If you can remember this, what was your FIRST train like?
What was the first train you ever saw like, how old were you, and what did you do? What I remember, is that I was at Beloit Ave. in Janesville, WI, and I just went through the intersection of Kellogg Ave, when Reuther Way wasn't even made yet. The lights started flashing, the gates began to close, and my dad rolled down the window so I could hear the mechanical bells clinging. All I remember was that it was a Union Pacific Autorack train switching early in the morning back when GM was still alive and running. It took forever and remember saying is this ever going to end? I realized it was when it backed up of course. I was 3 at the time so my parents remember this too and they told me I freaked out because I was so excited. This was back when the crossing had 2 gates instead of four, and I haven't found a picture of the crossing with only 2 signals. But that's basically what I remember. Then after that the trees would be moving that were right next to the crossing and think a train's going through. Then I realized there's no train. I was soooo sad LOL.
Samurai Hoghead2010-10-17T21:16:45Z
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Oh I remember in detail. The experience literally shaped the rest of my life.
Its odd how things turn out, sometimes. For example, Andy and I have never met and only became aware of the other right here in the good ol' rail category, despite the fact we both worked for the SP on adjoining divisions, and that our fathers worked together, even when on opposite sides of the fence. Andy's dad worked his way up the union ranks, while mine went up the corporate ranks. You see, back then, the men had integrity and above all, a handshake was better then a signature.
Early '58 I was handed over from a vestibule of a company car by my dad to two waiting brothers on an old Baldwin switcher that had come behind the car to turn it and added to a train headed from Monterrey to SF.
I wanted no part of it. Screaming, kickin', cryin' nope, nope, nope, I wasn't interested. Then two amazing things happened. I was unceremoniously plopped on the fireman's lap (I've always wondered what he thought of this screaming kid in his lap) and he reached into a pocket on his bibbies and produced an already opened roll of Butter Rum Lifesavers and shoved one into my mouth. I immediately closed it, which was the point of the exercise.
THEN, he showed me the valve for the bell and instructed me on its operation. I boldly opened the valve, the clapper started hitting the bell and EUREKA! I had the POWER! I WANTED MORE!! (Evil chortle here)...
It may have been preordained as a third generation rail on both sides of the family, but it was something that I really wanted to do, and the fire was lit that day. That makes me one of the luckier people on the planet. How many of us do get to realize that childhood ambition?
Then to sweeten the deal, it was the SP. There is a reason why it was known as the "Friendly SP." Can you see a company pick-nick or company sponsored Christmas pageant coming your way from the UP or NS in the near future? They used to happen on the SP, and all across the system.
SP people were some of the best human beings and best rails I ever encountered. This is why I object to the term "Fallen Flag" being applied to the SP. Any flag only falls from defeat. We were never beaten. We were sold out... There's a difference...
The only thing I can complain about is that perhaps I was born 40 years too late...
My first train experience was in Windsor Ontario.I lived on Howard Ave. , one house and one junkyard away from the Essex Terminal Railway tracks. At the age of 4 [1954] , I would ride my tricycle to the crossing , no signals then , and watch 0-6-0 switchers shuffle about on the "city " branch. Always accompanied by my best friend , Mike Durand . If there weren't any trains to watch , we had the "sheeny" men waiting to be weighed in at "Meretsky's" junk yard. Their horse drawn wagons were always worth a long investigation . Then it was a tricycle race down the block to "Purity Dairy's" .More horses there too. The tracks are gone now , so is the junkyard and the dairy. ETR 0-6-0 #9 is still around in museum service as well as their little cabooses that they had back then. And Mike, well he's still my best friend , though we haven't raced our tricycles in years.
My dad was an engineer for 44 years so some of my oldest memories are of trains.I remember many times going with him to the depot to get his paychecks.I got my first cab ride when i was 5 on a Southern Pacific passenger train.I still remember climbing the side ladder of that old Black Widow engine with my dad behind me to make sure i didn't fall.When i was 9 my dad took me to work with him and i spent the day on a switch engine(including about an hours worth of time at the controls).I even got to kick a few cars! I never had a clue that day that 46 years later i would have 35 years service on the railroad myself.One of my only regrets is that i don't still work for the Southern Pacific.I sure do miss them.
My first train ride was on the Tweetsie Railroad at age 4. It was fantastic until the train was held up by vicious outlaws (college students in costume, working for the summer). Quite a bit upsetting. Got back to find my baby sister and my grandpa had been thrown in jail.
The railroad consists of a 3 mile track, with 2 coal-fired steam engines. And Cowboys and Injuns.
All I can remember it was a VERY scary experience. LOL But it was kind of fun too. I was about four years of age, and me and my family were just sitting at the crossing waiting for the train to go on by. Man it was so long and so very loud!