The choo-choo

[dutchbuilder]

When I was very young in the early sixties my parents and I went to Oldenzaal near the German border.
There you could still see German steam locomotives switching cars destined for the Dutch railways.
Those were my first impressions of live steam.
The Dutch railways company already switched to diesel and electricity.
The war had a devastating effect on steam.
Nearly all locomotives, cars and infrastructure had been bombed into oblivion by the allies.

The nearest "preserved"railroad (tramway) is situated near Ouddorp And runs over one of the massive sea defenses between the provinces of Zuid holland and Zeeland.
It is called the RTM (Rotterdamse Tramweg Maatschappij) Rotterdam tramway company.
It used to run from Rotterdam to the Zeeland islands but shutdown in the early sixties.
After been scared away in Hellevoetsluis it was invited to set up camp near Ouddorp.
There you can see original diesel and steam being operated again.

Ton

[Trainman203]

People my age (70) and older remember US steam with some clarity.  

In the early 50 s both the T&NO and the MP were both seriously still in steam back home in Louisiana.  The T&NO mainline to Houston ran through and a little branchline  turned off to the south to serve a salt mine and some rice growing communities.  I remember what I know now to have been 2-8-2s and 2-10-2s on through freights with early T&NO cupola cabooses.  I also remember what I know now to have been moguls being readied for branch freights and taking them out of town.

The MP was a branchline that came down from the old NOT&M main 50 miles north.  It did a lot of street running serving a large variety of local customers.  I well remember what I know now to have been ten wheelers and exceptionally light 2-8-0's going up and down the streets with locals and cuts of cars for warehouses. I also recall seeing mainline MP steam 3 or 4 times on the NOT&M, once in a fabulous pace in the car.

I also have the classic memory of distant steam whistles in the night and on high summer afternoons.

I wouldn't trade these well polished old memories for the world .  And.... for all of that ... even then I remember insisting to other kids that I liked "trains ", not "choo-choos".

[RAM]

trainman, you were about like me.  When I loved in NJ on the NJC branch ran three trains a day. One mixed freight, a coal run, and a local.  All I knew was the that the first train had a helper.  All of which were big engines. the local had a small engine.  After moving to Okla. I began to learn what locomotives were what.  The big locomotives on the CNJ were 2-8-2s while the small locomotive was a 4-8-0 CB.   The train with the helper had mixed loads and empties, while the coal run was all empties. 

[Trainman203]

In the new kalmbach book "Steam's Lost Empire" is a long article about a cab ride in a camelback.

Lots of articles about old time steam hoggers, they all wore classic striped caps but I guarantee you that none of them were yelling "choo-choo!" while they were trying to beat a 2 percent in a 2-10-2 trailing 100 cars, doing 10 mph at best with the sanders on full, with a rookie fireman shoveling green coal.  No sir!  Their language was much more "colorful!"  Coming around a cigar stub between clenched teeth!  Bygone men from bygone times.

[bbmiroku]

God forbid you smoke in the workplace nowadays... Or cuss.

[rogertra]

I was on a fan trip as part of the CRHA crew behind CNR 4-8-4 No. 6218 back in the early 1970s from Montreal to Portland Me., I think it was.  We stopped at Berlin so the local fire department could top up the tender.  We let some local kids on board and they were surprised to see seats in the passenger cars.  One of the boys ran to an open door and shouted  "Mom dad, there's seats in here!"    They'd never seen a passenger train before.  Freight only was all that now passed through Berlin.

Cheers.

[Trainman203]

I was working back in the open window coaches of a steam excursion 30 years ago.  A blizzard of soot and cinders blew in the windows.  A little girl said, "Mom, it's raining black snow!"  😂😂😂😂

[in2tech]

Much easier for a small child learning to talk to teach them the word "Choo" "Choo" over the word Train! I don't think it will ever go away. Even without Thomas the Train and such, just easier. Kinda of like "potty", over "toilet, and other words they learn as kid's! I would also think it translates in different languages but I am not sure about that. Do children in different countries call them a "Choo" "Choo" or something else?

Interesting conversation!

[Trainman203]

Maybe so,  but my daddy, born in 1906 and of the generation that knew the railroad  as the heroic builder of the nation, never called a train a choo choo even when I was 4 or 5.  I remember even  at that age yelling at other kids to quit calling trains choo-choos.

Steam's been gone  nearly 70 years.  Most people have never seen a working steam engine. Yet they keep telling their kids that a train is a choo-choo.  Back to the original question:  why?🤔. And why this emoticon 🚂?  With a balloon stack and cowcatcher. Instead of an ACxyzblahblahblah or whatever they call those new engines.