> Darn, can't even fool 5-year olds anymore. Does he believe in Santa Clause?


Actually, he believed (more or less, but not without questions) in Santa until about 11, when meaner school kids than him started mocking the whole idea, which greatly annoyed him.

Fortunately, I had often told him from when he was very little, that he would someday come to know who Santa "really" was. So reminded of that, he still does believe, in a way; except that he now knows the whole story: That there really is a Santa - in most every home - Parents. Now he very much enjoys helping "Santa" with the younger ones at Christmas time.

As to letting myself be suckered by a 5 year old, Grandpa is a bit of a pushover. (that's grandpa's job - to spoil the kids and only then send them back to Mom & Dad).

Besides, he had a darn good point. This particular Thomas didn't even have a teakettle to make it warm to the touch, or make hissing steam with; let alone any apparent ability to propel itself. And that was bluntly obvious. Its push rods did not connect to the side rods and didn't even get close to the "cylinders"! They could have done much better - for the money we paid.

But the ride on the RC&BT behind one of their geared steamers, saved the day! It was very instructive as well. We had a tour guide explain the whole operation on the way up through all the switchbacks to the picnic grounds at the summit. I'd always assumed that the RC&BT was once a logging road. But the guide said "not so". That it was originally built as a tourist line / family toy, from the get go.

OPB