Topeka  held its annual Railroad Days Celebration
over Labor Day weekend.
This year the event was held in the downtown area and,  for the first time as part of Railroad Days, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Shops were opened to the public for tours.
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad has been a part of the Topeka scene since incorporation of the company in 1872.
My uncle, Chris Martin, was a blacksmith at the Santa Fe Shops years ago, so we were interested in seeing their operation. The tour was interesting, with large locomotives (some had been involved in train wrecks) inside the tall  building while being repaired.
Outside, a railroad lab car and a new engine were on display, so we climbed aboard.
It was an interesting tour.