The Lincoln Boys

to and from Virginia

Tad: HEY LOOK WHAT YOU DONE

Engineer: better stand clear of this thing nasty disposition its got good thing you have a lot of clothes on or you'd have been scalded

Tad: hey can I come up there by the fire and dey off my mama won't like it if my pants are frozen

Engineer: I guess you can come up right here I got a boy your size myself

Tad: you don't need to build it up for me

Engineer: for you say I'm building up steam to take the train across the country we're talking the President clear to Virginia you know

Tad: yes I know

Engineer: everybody else I suppose we're leaving in fifteen minutes pressure is almost up hey young man want to throw in a few shovefuls of coal good practice way to get thawed out I want to do some last minute checking

Tad: sure I'll shovel how do you make it start

Engineer: see this meager

Tad: yes

Engineer: give it a pull it releases some of the steam into the cylinders above the front wheels that steam forces the Pistons back that are connected with the big driving wheels and around they go powerful thing steam

Tad: where do you get it

Engineer: we make it there is water in that cylindrical body of the engine the water is heated by the fire and turned into steam see their gear

Tad: yes

Engineer: have to watch the gear or that steam in the boiler might build up enough pressure to blow us into the next country

Tad: kinda warm in here isn't

Engineer: yes it is but that's not why we have to keep the Windows open we have to keep a lookout for signals along the way and for cows they have absolutely no respect for the railroad's of the way why one day when I was making the run from Florida to Tennessee a cow got right in the middle of the track to chew the grass and_.

Caleb: hey Tad Tad Lincoln

Tad: what do you want

Caleb: so that's where you are your mother has been looking everywhere for you

Engineer: your Tad Lincoln

Tad: yes sir

Engineer: three minutes see this wheel

Tad: yes

Engineer: give it a couple of quick pulls now if you give this rope a good hard pull i'll start the bell ringing give people plenty of time to clear off the tracks the whole of Washington must be down here just to see this train take off and to think I had the President's son shoveling coal for me just think

Tad: didn't hurt me one bit

Engineer: then we're friends

Tad: of course

Engineer: you want to come up here and see us again

Tad: I certainly do

Engineer: we have a long stop in Indiana  your father's going to make a speech that will give is time to overhaul the engine you come up here and we'll treat you like a prince we'll let you drive her across Indiana

Tad: I'll be here

Engineer: run like everything we don't want to leave you behind

Abe: come with me I have some surprising things to show you its the most amazing thing you ever say in this sleeper train

Tad: its more amazing than a steam engine

Abe: no I guess not

Tad: I've been shoveling coal in the Firefox

Abe: you have

Tad: yes and I pulled the bell and blew the whistle I made friends with the engineer they're going to let me drive the train across Indiana

Abe: I begin to understand how you got that shadow along your chin you come with me I'm going to wash your face and neck

Tad: on the train

Abe: of course there's a little basin in the washroom at the end of the car and water and towers and soap

Tad: there are

Abe: your mother is the only one of us who seem genuinely happy about leaving Washington we can't spoil her good time with a dirty neck can we

Tad: good thing they're got a strainer in that smoke stack or whole big coals would come flying out and set someone's barn of fire where's the dinner car

Abe: just ahead of us I believe

Tad: well if this is a sleeper train where are the beds

Abe: right here there are three or four dozen beds right here In this car

Tad: well there isn't a place to lie down

Abe: now just wait a minute