June 29 Challenge

June 1-30 Challenge
Day 29 Track Twenty-nine

June 29,  1896. The St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company (predecessor of the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway) is incorporated.

In the old Glen Miller song “The Chattanooga Choo Choo” the train departs on Track 29.

Have you ever ridden a train? Write a post about a train. Tell us about train ride you have taken or one you’d like to take. Make up a story about a train or write a poem featuring a train. Share pictures of trains. Your choice!

Thomas the Tank
Photo credit

One of the most endearing toys that my son played with as a boy was Thomas the Tank engine. The show on the TV was wildly popular too, and there was barely a nursery, kindy or creche around the area that did not have a Thomas sitting in the corner, waiting patiently to be taken around the tracks by a child. He had a set of engine friends who chugged around the small hamlet of Sodor with him;  Edward, Henry & Gordon.

Here are some fun facts about Thomas:

He is a steam locomotive, designed after the LB&SCR E2 class of engine
The story of Thomas was written as part of  The  Railway Series by Reverand Wilbert Awdry in 1945
The story follows that Thomas was bought by the Fat Controller to work in Sodor, and became known as a “really useful engine”
The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was the original storyteller in the TV series Thomas & Friends
Thomas was the only fictional character to be included in the Independent on Sunday newspaper’s 2009 “Happy List” – for making Britain a better and happier place
The 2015 Marvel film Ant-Man features a toy version of Thomas