Every once in a while when we reflect on childhood dreams, there are a couple that actually come to mind as still having some practicality in today’s terms. Among the ones from my actual childhood, one in particular stands out completely as something that, while may be difficult to find opportunities in today’s world, is certainly not impossible to obtain. However, the implications that result from it are a hindrance to the current progress that we are trying to make in our modern world.

Allow me to elaborate what I mean.

Growing up, I had four favorite shows to watch, and only these for sure entertained me no matter what. Interestingly, three of these were not necessarily on television at the time, but instead were on videotapes that my parents had recorded previously or obtained as we grew up. One such show was based on a book series that began over seventy years ago in 1945, of which I once received a collection of the first twenty-six volumes that were written. In this series, the main characters are based off of machines that signaled the start of the modernization of transportation during the Industrial Revolution, and their alluded fight to remain in existence as further modernization occurs around them. That show, if you have not guessed, was Thomas and Friends, at one point known as Shining Time Station, which starred first Ringo Starr and then George Carlin as Mr. Conductor, with Didi Conn as Stationmaster Stacey Jones.

I am not sure why, but I always have had a fondness for those silly locomotives, all in various colors, going back and forth between towns and villages on their fictional island in the Irish Sea, between the Isle of Man and Barrow-in-Furness on Great Britain. Each one represented a different locomotive in real life, ones that had unique features about them, or were famous for their use in one aspect of the steam locomotive culture. Not all the stories in the series are fully represented in the show—in fact, the current iteration of Thomas and Friends has fully diverged from the original series, and the characters have become way more childish in mannerism and critical thinking—but they certainly should be read to understand the passion the author had for his little world. At this point, allow me to set this budding digression aside...

Thus, one dream of mine has been to become a worker on a steam railway. Whether I would be the conductor punching tickets, the engineer regulating the speed of the locomotive, or the fireman maintaining steam, any of these would be fun to have as a job. It would be hard physical labor, but the joy such a ride would bring to young children would outweigh this cost immensely. This is not to mention the ability to travel across the beautiful countryside between the towns, climbing hills and rolling on bridges and in tunnels, noting the wondrous natural effects that occur throughout the year. All this to then pass through those towns and villages, waving to the people as they wait patiently at the crossing, and the satisfaction of seeing the wonder in the eyes of youth as they witness the power of the original mode of mechanical transportation, allowing the nickname “the iron horse.”

However, and quite obviously, while this would be an enjoyable occupation, one that is certainly not out of reach, this once commanding transportation choice is vastly on its way out due to the one thing that makes it all work: burning wood or coal. Both of these sends vast amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapor (the two most abundant greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere, adding to the amounts we already contribute by other means. Sure, there have been modern steam engines that have been built that are more efficient than even diesel engines, but the fact that they use fuel oil just is not the same as having the soot and ashes fly out of the funnel with every puff of the pistons, covering you from head to foot, showing to all that you indeed work hard to please your passengers with a smooth ride.

So for now, I leave this aspiration on the far back burner on the range, to advocate and obtain in the event that all else fails in my search for my niche in this world. This will not stop me, however, from continuing to dream about the chance to one day pull on that valve that will divert pressurized steam through those brass tubes, providing all nearby with the alerting yet calming sound of the iconic steam whistle!