Be that as it may, I occasionally get questions on my fascination with trains. This slow day gives me the opportunity for a quick answer.
Trains just remind me of a more simple, care free time. Trains under the Christmas tree, getting stopped by a train while on a Sunday family drive, counting the cars, waiting for the cute little caboose to pass, watching the crossing arms drop and then lift, the glowing lanterns...
There is something else, and it was triggered when I took a look at this old LIRR passenger car in Honesdale. I apologize for the bad sun angle here. The view from the other side wasn't very good.
If I saw a freight train, I wonder where it's been, where it's going, what it's hauling, the places it's seen. It kind of reminds me of Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans." Listen carefully to the lyrics.
If it's a passenger car, of course, it's all about the people. Commuters? Long distance? Who on board was having a great day? A rotten day? Family waiting at home?
You see, trains are more than machinery. They are stories on wheels.
