FOUR GENERATIONS OF RAILROAD MEN

My dad worked for the Great Northern, later Burlington Northern Railroad for many years, so it seemed fitting to honor him by making my little boys a 'train Cake' every fourth birthday.

Needless to say they were a huge hit with the kids and grownup's too.

I'm happy to say that Train Cakes have become a family tradition. My daughters have made them and now my grandchildren are making them for their little boys.

Here is my first son, Michael "Mikey" in 1965, with his special cake. His daddy was a logger so I tried to pile licorice like a flatcar of logs. See that smile. Oh what a wonderful memory!

This is my second son, Shawn 'Shawnie' in 1973. His birthday is in August and he had been outside playing. We were in the middle of a move so I had to assemble the cake at my folks. I'm not sure what that look on his face means but I remember that he really liked his cake. We had graduated to Baby Ruth Logs.

This is Shawns eights birthday cake. The Wilton cake decorating company had finally come up with a Train engine cake pan. I could have hugged them!

Here's my grandson Johnny in 1994 with his first Train Cake. He was sure tickled with it but not sure which end to begin at. Just look at all the choices! It's enough to befuddle Eienstein!

Fast forward to July 29th of this year and here's my great grandson Kenny with his first train cake. Is he delighted or what! Notice the engine is in the center on the roundhouse. My dad used to take my sisters and I to work with him occasionally and give us a ride on the roundhouse. It was wonderful fun. Kenny's roundhouse is actually my mother's revolving, musical cake plate, which was given to Kenny's grandma. Two of my grand children, made the cake. Kenny's mom and her brother.

You can imagine how sore and tired their hands and wrists got making hundreds of little frosting stars to cover the cake. Look close and see pictures of Kenny and his great-great grandpa, my late father, who's name was also Kenny, looking out the engine window together. There are 86 years between these two.

Here's a close up of one of the cars carrying a school bus. How do you like the wheels on the train car? Licorice is very handy.

The kiddies loved this one with all the chewy critters. I didn't try them for fear of leaving my teeth behind!
This one I did try again and again. Each color is a different flavor. This is the car carrying rock candy gravel. The reddish ones were cherry and the mustard colored ones tasted like cinnamon to me.

Ok, this is the M&M car. Hard to keep our hands out of this one. I wasn't sure if there would be any left by the time he blew out the candles.

Well like I said, it was a good cake. We even had our choice of lemon, chocolate, or strawberry.

SUNDOWN ON BELLINGHAM BAY

So evening came and the weary little ones were washed and tucked into their beds with sweet smiling faces, already dreaming of the next birthday party. And great grandma made it home and crawled up the stairs of her little cottage, fell on the couch and knew nothing until the next day.

It was a wonderful party.

Happy Birthday young Kenny!

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