Totally Trains in Danville

Sunday 9/11/16 Frank and I went with Alex to a model train exhibition at the historic train station in Danville.

In an anteroom was a display of various railroad related items. Alex got to sound the dinner chimes reminiscent of the call to dinner in elegant diner cars of yesteryear.

In the same shelving area, off in the corner behind him was a classic handbook. I would imagine the pages are pretty fragile after 90 years so the sign admonishes "Please Do Not Touch." I did check on Amazon and the book is available. I really wanted to locate an Amazon option with a Look Inside ⏎ logo but no such luck. I guess the contents will remain a mystery for me; my curiosity as an engineer had been piqued. Was there more within than merely steam tables?

At the opposite end of the shelving alcove was this chart of Hobo Signs and Symbols. I wonder how true and prevalent their usage was, or is.

On the floor in the anteroom was a bellows arrangement that if you pressed or stepped on a green button you were rewarded with a train whistle sound emanating from six brass pipes. The only difficulty was that the brass tubes were not wedged in very securely and kept falling out.

Alex was more engaged in "fixing" the pipes than making the sound. He was serious enough in his endeavors that he got down on one knee to concentrate better. To him it was like the manipulative game of placing pegs in holes.

Aha! Success at last. Alex admires his achievement. Near his right hand you can see the sign that reads "Push the green button to hear the train whistle." At the top of the bellows is the button to push.

Upon entering the main room housing the train layout, you faced a small commemorative sign honoring those who had fallen or died during the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Off aways from the main layout was a wooden toy train layout allowing hand-on play. Alex's main self-appointed task was installing all the cars in the roundhouse.

Near the exit doors was a railroad sign themed bank for donations. Since Alex loves banks, and since we wanted to support the trains of course, Frank and I gave him all our change to deposit. The slot is in the red band  immediately below the cross rails.

When our change ran out we started feeding him dollar bills. That slowed him down a bit because they had to be folded neatly and compressed to fit within the narrow entry slot.

Then Alex discovered the top could be removed, just like on his bank at home. He appears to study it intently here.

Then Alex transfers his gaze to the base of the tube bank. You can almost see the wheels in his head turning.

"Hmmm... There is a big source of money to put in the bank. No need to bother mom and dad."

"I will just get it for myself." Frank and I are all for fostering independence but this...?

I think this donation area is a good place for one of those hobo symbols.

The volunteer staff were very accepting of Alex and were bemused at his antics. Alex did not abscond with any of the funds during this visit. It livened up their day and I think we will be welcomed back.

Just to be certain, maybe next time we go here we will be on the lookout for signage. Perhaps this hobo symbol will be deployed.