A railfan was walking along the tracks when he came across an old lantern covered with ash and dirt. When he picked up the lantern and began cleaning it, naturally, a genie suddenly appeared. “Since you have freed me from the lantern, you can make a wish,” the genie who was attired in coveralls and an engineer’s hat announced.
“I thought genies always granted three wishes,” the railfan said.
“Those are the lamp and bottle guys,” the genie explained.
The train fan nodded his understanding.
“Okay then let’s have a request unless you want to stand around and discuss waning wizard wishes.”
The railfan quickly replied, “I would like a railroad built to Hawaii.”
The genie stared at the railfan and shook his head. “That’s nearly impossible,” he stated. “How about something else?”
The train fan thought a moment and said, “I wish all the Amtrak trains would run on schedule.”
The genie rolled his eyes. “About that Hawaii thing. Let’s skip sidings and go for double tracks from Honolulu to LA. I assume you want diesel power.”
