American Notes RAILROADS

One nation's awkward reminder of underdevelopment can be another's nostalgic reminder of days gone by. So it was that the last steam locomotive to be manufactured by the Datong Locomotive Works in China wound up with the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone, Iowa (pop. 12,500).

The 104-ton red-and-black locomotive was delivered last week to the cheers of railway buffs. "It's like watching a dinosaur come walking over the hill," exulted railroad president George Eckstein. Starting next spring, the $355,000 engine will chug along a 14-mile sightseeing route in the Des Moines River valley. Most of the 500 seats for the first trip have already been sold -- for $100 each. There are times when underdevelopment pays.