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It’s like a free souvenir penny machine.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I post a picture and just a few words.

Whenever we go to the park with the railroad tracks, we bring a few pennies, put them on the track, go play, and then come back later to see if a train has run over them.

pennies on railroad tracks

I remember doing this as a kid on some railroad tracks in Canada, and my kids think it’s just as fun as I used to.

I always think it’s kind of cool that we still use cargo trains. Sometimes we watch the trains go by and I always think how crazy it is that that many cars can be pulled by a single engine.   It’s like a ton of semis all on one train.

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Emma

Monday 31st of August 2015

Fun fact: It will get harder and harder to do this in Canada now as we no longer have pennies...

Randi

Wednesday 5th of August 2015

Its actually considered trespassing( per Homeland Security). I live right by a track( for the metrolink and metrorail and cargo trains) and in the last year, 3 people have committed suicide. When I am waiting at the light, I get so freaked out thinking that someone purposely put themselves in front of the train. I would not even risk it.

Linda Sand

Tuesday 4th of August 2015

The pennies do not affect the train. An experienced train engineer once told me that a freight train hitting a car has about the same impact in the cab as a car hitting a soft drink can. That made a real impression on me and our daughter. Another time a conductor told me the banding on a load of lumber could decapitate a person standing too close if it chose that moment to break. Be careful around train tracks. Enjoy watching them, and riding them if you get the chance, but be careful when doing either. Respect the power of these behemoths.

Kristen

Tuesday 4th of August 2015

Oh yes-I have a very healthy fear of trains. I'm super careful with my kids around them!

Grandma Bev

Tuesday 4th of August 2015

yes, after photo please. We used to do this too. We hand to mark the location though with rocks at the end of ties or we might lose where we put the pennies and not find them.

Suzanne

Tuesday 4th of August 2015

My kids request an after picture of the pennies, as well. :)

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