Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2023 16:46:34 +0000 From: Douglas DD Subject: Mayfield Magic Chapter 37 Welcome back and Happy Holidays. Aiden and his friends and family depart on a new adventure. This one has nothing to do with baseball and everything to do with two other Aiden passions. Please give the Nifty Archive a nice holiday donation to keep the gift of stories coming. I love getting your email. thehakaanen@hotmail.com Douglas CHAPTER 37 THE WEST WIND THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 Since Vivian was at work and Paul was at the county courthouse annes in Kentville working with the outgoing judge he would be replacing in September, Nolan and Aiden had the house to themselves. That meant they were able to eat breakfast, shower together, and operate their model trains in the nude. Showering together wasn't the big deal, since they did that anyway, but it was the first chance they had to shower together in Nolan's walk-in shower. A little before eleven the boys tied their trains up and went to Nolan's room to dress. Paul said he would be home sometime after eleven and Vivian would be getting off work at one. The Moyer family would be spending the afternoon taking care of last-minute business around the house to make sure they had everything prepped for their departure the next morning. Aiden planned on heading home as soon as he was dressed to see what, if anything, Larry had planned for him to do. After the Moyers had made their move to Mayfield, the Miller and Moyer families agreed they would watch over the other family's house when they went away on a trip. Since both families were going on this trip, they would be entering James Hallion into their security systems. He would be the person checking on the houses. "Well, I guess I'll see you when I see you," Aiden said as he headed for the kitchen door. "Well, that will be tomorrow afternoon for sure," Nolan said. "But who knows what the night will bring?" "Probably a good night's sleep since we have no clue what the next 12 nights will bring." "I know they'll bring a ton of fun for sure." When Aiden arrived home, Larry told him he had a couple of tasks for him to do after lunch and then he was on his own until dinner. "I have to head into Centralia to take care of a couple of bits of business and to make sure that your dad is earning his salary. Also, to answer the question that you haven't asked yet, and might not ask at all, you are expected to eat dinner at home since Phil's stew has to be finished off tonight." "And you know I'm a good stew finisher," Aiden grinned. "You're absolutely the best." After lunch, Aiden completed his assigned tasks and then double, triple, and quadruple checked his suitcase and backpack to make sure he had packed everything he had on his list. While he had checked off every item on the list when he packed it, he would take another look just in case he checked something off by accident. His worst fear was having left something important off the list and not having a clue he'd forgotten it until a day or two into the trip. One of the things he had been sure to put on the list and pack were the three books he would be taking to read. He was certain he would not have a chance to finish one of them, let alone three of them, but he understood the ways of train travel. Having something to read while waiting on some siding in the middle of nowhere for a freight train to pass was a good thing to have. He knew that Nolan would also be bringing a couple of books. The books he packed were "The Boy Who Saved Baseball", "The Twelfth Angel", and "Refugee", all serious reading. The problem he had with a good, serious book was that he often had a hard time putting it down once he got into it. After he felt satisfied, at least for the moment, he headed downstairs. He'd just set foot on the bottom step when the doorbell rang. He went to the door and was pleased to see Gordy and Kalie. "Hey peeps, what brings you to my front door?" he grinned. "We thought we'd stop by and wish you a bon voyage," Gordy answered. "That means a good trip," Kalie said as if Aiden never heard the term before. "Well thanks, but I'm taking a train trip not an ocean cruise, so it's not actually a voyage," Aiden said. "I'm sure you can call it a rail cruise since you're travelling in those private cars," Gordy said. "Well, I guess instead of us standing at the door jabbering, how about coming in so we can sit down and jabber." "We thought Nolan might be here." "He's doing stuff with his mom and dad. I probably won't see him until tomorrow morning." The trio sat in the visiting friends room and listened to Aiden give them the itinerary of his trip. "If you guys are going to hang around for a while, why don't we sit outside." "Where are your dads?" Gordy asked. "My dad is working but will be getting off an hour or so early. My pop is going into Centralia to do whatever." "Do you think we can go into the pool for a while? We didn't bring any swimwear and since your dads aren't here, we maybe could skinny dip. I mean since there's a girl here, I figure we gotta be a little bit careful." "Are you okay with skinny dipping?" Aiden asked Kalie. "Duh. It's not like you to ask dumb questions, Aiden Miller, and that sure sounds like one," Kalie responded as she pulled off her t-shirt, revealing her bare chest. "I guess that answers that. Since you didn't wear a bra, I guess you were thinking we might do it." "The less to take off the quicker things come off." She sat down and pulled off her shoes and socks. "And on." "Let's go down to the pool and strip there, so in case we're surprised we can dress in a hurry," Aiden suggested. Kalie picked up her t-shirt and shoes and the three went down the stairs into the basement. Within seconds they were naked. Gordy's cock was rock hard, but Aiden's was flaccid. Aiden noted that Gordy and Kalie each had pubic hair, while his pubic area was as bare as a baby's. `Oh well, they're both 13,' he thought, `and I won't be for almost another month.' Seeing Gordy hard gave him more of a rush than seeing Kalie naked and he quickly was at full mast. The atmosphere was highly charged, but the three jumped into the pool which cooled them off in more ways than one. They had fun playing pool games, exchanging jokes and gossip, playing keep away, and getting an occasional grope in. "You should let me jerk you off," Kalie said to Aiden as they rested along the pool edge in the shallow end. "I need to practice for when we're on the bus to school." "Since Nolan will be riding the bus with us, what makes you think I'll be sitting with you in the mornings?" Aiden asked. "Because you and Nolan will both get all turned on and shit and want me to jerk you off." "I don't think so." "Start thinking so," Gordy said. "I have feeling she's right." "No way. Absolutely no way." "How about a three-penny bet? My money says she gets you each three times by Halloween." "A three-penny bet?" Kalie asked. "What kind of a bet is that?" "Something we learned about in Cali, although it was Trent and Mac we learned about it from." "You boys are so totally weird." "But you like us anyway, right?" "Yeah, because you're so totally sexy." "Even Aiden?" Gordy smirked. "Hey, of course I'm sexy," Aiden protested. "I might be a gay boy, but that doesn't stop me from being sexy, right Kalie?" "Right. You and Nolan and Gordy are the three sexiest boys in the eighth grade in my book," Kalie answered. "Now, about jerking you off right now?" "Okay, but only if I can suck Gordy off while you do it." "That works for me." "And for me," Gordy grinned. The three went into the basement, grabbed towels from the cabinet, dried off, and then went into the back room. Aiden sat on the couch and Kalie sat next to him. Gordy stood in front of Aiden so he could get his lips around his cock. Kalie took hold of Aiden's cock and started jerking him off. It didn't take long to generate results. Gordy shot his light cum into Aiden's mouth which was enough to put him over the edge. He shot his tween cum on his belly and Kalie's hand. Gordy then sat next to Kalie, putting her between him and Aiden. "Who's gonna get me off?" Kalie asked. "Can I finger fuck you?" Gordy asked. "You mean you can't cum back-to-back?" Aiden asked with a smirk. "Yeah, but this is quicker and who knows when one of your dads might come home." "Good point." The trio situated itself so Kalie could lie supine on the couch. Gordy stuck two fingers into her vagina. She had already been on the verge of orgasm and lasted for just less than two minutes. After Kalie's orgasm they showered and dressed. Kalie and Gordy said they were going to go. They thanked Aiden for a good time and once again wished him a good trip. "Hey, what about that three-penny bet you guys were going to make?" Kalie asked. "I decided not to unless Aiden wants to. Since I'm not gonna be there to see it happen, I figured why bet on it," Gordy said. "But I want all of the details, no matter how cummy, if you do it to either Aiden or Nolan." "Whatever you guys want." Gordy and Kalie hopped on their bikes. Gordy turned left and Kalie turned right on the Lakeshore Drive bike path as they each headed for their own home. Aiden thought about how quickly a boring afternoon had turned into something sexy and how often that seemed to happen. But it wasn't very often it involved a girl. He went to his room, flopped on his bed, and called Nolan to tell him about his afternoon. 6:45 am Alex and Jaden yawned as they waited for the arrival of the 6:45 am Amtrak "Surfliner". Jaden's father, Roger, who was the head ticket agent for the Oceanside station, was in the station announcing the imminent arrival of the train. "I see the headlight," Jaden said as he pointed south. "I guess that means we're almost officially on our way," Alex said. Roger walked up the platform to where his son and Alex were waiting. Alex had counted forty people on the platform, but he could tell that not all of them were passengers. Some were family or friends seeing a passenger off. "You boys look ready," Roger grinned as the "Surfliner" blew its horn at a grade crossing. "Dad, we're more than ready," Jaden said. "Thanks for doing this for us." "Yeah, thanks, Mr. Price," Alex added as the train rolled to a stop at the platform. "Hey, I get free family tickets. Of course, you have a price to pay for them," Roger said. "We do?" Jaden asked. "I thought the trip was free because you worked for Amtrak." "Oh, it is. But your price is for the two of you to be on your absolute best behavior," Roger grinned. "You won't need to worry about that," Alex said. "And that's a promise." "I believe you. You're both good boys." The conductor opened the door, set down the step stool, and exited the train. He assisted the coach attendant in helping four passengers disembark the coach. As soon as they were clear, Roger handed the paperwork required for unaccompanied minors to Brent Williams, the conductor, who signed what he was required to sign and handed a copy to Roger. He also scanned the boys' ticket and handed it to Jaden. "I'll be checking on a possible upgrade to a roomette," Roger told Brent as the coach attendant started boarding the passengers into his coach. "You must know the boys," Brent said. Roger squeezed Jaden in a tight hug. "Jaden, here, is my son. Alex is his buddy. They're off to visit Alex's friends and Jaden's cousins who live near Olympia." Roger knew better than to try to explain where Mayfield was but felt the conductor would have an idea of where Olympia was. Brent nodded and looked at the two teens. "You'll be getting my best and I expect to get your best," he said. "You'll get it," Jaden promised. "Dad would be pretty mad if we got into trouble." Jaden almost said pretty pissed instead of pretty mad, but he caught himself in time. He gave his dad a hug and then Roger surprised Alex by giving him a hug. Alex felt a surge of warmth go through him knowing that Jaden's dad thought enough of him to hug him. Jaden and Alex were the last two to board. The conductor sat them in two seats that had been set aside for them at the front of the coach. He placed the seat checks reading LAX into their holders. The boys were happy that the seat was on the water side, and they would be getting a view of the Pacific Ocean for the first part of their trip as the train headed north to Los Angeles. When they arrived at Los Angeles Union Station, Brent turned the boys over to Allen Cooper, who was a station agent. After all the requisite paperwork was signed and distributed, Allen told the boys he would be taking them to the next platform where they would be boarding the "Coast Starlight." "But what about our suitcases?" Alex asked. "The boys' luggage was checked," Brent said. He knew he was telling Allen the obvious, but hearing what would be done with their luggage would give the two youngsters instant peace of mind. The boys each carried a change of clothes in a backpack, but their luggage had the rest of the clothing and belongings they were taking to Mayfield. "Your suitcases have transfer tags on them and they will be carted over to Number 14 and loaded into its baggage car. It's all very routine," Alex told the boys. Fourteen was the train number assigned to the northbound "Coast Starlight" by Amtrak. Jaden and Alex thanked Brent for watching over them and helping them and followed Allen down a set of stairs to a wide pedestrian passageway that connected the main station to each of the platforms. As they reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the well-lit passageway, Jaden pointed to Allen, who was six-foot four Black with an athletic looking body, and said, "The dude is huge." "I feel safe around him—ain't nobody gonna kidnap us with that guy watching over us. I bet he played football." "I wouldn't doubt it." Allen, in fact, had played football. He had been a starting tight end for the San Jose State University Spartans. Jaden saw that they were under Platform 10 and saw the departure time of 9:51 listed for Train 14, the "Coast Starlight". He pointed to the sign for Alex, who grinned. The only question in the boys' minds was whether Jaden's dad had been able to procure an upgrade. Jaden knew that an Amtrak employee would be upgraded only if a room was available for the employee's complete journey at departure time. Other than the rules pertaining to unaccompanied minors, the boys rode under the same rules as an employee. This time, instead of using the stairs, they went up to the platform using a ramp, which was the perfect way for passengers who were carrying their luggage on board instead of checking it to move it from the passageway to the platform. After they reached the platform, Allen took the boys aside and gave them a piece of good news. "An unsold roomette was available to Centralia and your father succeeded in booking it," he said. Alex and Jaden grinned and traded double high fives. "I have your ticket and after the conductor scans it, I will hand it over to you." "This is totally awesome," Alex said. "Thank you for telling us." "Somebody had to, and it looked like it would be me." "And thank you for guiding us to the platform," Jaden said. "Do you know if we'll be on the water side or not?" Alex asked. He had read that the "Coast Starlight" ran along the ocean for over 100 miles between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. "There's no way to know until you board your car," Allen responded. "Even if you had your ticket with your room number on it, the room could be on either side of the train since the cars are often switched from one train to another. I do know, however, that the sleepers will be at the back of the train." Jaden had known the answer to Alex's question, but he was not about to embarrass his friend. And then, as if on cue, the "Coast Starlight" came into view, as the engine backed it onto Track 10b. Jaden, who knew what to look for, could tell that the train had three sleepers which were behind the dining car. The train had to make a mandatory stop when backing into a station, before spotting the cars where the passengers would be boarding them. George, the sleeping car attendant for sleeper 1432 opened the door and set the step stool down on the platform. Cindy McCoy, one of the two conductors, stepped off the train and greeted Allen. "These must be my two minor charges," she said. "Oh, no, me and Jaden are both major charges cuz we're important minors," Alex said as he pointed to Jaden and then to himself. "I like their spunk," Cindy told George and Allen. Allen turned the paperwork over to Cindy, who put her signature on the proper page. She scanned the boys' ticket and handed it to Alex, who gave the impression of being the alpha dog between the two. "And before you ask, you boys lucked out. You are in Roomette 3 and the odd numbered roomettes just happen to be on the ocean side of the train," she grinned. The boys once again traded high fives. While Cindy was taking care of Alex and Jaden, George was helping his other passengers who were boarding in LA onto the train. Cindy took them to Roomette 3 and explained the workings of the lights and the locations of the bathrooms. "George will tell you the details. I have to take care of scanning tickets and other aspects of my job. Eddie Baker, who is my assistant conductor, will be doing the departure announcements. Have a great trip, boys, I enjoyed talking with you." Ten minutes later, the "Coast Starlight" pulled out of LAX on time at 9:51 for its trip north to Seattle and as Cindy said would happen, Eddie took care of the departure announcements. George walked from room to room talking about the call button, where the shower was, when he would be putting the beds down, and when the lead dining car attendant would be coming around to take lunch reservations. In the case of Alex and Jaden, George explained what their rules would be when it came to leaving the car and when they would be stepping off the train during a fresh air stop. "Yummy...lunch in the dining car. I love it," Alex said. The lead attendant gave them an 11:30 reservation. Since the dining car practiced community seating, the boys were joined by a couple from Ventura who had boarded at the Oxnard station. Both of them were teachers, which almost gave the boys heart failure. But it turned out they were great people to talk to and were quite interested in the boys' journey. Alex had an angus burger and chips and Jaden enjoyed a Monte Cristo toasted cheese sandwich and chips. After finishing their desserts (chocolate bundt cake for each) they saw that they were traveling along the ocean. They said their good-byes to the teaching couple and left for the lounge car where they lucked into two seats on the water side when the two people in the seats left for the dining car after the 12:15 reservations were called. "Wow, this is even better than looking out of our own bedroom window," Alex observed. The boys looked out of the big windows of the Sightseer Lounge at the passing Pacific. Alex had not seen much of the ocean in his young life and was fascinated by the crashing surf, the beaches, the rock cliffs, the bridges, and the endless water stretching out to the west. "Damn, no wonder Aiden loves trains so much," Alex said. "This is the most radical view ever." While Jaden had grown up with the ocean, he couldn't help but be awestruck by the wild, undeveloped shoreline outside. They were also drawn in by what was on the other side of the train—the rocket silos of Vandenburg Space Force Base. They enjoyed around an hour-and-a-half of the most undeveloped stretch of seashore on the west coast. Around an hour after turning inland they had a station (and fresh air) stop at San Luis Obispo. They resumed their trip just after the southbound "Coast Starlight" entered the station. Their next highlight was the horseshoe curve at Cuesta Pass, where they could see the front and back of the train at the same time as the middle of the train reached the curve. Later they enjoyed steak dinners in the diner. Again, they were joined by two passengers at their table: a nice old man who was a retired teacher and a visitor from Ireland who was touring the United States by train. If the boys had given any kind of thought to being surly teenagers, they ended up enjoying the people they met so much they would have dumped those thoughts in a hurry. The only negative was Alex, who ordered his steak rare, wondering why Jaden ordered his well-done. "That's kind of like eating shoe leather, isn't it? It's like a waste of a good piece of meat." "Well, I like it," Jaden said defensively. "Each to his own, I guess." The retired teacher had ordered his steak medium rare, while the Irishman ordered salmon. The teacher agreed with Alex's analysis of a well-done steak, but also agreed that food tastes were very individual. The Irishman didn't hold the American's love for beef. "A good piece of venison would be my favorite," he said, raising the eyebrows of the two teens. George had put their beds down after the train left San Jose and they were soon under their own sheets and blankets. Jaden had the top bunk and Alex had the bottom one after they had played the finger match game. They were both horny and before falling asleep they took care of the nagging of their teen hormones. They each knew what the other guy was doing and gave thought to maybe watching each other do it but ended up being satisfied with the fantasy of watching their travel mate jerk off. After each boy enjoyed his own orgasm, they quickly fell to sleep. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 8:00 am Larry and Paul talked about transportation to the Centralia train station and back home on their return. After discussing the issue with their spouses, Larry and Paul agreed that they didn't want to rely on someone else for transportation to the Centralia train station. They also weren't keen on packing six people and their luggage into the Honda Pilot. As a result, they agreed their families would go separately in their own vehicles. Amtrak offered parking passes for the downtown Centralia parking lot a block away from the station. The passes cost only five dollars a day, which came out to $60 a car for the 12-day trip. They would be traveling to Portland on the "Coast Starlight", which was scheduled to leave Centralia at 11:46 and scheduled to arrive at Portland at 1:40 where they would connect with the Portland section of the "Empire Builder". Only they wouldn't be boarding the "Empire Builder", they would board one of the three California Zephyr cars that would be coupled to the last car of the Builder. The Miller family was up by 8:00. After showers and breakfast, they tossed their luggage into the back of the Honda Pilot and checked that everything was in order in the house. They hit the road just before 9:45. The Moyers left their house close behind them, which was not a coincidence. Phil and Vivian had communicated back and forth all morning to keep everything coordinated. They were parked and their baggage was checked by 11:10. Phil and Paul had each checked two pieces of baggage for Portland and Larry checked one piece. Since there was no checked baggage charge, they saw no need to drag their luggage onto their coach. They had just sat down on the wooden benches in the classic Centralia station, when two passengers entered the station, each carrying a suitcase. Aiden recognized them right away and jumped up out of his seat. "Landon! Mr. Mercer!" he called out. "What are you doing here?" "Well, seeing as this is a train station, I imagine they're here to catch a train," Nolan grinned as he stood up as well. Landon broke into a big smile, set his suitcase down, and gave Aiden a big hug. "Nolan has it figured out. We're here to catch a train." Landon was the boy Nolan and Aiden had met when they watched and photographed the 4449 Daylight steam engine. Three of the private train's cars were the Zephyr cars. "Luggage. Train station. I'm not the great detective that the Big Sweet Bear is, but even I could use those clues to figure it out," Aiden said. What I meant was, where are you guys going? I mean talk about a coincidence—us taking the same train somewhere." Aiden knew it was unlikely they were heading north since the next northbound train wasn't scheduled until 1:30. "I read or heard somewhere that great detectives don't believe in coincidences," Nolan said. "Therefore, I do not think it is a coincidence that Mr. Landon is here at the Centralia train station to catch the same train we are." Landon's father, Michael, and Larry looked at each other and grinned. "I think this is the perfect time to end the subterfuge. How about you, Michael?" Larry said. Michael nodded. "Landon, how about telling Aiden and Nolan where we're traveling." "You don't have to tell me, I've got it figured out," Aiden said. "You and your dad are taking the `Coast Starlight' to Portland where you will transfer to the vintage `California Zephyr' cars coupled to Amtrak's `Empire Builder'." Landon wrapped his arms around Aiden and gave him a tight hug. "Junior foamers are about to take over the dome of the `Silver Solarium'", Landon said before letting go of his friend. The "Silver Solarium" was the dome observation/lounge/sleeping car of the three vintage Zephyr cars. "See, I can be a detective, too," Aiden told Nolan. "I am impressed," Nolan said. "And you don't even have a father who is a judge tutoring you." Aiden tapped his head. "It's all between the ears." Aiden looked at his pop and said, "You knew, didn't you?" "Michael has been working with Paul, Phil, and me on this trip since we decided to take it. I purchased all eight of our Amtrak tickets together, which should be a big advantage during our short haul to Portland. We would have told you, but Landon wanted to keep it a secret." "Landon!" Aiden and Nolan said together. "Admit it. You did have fun being surprised," Landon said. "Although I did not know about this when we first met, I swear." Both boys admitted they did have fun. "But what about your mom?" Aiden asked. "Mom isn't what you'd call a foamer, or even much of a train rider. I mean, she likes it okay, but when they saw that it would be real hard for us to afford the trip for all three of us, she was happy to stay at home and wave at us going through Winton. So, dad booked the trip for him and me, and here we are." Michael checked the baggage and the three families sat on the benches and chattered until the station agent announced the arrival of the "Coast Starlight." The great adventure had begun. The two young teens were lying naked on the big bed in the back house after enjoying lunch in the main house. They had enjoyed soup and sandwiches that had been prepared by Kalie's mom. After lunch they went to the back house and stripped naked. They hadn't had much to strip off since they had eaten lunch wearing just t-shirts and underpants. "Are we going to do it or are we just going to kiss and talk?" Kalie asked. "I mean, you said you had something you wanted to talk about." "It was nothing big. I just wanted to say I almost think I should have been happy with my little birthday party in East Harbor with a bunch of new friends and not done one here. It's going to be weird not having Nolan, Aiden, and Mason there," Gordy lamented. "Yeah, but you'll have me there," Kalie pointed out. "I know, and I think that's the main reason I decided to have my Mayfield party. I missed not having you in East Harbor." "See what happens when you get a lot of friends?" "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't complain." Gordy planted a hard, wet kiss on Kalie's lips. It didn't take long for the two horny thirteen-year-olds to rock the bed and fuck their way to quick climaxes. As they lay side-by-side recovering their breath, Gordy thought back to when he was nine and first met Aiden and found out what it was like to wrestle with a boy in the nude—or even get naked with one just for fun. Aiden had been his best friend ever since as he led him to the point where he could confidently have sex with a girl and call her his girlfriend. He owed Aiden so much and hoped his bestie would have an awesome time on his amazing train trip. The coach attendant of "Coast Starlight" coach 1102 helped two passengers off and then looked at the ten passengers waiting to board. "Which ones of you are the Miller party of eight?" he asked. "That would be us," Larry volunteered, pointing to himself and then to the four adults and three boys standing behind him. "Great. I'm Rolando, your coach attendant. I have eight seats set aside for you in rows four and five. They are seats 13 through 16 in row four and 17 through 20 in row five. Go up the stairs and to your left and take your seats. Be sure to have your tickets ready for the conductor to scan. If you want to eat lunch in the diner, I'll have someone from the dining car staff come to give you reservations." "How did you get us all together like that?" Vivian asked Larry. "When I purchased all eight tickets together, we were booked as a group, which gave us group seating privileges." After they took their seats, they agreed not to get lunch in the dining car since they might not be able get reservations that would allow them all to eat together. Because their group was so big and coach passengers got the leftover reservations after the sleeping car passengers received their time slots, their chances of eating at the same time were slim. Sleeping car passengers' meals were prepaid, so most of them ate in the dining room; a small number elected to get room service. And even if they got their reservations at the same time, their time slot would be tight. They decided to be happy with hot dogs or microwave burgers from the café downstairs in the lounge car. The train pulled out of the station and the conductor came into the car a couple of minutes later. He scanned the tickets, wrote PDX (for Portland) on each seat check, and placed them in the seat check slots above the seats. As soon as he moved on, everyone but Paul, Vivian, and Nolan left for the lounge car to get lunch and some soft drinks. Figuring she could do better than microwaved burgers and hot dogs or whatever sandwiches the café had to offer, Vivian had made her own lunch for the Moyer family. She did not yet know what an amazing experience meals were going to be on the California Zephyr cars. When everyone else returned from the café, lunch commenced in their seats. They pulled down the trays from the seats ahead of them and enjoyed their lunches as the scenery raced by outside their windows at speeds up to 90 miles per hour. The ninety limit was on a stretch between Kelso/Longview and Vancouver, Washington. It had been upped from 79 the year before after improvements were implemented in the track and signaling system paid for by a Federal government grant. The time seemed to speed by almost as fast as the train, and it arrived in Portland at 1:25, fifteen minutes early thanks to twenty minutes of padding that was built into the schedule between Vancouver and Portland. The main thing that caught the attention of the group as they disembarked was the Portland section of the "Empire Builder". It wasn't the four-car double decked Amtrak train that their eyes focused on; rather it was the three silver cars coupled to it—the Silver Lariat, the Silver Rapids, and the Silver Solarium with its Vista-Dome and its rounded end with the neon sign on the drumhead reading "California Zephyr" in red. "There they are!" Aiden shouted with glee at the sight of the three silver cars as the group walked from the "Coast Starlight" toward the station building. They crossed the track the Builder and the special Zephyr occupied in front of the idling locomotives. Since the Zephyr cars were on the other end of the train, they couldn't admire the beautiful drumhead with the neon lettering and the silhouette of the Golden State Bridge, or any other details. They knew that time would be coming soon. The group went to the first-class Metropolitan Lounge. Their tickets for the special allowed them access to the comfortable lounge. The group of eight settled into a corner at the far end of the lounge. The waiting time between trains was almost three hours. Everybody knew that three antsy pubescent boys were not about to sit in a chair that long, no matter how comfortable. And their phones weren't going to amuse them that long either; the three boys were used to being on the go. "Dads, can we maybe leave the station and watch the light rail trains and maybe get some pictures?" Aiden asked the adults in general. He realized right away he had left someone out. "That should have been asked to dads and Mrs. Moyer." "I think that can be arranged," Phil said. "Lots of light rail traffic outside the station." Aiden, Landon, and Nolan were on their feet instantly. Michael, Larry, and Phil followed. Paul said he would stay with Vivian. Vivian was happy to see that the boys were going to be active but was not particularly eager to stand around waiting for light rail trains to roll past the station. As the group left the lounge, Vivian said, "Paul, go join them and have fun. I will be just fine reading my book. I know you came here to have railroad fun with Nolan, now go out and do it. I'll be having my fun later watching the scenery from one of the dome cars." "You're sure?" Paul asked. "Go! This is a nice, comfortable lounge. I'll be fine with my book and might even find some nice people to talk to as happens so often when you're traveling by train." Paul gave his wife a peck on the cheek and hurried out to catch up with the rest of the group. They all garnered enjoyment getting pictures and video of trains that ran on the yellow, green, and orange lines that came into the Union Station stop. A couple of blocks away they got pictures and video of the blue and red lines. They also took pictures of the light rail trains going up to the top level of the Steel Bridge and crossing the Willamette River. They returned to the lounge at 3:50, about forty minutes before boarding time. They knew the "Coast Starlight had arrived while they were still away from the station since they heard the horn blowing the two long, one short, and one long message that said the train was at a grade crossing. Landon and Aiden went to the lounge window and looked at the Amtrak train which had completed the boarding process. They wished they could go out on the platform to get pictures and videos of the departure from Portland Union Station, but they knew the gates to the platform had been closed. "You should have come mom," Nolan told his mother while his friends admired the train. "There was lots of train traffic out there and some good places to take pictures," Nolan continued. "If we had more time, it would have been fun to take a ride." "What you and your friends should do is take a train ride down here for a day and ride the light rail to your heart's content," Vivian grinned. "Then we'd have time to ride the streetcar too," Aiden said. Vivian didn't have to ask what the difference was between a light rail train and a streetcar. It was a nugget of knowledge Paul and Nolan had shared with her long ago on a family trip to Portland. Light rail was service to the suburbs with little or no street running. The streetcars operated strictly within the city and operated mainly on the city streets. Nolan went to the window in time to catch the departure. Aiden felt the vibration of a text arriving on his phone and checked it. "Holy moly, Alex and Jaden are on that train," he said in surprise, keeping his language clean because of the passengers sitting around him. "Dang, that's amazing," Nolan said. "I thought they weren't leaving for Mayfield for a few more days." "We just missed each other," Aiden said with disappointment, not realizing that they would never have been able to meet up because of station security restrictions. "We're on the dome train," he texted back. "Sorry we missed you. (heart) Aiden." The instructions they received with their Zephyr tickets told them to board when the Amtrak boarding call was made. They did as instructed and walked past the locomotive and the four cars of the "Empire Builder" (2 coaches, a Sightseer Lounge, and a sleeping car) to the Zephyr cars. The instructions said they would be boarding the "Silver Solarium" and would be instructed where to find their sleeping car rooms from there. The three Zephyr cars were built in 1948 for the original "California Zephyr" which operated over one of the most scenic rail routes in the world. The Silver Lariat was originally a dome coach, usually the first of the five domes on the Zephyr. Owners Brent and David converted it into a café-lounge dome. The Silver Rapids was a sleeping car with roomettes and larger bedrooms. The Silver Solarium was the Vista-Dome Observation lounge, featuring the dome and observation lounge area for first-rate sights, a lounge with a bar, three bedrooms, and a drawing room which could sleep three. Lunch and dinner were also served in the dome car. Aiden and Nolan thought they would share a bedroom as would Larry and Phil, and Landon and Michael. Paul and Vivian would be sharing the drawing room in the Silver Solarium. At least that was what the boys had been told. It turned out that reality said otherwise, as the boys learned when they boarded. William, the lead attendant, flashed his trademark grin when he saw the group of eight ready to board. He had been informed about the change in plans and was prepared to send everyone to their actual sleeping car rooms. Aiden, Nolan, and Landon were assigned to the drawing room. Not only did it sleep three, but it had its own sink, toilet, and shower. Paul and Vivian had a bedroom on the Silver Solarium and Michael had a roomette on the Silver Rapids. Larry and Phil still had their bedroom on the Silver Rapids. "It appears that the parents of you fine young gentlemen pulled a fast one on you," William grinned as he showed off the wonders of the drawing room. "You are either three really good friends or there is a brother or two thrown into the mix." "We're besties who love trains," Aiden said. "But, yeah, we weren't expecting this luxury room. I mean, all three of us together is going to be amazing." "What makes it really amazing is that Aiden and I didn't know Landon would be traveling with us until we met at the train station in Centralia." "Oh, my, you do have sneaky parents, and I mean that in a nice way. Who belongs to which parents?" William asked. Aiden answered the question and wondered how William would react to his dads being a married couple. "Wow, so you have gay parents," William added. "And it appears it doesn't bother you any." "Not at all, I love them totally. I couldn't ask for better parents. And just so you know, Nolan and I are more than besties. We're boyfriends." Nolan grabbed Aiden's hand and squeezed it. "Sweet. I think this is going to be a very interesting excursion. And since you'll be riding these cars for seven days, it will be very interesting indeed. I look forward to getting to know all three families better." William then left to help Kelly and Marshawn, his two assistant attendants, help passengers to their accommodations. "This is just epically amazing," Landon said. "I never dreamed the three of us would be rooming together. Oh, and just so you know, if you two ever want privacy just let me know and I'll give it to you." "I don't think having you around will bother us much. You have your single bed and Nolan and I have our double bed and if we need to get frisky at night, we'll keep the moans and groans down," Aiden grinned. "And you feel free to take care of your needs, too. If we want total privacy, we can let you know and do it during the day." "And just so you know, Aiden and I have no problem with the three of us messing around together," Nolan said. "This gets better and better by the minute," Landon said. "I'm good with whatever you guys want to do." "Hey, we pull out in less than ten minutes," Aiden noted. "Let's go get us some dome seats." Before anybody could take a step, Aiden called out, "Wait! Time out!" "What's with you all of a sudden?" Nolan asked. "I might not be the brightest twelve-year-old in the world, but I'm almost thirteen and I can eventually figure things out." "I had it figured out as soon as we got into our bedroom. You turn left to get to the dome." Aiden sighed and then said, "No, don't you get it?" He looked at Landon. "Landon said he didn't know until today he was traveling with us and that his dad and my dad got together about this trip a long time ago." "So?" "So, we told Landon we were going back in May when we met while we were watching the 4449 and he never said a thing about him going. Why would he keep it a secret if he hadn't even met us before?" "Could it be because I didn't know I was going?" Landon asked. "For real? You didn't know?" Aiden asked. "I had no clue my dad had done anything. But I found out the whole story on the way to the train station today. You see, it wasn't set up with your dads, Aiden, it was set up with Nolan's dad." "And your dad knew my dad because they were both members of the model railroad club," Nolan stated. "Exactly." "I wonder when my dads found out about all of this?" Aiden asked. "You'll have to ask them," Nolan said. "I know everybody gets a dome seat on this train, but there's nothing that says we get them together, so let's get our asses up to the dome and get us some seats." The three ended up getting three seats at one of the front tables. The layout of the dome was six tables with four seats each: two facing the front and two facing the back. The tables were anchored to the floor in three rows, two on either side of the aisle, which had a depressed floor. That meant one had to step down to get out from the table. The three blessed their good luck at getting a front table. Landon and Aiden sat facing forward and Nolan sat across from Aiden and faced backward. Aiden and Nolan agreed to switch seats along the way. Landon said he would do some switching too so everyone would have time looking forward. As the three boys settled in, the dome started to fill up. Michael entered the dome a couple of minutes later and took the open seat at their table. "Were you saving this seat for somebody?" Michael asked. "We were saving it for our friend Mason," Aiden said. "The problem is, he's in California and might not make it to the train before it leaves. So, you might as well take it unless he gets here in time." "Thank you. I promise to leave if he should make an appearance." As soon as Michael said that, they felt a slight lurch and the "Empire Builder" and its three extra cars started to pull out of the station. "It looks like the seat is now all mine." "And since he's my dad, I think he's the perfect guy to fill the seat," Landon grinned. The tables were already set for dinner, which the three attendants would start serving a half hour after the train left Vancouver. The dinner was being cooked up in the small kitchen space in the "Silver Lariat." The two chefs were experts at making good use of the small space to cook a gourmet meal. From Portland Union Station to the Vancouver, Washington Amtrak station they followed the same route that the "Coast Starlight" had followed into the station. The boys tried to take in every detail as they peered through the curved dome windows. When the train turned north and started across the Willamette River Nolan looked east and almost creamed his undies. "Whoa, look at that!" he called out. The other three at the table looked to the east and saw the beautiful volcanic peak that was Mt. Hood. Aiden and Landon were awestruck as they looked at the snowcapped 11,200-foot stratovolcano. All three of them had seen the volcano at some point in their lives, but never like this, through the sparkling clean windows of a Vista-Dome. At the Vancouver station, the track to Spokane diverged from the track to Seattle. Both were BNSF tracks, but as Landon happily shared with the couple at the table across the aisle, "The track we're taking was built by the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway, which was owned by the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railways. The track to Spokane was built by the Northern Pacific Railway. And now both railways are part of the BNSF. The red over green signal means we're getting a diverging route." After leaving the Vancouver station the train would be following the north shore of the Columbia River. This would be one of the most scenic stretches on the Portland to Chicago leg of the trip. The dome was full of gawking passengers. Since the boys were seated on the left side of the train and the river was on the right side, they had to look around the passengers at the table on the right or stand up and look over them when the good parts came. And no matter what, they had a straight-ahead view of the train, the upcoming track, and the changing signals. Aiden and Landon were busy with their cameras shooting shots out of the front window, a few out of the left, and thanks to the generosity of the passengers at the right-hand table, they got shots of the best scenes on the right side of the train. They also got pictures out of the rear facing window. A couple of times they went down into the observation lounge section and quickly got some shots out of the rear window. Knowing that Aiden and Landon would be sharing all of their pictures with him, Nolan was happy to get a couple of pictures with his phone. He knew his two friends were much more accomplished photographers than he was. Larry, Phil, Paul, and Vivian were seated on the right side at one of the rear tables. They offered to switch tables, but the boys liked having the front view and decided to remain where they were. After all, they could have sat at the right front table, but the fact that the train was facing west in the Portland station confused their decision. They vowed to be more careful the rest of the trip. William came up the stairs playing a three key hand xylophone. He had walked through the two sleeping cars tapping the xylophone with a hammer and saying in a singsong voice, "Dinner is now being served in the Vista-Dome of the Silver Solarium." The use of the xylophone to announce meal service was an old railroad tradition. Marshawn and George were the dining car servers. Marshawn was a big Black man who once played college football. George was a railroad veteran who had recently retired from Amtrak and hired on to the Zephyr cars for some extra income. Kelly and Ginger did the serving in the Silver Lariat, which seated the day passengers having dinner. Each table was covered with a white linen tablecloth. Marshawn and George had set out silverware, China plates, and cloth napkins. Everything about the Zephyr operation was first class. The dinner menu had only one four course offering. The passengers had the option of choosing how many of the courses in which to take part. Appetizer: Scallion Pancakes with Crème Fraiche and Salmon Roe. Salad: Three Bean Salad. Entrée: Roast Loin of Pork with Dried Cherry Port Wine Reduction. Quinoa Crimini Mushroom Pilaf. Roast Cauliflower with Sage. Dessert: Plum Puff Pastry Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream. The boys had next to no clue what some of the dishes on the menu were, but with the help of William and the parents the three decided to go all out and order everything. They tried everything and they all loved the pork, the mushroom pilaf, and the plum pastry. Because Nolan and Aiden had some experience eating gourmet delicacies, they liked everything. Landon decided he didn't like the salmon roe, but liked everything else, although he only tolerated the cauliflower. But the best feature of the meal was the scenery to be seen out of the dome windows. The boys were certain that no restaurant in the world had as good a view as they had on the Silver Solarium. True foamers that they were, they had no problem pausing between bites to get some photos. As they waited for the dinner dishes to be cleared so dessert could be served, the lady sitting at the table across the aisle who had been garnering train information from the boys, faced Landon, who had been her main source of information, and said, "I have another question that has me wondering," she said. "I hope we have an answer for you," Landon grinned. "Why is this train called the Zephyr? What does the word Zephyr even mean?" Landon knew that the information was in the pamphlet each passenger had found laid out on his or her bed but was polite enough not to mention it. Besides, he enjoyed showing off his knowledge to adults. Nolan and Aiden knew the answer, of course, and had a pretty good idea of what Landon's train of thought was, so to speak. "Well, it goes like this," Landon said in his polite, informative style. "Zephyrus is the name of the Greek god of the west wind, and because it was considered the gentlest of winds, he was also seen as being the god of spring. The west wind was called Zephyr. "So, when the Burlington Route built its first streamlined train it decided that since it was a western railroad, it would name the train the `Burlington Zephyr'. It was the second diesel trainset ever built. When the Burlington Route decided to make even more Zephyrs, the `Burlington Zephyr' was renamed the `Pioneer Zephyr'." "My goodness you are such a fountain of knowledge about trains. You must be a straight A student in school the way you learn facts like this." "I do pretty good," Landon admitted. "But I love trains so much I just like to learn what I can. Aiden probably knows more than I do, but he's a nice enough friend to let me do the yacking. Nolan knows a lot too." "So, then they got the `California Zephyr' to go to California. I know that was in the late 1940's." "These cars were built in 1948." "There were other Zephyrs, too," Aiden added. "The `Twin Cities Zephyrs', the `Denver Zephyr', the `Texas Zephyr', the `Kansas City Zephyrs', and the `Mark Twain Zephyr', `Nebraska Zephyr', and `Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr,' plus a couple more I'm sure Aiden would come up with." Landon grinned. Aiden shrugged, indicating he couldn't come up with any Zephyrs other than what Landon named. He did come up with the "American Royal Zephyr," but he decided not to upstage Landon and said nothing. "Goodness, that was quite a mouthful. I am so glad to be sitting next to you boys. My name is Lois by the way, and you are..." The three boys introduced themselves. "And you are the father of which of these boys?" Lois asked Michael. "I happen to be Landon's father," Michael, who was literally bursting with pride, answered. "Congratulations on being a great father and taking your son on this wonderful trip. Aiden, I assume the table you and Nolan went to visit was where your parents are sitting." The boys nodded. "Well, as pleased as I am with what I've learned sitting here, if we have a similar situation at a future meal, I'll make sure to change tables so you all can sit close to your families." The chat ended as the dessert arrived. After dessert the boys did more sightseeing, watching the signals change, checking out the westbound trains they passed, and talking about trains, model railroading, baseball, and other miscellaneous topics. After the sun set just before nine o'clock, the boys ogled at the lights of towns along the river, the lights of the boats and barges sailing the river, the signals, and the lights of the McNary Dam, and the way the headlight of the engine lit up the countryside ahead of them. The overhead lights had been shut off, making the night viewing a special treat. As the train approached the Pasco station the boys decided to take advantage of the ten-minute stop and walk on the platform for a few minutes along with their parents. When the train sounded its horn and the conductor shouted, "Board!" the three families boarded the Silver Solarium. The boys told their dads good night and Nolan accepted a peck on the cheek from his mother. The boys then went to their bedroom while the parents found seats in the observation lounge where they made friends with some other passengers. "I guess Nolan and I better set some ground rules, so we don't offend you in some way," Aiden told Landon. "Unless you, like, do your butts in front of me, I think I'm good with anything," Landon said. "Well, Nolan and I like to sleep naked together, so if we stripped naked right now it wouldn't bug you?" "I think I'd probably join you as long as you don't mind me having a boner." "I think Aiden and I have seen a few boners in our lives," Nolan chuckled. In less than a minute the boys were naked and had their clothes stowed away in the closet. William had put down the beds. Aiden and Nolan would be sleeping in the lower bunk, which was a double bed. The upper bunk, which would be Landon's bed, slept one. All three boys were sporting erections. "You've got a nice one, Landon," Aiden remarked. Landon blushed and then wiggled his rock hard five inch cut penis. He had a thin covering of pubic hairs and smooth hanging testicles. He was leaking a little precum but guessed, correctly, that his two friends wouldn't mind it, so he made no effort to hide the leakage. Nolan went into the restroom and took care of his nightly routine first. Landon lay on the bottom bunk next to Aiden. "Thanks for you and Nolan being so cool," Landon said. "I might have to take care of my bone to get to sleep, but I can do it in the bathroom, so I don't bother you guys." "It won't bother us any as long as you don't bounce so hard on the bunks you fall out of it," Aiden giggled. When Nolan came out of the bathroom, he was also leaking precum. "Whoa, look at you, Landon. You and me aren't alone in being horny. And I think Aiden is his usual horndog self, too." "Your dick is big," Landon said. "It's six and a quarter inches as measured yesterday." "You know what I think?" Aiden asked. "What?" Landon asked. Nolan knew exactly what Aiden was thinking. "I think that after Landon and take I care of our fangs and work to piss out of our hardons that all three of us should sit together on the bed and jerk off so we will get to sleep together." "I think that's an epic idea," Nolan said. "What do you think Landon?" "I think it rocks. I've never jerked off with anybody before." "And after tonight, you'll never be able to say that again." A little over five minutes later the three naked boys were ready to do their thing. Aiden came out of the bathroom carrying a bottle of Lubriderm he had tucked away into his toilet kit. Aiden was twelve and the other two were thirteen, and they were all horny pubescent boys. "What's that for?" Landon asked. "Dang, you never used lube while you jerked off?" Aiden responded. "I spit on my hand sometimes." "Well, you're in for a special treat." Landon watched Aiden and Nolan squirt lube on their jerking hands (left for Aiden and right for Nolan) and rub it onto their cocks. He then squirted some on his cockhead and did the same. "Holy smokes, this feels way better than spit," Landon said as he went right to work pounding on his dick. Landon was so fascinated by what Aiden and Nolan were doing he almost forgot to take care of himself as he came to a stop. But his right hand was soon busy going back to work doing one of its favorite tasks. He watched Nolan cum a few second later, his first squirt hitting his chin. Landon's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw not only how far Nolan shot but how much he shot. Aiden finished the action by squirting his first squirt of watery cum up to his nipples. The boys congratulated each other on their great cums and vowed to do it again. Nolan and Aiden snuggled in the lower bunk and Landon went under the covers of the upper bunk. Their post-orgasmic calmness as well as the motion and track noise of the train had them quickly dropping to sleep. Before turning the lights out, Aiden said, "By the way, Landon, the `American Royal Zephyr'." "Damn, Chicago-Kansas City overnight. How could I miss that one? Good job, Aiden," Landon said. He was certain that Aiden had intentionally kept quiet about it in the dome and loved him even more as a friend for doing that. Before Landon fell asleep, he thought about how lucky he was to be traveling with two awesome friends. He couldn't wait for the next morning when the "Empire Builder" would be traveling through the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park. The trip had gotten off to a great start for the three boys. They couldn't wait to experience the adventures that they were sure they would find ahead of them on their fabulous rail cruise. Jaden and Alex were riding the rails for different reasons than Aiden's group, but it seemed almost inevitable that they eventually would be crossing paths in the not-too-distant future. Next: Riding the Rails.