The train turntable Ruth encounters in the book, the massive mechanism used to rotate locomotives from one track to another, can be seen and experienced firsthand at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Located at the former Southern Railway Spencer Shops, once one of the largest steam locomotive repair facilities in the country, this 60-acre site now tells the story of North Carolina's railroading, automotive, and aviation history. Visitors can explore the Bob Julian Roundhouse (the largest surviving roundhouse in North America) walk through the massive Back Shop, and start their visit at the Barber Junction Depot, an authentic 1898 train station that now serves as the museum's visitor center. Best of all, guests can still ride the 100-foot-long turntable in person, seeing exactly the kind of machinery that turns up in Ruth's story.