Secrets of a Locomotive Engineer: Realize Your Childhood Dream

Have you ever dreamed of blowing the whistle on a train and driving it down the tracks in your childhood? How many times have you seen a train pass by and wonder where it was going and what adventures they were having? Do you love the haunting sound of the harmonica in those songs about trains? Have you ever ridden a train in an amusement park and thought what it would be like to actually drive that thing? If that describes you, this book is going to be lots of fun. In this book, I not only tell stories from my years working for the railroad, but I also teach you how all of this stuff works! That’s right. You will learn about the different types of rail cars, the classification of hazardous materials, and why railroad tracks are built the way they are. You will get to see how trains are built and why certain rail cars are put in different places on a train. You will learn how the signal systems work on the railroad and how trains meet and pass each other. You will learn all about locomotives, the controls an engineer uses to run the trains, and the braking systems too. And, of course, there are lots of stories about interesting and funny things that have happened. Take a scenic tour with me along the way, and strengthen up your dinner conversation skills with some little-known facts. It’s all here waiting for you, so, let the adventure begin!