Dear Pioneer,
Thank you for the postcard and the newspaper clipping! Our letter writer walked down the whole train with both to make sure the Goddesses got a good look at them. Ceres was very interested in the photo of the ice cream parlour in particular.
Some old railcars on static display get turned into restaurants, so she was curious about what a stationary dining establishment would look like. Vesta was not particularly kind about it and said old cars still look like old cars no matter how you dress them up, but the rest of the train was impressed anyway.
The Goddesses are looking forward to their own restoration, so I think seeing the inside of something old polished up and made to look new again is exciting for them. When they restore us engines, interior work doesn’t usually look pretty to most people (unless you count our mechanics, haha). Interior work on a car is a different proposition, especially high-end passenger cars like our trains. They have to look nice! It’s art vs. science all over again.
I’ve heard of busting snow! We never did it as a staged thing, or really at all if we could help it (passengers don’t find it as appealing as people looking at pictures do) but sometimes the bigger engines who ran ahead of the snowplows would brag about the size of the drifts they’d busted. Mate never really believed them, but it was harmless siding talk so I never minded if it was really true. I should have liked to see a slant-nose do it though! Burlington always went out of their way to make their stainless steel equipment look good, and I’m sure those promotional photos were no exception.
There’s been a little activity around the museum as the guys from the shop take stock of what needs doing in the coming year. They didn’t stop by our spot on the wye for very long, but that’s not unusual. Being outside means work on us has to wait until it’s properly warm and there’s less of a chance of everyone getting rained on. Every engine and car under-roof will be getting a visit from the shop guys very soon though. They tell me they’re planning on getting Green Hornet ready for the summer months and everyone’s very excited for her!
It’s funny that you mentioned snow feeling like the end. Us E5s did our first runs in the January snow, so to me the cold always reminds me of a fresh start. What was your final run like? Was it regular service or a special event?
The thought of everyone in your peaceful yard looking like a little Christmas storybook was a nice one, especially during those particularly dark and dreary days at the tail-end of the year. Please send New Year’s greetings to everyone from me and my train!
Your friend,
Pilot