On the right track: riding the rails with the LM&M
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
For Jim Carson, it was sounding the whistle that made him a train man for life.
"I got to ring it on my very first day on the job," the Morrow resident said. "Anybody who has ever seen a train has wanted to sound that whistle, I think."
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Carson is a brakeman and passenger conductor on Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad. Based in Lebanon, the LM&M gave more than 50,000 passengers a quick trip along the rails of Warren County in 2007, and is gearing up for an even larger season in 2008.
Trips begin Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, with the Easter Bunny Express and will last for two weekends. From there, the rides continue into the summer and fall with various theme weekends including Harry Potter and Thomas the Tank Engine.
But for most, the biggest appeal comes from the train itself.
"Some kids may be a little scared at first, but once you get rolling, they absolutely love it," Carson said.
Carson, a retired sales and service representative, has been with the LM&M for two years. He said he always had an interest in trains, but never thought he'd have a chance to work with them — until after retiring from his first career.
"A friend hooked me up, and I had the time of my life," Carson said. "Once the train gets in your blood, it never gets out."
Safety first, then fun
Jim Carson may be wearing the outfit of his boyhood dreams, but he is quick to rebuke anyone thinking he's just living a fantasy.
"It may look like fun, but this is serious stuff," said the Morrow resident, dressed in blue and white striped coveralls and big black boots. "Safety always comes first. Then comes the fun."
Carson is a brakeman and passenger conductor on the Lebanon-based Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad. Like many who work the rails, trains have fascinated Carson since he was a boy, and he's thrilled to finally be running an iron horse — even if the trips only last an hour at a time.
When Pete Metzger of Mount Lookout retired from music education, he was unsure what life held for him. A friend of his was working for the LM&M and, through him, Pete took a summer job as a passenger conductor on the train. Now nine years later, he's taking the exam to become an enginee.
"I loved trains as a kid, but I never thought I'd be driving one someday," Metzger said. "It's sort of like a second life for me."
The LM&M is one of Lebanon's most enduring and popular tourist attractions. Every weekend in the spring, summer, and fall the train will take families on a relaxing trip through southwest Lebanon, Turtlecreek Twp. and Union Twp. Last year, more than 50,000 passengers experienced the rails through LM&M.
Joe Warkany of Maineville said that dealing with people is his favorite part of working the trains.
"Everybody loves the train," Warkany said. "Once you get around it, you become a kid again."
These three aren't the only retirees enjoying a second life on the LM&M. The old 55 — the nickname of the CNRY 55 locomotive diesel engine that drives the train — was built in 1950 and ran for nearly 40 years on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad line. After it was retired in 1987, it was purchased by a precursor of the LM&M and has been providing passenger rides ever since. Officials from the LM&M estimate it has traveled more than 2.5 million miles to date.
"It's a physical job," Warkany said. "The joints that connect the cars can weigh 50 pounds. The brake hoses are hard to put together. The machine doesn't do all the work for you."
Besides the engineer, the two main jobs of running the train are the passenger conductor and the brakeman. The passenger conductor assists passengers, takes tickets and makes the famous "all aboard" call. Not to be outdone, the brakeman handles the train whistle, but more importantly, keeps a lookout on the track and controls the switches that determine what track the train will run on.
"We all start working with the passengers, then work our way into handling the train," said Metzger. "You get a lot of hands-on experience."
LM&M Railroad
127 S. Mechanic St., Lebanon
(513) 933-8022
www.LebanonRR.com
Rides begin March 15 and 16.
Call for prices and schedule
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.
