Train Museum, a 3 year old's heaven!

I'm sure by now you know how much of train fan Simon is. He plays with his Thomas trains all day long and dreams about trains at night. He even has nightmares about trains sometimes. He just can't stop thinking about steam engines and deisel engines, cabooses, freight cars, passenger cars, engineers, railroad tracks. . . you get the picture.

So last Saturday we took Simon to the Arizona  Railway Museum.

 You would have thought he stepped right throught the gates of heaven.

 

We took lots and lots of pictures so I have a lot to post. Enjoy the ride with me.

Here's Simon looking out the window of a passenger car at all the other train cars and such in the yard.

Jeremiah was remeniscing about his train rides in Russia. I think it made him a little sleepy.

Unfortunately, Ryan didn't enjoy himself as much as Simon. Train museums just aren't made for babies. He kept falling down and bumping into things.

He did enjoy the dining car. Maybe he was just hungry. Too bad there was no food on the train.

Look at this monster! If you know the Thomas trains, this one would be Harvey. He helps the trains that get off the tracks by using his crane to pick them up and put them back on.

Simon's practicing for when he gets to work on a railway. He's switching the train tracks.

My boys. :)

The little blue diesel engine.

How big is that steam engine?

These machines are incredible! You don't really realize how big they are until you are standing next to (or in front of) one!

Simon had to yell at Ryan to get off the tracks. Even after some reassurance, he was still convinced the train was going to start moving and run over his little brother. Don't worry Simon, this engine hasn't moved on it's own in years.

Yep, that's a big ol' engine!

Simon was showing Ryan all of his railroad smarts. "Look Ryan, a gondola car!"He begged and begged for us to put him up in the big steamy and when it was finally our turn he got so scared he grabbed onto Jeremiah's shirt and would not let go! Thank goodness his dad is strong.

I love this picture. Pure bliss on his face as he sits in the engineer's chair.  The boiler takes up about 80% of the cab, along with the whole front of the train. This is a massive steam-making machine. The engineer has to peek out of little windows on the sides of the boiler to see what is ahead of the train. I don't think I would have the guts to be a steam engine engineer.

This kid, he dreams about driving trains. Maybe someday he will.