Trains

The Hogwart’s Express is not for me, and I don’t think I would have done well in an Agatha Christie murder story. Freight trains are my love.

When I traverse the Plains I am always awed by the length of these beasts transporting our nation’s resources. While most people probably give thanks for missing the RR crossing bars when they clang and bang down, I am excited when I get to sit and watch the train go by. The coolest train view I ever had was the BNSF route through El Paso, as viewed from the top of Mount Cristo Rey. You could see the lines snaking for miles and miles through flat land on their way to the southernmost end of the line.

Years ago, I used to count my blessings when I missed the train crossing because it could make me late for work – it was one that slowed through the city and you never knew how long you would sit! You could sigh a bit, and then you would go, “Oh no!” The train would stop and reverse. All I could do was turn off the engine and relax. That was before a person could track online schedules and know exactly where and when the crossing bars would be doing their job. Pre-GPS and cell phones. Those days did exist, didn’t they? Oh – more about maps another day!

I can’t count the cars well anymore. That’s a good thing – because I’m driving. The road really should take precedence. (That was always a game for the kids to make the event worth noting.) And I can’t see the graffiti as well when the tracks are in the distance – so I can’t wonder who had the gumption to crawl between cars and tracks and tag those big boxes with their monikers – or what in the world their symbols mean? But if I get to stop for one, I relish the opportunity.

Freight trains are great for the imagination. As my Mother-in-law says – a little “razzle dazzle” in the day.