Did you ever buy something without knowing for certain what you would do with it or where you would keep it? I have more than once. A 17 foot kayak comes to mind. Too heavy for me to lift off the roof alone and really no place to keep it, so it was sold. All my irrational dreams of cruising gently down beautiful, insect free, cool waters went with it.

Well apparently the state of North Carolina has a similar issue. They bought the last Barnum and Baily Circus Train. Now what to do with it. Hmmm. Well while we decide let’s put it on an abandoned portion of train track well off the beaten path and then make a good choice. Right. We found it near Spring Hope, NC via Google Earth. And once there managed to get permission to park in a logging facility near to the track. We first dodged four or five old carrier type train cars near where we parked and then set off down the track. It was hot, very, it was buggy, ultra - it was not a fun walk. The train was about 1/2 mile or so. When we arrived we found out all the bright and colorful cars had been pained over a solid boring grey. And we were getting bit by every known and a few unknown NC pests. So we took a few shots and went beck to the vehicle. The misery index was at 10 the satisfaction index at 2. Not the best of these jaunts. But we did see the famous train. And indications are that it will be there awhile.