(The following story by Timothy Holmseth appeared on the Daily News website on August 8.)
BRECKENRIDGE, Minn. — A young cancer survivor had a big wish granted Monday when he was treated to a locomotive ride by the Red River Valley & Western Railroad.
Andrew Emery, 10, Fergus Falls, Minn., was diagnosed with cancer in 2001.
“I asked him what he’d really like to do and he said ‘ride in a train,'” said Sandy Hollands, Andrew’s pastor at Tonseth Lutheran Church in Edwards, who arranged for the ride on the local short line.
“I called Glenn Klostreich,” she said. “He called Cynthia at the railroad.”
The wheels were in motion; a few more calls and it was a done deal.
Climbing up the steep ladder of the giant iron horse, Andrew stopped for a few moments so his mother Tamie could snap a few photos. Then they went inside and took a seat.
With the huge 3,500 horsepower engines growling, the long chain of cars began to tighten up; the train was moving. As the train approached the first crossing, Engineer Mark Boll told Andrew he could blow the whistle.
Andrew didn’t speak a word as he blasted the giant horn. His smile said it all.
As the train rolled on out through the countryside, Dan Erickson, a conductor on the train, quizzed Andrew. “Do you know what that place is Andrew,” he asked, pointing out that the train was approaching the town of Dwight.
“How long is this train,” Andrew asked.
“It’s 2,800 feet long,” Erickson told him.
As the trip continued, Erickson provided details about the train. “It has 3,500 horsepower,” he said. “It weighs 264,000 pounds. These are the little ones,” Erickson told him.
Andrew asked one question after another, Boll and Erickson answering each one of them.
Learning how the gates come down at the crossing, and how the train uses sand in the winter to get going on the slick track, Andrew got a full lesson in the railroad business.
Passing farm places and crossing trestle bridges, he learned how the switches on tracks work, and how fast the train is allowed to go. “Our speed limit is 25,” Boll said.
Opening a giant door inside the locomotive that leads to a large dark compartment, Erickson kidded the young man. “Here’s where we put passengers who aren’t being good,” he said.