Though lacking the romance of, oh, say, a just-sold, wooden “War Eagle” fight song music box complete with tiger (combo 1950s Donald Duck-ish sailor hat + roaring profile version) decal… here’s the description of one of the more interesting recent finds in the cutthroat market for Auburn memorabilia. Yours for only $199.50!
THE RUNAWAY TRAIN
Text and photographs by Creighton Peet
NY: Henry Holt & Co. (1943), 1st edition; approx. 60 unnumbered pages, bound in original hardcover cloth binding. In original dust jacket.
Picture book for 10-15 year old boys about a Lionel* model train that runs away from its owner David and his best friend Peter. The two boys chase the train all over the town of AUBURN ALABAMA and the book is profusely illustrated with photos of the Lionel Train in numerous Auburn locations (many of them specifically identified) like the Cary mansion, Williams Lumber Yard, the train station (just as the 4:23 from Opelika was arriving), the County Bulletin newspaper office, the College Barber Shop, King’s Flower Shop, the Tiger Cafe, the First National Bank, etc.
*You can barely make out “Lionel Lines” on a couple of the cars in one photo; and in several photos you can easily identify Lionel’s 3 rail track.
Cute and delightful book featuring the town AUBURN ALABAMA but I couldn’t identify any photos taken at AUBURN UNIVERSITY* – just photos of the town.
*Fairly certain that the last picture was taken at Graves Amphitheater.
Is the author related to Telfair Peet?
Didn’t even think about that — but yes, seems likely. Telfair Peet was Telfair B. Peet and a Telfair B. Peet in Illinois had a brother named Creighton Peet.
Hi – just happened to come across this today. The author is my great uncle “Creighton Peet.” Needless to say – that’s where I got my name! Telfair Boys Peet was my grandfather and was very active in the drama department at Auburn University. I believe “David” in this book was reference to my father David Telfair Peet.
Creighton Peet – great nephew of Crieghton Peet – author – would you happen to know who owns the copywrite on the book ‘The Runaway Train’?
Does anyone know how Telfair Boys Peet got his first name? Was he related to the Savannah Telfair family or the Charleston Telfair family?
I believe that the College Barber Shop belonged to my great-uncle. I wonder if any of the libraries in Auburn have a copy of this.
“The Runaway Train” is a remarkable book. It inspired me to get my own Lionel train set which I loved. Creighton, how did your great uncle manage to get permission from so many people to run the train and track through their properties, although probably many of the pictures were posed, with the train standing still on the track., but they are truly remarkable photos. Is there anywhere a history describing how your great uncle “staged” this? Did he produce other children’s books with photos? Thanks.
As David in The Runaway Train, I had the pleasure of chasing the train around Auburn, The kids in the pictures were neighbors and fellow pupils at Lee County High School (which actually contained grades 1-12) except Peter, who was Creighton Peet’s son. Creighton Peet was Telfair Peet’s brother.
I have a copy of this book, hard cover which I inherited. I’d like to sell it.
I have a copy too! Hardcover.
If anyone has a copy to sell, I am your guy. 423) 667-5021, david@royalpools.us.