Surprise gift to Heights park gets man fired, left without any thanks

Children love the train but association votes not to thank the man who built it Children love the train but association votes not to thank the man who built it Photo: Heather/Alexander Photo: Heather/Alexander Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Surprise gift to Heights park gets man fired, left without any thanks 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

Dozens of kids played on a 40-foot-long wooden train Thursday, while the man who built it remains out in the cold, fired and without any thanks for his gift.

Paul Carr crafted the train by hand for Donovan Park at Heights and 7th Street, spending $4,500 on it as a Christmas gift to the children who play there.

Shortly after the start of the new year, he was told he was fired from his job as caretaker of Donovan Park and nearby Marmion Park because he didn't ask permission to build the train.

The operator of the parks, Houston Heights Association, released a statement saying that the Carr understood the park's policies and chose to ignore them.

"We do believe Paul’s heart is in the right place, but no one may do whatever he or she pleases with someone else’s private property – regardless of his or her long-term tenure or affiliation with this organization," the group said.

Now the HHA has voted almost unanimously against sending Carr a thank-you letter for his decades of service to the area as a civic leader, firefighter and three-term president of the association itself.

The Leader reports that there was just one vote in favor of the official thank-you from Leanne Mueller at a board meeting Monday night.

So, the Great Train Controversy of 2014 rumbles on, perhaps started by Carr himself, who went on the record to say he deliberately kept his train plan quiet.

"There are reasons it had to be done that way," Carr said shortly after the unveiling back in December."To have sold them on building something out of wood and putting it in the park here would have been a little difficult, probably. But everybody likes it now."

It appears everybody does like it. As the first sun of spring shone down Thursday, little feet ran all over the structure, which includes an engine with an MKT decal on the side, a passenger car, box car, tank car and a caboose.

"It's fun," said 5-year-old Esme Bohan. "We can pretend we are going somewhere, like to a castle or a beach."

Parents say the train has eclipsed the wooden castle next to it, which gave the park its nickname, Castle Park.

"I'm happy it's here, my kids love it, my son thinks he is driving the train, he shouts, 'all aboard!' Kids, especially little boys, they love trains," said Esme's mom, Yufang.

Safety is an issue though, the train is perfect for climbing and kids regularly jump between the carriages. There has been at least one bloody injury from a fall.

"My kids really like it," said Michelle Suddath, who lives nearby and brings her two children to the park regularly after school. "I don't know if it's the safest structure, but it's a big attraction. A lot of kids come to play with it."

At Monday's meeting, HHA said it will pay the $6,000 needed to make the train compliant with safety regulations for their insurance, reports the Leader, although it was not made clear what changes would be made.

Vice President Bill Baldwin also proposed creating a written policy prohibiting future installations from being built.

Paul Carr may not get his thank-you but he will get the chance to walk by Donovan Park every day and see the grass growing under the wooden tracks of his 40-foot train.