It really wasn't very long ago. I'm not very old. I would tell you, but I don't really know how old I'd be in Rat years. That was funny. Get it? It was funny, wasn't it? ...No, I didn't think so either. Anyway, they don't use trains as much anymore around here. I remember watching them rip up the tracks at several places. A shame.
But here are some genuine railroad tracks, just waiting for somebody to come along and take their picture. Why, I'll bet there's a train that even goes by this spot every once in awhile. Everything looks like it has been used often, and it's in good shape.
Trains are pretty loud, but I think their sound is comforting in a strange way. I always heard trains when I was a kid. I would go to sleep with all of those sounds in the not too far distance. A train was like a lullaby to me. Now they're almost all gone. I haven't heard that sweet sound in so long. It seems like a lifetime ago, and a memory away.
About all I ever hear are the commuter trains which run frequently but not the long trains that I used to see. I loved riding trains. A couple of years ago, a girlfriend and I had a lovely holiday in Switzerland where we did a good bit of rail travel between Swiss cities. That was just spectacular, of course, with scenery that was totally breathtaking. We went from Zurich to Bern to spend a couple of days there, then our friend drove us to Interlaken where we stayed overnight. From Interlaken, we took the train for an overnight stay in Geneva, then took the train from there back to Zurich for our U. S. flight. The trains were clean, completely punctual and we had wine and good cheeses to pass the time as we admired the lovely scenery.
ReplyDeleteWhen you put your ear on the railway track, you can tell the story of a incoming train.
ReplyDeleteI love shots of railroad tracks and I don't have to go very far to get them. There are tracks that run through town just a few short blocks from my house.
ReplyDeleteI grew up riding trains all over the place; my dad absolutely loves them. He now plays with them on a regular basis in his backyard; he has a garden railroad (actually, there's a link to it on my blog down the left-hand side if you care :o) I always got a terrific night's sleep on the train between the gentle rocking motion and the clack-clack of the wheels on the tracks. We used to put pennies on the tracks at the stations and let the outgoing trains squish 'em flat - I always thought that was the coolest thing...
ReplyDeleteWe took vacations on the train and I rode all over the US and Europe on them. Amtrak goes through the townI live in so it is easy to travel with them.
ReplyDeleteThere is just something special about trains. I remember wanting to follow the tracks all over the country when I was a kid. I just thought it would be so cool to end up where ever the tracks went. We still have tons of trains here in Norfolk called Norfolk International Terminals. Want to see a lot of train cars? Check out this cool pictures on their website.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.portofvirginia.com/Default.aspx
I'm not a big one for trains, as Amtrak does not allow pets on board. But my human still takes them fairly frequently. It's better than driving, she says, because she can get stuff done on the computer during the trip.
ReplyDeleteRatty, I'm a big train fan and I agree I think tracks and loco's make great shots. I was around in the UK as a kid when we had steam hauled trains. All that smoke and steam very exciting for a youngster.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid in the next decade, we have to go to 3rd world countries just to see old fashioned rail track.
ReplyDeleteI love railroads, and have always lived near one. We now have one just behind our property. About 2 trains a day. It's the Pere Marquette Rail, one of the more successful privately run short lines.
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