Pages from my Scrapbook:Trains of Yesterday

Last week I spotted an announcement that Union Pacific was making a stop in our city on their 150th anniversary tour.  This was one opportunity I was not going to miss. 
As it happened, I went alone on a very hot day. It was worth it.

There was a time when I frequently saw
 engines like this one going down the tracks

I like this nostalgic setting at the station.
The lamps and benches paint
 a picture of men
 reading newspapers 
and mothers tending their tots
while waiting for their train to arrive.

Step up to the caboose but watch your step!
The polished railings were so bright
 I bet they were hot to the touch!

Imagine standing on the platform and waving goodbye. In this election year it reminds me of the old "Whistle Stop" campaigns
 of a bygone era.

A the Vista Dome or Observation Car.
 We used to love to go up top
 where one could get a better look on the ride
 through the mountains, seeing rivers and animals along the way.
The passenger line we traveled on was the Great Northern, now just a memory
of one of the many railroad lines that have been absorbed over the years;
 planes began to promise quicker travel. Sometimes in our days of technology though it
seems like a great escape to hop aboard a train and take a look at our country's back yard.