All About Trains for Kids

Real trains! Toy trains! A true story about a dog on a mail train! All About Trains for Kids is a cheery children's program featuring footage of mighty steam engines across the United States, from the Norfolk and Southern, to Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha, to Union Pacific's massive Challenger (diesel engines are also shown—but let's face it, their horns are obnoxious compared to steam whistles). Young viewers will also see Don Zarobsky's elaborate model train layouts, both at home and in his toy train store (Zarobsky says that when children “get to be about five years old they're kinda done with Thomas [the Tank Engine toys] and want to go to the electrics”—now my six-year old wants to put away Thomas and spend his college fund on model trains). The program also features original songs by James Coffey that underscore the thundering engine action, a section on railroad lingo, and a pan-and scan adaptation of the book A Lucky Dog: Owney, U.S. Rail Mail Mascot, narrated by author Dick Wales. This is “rack the stack” (wide-open throttle) fun for rail fans of any age. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)