Pulled by a 12-horsepower Cub Cadet riding lawnmower with Long at the wheel, the train has 32 Radio Flyer red wagons in tow. It stretches out 160 feet from beginning to end.

Over the years the passengers in the wagons have been Long’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the children and grandchildren of Long’s former patients in his practice as a medical doctor.

Long, 87, who had a boyhood fascination with trains, said his first actual parade entry was in 1955 when he put together a wagon train for the Lions Club.

“That first train had three wagons and a wheelchair,” Long said.

Long said the Rotary Club in Belton had an older membership at that time.

“We put one of our members in the wheelchair with a sign that said, ‘Voted most active member of Rotary,’” Long said with a chuckle. “A man followed alongside who would pour water over him every so often.”

Long said the Rotarians took the jibe in a good spirit of comradeship.

Later the wagon train entry grew in size and used the theme of the Belton Railroad - a spur line owned by private investors that ran from the Rockwool plant in Nolanville to the MKT Railroad’s main line.

“We had a tank car, box car, dining car, president’s car and an observation car,” Long said.

When Long’s daughter had children Long thought it might be fun to put together a train to pull his grandchildren.

“I had three grandchildren at the time so I put four wagons together - one for each of three grandchildren and one for my oldest son who rode in the last wagon,” said Long.

Long said as more grandchildren came along he kept adding wagons. Many of his patients had children who asked to be included.

“Then we started having great-grandchildren,” Long said. “I just kept adding wagons.”

Long said he stores the wagons in his garage and storeroom and gets them out in May to begin oiling wheels and making repairs. In the beginning he could line them up on his patio. At 160 feet, the train now snakes its way around his side yard.

Long said a chain runs the entire length of the train to take the stress off the individual tongue handles on each wagon. He has come up with a U-Bolt device on the rear axle of each wagon that wires the tongues in place so that they will track properly when the train is taking a corner.

The last wagon has a braking system so that his son, who rides that wagon, can slow down the column when the train is going down an incline.

Long’s day begins early on July Fourth. At about 6 a.m. he leaves his house to reach his queuing site on Pearl Street between Ninth and 10th streets.

“We have flags on each wagon to alert motorists, but I don’t see more than six or eight cars at that time of day.”

Long said he travels south on Beal Street and crosses 13th Avenue and Sixth Avenue along the way. He said it takes a little time to get all 32 wagons across intersections but motorists who come along stop and wait.

“Everybody along the way waves and hollers, some more than others,” he said.

This year Long’s wagon train will be entry No. 20 behind the dignitaries and marching bands.

The program begins at 9 a.m. today on the north steps of the Bell County Courthouse. Brig. Gen. Paul Wentz, commanding general of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) at Fort Hood, will be the guest speaker.

At 10 a.m. Belton resident and Grand Marshal Bernita Peeples, with Wentz at her side, will give the order for the parade to start.

The theme this year is “We the People,” and according to event organizers is steeped in nostalgia and traditions of family values.

Floats, decorated vehicles, bicycles, antique cars, local celebrities and marching bands will make up the parade that queues up at 10th Avenue and Main Street. It will loop its way through the downtown area going south on Main to Central Avenue, north on Birdwell and to completion at Fourth Avenue.

The parade was first held in 1850. It has celebrated 90 consecutive years since 1913. More than 30,000 attended last year.