#class 25

A new eengine tonight, the C&HR class 25 2-10-2T! Shes a bit of a mutt, 1MT, cab and bunker, Black Five boiler, Modified ROD 2-8-0/ GCR 8K (C&HR Class 5 & 19) Frames, Modified Black Five cylinders....

In Universe, the C&HR bought a spare Black Five boiler from BR in 1961 as a spare for their members of the class. To their suprise and Dismay the boiler that arrived was not an inert piece of metal, but an awake engine, or what was left of them. 45401 (former LMS 5401) had been the first Black 5 withdrawn, after a collision at Warrington. The railway's works were ordered to restore 45401 to operational condition . In their dismay, the Railway board forgot to specifiy Black Five condition, and the works (after asking 45401's permision) seized upon the chance to build a new locomotive class.

Today I watched the AmeriCorps NCCC North Central Region Class XXV induction ceremony on Facebook. It’s crazy to think that exactly a year ago today my first team and I left our campus in Vinton, IA to travel the midwest in a 15p van. We maintained trails, cut fire line, turned an old camp bath house into a classroom, removed invasive plants, provided extra hands at a boys and girls club, taught archery, painted hallways at a college, and cleaned and packaged museum artifacts for transport. My second team and I fenced in vacant lots, demolished the interior of an old apartment building, helped with a wellness program, painted dorm rooms, painted and restored the exterior of several historic buildings, and provided maintenance at a summer camp. Most of all, I changed more as a person and a professional in that year than any other year of my life. I owe who I am today to NCCC.

Looking at the faces of the new CMs and TLs who just graduated Corps Training Institute and are about to head out to their first projects, I remember what it was like to sit in that auditorium. I had no clue what I had signed up for, no clue what the year would bring. Heck, at the time I’d thought TLT and CTI were difficult! I learned more about diversity and teamwork and perseverance that year than I could ever have dreamed. I got a brand new concept and appreciation of service and leadership, not as buzzwords but as a frame of mind. I learned who I was, who I wanted to be, and who I became when the year came to a close. It was absolutely the hardest and most rewarding year of my life.

During the 1980s, a regular Class 25 working was the 08:45 Carlisle-Glasgow Central via Dumfries and Kilmarnock. It is seen here behind 25093, which was based at Eastfield in Glasgow.

1.            Before reading the note, Joyful Aging, imagine yourself at age 80, with all of the infirmities, indignities and loss of power that can come to someone later in life.

a.            What frightens you most about getting older?

              What frightens me most is looking back on my life and feeling like a failure because I didn’t go out and live it like I wanted to live it. I feel so much pressure to pick a ‘safe’ route and save for retirement, etc., but I feel like I will almost certainly look back on my life with regret and a feeling like I didn’t achieve my full potential. I want to see and do as much as possible. I want to help as many people as possible. I want to change the world in a dramatic way. ‘Settling’ for a comfortable life is terrifying to me because I won’t be able to leave a lasting mark on the world except through offspring.

  b.            Who have you seen grow old who has not aged gracefully?

  My aunts and uncles on my mom’s side. When I was growing up, I was always so excited to see them at holidays because I thought they were so cool and different from my own family. As I’ve grown up though, I have found them to be shockingly depressing, jaded, cynical, and disenchanted with life. They hold my own accomplishments against me as being so ‘lucky’ and feel like everything in the world is working against them.

  2.            Read the note, Joyful Aging. What surprised you the most?

              The most surprising thing was that the option to stay a kid and reject responsibility was a challenge in middle-aged people. This is something that I have felt the pressure of in my 20s, which is consistent with the 20s described in the note. I related to a lot of those, and was self-aware of them prior to reading the note, which was one of the motivating factors for coming to Acton.

  3.            Close your eyes. Take in the darkness. Imagine that you have died and that this darkness will last forever. Stay in this state, meditate on the meaning and permanence of death for the next five minutes. As soon as you open your eyes, record your thoughts.