This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt shows people
preparing to ride a miniature train.
I immediately thought of our beloved local mini, the Pokey Smokey. However, it doesn't fit with my emphasis on personal family history. But who can resist that cute train with its iconic whistle? So I wrote two posts this week.
There is no telling how many photos like the prompt have been taken of Pokey Smokey.
There is no telling how many photos like the prompt have been taken of Pokey Smokey.
Pokey Smokey is a crowd-pleasing attraction in
Portsmouth, Virginia. It is a scale
replica of the 1863 C. P. Huntington steam locomotive, which incidentally was
the inspiration for the appearance of “The Little Engine That Could.” The original was a gift to the City by
members of the Jaycees. A conductor
shoveled coal and blew a steam whistle for the 5-minute ride around Portsmouth
City Park.
Pokey Smokey is so well-loved that when the first one was
deemed unsafe after 41 years of service, a new one was commissioned. It runs on gas instead of coal, but the
whistle is the same.
The original Pokey Smokey was sold at auction and is now bringing
joy to visitors in Carthage, North Carolina, with 900 feet of track, a tunnel,
a bridge, and a depot.
Take a ride vicariously through one of these YouTube
videos. The first shows Pokey Smokey II
in Portsmouth. It’s a short video. The second is a LONG YouTube video of the
original Pokey Smokey in its new home in North Carolina, but you’ll quickly see
how Pokey Smokey got its name. (Frankly,
I can’t watch the whole thing – it’s way too long.)
Fantastic. Not very far away from where I live (20 minutes by car) is the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rhdr.org.uk/pages/history.html
Inteesting post; great videos.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy ... this is so cool! I want to ride on it.
ReplyDeleteKathy
How fun! I love to ride on trains:) Thanks, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteThose little trains are sure cute!
ReplyDeleteYes. It's pretty pokey. But so darn cute.
ReplyDeleteNancy
But I bet one of your family members had rides on it at some time or other!
ReplyDeleteLove the Pokey Smokey. What a great name. I am addicted to genealogy too. Do you have Family Tree Maker? It is worth the money.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Yes, indeed, I have FTM and membership to Ancestry as well.
DeleteIndeed, who can resist it? Certainly not me.
ReplyDeleteWe like riding on trains. We like watching others riding on trains. I don't think it can be explained.
ReplyDeleteI took a ride on an old train that runs from Carson City, Nevada to Virginia City. There were people stopped along the way to take photos of the train passing. And on our return trip there were people at the freeway excited to watch the train cross the bridge. We all waved at each other.
I wonder if the Pokey Smokey goes to the Petticoat Junction?
ReplyDeleteLots of Train folks in our family!
I regret I lived for many years just over the river from "Porchmuth" and never went to see Pokey. A great connection to the theme.
ReplyDeleteI just had to hear its whistle!! I just had to!!
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
Thank you! for the second video! I was there in 1964 at Portsmouth City Park in Portsmouth VA; I was 8 years old. My dad worked for the Norfolk & Western RR as an engineer so he thought this would be a real eye opener for his 2 daughters. A ride cost 25cents and he allowed us one ride. The steam and cinders would be all over us at the end, but we didn't care! The 2nd train isn't half as much fun! But thank you so much for the memory!
ReplyDelete