No one who heard the whistle will ever forget it.
It was wild, high-pitched, and piercing. If conditions were right, it could be heard over much of the Twin Cities. It beckoned you to drop whatever mundane things you were doing and come on over and join the fun.
It was the whistle of one of the miniature steam locomotives at the House of David Amusement Park in Benton Township.
"More than any other attraction at the park, miniature trains spread the colony's fame," wrote historian Robert Myers in "Millennial Visions and Earthly Pursuits: The Israelite House of David."
The trains, built almost entirely by members of the religious colony, ferried people from parking areas on Britain Avenue to the amusement park. It wasn't a long ride -- the park was actually within easy walking distance of Britain Avenue -- but the ride was so much fun and cost so little that hardly anyone could resist the temptation.
You boarded the train in a small station. In case you had to wait a few minutes, the station sold souvenirs, religious tracts, and most especially the heavenly House of David ice cream cones.
Each engine pulled several covered cars. You got aboard, the train gave a gentle jolt as it got started, and then came that whistle as it cleared the station -- deliciously frightening, almost a deafening noise that close.
After a ride that was all too brief, the train pulled into another station. And then there was a short walk down some stairs to the wonders and fun of the amusement park -- the miniature racing cars, pony rides, the beer garden, a vegetarian restaurant, dances and shows at the amphitheater, and the fabulous penny arcade.
All good things must come to an end, and the House of David Amusement Park finally closed for good in the 1970s. Little remains visible except for the roof over the amphitheater. Nature is reclaiming Eden Springs, the site of the park.
But the end is not yet here for the trains. One of them later this spring or in summer is due to begin carrying people once more, at a new railroad museum in Findlay, Ohio.
The Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation group, organized in 1998, bought one of the locomotives from the House of David in May 2000. Group President Dennis Russell said work on the engine is "99 percent done."
The group, which is also building a railroad museum, hopes to have the train up and running this spring or summer, Russell said. Volunteers are putting down a half-mile of track, and that project is about half finished, he said.
The engine had a 1974 state sticker, and has been in storage at least since then, Russell said. But except for the boiler -- the one part not built by the House of David -- and some "minor wear," it was in excellent shape, he said.
"It was built with such excellent workmanship," Russell said admiringly. "It had a lot of longevity built into it."
Work on the boilers has been done by certified welders, as boiler safety has become a concern since an antique tractor exploded recently, Russell said.
"Safety is the first concern, especially when you're the person sitting behind the boiler," Russell said.
The engine is actually one of the second-generation House of David trains. The colony built smaller locomotives in 1908, which were replaced by the larger trains in 1948, according to Myers' "Millennial Visions and Earthly Pursuits."
Russell isn't certain where he got his passion for trains.
"Who knows where the infection starts?" Russell said. "When I was a kid, I had a train. It just kind of escalated from there."
Russell said the museum will show people the importance of the railroads in the development of America.
"We're history buffs, and to really be aware of how the U.S. progressed over the years, the railroad was a key factor in that," Russell said. "It still is -- people don't realize how much freight is moved over the railroads."
People interested in finding out more about the railroad museum and the House of David train project may visit the museum's Web site at: http://www.nworrp.org/.
