The Locomotive Oak

By Gayle Switzer

"Some trains run on coal. Some run on steam. This one runs on sap, clockwork, and a very brave cup of chamomile tea."

Eleven-year-old Arthur's life at the abandoned Railway Station is as gray as the rainy Oregon sky. Under the watchful, sour eyes of his strict aunts, his days are filled with endless chores and zero adventure. His only escape is the deep, whispering woods behind the tracks. But the woods are hiding a secret.

Deep in the mist, Arthur stumbles upon the Locomotive Oak-an impossibly massive, hollowed-out fallen tree. Inside, it isn't filled with rot and leaves, but with gleaming brass levers, copper steam pipes, and a crew of brilliant, oversized, and delightfully polite wood-boring beetles led by Grubbert (a monocle-wearing beetle with a passion for engineering).

When a sudden, fierce storm uproots the giant oak and sends it crashing onto the abandoned railway tracks, the brakes fail, the gears lock, and Arthur is swept away on a wild, accidental cross-country journey. Alongside his tiny, six-legged mechanics, Arthur will have to navigate forgotten railways, outsmart greedy land developers, and learn that sometimes, the best way to find where you belong is to let the tracks take you there.

A modern classic, The Locomotive Oak is a heartwarming, whimsical adventure about finding your crew in the most unexpected places.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H918FDBG
• ISBN13: 9798187470082
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"