There's something about trains. The massive box cars gliding across wooden planks, rolling, lumbering, breathing like giant metal beasts. Hearing the brakes screech over the monotonous thump thump, thump thump is so exhilarating. Whenever I see a train I have to stop and watch. I love to see all the different types of cars, the various colors and rusty boxes -- I love to wonder where they've come from, where they're going. And an added bonus for me is to see all the wonderful splashes of color thanks to various steel heads within the graff community telling us who they are and where they're from. It is this rolling gallery of art on wheels that makes my day, even when I get caught at a train crossing.
I used to hate to wait at these crossings, but now I yearn for it.
I know what you mean, and with steam trains everything's multiplied a hundred times. I was steam train mad as a kid, and the sound of a train whistle still reminds me of childhood holidays at my Grandparents. They lived one side of a valley, and along the other ran a railway. I used to sit and watch them pulling in and out, leaving a huge trail of steam behind them. Very cool.
ReplyDeletesome great photo's out of the bunch you took there! nice work
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the most gorgeous photographs you've ever taken. I love it. and beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteTrains up here on the prairies are a sight to behold. I used to draw them as a little kid on rolls of adding machine paper and they'd run for like, 20 or 30 feet across the floor.
ReplyDeletebtw, Ward: I think I posted this before, but thatnks for the shoutout. People were coming to visit from all over on account of that link.
For most of my life I had no particular interest in trains, but in the past year I have had three experience that changed me into a train fan: 1.) see the film The Station Agent (really good) 2.) Seeing the cool model train exhibits at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and Hartsfield-Jackson airport 3.) reading an excellent series on modern coal trains in the New Yorker. And now, of course, I have this great pic by Ward to add to the list!
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