Five-year-old girl’s dream to drive a train comes true

Five-year-old Taylor Tenebel is battling a rare auto-immune disease but her dream to drive a train has come true, thanks to V/Line and the Good Friday Appeal.

The excited youngster was invited to take the driver’s seat at the V/Line train simulator in Docklands and experience the rumble of a train, travelling at 160 kilometres an hour.

Taylor headed to the train simulator a day after receiving treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital for her disease, which sees her immune system attack her muscles.

She sounded the horn, shouted  ‘all aboard’ and waited for passengers to alight as her train careered along the tracks.

Her mother Nicole told 3AW, ‘I think she reached 160 kilometres an hour at one stage and she was busy letting passengers on and off, and using the brake and windscreen wipers. She had a ball.’

‘It means the world to us to see her so happy,’ Ms Tenebal said.

‘To come out of treatment yesterday and come and have fun in a train, it’s been amazing.’

Written by Donna Demaio.