"My Kids" made many appearances on charter trains and other special events......some of which I invented (ever hear of "Class Lamp Thursdays"?....probably not). Through the years My Kids have traveled much and have been on most locomotives I have run. I refused to put them on diesels (that was just silly and wrong) and they didn't ride on any geared engines. But they did get rides on SP 2248 in Ft. Worth, T&P 316 at Texas State and spent many a mile on SLRG 18. They got a trip to Silverton on 478 once, but I wasn't on the engine. The trip on 478 is I believe the only engine they were on that I never ran.

As to why the Grande went with these lamps, I have no idea. Some (or most) new locomotives came with bull's eye class lamps (like the 480's).