Trainmen
I remember standing by the train tracks as a little girl, counting the box cars as they chugged by, waiting to cross to the park and beach on the other side. All 7 of us (5 kids and two adults) would pick a spot where we'd count the cars so we wouldn't count them twice.The high point, of course, was the caboose and the conductor or brakeman waving at us. We were in heaven when we were acknowledged. It was disappointing on those occasions when we'd be completely ignored.
I've loved trains ever since I can remember. I have no idea why, I just do. I didn't find out until a couple of years ago that my grandfather (who died when my Dad was in his teens and I never knew), worked as a bridge foreman for the Kettle Valley Railway and worked on the trestles near where I live now. That's one of my goals this year, to ride the old rail trail on my bike.
On Christmas Eve, after I picked Mom up to bring her to my house, we detoured to where the old mill is located along a dike, dissected by the railway tracks. I didn't attempt to take a photo as I was too late to get my camera set up, so we just sat and watched the train. The light was fading as the engine approached, and would have been directly on my windshield, making it difficult for us to see the engineer.
Regardless, I waved while sitting in the car, not expecting response. To my surprise and the delight of both Mom and I, the engineer tooted his horn twice in acknowledgement. We both felt like little kids again and for some reason, it really made our Christmas Eve.
Yesterday, I was out at the same place, and sure enough I could hear a train approaching. Again, not having time to set my camera up on a tripod, I figured I'd just wing it and hope for the best. As the train passed me, the engineer had his arm out the window waving at me. Unfortunately, the photo didn't turn out, but the engineer still made my day. The simple pleasures of life.
The small community I live in was a train stop decades ago, although we're lucky the CP Holiday train still stops here on it's annual run. The tracks run a couple of blocks from my house and I love hearing the rumble of the trains at night as they clack through town. One of my most popular photos in this community last year was of the red CP train engine coming towards me through fall foliage.
Obviously, I'm not the only one that loves trains. Perhaps it's in one's DNA and Grandpa passed it along. Who knows? I just hope I never lose the sense of delight I feel at seeing one.
Comments (18)
They are great off-road trails.
I do use the train regularly (TGV is pretty good ), and I find it fascinating, productive, and easy to go to wrong places.
It was pure liquid fury in action.