Grandpa with the trains....

My dad has been a fan of trains since he was a little boy. I don't know the whole story of how it started, but I know he had a train set when he was little. For as long as I can remember there has been a train layout in my parents' basement. This isn't just any train layout....it's double decker with buildings, lights, tunnels, mountains, billboards, and little people. No one ever runs the trains except my dad....and it is the entertainment for family when they come over - especially the little kids.

When Jacob was little he was obsessed with Grandpa's trains. When my Mom was staying with us after Jacob was born, my Dad went and bought a new "It's a Boy!" train car to add to his train set (and for each grandchild that followed). I have pictures of my Dad showing Jacob the train set going around their Christmas tree when Jacob was only 6 months old. When I mentioned we were going to Grandma and Grandpa's house, Jacob would always say " Which Grandpa? Grandpa with the trains or the other Grandpa?" Jacob would stand at the basement door crying for the trains when it was time to leave after a visit to my parents. Grandpa (and Grandma) came with us when we took Jacob to ride Thomas the Train and the Polar Express. And Jacob got to ride along on a train engine with Grandpa when my sisters and I got him "engineer for an hour" lessons for his retirement gift. Of course Grandpa bought Jacob a train set of his own too!

I know my sisters and I didn't always appreciate the trains when we were growing up (that's what happens when you have 3 girls and no boys). I honestly didn't even know anyone else who had a huge train layout in their basement. But, I have such great memories of the trains ....and now so do my kids!

photos taken in October as my Dad was running the trains for my cousins' kids at my Grandma's birthday party