This is for Rory Jones and others who remember the little red train on Joy Road. My father, Russ Maxwell, and grandfather, John T. Maxwell, built a 1/4 scale train together in the early 1950s. They also built a mile long track that included a depot, trestle and tunnel. The tunnel is where they would blow the train whistle so it would echo and have the passengers smiling with delight. Most of this was built in the Tool and Die shop housed in the big red barn on the 20- acre property. Every Sunday, after church, it would run for the public to enjoy for the mere price of a quarter. The REAL reason the train stopped running is because my grandfather suffered a stroke in 1975. This caused my dad to run the Tool and Die business and maintain the train on his own. The heavy workload took him away from family time and he wanted to devote more time to us on his only day off, Sunday. So, the train rides became few and far between. Then my grandfather died of cancer and it broke my dads heart to run the train without him. Sorry, Eddie Maas, your dad was mistaken about it shutting down because they didnt want blacks to ride it. I wont comment further on that remark. Russ was a member of the Plymouth Lions and profits were given to such charities and Im not ashamed to say sometimes a much needed family vacation throughout the years. After a good 30 year run, the train was sold in 1986 to a man in Manistee, Michigan. Something happened to the gentleman and the train was sold again. It is out there somewhere and my siblings and I are in search of it. Russ is still with us and due to poor health, living at an assisted living home. He enjoys it there and is their official greeter. He is very popular and so many family members light up when they talk with him. His room is decorated with good memories of the train. I read some of the nice comments in Rorys post and he was surprised and delighted. Thank you for those. My brother, Bob, is working on a website about the train days and if youd like I can let you know when its completed.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 07:34:00 +0000
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