” the big 4-8-4 told Roger, “He’s a big fan of your railway.”
“He is?” the old Porter said as the passenger got out of the coaches, “Mr. Hutton did say they got some extra donation a few months ago by a donor from a big railroad.”
“Yep, that’s him,” 2102 happily told Roger, “And congrats for the new form of operation now.”
“Anyway,” Roger said as the passengers took photos of the two engines, “How’s life on your railroad?”
“Hard,” 2102 told the old Porter, “Extra freight trains, especially with this Cold War and the Korean War, it’s tiring.”
“I’ve heard that this whole Cold War thing is going to end all humanity, as Saul used to say,” Roger sighed to the 4-8-4, “And I thought the Second World War was hell.”
“Taking military troops through was a highlight of our career,” Mary reminded Roger, “Though the shitheads in Germany and Japan deserved to be screwed over, commies.”
“Cmon, Mary, don’t be like that,” scolded the old Porter, “The regular population doesn’t believe in what Hitler said or the Japanese people agreeing that bombing Pearl Harbor is a good idea, being prejudiced and racist is not right, you know better.”
“I’ll talk to her after the run,” Charlotte told Roger, “The last thing we need is someone from the crowd hearing this.”
Luckily, with the noise from the passengers of both gauges being loud, no one heard what Mary said, though it’s been a while since Roger heard something like this from Mary; the last time he had heard her talking like this was in 1948, so it’s been 3 years. With the recent Cold War and the conflicts in Korea and Indochina, tensions in the U.S. have been in a steady state of silence, at least for most of the population.
“I guess even after the big war, things aren’t really normal or happy?” 2102 sighed sadly, “Though, at least the folks would enjoy a nice passenger train ride through the Pennsylvania forest.”
“I agree with that,” Roger agrees with the 4-8-4, “It’ll take minds off what’s happening with everything that’s going on.”
“Speaking of heritage railway,” 2102 remembered something, “My engineer just visited Wales, in the United Kingdom, for his July 4th vacation, and visited this little railway called the Talyllyn Railway. He told me it’s a great little railway.”
“I’ve heard of the railway,” Roger was surprised to hear the Welsh railway coming out of 2102’s mouth, “Mr. Hutton visited the railway when it first became the world’s first preserved railway, and met the founders, they helped up with securing funds and even brought some volunteers from Wales.”
“Huh, did not know that,” 2102 said as he looked at the crowded station, “I’m guessing some of the volunteers are here?”
“Yep, even Tom Rolt,” Roger smiled, “He was invited by Mr. Hutton for the first trip, and rode in my cab.”
“No wonder I saw a third person in your cab,” 2102 pointed out, “It’s probably nice to have a celebrity riding in your cab.”
“I met him yesterday,” Roger told the 4-8-4, “He’s a nice guy, knows his stuff, preservation, Mr. Hutton looks him up like a hero.”
Just then, Mr. Hutton arrived at the station sign, which was covered, and the old Porter just noticed, though it was strange, since the interchange station didn’t have a sign or anything; it was called the ‘station’ before the preservation society took over. Mr. Hutton moved his hands to quiet the crowd, and then he began to speak.
“I hope you enjoyed the first passenger operation of the preserved railway,” He smiled at the crowd, “As you can see, the station has also been cleaned up and refurbished for this special day, and the first time in over 70 years that the station will have a name.”
The crowd clapped, and Roger was surprised, but also realized that’s why the sign was covered. Just then, Mr. Hutton grabbed the cover and pulled the covering off the sign, to which the old Porter gasped in surprise.
“The end terminus of the interchange station will be named Roger!” Mr. Hutton smiled, “Now we have refurbished the area just a bit, rearranging the yard, and added a small cafe to the station, a little something after the train ride, of course, the sights of the bigger railway are also part of this experience.”
The station sign was bold, but simple; the colors did pop out, which made the newly refurbished station stand out. The cafe was already bustling with customers, which was also a good sign of a busy season. The short speech and announcement were concluded with a whistle salute from Roger; the loud noise of steam could be heard from miles around the little railway. The old Porter moved around to the back of the train, coupled up to Charlotte from behind.
“I can’t believe the station is named after you!” Mary excitedly said as she waited for the passengers to board.
“How do you feel, Roger?” Charlotte asks the old Porter.
“I feel honored,” Roger smiled happily, “It’s not every day that a station is named after you.”
“Though,” Taylor wondered, “If the big railroads decided to work with us…?”
“Don’t worry,” Mr. Hutton came up next to Roger, “I’ve been in talks with the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad to operate special charters during special events through the spring and summer season.”
Roger's eyes were wide with the news.
“That’s great!” the old Porter smiled, “I can’t wait whenever the time comes.”
“It’ll come soon,” Mr. Hutton winked at Roger, “Let’s go back now, the passengers can’t wait for the return trip.”
After the passengers got something from the cafe, they got into the coaches. Mr. Hutton looked over the old Porter before leaving the station. The conductor blew his whistle, to which Roger blew his whistle as well, and slowly left the station, with 2102 giving the old Porter a whistle salute, to which the old engine whistled back with the smoke coming out of his funnel, leaving a trail in the distance, as a start of new life on a heritage railway.
