Bob‘s Corner
A reminiscent kind of guy
From our weekly issue dated March 10, 2010
Continuing my sidings to the past, I feel remiss in that my memory wanderings last week neglected to include the huffing, puffing, clickety-clack and gentle swaying of railroad trains pulled by steam locomotives as I remember them.
Yes, I“m old enough to recall when steam was king. Diesel locomotives were hard on the heels — or, if you will, close behind cabooses, club cars or the last Pullman car — and I still kind of resent that.
Apparently the hypnotic movement and sound of rolling over the rail joints first took a spot in my brain when I was 9 months old. Obviously (maybe not) I don“t recollect the trip from San Diego to El Paso, Texas. But somewhere in a box marked “Bob“s Stuff,“ there is a small wooden plaque with a depiction of an ancient holy man protectively holding a small child. On the back of the plaque is written, “Robert“s first train ride. October 1944.“
From later years, I can remember the excitement of going to the Santa Fe Union Station in San Diego to climb aboard the train that would take my mother and me to her native El Paso to visit family each summer. We took that trip every year until I was in the seventh-grade.
Unfortunately, I feel, we began riding Greyhound Bus Line coaches around 1954. There“s a bit of railroad history involved, so let“s stay on track.
Originally, the San Diego and Arizona Railway pulled our train southeast, skirting the Mexican border and navigating the scary Carriso Gorge. Passenger service through there ended in 1951. For a few years, before switching to Greyhound, we would take a Santa Fe train to Los Angeles; then transfer to a Southern Pacific train. And I think at some point our train would be pulled by Texas Pacific. Or maybe it was Morgan“s Texas and Louisiana Railroad.
Anyway, what I really want to impart is the wonderful feeling of movement when aboard a train, especially one pulled by a steam locomotive. Add the flashing lights and signal bells at railroad crossings, plus the sound of a steam engine whistle, and you“ve got yourself one fine memory. There is a special feeling of freedom aboard a train.
And there is almost nothing that feels as good as sitting in a dining car, enjoying a meal as the countryside whizzes past. In fact, you can chew-chew right along with the choo-choo. OK, sorry about that.
So much has changed in railroading. Santa Fe and Burlington Northern are now one line, known as BNSF. Southern Pacific was taken over by Union Pacific. Amtrak has had its share of problems; light rail is working in many locales, but losing money. Ah, but there still are excursion trains, and those can stoke your memories.
Diesel engines are strong, yeah. But for railroadanaity they cannot compare to a Big Boy 4-8-8-4 articulated steam engine with its four leading or pilot wheels,16 driving wheels and four trailing wheels. Or a Bull Moose 2-8-8-0 or even a Santa Fe 2-10-2 or 2-8-2 Mikado.
I“m still steamed.
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