Our local town is often called a "Railroad Town" since we have rail tracks running right through the middle of it. Developers have done an excellent job of capitalizing on this to revitalize the downtown area and that continues to grow.
We still have trains come through, all freight trains (no Amtrak), but their schedule is somewhat random. Today, I went to town for a "photo session" and as I was getting out of my car I heard to whistle! This train was one of the longest I have seen in a long time. It had three engines in front and then another engine in the middle of the long line of cars. Love seeing the trains!!
I kind of have a love/hate relationship with freight trains. I grew up in a neighborhood that was between two sets of tracks. I can’t even begin to calculate how much time we spent waiting on trains to pass so we could be on our way.
I like this shot of the engine. I like to hear the train horns and engine noise at night. They remind me of summertime nights during my youth. The windows were open and there were a number of trains that stopped not far from where I lived. Good memories.
@kvphoto Thank you so much, KV! I was pleased to see the lights, too, since it made the train "pop"! Glad you mentioned the Crepe Myrtle, I had not noticed it. :- )
@carolmactx Wow! I can certainly understand! The trains coming through town here are few and usually short. There are bridges across most intersections, except right down town.
@randystreat Thanks, Kathy! I'm glad this brought up good memories. My wife grew up in a rural area, but a train ran within sight of their home. She, too, fondly remembers nights of the sound of the trains.
@thewatersphotos nah! I wish I did but my grandpa was retired and lived in another state when I was a kid. My mom got to ride it all of the time!! On a surprising note, I found out from Ancestry, that my Great Grandfather on my father's side also worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad as well and actually died from injuries he suffered after being hit by one of the trains in the fog. I did know that my mom's great aunt was struck in a car and killed by a train at a crossing (didn't see it coming from the other side when another one passed) as a teen. So, train tragedy as well!
