Freedom Train − 6 August, 1975
Way back when nearby Crystal Lake was just a small Illinois town instead of the sprawling mini-mall it has become, my family took me to the Eastern edge of the city to see the American Freedom Train. The AFT was a 26-car train pulled by three restored steam engines, a traveling museum that traversed all 48 mainland states in 21 months. The two-day stop in Crystal Lake came about four months after the train first left Delaware and was the first stop with a new engine after a change in Chicago just days earlier. I was one of more than seven million Americans to visit the train during its tour, although tens of millions more took time to watch it go by nearby towns on its way to its next stop.
Although I can't recall a product or billboard that didn't have the official Bicentennial logo on it, the AFT was apparently the only nationwide celebration of our country's 200th birthday. Larger than the one that ran around the country in 1947, this train featured twelve display cars, two of which were showcase cars visible to anyone in sight of the train (no ticket required). I recall seeing the Liberty Bell, or maybe just a replica of the same, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. I do remember Dorothy's dress from the Wizard of Oz movie and a moon rock, which was probably the highlight of the visit for me.
It was incredibly hot that day, and the lines were longer and less interesting than Disney. We got tickets for the second day's event; my dad said the first day was sold out. In Christmas that year, I got a train engine for my Lionel track, a short-lived hobby that is currently boxed up somewhere in the attic.
Although I can't recall a product or billboard that didn't have the official Bicentennial logo on it, the AFT was apparently the only nationwide celebration of our country's 200th birthday. Larger than the one that ran around the country in 1947, this train featured twelve display cars, two of which were showcase cars visible to anyone in sight of the train (no ticket required). I recall seeing the Liberty Bell, or maybe just a replica of the same, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. I do remember Dorothy's dress from the Wizard of Oz movie and a moon rock, which was probably the highlight of the visit for me.
It was incredibly hot that day, and the lines were longer and less interesting than Disney. We got tickets for the second day's event; my dad said the first day was sold out. In Christmas that year, I got a train engine for my Lionel track, a short-lived hobby that is currently boxed up somewhere in the attic.
