WHEN I WAS A KID

When I was a kid, about 10 or 12 years old, I had an electric train set in our basement.  It was an O-guage Lionel model (3-railer).  It had a coal fired steam engine and a box car, a coal car and a flat car.  Of course, it included a caboose.

I assume someone gave the set to me for Christmas but I can't remember getting it.  The track was set in an oval on a large table with a large controller.  I had several buildings made of plastic and I tried to fix it up to look realistic.

I wanted to have simulated gravel around the tracks and I found the "perfect" item to put there; rock salt used for melting snow and ice.  I sprinkled it all along the tracks.

Then came my introduction to chemistry.  Salt is a chemical (NaCl).  Tracks are made of metal (Fe).  Old basements are humid (H2O).  Air is everywhere (O2).  What do you get?  RUST!  I ruined the tracks.

So much for model railroading.
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