For man with Down syndrome, Independence Mall's train is his passion

WILMINGTON -- At Independence Mall, John Wesley Corbett is known to mall walkers and store clerks as the mall's unofficial train conductor.

Corbett, who has Down syndrome, has a child-like fascination with the train that passes through the corridors of the Wilmington mall.

"He loves it better than anything that I know of," said his mother, Lillian Corbett. "He just loves it -- Why? I couldn’t tell you."

The 46-year-old rides twice a day -- almost everyday -- wearing his train conductor hat, said "It's Just Train Fun" owner Annette Stover.

"We don't hand those out to just anybody," Stover said about the conductor hat she and the other staff members gifted to Corbett.

In the four years the train has run in the mall, the ladies who work at the train have given Corbett all sorts of train whistles and toys. But their small token gifts to him are nothing compared with the joy he brings the other conductors.

"He just makes it all worth it," Stover said.

Corbett often teases the ladies at the train that he plans on marrying them and steals kisses on the cheek when he can. Each year at the mall's Christmas events he rides the train in with Santa and other children. Then he gets photos with his fellow conductors.

"I'm told he takes those pictures everywhere, even to church, and shows them to people and shows people his girlfriends," Stover said.

Lillian Corbett said her son has a whole collection of the photos in his room and he shows them to anyone who shows up at the house.

"Even if someone has seen (the photos) 50 times already, that's alright, he shows them the pictures again," Lillian Corbett said.

His older brother Robert Corbett said just about everyone in the mall knows John Wesley. Robert typically picks him up for their outings where they walk some laps at the mall, then go on a few train rides.

Two rides is never enough

But trains were not always his love.

More than a decade ago Corbett always toted a sheriff's deputy badge and loved being around police officers. He also collected music records and movies at one time too. Robert Corbett said his recall for songs was incredible. Corbett also wrapped silverware at Outback Steakhouse for nearly two decades, but now is retired.

"In some ways he is so brilliant," Robert Corbett said.

Stover said as she has watched Corbett's fascination with trains grow, it is a deep connection she has seen in other mall visitors.

"Because trains built this country, people can connect with them on a cellular level," she said. "I have seen 80-year-old men just see the train and start to cry, because especially for those older people who spent their lives working on trains, trains are magical and our train can bring people back."

When asked why he loves the trains so much, Corbett said he just liked riding the trains because he wants to and -- of course -- because of the girls.

His love for trains is so deep, his two rides a day are never enough for Corbett. After the rides he tells Stover, "I think I have another one, right?"

Corbett was also asked about his favorite memories on the train, but instead spoke of his least favorite memory.

"It broke down," he said. His mother explained he was referring to the time more than a year ago the train broke down for a few weeks and had to be sent to Georgia for repairs.

"That just tears him up that he didn't get to ride," Lillian Corbett said. "Because the train is sort of his whole life you might say, and he loves it far beyond anything you could imagine."

Reporter Ashley Morris can be reached at 910-343-2096 or Ashley.Morris@StarNewsOnline.com.