Living the Dream! Flying the white flags of an extra, Valley Railroad Mikado #40 whistles the Old Deep River Road crossing with a Student Engineer at the throttle. For two weekends, every spring and every fall, the Valley Railroad conducts its "Your Hand On The Throttle" program for folks who always wanted to try operating a full-size steam locomotive. After a classroom lecture on operating principles and safety by the railroad's CMO, the students take their turns at the 1-hour "lab in the cab" under the close supervision of a veteran hogger. The program has been quite successful and sells out well in advance, with folks often traveling great distances to "live the dream"....if only for an hour.
