Lake Bluff Local
I have a traveler’s soul with that inherent desire to roam, hike and travel. I know that I’m not alone as I visit many blogs and sites of others that paddle, drive and fly around the world. My story is a love of the locomotive kind—trains.
Do you like to travel by train? Trains are more than a passing interest for me; more than transport to take me from point A to B. My pulse quickens when I hear the haunting sound of train horn in distance as it approaches a station; and I see the bright train light cutting through a still dark morning.
San Diego commuter rail
Rock Island Railroad station
I watch commuters as they stand in their self-assigned posts sleepy-eyed and still drowsy waiting for their ride to work. The majesty of a locomotive seems lost on them. Not me. I step into an old train station or terminal and wonder about the relationships that ended or began in these buildings with the arrival and departures of trains. Families anxiously awaiting their loved ones return; soldiers travelling across country on a free or less expensive ticket to ship out; the solo adventurer over the continent; and a couple’s romantic honeymoon by rail.
Georgia Heritage Museum
I’ve been on trains in California, Canada, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New York and I could go. I always get that thrill of anticipation as I approach the station. I dream of rail journeys in faraway countries and foreign cities.
How bad or good is my rail love? Well, do you know what car knocker, gum shoe or a gandy dancer is? I do. A car knocker is a railroad car inspector, a gum shoe is railroad police and a gandy dancer is a section man laying down and maintaining the rails. I’m a member of a special subculture of railroad enthusiasts. If you are part of this subculture, then you understand the allure of trains.
caboose
I’ve got to, because I hear the train whistle in the distance. What is favorite way to travel? What is your transport passion?
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you’ve written a wonderful train tribute!
your words “the bright train light cutting through a still dark morning” gave me a flashback to a decade in my life, when I used a train very early in the morning to reach my job. the tracks followed a river. icy river in winter, foggy river mostly, in summer cormorans hunting fishes, canoes waiting on the shore for the next ride, once some cattle waited on the track for the train to say hello. the locomotive could not stop quickly enough …
While I’ve sat on trains looking out the window on life moving by; I’ve watched people practicing Tai Chi in the park, snow covered landscape roll by and the ground change from farm fields to mountains. 🙂
Great post! Love you story of trains. We take trains when we travel, esp. in Europe.
it’s a freeing way to travel 🙂
Thanks for the comment on my post about Charles Dickens and trains.
I enjoyed reading your post too. I love trains. It’s strange to look back at some earlier attitudes to train travel to see how they have changed and developed. We look at train travel with general pleasure and even nostalgia now, much as Dickens looked back at the coaching age. Dickens certainly needed the train but his anxieties are understandable I think.
Train travel is one of my favourite ways to cover long distances. Children seem to be fascinated with trains, and I love how that fascination has stayed with you! 🙂
people can be sociable on a train too, I’d enjoy riding the rails 🙂
Legend has it I was conceived on the Chihuahua Pacific one fine spring break…rails in my blood, we all worked the rails, me too. I’ll trade you my berth key for another rail story…:D
you’re on 🙂
I love to travel by car, so I can see lots of the country, but this has given me the itch! I will definitely give it a try some time. Plus great pix. Quaint little train stations are like windows and old barnes. Fun to look at and photograph. 🙂
Thanks for visiting my blog, and giving me a chance to check out yours. Looks like we are fellow train travellers! It’s my favourite way to travel. Look forward to more of your stuff!