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The Garden Party

That brought back memories

10 years ago

The Union Pacific's steam locomotive went through town an hour ago. I knew it was going to but forgot. I was in the process of hauling tools to the shop when I heard it. You could never mistake that steam whistle sound for an air horn. It was the U.P.s locomotive no. 844. You can see this huge machine on the net. Made to haul high speed pasenger trains. It will be sitting on a sidind in North Platte for several days. To me they almost seem to be a living breathing machine. I know that is silly but they are always making noise even when they are sitting still. The romance of rail travel went out when the steamers quit.

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Comments (5)

lilosophie
10 years ago
I agree, George! Before and during WW2 I did quite a bit of rail-travel, I miss it.
User
10 years ago
Thanks for the memory, hope you have a chance to check it out.
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anneliese_32
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As little kid I did not ride a train, my father had a car and we traveled with that. Then came the day when, during a trip, the car axle broke and we went home on the train which went from Prague to Paris and back. I was in heaven, finally a train ride. Later on we went by train to school and to work. Close to my old hometown is a train museum, it's a wonderful place to visit and remember.
west_gardener
10 years ago
Oh the memories of that old train ride.
The Sacramento Train Museum has captured many of those memories.
It is worth a visit.
mawheel
10 years ago
I know I'm old enough to have heard a real steam whistle, but since I was a city girl, don't remember it with much clarity.

The "air horn" you mention must be the sound that is made by the trains of today. It may not compare with the "real" thing, but when I hear it in the middle of the night--usually a long, 2 shorts, and another long--I'm thrilled. It makes me want to go somewhere, even if only in my dreams!

The only train ride I remember is during WW2 -- 1943, maybe -- when my Father took my younger sister and me to NC to visit his parents. The train was so crowded-- lots of service men-- we had to stand most of the way. That wasn't a hardship for an 11 year old--me--and a six year old--my sister, b/c we were proud and thrilled to be in the company of so many soldiers. Our older brother was in the Army, and we were proud of him, too.

Good memories; thanks, George, for triggering them for me. :>)

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