The little train that could: Hammond Optimist helps Tot Park bring back beloved train

On Wednesday, December 10, the City of Whiting hosted a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the installation of a brand-new toy train at Atchison ‘Tot’ Park. The park, which locals fondly refer to as the train park, is tucked away in a neighborhood on Atchison Street. 

Designed for children ages 2–7, it has long held a special place in the community. Before the park was recently remodeled, it featured a beloved wooden train that had weathered the elements for years. When renovations came, however, a new train wasn’t in the budget — until the Hammond Optimist Club stepped in.

Known across Northwest Indiana for supporting youth through service, the club works to “bring out the best in kids” by providing hope, resources, and community support. Its mission and purpose center on helping children grow to their full potential, promoting optimism, community engagement, and the development of young people. When they learned the train could not be replaced, they offered to fund and donate a new one — ensuring the heart of Tot Park lived on.

With real trains running past the fence behind the playground, the snowy ribbon cutting felt perfectly fitting. Before the ribbon cutting, Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar made a dedication and expressed gratitude to the Hammond Optimist Club for helping bring back a piece of childhood joy.

“It’s a happy day. A well-known organization in Northwest Indiana partnered with the City of Whiting to have this train installed here. It will provide continued enjoyment for children and their families in our community. Our sincere thanks to the Hammond Optimist Club,” Spebar said.

Parks Superintendent Adi Cruz shared how important returning the train was for families. The train had been there for as long as she could remember, and since the remodel, the park had felt like it was missing something.

“We just installed this new playground in Atchison Park last year. Some members of the community were a little upset because we used to have a wooden train. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fit it in with our budget and the plan for this new park,” Cruz explained. “The Hammond Optimist Club came to us looking for a way to help. We came up with the idea to get the train back. They found a company, negotiated a price, and donated it. Everyone knows this as Train Park — especially with the actual train behind it — so today we finally got the community back their train.”

Dwayne Godbolt, President of the Hammond Optimist Club, said the project perfectly reflects the group’s purpose. Godbolt has been with the Hammond Optimist Club for 15 years. He is grateful not only to be a part of the club but to be able to come together with the City of Whiting to make things happen.

“This is what the Hammond Optimist Club does. We’re here for the youth. Sometimes it’s buying baseball gloves, sometimes it’s helping with hunger or clothing, and sometimes it’s something like this — restoring something that was destroyed by Mother Nature and needed to be replaced,” Godbolt said.

With community support, partnership, and a shared love for the park, Train Park lives on — ready to welcome a new generation of young conductors.

To learn more about the City of Whiting, visit whitingindiana.com.