With Memorial Day just around the corner, and this year being part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, now’s the perfect time to revisit the enormous and important impact that the railroad made on the war and, especially, its outcome.  Helping to provide some background on this complex subject, on behalf of Lionel Trains, is Civil War and railroad historian Andrew Etman.  Mr. Etman is a Custodial Guide at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg and guest curator of their current special exhibit, “Railroads in Pennsylvania During the Civil War” which runs through the end of this year.  He also writes regularly for his Civil War blog, Strike the Tent, and has authored numerous book reviews.  His first book, The 5th New York Calvary: A Regimental History of the First Ira Harris Guard, is currently being published.

Railroads in the Civil War

“The Civil War was a period in American history of unprecedented social and political upheaval. It also led to many technological advancements and changes. Inventors came up with machines, weapons, and tactics in an effort to find new ways to maim and destroy the human body, while at the same time forever changing the way that wars would be fought. Just as important to the war effort were the technologies that had not specifically been designed as weapons, like the railroad and the telegraph. Innovations to these technologies did not just alter the way people fought wars–they also changed the way people lived.

“Railroads played an important role in many major battles, but the main significance was in supplying the field armies. The difficulty of moving supplies beyond railway lines over land and water meant that battlefields were often determined by proximity to a rail line. Poor roads and the logistical problems associated with equine powered wagons greatly limited mobility for the armies. In an ironic twist, the first major battle of the war at Manassas (Bull Run) was a Confederate victory because of the use by CSA commanders of the rail hub at Manassas Junction to reinforce their army and repel a Union force that moved overland from Washington DC. After the shocking defeat, the Union army retreated to their supply bases in the nation’s capitol which could be easily supported by the northern rail network.

“The limited industrial resources of the Confederacy placed an enormous physical strain upon the use of railroads during the Civil War, and also greatly strained the intellectual agility of the Confederate Army’s High Command. Unfortunately for the South, railway utilization created many issues. The South had entered the war with a rail system that was not able to meet the demands of the first modern war. The leadership of the Confederacy knew the importance of the railroad and its strategic operations early on in the conflict, but they were not willing to place a course of action that would best utilize the scarce assets available to them. By controlling, maintaining, and organizing its railway assets, the Union guaranteed that it would have the ability to move large numbers of troops efficiently at the levels needed from early 1862 to the end of the war. Because of these points, the Confederacy lost the ability to shift troops on the strategic level faster than the Union by 1863.

“When the war began, there were nearly 22,000 miles of railroad track in the North and barely 9,000 miles in the South, and the North possessed the bulk of the nation’s track and locomotive factories. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the nation’s largest producer of railroad cars and locomotives. The Baldwin Locomotive Works (near the corner of 19th and Hamilton streets, eventually becoming a sprawling factory complex spread over several blocks between Callowhill and Spring Garden Streets west of Broad Street) built nearly 500 engines during the war. William Sellers and Company (along Pennsylvania Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets) developed the turntable that enabled cars to be rotated efficiently, and the Asa Whitney & Sons Company (located by the Reading trench at Sixteenth and Callowhill Streets) led the nation in producing wheels for the cars. Additionally, tracks north of the Mason-Dixon Line tended to be of standard gauge, meaning that any train car could ride on any track. Southern tracks, in comparison, had not been standardized, so people and goods frequently had to switch cars as they traveled, which created an expensive and inefficient system.

“Conversely, the Confederate States did not have a single locomotive factory to speak of during the Civil War years. Several were founded and began producing locomotives during the 1840s and 1850s but were out of business, or had switched to other production by the 1860’s, including a subsidiary of Richmond’s famous Tredegar Iron Works, the Tredegar Locomotive Works. Tredegar also manufactured a giant rail-mounted siege cannon during the war. While the T.I.W. itself survived until 1956, they produced locomotives only from 1851 to 1860, although some sources claim they continued locomotive production into the war years.

“Besides Tredegar, the Noble Brothers Foundry in Rome, Georgia was the first facility south of Richmond to produce locomotives, beginning in 1857.The company produced only a few locomotives, and their factory was destroyed by the army of William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864. The end result of limited locomotive production in the south was that their railroads became increasingly ineffective as their locomotives were destroyed, since they had no means of replacing them. It also meant that the remaining locomotives were often aged and outdated, and held together by any means possible.

“One of the greatest advantages that the Northern railroads enjoyed was a man named Herman Haupt , a brilliant railroad engineer appointed in April of 1862 by U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton to assume duties as Military Director and Superintendent of the USMRR (United States Military Railroad). At the beginning of his appointment, Haupt was given the rank of Colonel, and assigned as an aide-de-camp to Major General Irvin McDowell

“Haupt shaped and built the USMRR the way he wanted, without interference from the upper command of the Union Army. He developed guidelines for using the railroads to provide supplies for the Army of the Potomac. During the fall of 1862, Haupt created a “laboratory” of sorts, where he experimented with methods of destroying and repairing railroads and rail bridges. He developed the “Haupt Torpedo” that could destroy a standard Howe Truss bridge, created a U-shaped device that could quickly and easily destroy rails by twisting them, and new and faster ways to lay and repair track.

“Haupt and his engineers created cutting edge designs for the building of bridges. Preassembled bridge trestles were mass-produced and then transported by rail to areas where repairs or replacement was necessary. The rebuilding of bridges and track after Confederate raids was a never-ending process, and Haupt became a master of getting the job done quickly and efficiently. He built a one-man pontoon boat, which he could paddle alone under bridges to inspect them for damage. Haupt also developed ambulance cars with surgeons and special equipment that increased the chances of survival for the wounded.

“The railroad was not a new invention, but used as a new strategic weapon, it enabled the Union to defeat the Confederacy and thus reunite two regions of one country under one flag. Without the contribution of the railroads and the men who served in the USMRR, the conflict would have been much different and exacted a much greater toll on this great nation, one we may not have recovered from to this day.”

For more information about railroads and the Civil War, check out Andy’s blog or the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.  Of course model railroading is also a great way to explore this rich history as well.  Be sure to visit the Lionel Trains web site to see the great selection of model trains available for kids of all ages.

And most importantly, remember to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend!

Lionel Trains
http://www.lionel.com/
http://www.lionelstore.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lionel-LLC/135645573344
https://twitter.com/#!/Lionel_LLC
http://www.lionelllc.wordpress.com
http://pinterest.com/lioneltrains/

DISCLOSURE:
I represent Lionel Trains and wrote this post on the company’s behalf to provide great, wonderful, and valuable food for thought on Memorial Day.

BLOGGER INFORMATION:
I’m a Social Media strategist who supports Lionel Trains in its efforts to bring the educational, exciting family fun of model railroading to the public through social media.

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This Saturday, May 12, marks the fifth annual National Train Day event across the United States.  Created and sponsored by Amtrak, National Train Day has spawned events of all types all with one goal in mind – sharing the fun, history, and learning power of trains with families.

Trains really are a great family past time.  Traveling by train is a much more family friendly way to go – yes it may take a little longer than a flight, but you’re adding quality time as a family and avoiding a lot of hassle at the terminal, the fares are great, and you can actually make the travel a part of the trip itself.  What better way to teach your kids about the world than to let them see it – not just fly over it.  Then there are all of the great excursion railroads where you can take the train not to go anywhere, but just to go!

But without a doubt, one of the greatest family hobbies is model trains.  Not only do you share and learn together, but you create something all your own – and a tradition and bond that goes way beyond the edge of the platform.  It’s great to see the railroads themselves helping share in that delight and tradition.

From big railroad companies like Amtrak, Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern to railroad museums and historical societies, model railroad clubs, even zoos and aquariums – just about anybody with a connection to trains has jumped on board this event.  Many of these special programs are offered free of charge and are designed to appeal to audiences of all ages.

For a complete list of what is happening this year, check out the National Train Day website.  Amtrak is sponsoring big events in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles.  These events will include all sorts of train displays, from equipment tours to live entertainment to model layouts.  You can check out the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club in Chicago’s Union Station.  The myriad of additional programs offered are far to great to list here.

How Can You Share in the Fun?

Well for starters, you can take your family to one of these events!  But of course there is much more that you can do. Maybe there just isn’t something that close to home or you’ve already made your plans this weekend (after all, Sunday is Mothers’ Day).  Have your own family train day at home.  Set up the trains, work on a building kit together, invite the neighbors over to see your layout… you get the idea!

And while you’re at it, give some thought to National Train Day 2013 – maybe you could help bring an event to your hometown.  It’s a great way for local clubs to involve the public.  You could also host an event at a local library or community center.  Give a clinic on how to set up a layout.  Read children’s stories.  Help the local scout troop with their Railroading Merit Badge.  Invite railroaders, active and retired, to come for a dinner and round-table discussion — that’s guaranteed to be an evening you’ll never forget!

There are really only two things required for a Train Day event — trains and sharing.  If you need the trains, pay a visit to the Lionel Trains web site where there are trains available for kids of all ages.  And please, while you’re at it, share you’re pictures and stories from your National Train Day with all your friends!

Lionel Trains
http://www.lionel.com/
http://www.lionelstore.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lionel-LLC/135645573344
https://twitter.com/#!/Lionel_LLC
http://www.lionelllc.wordpress.com
http://pinterest.com/lioneltrains/

DISCLOSURE:
I represent Lionel Trains and wrote this post on the company’s behalf to inform the readers of TimeOutMom about National Train Day.

BLOGGER INFORMATION:
I’m a Social Media strategist who supports Lionel Trains in its efforts to bring the educational, exciting family fun of model railroading to the public through social media.

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I’m always inspired by people working to “reclaim” their health and fitness. It’s such a gift they are giving themselves. What inspires me further, to the point of tears, is when I meet people training for a cause. Some start out with the notion “As long as I’m training, why not help someone else along the way”, others want to aid the cause and dig deep to channel their inner athlete. As a former Tour Director for the largest cycling event benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I’ve had the privilege of meeting people who fall into both categories.
I am in awe of all of them.

This particular event is The Wish-A-Mile (WAM) Bicycle Tour. A 3-day 300-mile or a 1-day 50-mile bike tour through the great state of Michigan. This July will celebrate the 25th riding of WAM, an event that began with a challenge among friends. I’ve been part of this ride in some way or another since 1999; as a staff member, volunteer, donor or just plain ‘ole cheerleader at the finish line.

Early on, my husband and brother-in-law rode while I served as a staff member on the tour. Last year, I Co-Directed the event once more and watched with envy as my husband and over 20 of my Tri-Team training buds saddled up to ride. I watched with pride (and did I mention envy?) as my pals came across mile 300, complete with a finish-line escort and medal ceremony from their 6 year-old Wish Hero. The Rider and the Wish Recipient form a unique relationship, each a hero to the other. You can understand why participating in this event as an athlete has been on my list of dream events for 13 years. It is top of my bucket list.

Finally, THIS is my year. I am saddling up to ride 300 miles, by far the most I will have ever traversed on my own effort. My physical goal is to finish. My heart’s goal is raise enough money to grant 2 wishes, a total of $10,000.

To date, my longest ride in 64 uncomfortable miles and I’ve raised $6,550, so there’s a lot of work ahead of me. But I am up to the task. It’s a good thing that I love to ride!

Cycling is the 2nd of 3 disciplines in Triathlon and I’ve come to love it. In fact, it is my favorite of the 3 disciplines as it offers a) no fear of drowning and b) doesn’t immediately induce a throbbing pain in my feet. For me, hitting the road for a long ride is one of life’s great joys. Knowing that I’ll be training and participating in an event that will make an impactful difference in the lives of children and their families is beyond joyful.
It brings purpose to my hobby. It brings meaning to my effort.

But most importantly, it brings a wish to a child and bringing hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions is pretty amazing.
I get to be a Wish Granter. What’s better than that?
 
 
How can you leverage your training for the greater good? Here are 5 Tips:

1) Identify your favorite charitable organization and reach out to them.
Chances are their website will list their upcoming fundraising events. If your charity of choice has a national affiliate, be sure to check their website as well as with your local chapter. If you cannot find a “good fit” between your activity and your charity, ask them to consider approving your own personal fundraising effort.

2) Raise awareness
Educate yourself on your charity’s mission, the population they serve and the services they deliver. Think of yourself as an ambassador to the organization. Ask for a free T-shirt or a window cling/bumper sticker. Being able to speak confidently about their mission spreads awareness and expands their reach.

3) Set a goal
Once you’ve established your event, set a fundraising goal. Don’t be intimidated by the minimum amount the event is requesting, stretch yourself beyond that. Then, tell everyone you know about your goal, ask for their help and provide them with instructions on how they can donate. Then, be sure to THANK every single donation that comes to you.

4) Form a team
Invite your training friends, members of your local gym, family, neighbors, who ever, to join you in an effort to raise funds and awareness for your cause. Make it fun, with a team name and even team swag to show your team unity!

5) Share your journey
Leverage the power of social media and make frequent posts on your favorite on-line platforms. Post pictures of your training efforts and keep your readers updated on your progress, both physically and financially. The biggest gift you can give a non-organization is more participants raising awareness and fund on their behalf. If your journey inspires just one more person to join the effort, you’ve done a GREAT job!

For more information on the Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour, to join Stephanie’s team “Tour de Wishes” or donate to the effort, please visit www.wishamile.org or view their video:

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With power, the water moved the shore.
Pulling it away. Dragging it in the heavy undertow.
A million grains of sand washed through the ebb.
Never once giving fight or struggle.
The roar drowned out the usually quiet flow of the beach.

A storm was approaching.
In the distance, I could see the lightening as it kissed the white caps on the sea.
Soon, I would have to seek shelter, if I myself, did not want to be as the sand.
The raindrops hit my skin as a worrisome warning.
The thunder clapped in a disasterous applause.
I stood and turned towards the cave.

Long I had been hinding, and would miss the welcome open air.
I retreated as the waves slowly swallowed up my place of rest.
Into the shelter I withdrew for the stormy night ahead.
The roar was just too loud.
Another day will come and I will flee into the air and the sun.
The storm will have to end one day.
And I can travel out in peace once again.
~by John Taylor
 
 
GUEST BLOGGER INFORMATION:
John Taylor
The DaddyYo Dude Blog: http://thedaddyyodude.blogspot.ca/
Twitter: @TheDaddyYoDude
FaceBook: @TheDaddyYoDudeFB
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnthedaddyyo
 
 

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I chose kettlebells because they work more than one muscle group at a time when you do a fitness routine with them and they do have an aerobic aspect to them. “In one study, kettlebell enthusiasts performing a 20 minute snatch workout were measured to burn, on average, 13.6 calories/minute aerobically and 6.6 calories/minute anaerobically during the entire workout – “equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace.” [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettlebell]

I researched a variety of kettlebell exercises and came up with a routine of 10 exercises to do. [Note: Melissa's names and descriptions]

#1 Kettlebell Around The World
- pass kettlebell with arms around your body at hip length in both directions – set of 10 in each direction

#2 Bent Leg Tricep Row
- squat position, arm straight to floor, pull arm up bending elbow

#3 Dead Lift Squat
- squat position, kb between legs on floor, stand up arms straight

#4 Figure 8s
- squat position, pass kb between legs in figure 8, heading backwards towards back of legs

#5 Overhead Triceps
- two hands behind back, holding kb, elbows bent, lift straight up overhead

#6 Standing Side Lunges
- stand feet together, kb two hands center, lunge right leg right, then back to center, lunge left leg left, repeate

#7 Elbows In Bicep Curl
- legs apart, two hands holding kb, palms up, bend arms up

#8 Overhead Shoulder Press
- two kettlebells, bent arms, 45 degrees, raise arms straight up

#9 Kettlebell Hip Swings
- legs apart, take kettlebell 2 hands between legs, starting behind butt parallel, pop kettlebell forward using hips, do not use arms, pop up to chest height, do not use arms to lift kettlebell, all lift should come from hip thrust

#10 Kettlebell Laying Hip Raise
- lay on floor, knees bent, put kettlebell on pelvis, raise pelvis off floor, repeat

SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettlebell
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/kettlebell-workout
Tim Ferriss Kettlebell Swing Technique Learned in 3 Simple Steps

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I wish I could go back in time and made myself and my health a priority after having kids. I think when we birth those babies we become martyrs and sacrifice everything including making ourselves a priority from basic daily maintenance like a shower or eating right to having me time and not feeling guilty about doing things not related to our kids and our families.

I would like to encourage women, men, and parents everywhere that if you take care of you, your mental health, and your physical health and make it a daily priority and focus you will be a better person and a better parent for those in your lives.

I will also tell you that it is damn hard work to lose a pound than to put on a pound. It is 100x times harder to take off each pound and it is blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen. There are no short cuts, because they don’t last. You need to eat right and work out hard enough to sweat each and every single day.

I am doing this for me and to make me happy! I want to reclaim my body and my life. I want to get back to my fighting weight and own the body that is naturally mine. I want to love and respect myself enough to continue on this path and journey. Please think about what you are eating and work out hard enough every day to sweat – really sweat! Let me be a lesson and inspiration to you. You can start right now making the right decisions for you, your body, and your health!!

I LOVE ME! I love me enough that I deserve the best in life! I don’t deserve what is left over and the scraps! I love me enough to make my health and fitness a priority in my life now. Do you love yourself to make YOU a priority every single day?

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”
~Mother Teresa

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Thankfully, I found it. Or rather, it found me. Triathlon: my new lover.

It was the Winter of 2009 and I was in the gym fighting (again) with the Dreadmill. Such a fickle friend, that thing. My neighbor-friend was also looking to file for divorce from the run so we decided to try a spin class . This proved to be 1) humiliating and 2) humbling.

It was hella hard. Coming out of that spin class, I mentally crossed distance cycling off my list of possible alternates to running. Cycling. Wasn’t gonna work. This was a disappointment for me on many levels. Having served as a major non-profit’s bicycle tour director for many years, I had always held an image of myself as a cyclist-in-the-making. Thanks to 60 minutes of spin class that day, I felt that wasn’t meant to be.

Days later my same neighbor-friend suggested something I had on my “bucket list”. A Triathlon. Not IronMan distance, of course. That would be NUTS. But a Sprint distance (800 m swim. 12 mile bike. 5k run). Sure. I knew I could do each of those independently, but could I do them in succession?
I decided to find out and began training for my first triathlon the next day.

I had 0.0 idea what I was doing. I hopped on-line and did my best to learn about each discipline, the distances and the gear. The more I read, the more excited I became. This was “it”. I sensed it was the “more” I had been seeking.

After 4 months of training I had lost weight, strengthened my core and gained the confidence I needed to get to the start of the race. I had no expectations on my finishing time or place. I wanted only to move through each discipline undead.

I mentally prepared myself to take it in chunks. (Which is a helpful way I get through many parts of my life.) I chunk it out. One chunk at a time. Swim (chunk 1) bike (chunk 2), etc. and wouldn’t you know it? I swam a personal best 800 meters and then moved into the first transition area (T1) to focused on my next chunk. I did this until I found myself crossing the finish line. Just 10 seconds apart of my neighbor-friend (now turned gym rat and Triathlon Champion).

Post –race, I “knew” like you “know” when you have found your life’s partner. Triathlon was my new love. The experience was life-changing in a way that I didn’t expect.

We completed 2 more Tri’s that season and fielded lots of questions and gave advice to friends asking “how did you do it?” One year later neighbor-friend and I were registered for another triathlon, but this time it wasn’t just the two of us. We had inspired, encouraged, supported/coached 30+ friends to crossing that finish line with us. Four years later, our little Tri-Team has blossomed toinclude a run group AND a cycling team. Of course, we’ll be together again this summer enjoying our swim/bike/run as well!

For anyone flirting with the idea of “trying” a tri, you can do it! Grab a buddy if you can and check out these tips to get started.

Top 5 Tips on How to Transition to Triathlon:

1) Find a place to practice the swim/bike/run. You need plenty of practice on all 3 disciplines. Training on the run is the least complicated because you can just head outside. Depending on weather, cycling may need to be indoors for a bit. A local lap pool is a great place to get your swim on. Check a health club or your local high school for open swim times.

2) Be sure you are fitted with the proper gear. No need to buy a bike that costs more than your car, but you shouldn’t ride a Huffy Sweet thunder #2 either. An entry-level road bike is all you need.

3) Practice “brick” workouts. This is the process of performing 2 of the 3 disciplines back to back. The idea is to train your muscles to be able to work after you shred them in the previous discipline.

4) Make AT LEAST ONE open water swim. The risk of swimming in open water is real. It’s imperative that you do not panic and can keep yourself calm during this leg of the race. The only way to gain that confidence is to practice beforehand.

5) Familiarize yourself with the rules of the sport since there are many more than you may expect. From the transition area guidelines to where and when you can mount your bike, the course officials will be watching!

To learn more about the sport of Triathlon and find an upcoming tri near you, check out: http://www.usatriathlon.org

GUEST BLOGGER INFORMATION:
Stephanie Goetz is an amateur tri-athlete juggling many hats: Busy wife, mother to an adventurous young trio, wish-granting fundraiser and small business owner. She is the author of the popular fitness blog Running High Five which chronicles her daily attempts to train for the sport of Triathlon, in which she will never finish first. A long-time self professed “average” runner, she has completed several marathons and countless 5K-10k races and after discovering Triathlon in 2009, has been hooked ever since.
 
Stephanie knows that motivation comes in many forms and credits the joy of her active lifestyle to the ability to share it with such a positive network of friends and family. Through Stephanie’s upbeat and often funny writings, you’ll meet her local training partners, her far-away friends and her IronMan finisher husband – all notable characters at varying stages of fitness. She hopes that her daily anecdotes and shared insights will keep you laughing (with her not at her) and inspires you to grab a buddy, lace up your shoes, grab your goggles and hop on your bike! High Five!
 
Connect with Stephanie online:
Blog: http://runninghighfive.blogspot.ca/
Twitter: @RunninghHighFive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goetz.Stephanie
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/goetzgirly/
 
 
 
 
 
 

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We tell our children that we love them and many of us do this often and daily. I call this the Big Love deposit to the bank. What we also need to do is make Small Love and Medium denomination deposits to their Love Bank.

DOWNLOAD FREE AWESOME KID CERTIFICATE HERE BY TODAY’S MAMA

Kids need to hear specifically WHAT you love about them. Studies have shown that even parents that said “I Love You” daily had kids report they did not feel loved or believe they were loved and parents were shocked. Kids said that “yeah, yeah, that’s just something parents have to say because I am their kid”.

TODAY, tell your child THREE things you love about them – very specific and very detailed between when they come home from school and when they go to bed.

Some examples could include:
- “Maria, I love all the pictures you draw, you are such a good artist, and they mean so much to me.”

- “Jonathan, I love your big hugs and big smiles that you run up and give to me when I pick you up at school. It makes me so happy inside.”

So often we are busy as parents and we do love our children greatly and deeply. However, life gets busy and we sometimes just get in the “I Love You” goodnight. Spend time today thinking and noticing what is good, great, wonderful, and special about each of your children and TELL THEM specifics!

Feel free to share what specifically you said and how your child reacted.

DOWNLOAD FREE AWESOME KID CERTIFICATE HERE BY TODAY’S MAMA

DISCLOSURE AND SOURCES:
Here is link to original blog post over at the Today’s Mama blog, some pretty awesome peeps you should be following on Twitter @TodaysMama, and connected to Today’s Mama on FaceBook.

Printables by Juliann Law for Today’s Mama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at juliannlaw.com.

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Black History Month remembrance began in 1926, with the announcement of “Negro History Week” by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, a group of which he was co-founder. Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.

Woodson created the holiday with the hope that it eventually be eliminated when black history became fundamental to American history. Negro History Week was met with enthusiastic response; it prompted the creation of black history clubs, an increase in interest among teachers, and interest from progressive whites. Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.

In 1976, the country’s bicentennial, Negro History Week was expanded to Black History Month. Gerald Ford spoke in regards to this, urging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

One way to bring history and black history to life is through the railroad. Not only do kids love trains (just ask any kid what kind of train Thomas is), but the railroad has also played a major role in both African American and Presidential history in the U.S. Moreover model railroading, pioneered by companies like Lionel Trains, provides an exciting, tactile way to dramatize this history for kids.

African American Labor and the Railroad
The role of African Americans in the railroads began as early as the 1830s. In the antebellum South, railroad owners employed slave labor for the notoriously back-breaking task of building the railroads. As many as 20,000 enslaved African Americans helped build the railroads throughout the South. In addition to general laborers, many were trained in crafts such as blacksmithing and carpentry – valuable skills that made them attractive to the railroad companies. In fact, when railroad construction began in North Carolina in the 1850s, two-thirds of the employees below the rank of supervisor were African Americans, almost all of them slaves.

After the Civil War, the Pullman Palace Car Company introduced the sleeping car and hired African Americans as porters to staff them. While the pay was substandard, working as a Porter was one of the best opportunities available for most African Americans at the time and allowed many to enjoy more middle class lifestyles. In addition, it enabled extensive travel and sharing of ideas between communities. Later, in 1925, A. Philip Randolph organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first labor union in the U.S. led by African Americans.

In 1883, Humphrey H Reynolds, a Pullman porter, was the first to patent an improved window ventilator for railroad cars. His invention was soon adopted on all Pullman cars but he received no payment from the Pullman Company. Reynolds quit his job as a porter and successfully sued Pullman for $10,000.

The African American inventor who had arguably the greatest impact on the evolution of railroading technology was Granville T. Woods. Woods is known to many as “The Black Edison” and held more than 60 patents, most of them related to railroading technology. He patented his most famous device, the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, in 1887.

The Multiplex Telegraph not only helped dispatchers locate trains, but it also allowed moving trains to communicate with each other by telegraph. His invention was so successful that Thomas Edison himself tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to contest the patent. Later Edison tried to gain the patent by offering Woods a partnership in one of his businesses, which Woods famously refused. Ever the entrepreneur, Woods preferred his independence.
 

It was probably the largest funeral ceremony in the history of the U.S. and the first funeral by rail. The train passed through over 400 cities and towns across the Northeast and hundreds of thousands of mourners showed up along the tracks to pay their last respects.
 
Trains carrying the President were normally lavishly decorated. Red white and blue were the traditional colors for campaign and business travel for sitting Presidents. A more somber black was found on funeral trains. Could your young artists come up with some appropriate adornments for one of their models?

 
 
 
The Lionel Lincoln Funeral Train Engine and Hearse.
 

 
 
 
 
Love these Lionel Passenger Car Figurines that include a porter!
 
 
 
 

 
Here’s the Lionel Little Lines Train Playset. It is perfect for a starter train set for little conductors and train lovers everywhere!
 
 
 
 
AWESOME RESOURCES FOR YOUR KIDS AND CLASSROOMS:
Don’t let this month end without talking about the impact and contributions made by people of all races and cultures on our life, society, and life. This is a month of honor for the contributions of Black Americans. Please take the time to peruse the resources below and discuss with your children. If you are a teacher, please incorporate it into your lesson plans and projects. I would love to hear what you shared with your families and children.
 
BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES:
 
Pullman Porters
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/rrpeopleandsociety/legacy.shtml
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/mar/23/african-american-railroad-experience/
http://www.aphiliprandolphmuseum.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month
 
Inventors
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/rrpeopleandsociety/africanamericans.shtml
http://web.mit.edu/INVENT/iow/woods.html
http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventors/a/GranvilleTWoods.htm
http://www.r-go.ca/elijah_mccoy_picture.htm
http://www.mackinac.org/72
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/167.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Woods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_McCoy
 
PRESIDENT’S DAY:
The Transcontinental Railroad
http://www.tcrr.com/
 
Lincoln’s Inaugural Railway Ride – Obama and Lincoln
http://www.freep.com/article/20090117/OBAMAINAUGURATION10/90117036
www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/us/politics/18obama.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inauguration_of_Barack_Obama
 
The Lincoln Funeral Train
http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln51.html
http://www.lincoln-highway-museum.org/WHMC/WHMC-LFTR-01.html
http://www.lincolnfuneraltrain.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_and_burial_of_Abraham_Lincoln
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Plot
 
Lionel Trains
http://www.lionel.com/
http://www.lionelstore.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lionel-LLC/135645573344
https://twitter.com/#!/Lionel_LLC
http://www.lionelllc.wordpress.com
 
 
DISCLOSURE:
Information and Photos provided courtesy of Lionel L.L.C. All rights reserved. Sean Gelles of Media Whiz Agency, representing Lionel LLC, and I worked together on this post to provide great, wonderful, and valuable information for Black History Month and President’s Day.
 
 

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This week two of my friends asked me why I do not judge them, why do I not criticize them for their choices, how I can just love and support them no matter what they do or have done. This is something people often say to me, have said to me all my life, and came up twice just this week, so it is making me reflect today.

When I was on my early journey of motherhood I chose to have natural drug-free births. I chose to use cloth diapers for all three of my kids (to a varying degree with each). I chose to breastfeed. I would say I was a pretty granola mama. Now, my girlfriends had all kinds of different births medicated and unmedicated. I thankfully got to be a part of more than a dozen births as a special support helper (unofficial doula). I was so happy to bring my experience, my calm, my leadership, and my non-judgement to the room. If a mom needed and wanted an epidural, I did not judge. It didn’t matter what I did or what worked for me. What mattered is what she needed and what was best for her. I was able to see what were the best choices for her and her birth and support her with those choices.

I had a girlfriend who just struggled with breastfeeding and it wasn’t working out for her. I watched her, talked with her, helped her, and supported her. Finally, it didn’t matter all the how to and resources and support – it was just not good for her and her baby to continue down that path. Bottle feeding really was the best option for her, her baby, her mental health, and for others to help. I did not judge and supported her transitioning and making bottle feeding successful. This was what was best for her and her baby.

I have been on a journey since October 2010 of recovering from the end of my 17 year relationship with my husband of 14 years. Along this journey I have encountered many people on all sides of the fence – single people, married people, divorced people. I have heard their stories, their journeys, their pain, their experiences. I have experienced the pain of a spouse being tapped out of their marriage and suffered through one mid-life crisis 7 years ago and could not survive his second mid-life crisis 7 years later and inappropriate marital behavior.

Now, even being on one side of the street of that experience, I have talked and shared with people on the other side of the street. I have listened and heard stories of people who were the ones that had relationships outside of their marriage and why they did this and how they felt and how it happened. They were amazed I did not judge and I listened and empathized and hugged them and loved them. I did not live their lives and walk in their shoes and cannot judge them on what they did or should of have done. We all want and need love. We all have pain and when we are in pain, we try to soothe that pain in a variety of ways and make certain choices as a result.

I have such a place in my heart of understanding. I understand people’s pain. I understand how things could go down a path and lead to certain decisions and places. I listen, I empathize, I share, I give them a place that is safe to talk about their life, their decisions, their pain, their choices. People need to be understood, need to be listened to, need to be accepted, and not be judged.

You may make certain choices and have certain values and make certain decisions in your life. However, you cannot judge what you would do in other’s lives because you do not live their lives. There are so many people in your life right now that need your love, your support, and no judgement.

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