Pre-Schoolers Get
First Train Ride

Lined up on a bench beside the track at Randolph's Amtrak train station, a class of pre-schoolers react as they hear the whistle of the Amtrak engine approaching from the north. All but one of the children had never been on a car before, and neither had several of the high school girls who rode with them. (Herald / M. D. Drysdale)

As the end of the "school" year approached for one group of Randolph pre-schoolers, their teachers gave them a treat that some of their parents had never experienced.

They rode the Amtrak train to White River Junction, and copped a school bus ride back home.

A very well-behaved group of three-, four- and five-year-olds filled the waiting room at the Stagecoach Tuesday morning, waiting for the 10:17 southbound train. All have been enrolled at the pre-school which is part of the Randolph Technical Careers Center and is taught by Nyra Whipple.

Preschool director Ruby Runnels explained that the school has always had an end-of-year trip for their children, but the train idea was a new one this year.

It was a very well-received idea, too. Besides the 11 children, 10 adults signed up to take the trip at the reasonable price of $10 per adult and $5 per child. The adults included eight caregivers, who were students from the Human Services program at RTCC, and some of whom had also never been on a train. Just two parents, their names chosen by lot, were able to ride.

Safety precautions had obviously been well thought-out by the staff. Though excited and enthusiastic, the youngsters displayed impressive discipline in lining up inside the station and then sitting tight on a big bench until the train had come to a full stop, its whistle blaring.

Then it was on to the train and off for White River Junction, where the celebration would continue with a visit to a pizza shop.

The last child to board, Austin White, turned for a last minute wave at his mom, Marci White.

"I’ll miss you, mom!" he called.

The whole outing was a huge success, Runnels reported the next day.