Essays taken from a weekly newspaper column published in the Washington County News, Washington, Kansas. Look for my book, "Dispatches From Kansas," available from Amazon.com, or from the author.
My first train ride was with my Dad. We went to Iowa City to see a football game. It must have been c.1955. It was a coal-burner - I can remember pieces of coke blowing in the window, and horsehair seats! Well, and a whole lot of men acting really funny and drinking stuff out of thermoses that I couldn't have!
I used to sit on the front steps of our house and listen to the train whistles. There's no more beautiful sound in the world. Makes me want to go.
Linda-- This was a monstrous steam locomotive that looked really cool, and I'm not really into trains. After seeing it chug down the tracks, though, I might change my mind. Gee, I wonder what the guys were drinking out of the thermoses? Coffee, probably. Right?
I had fantasies of shooting the engine as it goes through the old metal trellis bridge outside Frankfort but unfortunately there's absolutely no access anywhere unless you have a bazillion-mm lens. I hear there's another place down the line about a mile where you can actually overlook the train. I might try it for fun. With cooler temperatures in the morning the steam might really be blowing. Thanks for the link. You plan on seeing it?
It's the UP 844!! Great train shots. Are steam engines terrific? Max having been a machinist, he really appreciates the art of the metal. I invite you to see my photos of this train, if you haven't seen them already. http://www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/Events/UnionPacific/index.html
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5 comments:
These are wonderful. I love trains.
My first train ride was with my Dad. We went to Iowa City to see a football game. It must have been c.1955. It was a coal-burner - I can remember pieces of coke blowing in the window, and horsehair seats!
Well, and a whole lot of men acting really funny and drinking stuff out of thermoses that I couldn't have!
I used to sit on the front steps of our house and listen to the train whistles. There's no more beautiful sound in the world. Makes me want to go.
Linda-- This was a monstrous steam locomotive that looked really cool, and I'm not really into trains. After seeing it chug down the tracks, though, I might change my mind. Gee, I wonder what the guys were drinking out of the thermoses? Coffee, probably. Right?
Wow. UP844 arrives at Kansas City Union Station 1:00 p.m. Sunday, April 4, and returns Sunday, April 25, 2:30 p.m.
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/excurs/steamtr.shtml
I had fantasies of shooting the engine as it goes through the old metal trellis bridge outside Frankfort but unfortunately there's absolutely no access anywhere unless you have a bazillion-mm lens. I hear there's another place down the line about a mile where you can actually overlook the train. I might try it for fun. With cooler temperatures in the morning the steam might really be blowing. Thanks for the link. You plan on seeing it?
It's the UP 844!! Great train shots. Are steam engines terrific? Max having been a machinist, he really appreciates the art of the metal. I invite you to see my photos of this train, if you haven't seen them already.
http://www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/Events/UnionPacific/index.html
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