Rusty I havn't done a lot of the stuff your grandpapy did but I did stand beside the track and watched the F7's coming at me while I held up the stick with train orders for the Hog Head and Contuctor. I even hitched a ride in the cab of a F7 from one job to another. The biggist thing of my life when I got to hitch a ride on a Cab forward Malley. That was really something. I climbed up to the cab while it was waiting at a siding for a train to come by. The moment the train cleared the spring switch, we backed up onto the main line and the Engineer poored the steam to it and when we caught up to the caboose we slowed down and kissed the coupler to help the train over the hill. All this without stopping. This was once in a lifetime experierence and I cherish that ride to this day. This was way back around 1958 on the SP line between Klamath Falls Oregon and Alturas California. We lived right next to the track and saw that old cab forward many times. I sure wished I had remembered to get the Number of it. Dick
Why do I like Trains? Good question. I like trains because of a retired Pennsylvania Railroad engineer, who lived across the alley from my parents house. Ruff and tough old bird, hard living, hard drinking guy, but always had time for us kids. When he found out that I was interested in trains as a boy, he would always come get me if he had to to the roundhouse or yard office. I like trains because of Southern Railway #4501 2-8-2 Mikado. At 12-13 I was at the maiden steam tour of this engine. Got to ride across the Ohio River bridge in the CAB when the engine was being turned on the wye in Louisville Kentucky. I like trains because of Nickel Plate Road #765 2-8-4 Berkshire running at passenger speed(40-60) mph across Southern Railway,s Louisville--St. Louis line. I was in the cab for about 40--50 miles there too. I like trains because there is no feeling in the world like being trackside and having an engineer friend, who you were just talking to ,while waiting on a siding to make a meet, wind up a set of 5 Southern SD40-2's as he tries to get his fully loaded coal train moving up grade out of the siding. Just pure raw power everywhere, you can feel it. I am now a MODEL RAILROADER. It is a good hobby to be in. You meet a fine group of people in this hobby. NMRA, NTRAK, NHRS, L & N Historical Society, Monon Historical Society and the Kentuckiana Society of N-Scalers(KSONS) each club has a fine base of people in it. These are just some of the many reasons, I LIKE TRAINS!! ------------------ Let's Go Run Trains MARK [This message has been edited by porkypine52 (edited 31 December 2000).]
