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The Other Side of the Tracks
The Railway Children + Travel Town
"Playing at being poor for a bit" looks pretty fabulous, at least when it's set in early 20th Century England in the Yorkshire countryside. In the Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theater version of The Railway Children, the three young Waterburys - Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis - must leave their lovely house and all their toys behind when their father is arrested and carted away by the police under mysterious circumstances. The children and their mother move to a little cottage in the country right near the railroad tracks. While their mother struggles to make a living writing stories, the children are left to explore their new home: discovering the nearby railway station, meeting the stationmaster, and waving to the passengers in the trains as they fly by. Though their mother never explained why Mr. Waterbury had been taken away, Bobbie, the eldest daughter, discovers the truth: her father has been falsely accused of treason. By doing what comes naturally, these kids become heroes: Bobbie clears her father's name, all three kids prevent the train from crashing into a landslide, and together, they rescue an injured man -- their adventures inspired our kids and provided a wonderful example of the "do unto others" axiom so appropriate for kicking off a new year.
Though much of the romance of train travel is in the past, seeing locomotives up close is still thrilling to adventurers of all ages. A trip to Travel Town and the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum is a great way to get outside, do some climbing, and imagine an era when rail travel was both cutting edge and seemingly without limitations. Our 2 and 5-year-old boys visit regularly, but still shot into Travel Town like bullet trains, clambering onto engines and pretending to shovel coal. Our 7-year-old daughter inspected the trains more methodically, noting differences and imagining what it might have been like to ride them. Before they needed a station break, we headed a half mile up the road to the Los Angeles Live Steamers Museum, a quirky mecca of miniature trains of every kind, from coal to electric to diesel, where kids can take a 10 minute ride through tiny tunnels, across mini-bridges, and through little towns. It may have been a little kitschy, but it was worth the ride, even for our too-cool-for-school 7-year-old.
Directed By: Catherine Morshead
2002, Rated G, 105 min.
Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom about this Film:
- Why This Film Is Worth It: This is a beautiful adaptation of E. Nesbit's book. The setting is stunning, and the romance of the trains and the countryside for the characters was infectious to all of us watching. The Waterbury kids wind up saving the train, and other people, in several scenes. For kids, there's nothing like watching other kids be heroes.
- Funny Fact: In an earlier adaptation of the film, Jenny Agutter, the actress who plays Mrs. Waterbury, played one of the children in the movie.
- Red Flags: None. This is a true rated G movie.
- Star Sightings: Richard Attenborough plays the kindly railway baron.
Our tips for talking with your kids about this film:
- History Savvy: Our kids were fascinated by the setting of this movie - the idea that children were actually allowed to walk around the house at night with a lit candle was mind-boggling to them. It was a great way to talk about how life has changed in the last century, especially in terms of transportation. We never actually used the words "industrial revolution," but our kids definitely got a sense that one took place.
- Values Savvy: Another theme of this film is that of class. When the three kids have to give up their cushy lifestyle, we see them forced to navigate a sometimes less than friendly world. But because they are kind to each other and to those whom they meet, they manage to succeed. We talked to our kids about how kindness to others can open unexpected doors in life.
Travel Town
Griffith Park
5200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Contact: 323-662-5874
Hours: Opens at 10 am, daily. Closing Time varies from 3:30 - 5:30 depending on season and location. Closed on Christmas Day.
Admission: Free, but there is a box for donations at the entrance. Rides: Nominal Fee.
Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum
5202 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Contact: 323-661-8958
Hours: Sundays only, 11 am - 3 pm
Admission: Free
Age Recommendation: 2 and up
Time Allotted for Both Locations: 1 1/2 hours
Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom about this Popcorn Adventure:
- What Worked For Us: We arrived soon after opening and let the kids run around. Most of the engines are open for climbing, and some of the passenger cars are as well.
- Eat Your Wheaties Before You Go: These are real trains and the first step up to many of them is too difficult for the under-5 crowd to climb on their own. It requires a strong mom or dad to do the lifting and getting down necessary to really explore the trains. If you are pregnant or have a bad back, you may want to bring someone along.
- Take a Train Ride: There is a scale train that runs twice around the perimeter of the park for a nominal charge. Don't sit right behind the engineer, because the engine kicks out a yucky-smelling exhaust.
- History Lesson: Travel Town gives kids a glimpse into the development of the railroad in the Western United States. Conceived by Charley Atkins, a Recreation and Parks employees in the 1940s, Travel Town was dedicated in 1952 as the era of the steam engine wound down.
- Lunch: There are many places to picnic in Travel Town and throughout Griffith Park, but we were in the mood for a milkshake and fries, so we headed to Fred62 in Los Feliz (1850 Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, 323-667-0062). This all-night diner has a good kids menu and a yummy salads and burgers for the grown ups. And did we mention the milkshakes? If you're heading home on Sunset, a great alternative is Carney's, where you can eat in an actual train that has been converted to a burger joint. (Carney's restaurant, 8351 Sunset, 323-654-8300. For more information on Carney's, click here.)
Our Tips for Extending this Adventure:
- Go See the Live Steamers: We stayed at Traveltown for about an hour and then headed down the road to the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, 5202 Zoo Drive, (www.lals.org). Open only on Sundays, this was a fun way to top off our railway adventure. One caveat: we waited for 25 minutes in order to take our 10 minute ride, and beyond the ride there isn't much else to do. Kids must be 34" to ride, and they do get measured.
- If You're Downtown With Your Kids, stop by the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, 800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles. Built in 1939, this is a beautiful, classic train station where movie stars and GI's made their grand entrances in the early 1940's.
