We all miss something from years ago.
Sometimes there are things we never thought we would miss, until they are gone.
One of those things for me are the Rock Island freight cars in ROCK Blue and White.
After I got used to seeing them and then they were painted over and used elsewhere, I miss them.
What do you miss now that it is gone?
Andrew
SD40-2s! Multimarks, and don’t forget the sidewalk on Blackfoot trail that had a good view of the Alyth yard complex!
Where to begin? Around here we still miss Conrail. But what is missed is the predecessor railroads that were numerous around here. Erie-Lackawanna is always a what if railroad–they could have had a jump on double stack trains with their large clearances. But that’s speculation, there were so many railroads around and now they and most of their lines are gone. It’s hard to imagine what things were like at one time, though we have enough abandoned structures around to help. I am sure a lot of people will say they miss steam, I wasn’t around for it.
In March of 1970, Burlington Northern was created with the merger of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Spokane, Portland & Seattle and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. It is becoming an increasingly rare event to spot any freight equipment lettered for any of these roads. I didn’t begin to develop a serious interest in photographing trains until about 1975, and now I am wishing I had done so long before that point in time.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
“There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run, when the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun, long before the white man and long before the wheel, when the green, dark forest was too silent to be real.” Gordon Lightfoot
…The Pennsylvania RR and their many passenger trains and the B&O RR.
Also, the priority that was assigned to those passenger trains…
The many quaint depots that dotted the little towns and their activity even in the evening with lights shining and the signal lit at most of them trackside…
I could go on but that’s a few…
The original station buioldings along the lines. Many were derelict but now by far most are gone . Also cabooses are missed and seem to be forgotten. DT&I cars.
I miss hooping up train orders–and catching them at 50 or better.
I miss trains in Michigan–it seems to be a state that’s not participating in the resurgence of railroads everywhere else.
I especially miss the GTW west (not southwest) of Durand.
I miss the sound of jointed rail beneath me at sixty-plus–especially while kicked back in the cupola of a nice-riding caboose!
I miss the CNW–its freight cars are disappearing a lot more quickly than SP’s, or even MP’s.
I miss the CNW’s pride in smooth operation on a shoestring.
I miss the yard clerks, who used to be almost as numerous as the yard crews.
I miss a lot of the characters who have retired and since moved on or passed on.
I miss having little ones to take train-watching and show off–“That’s not a choo-choo, it’s a scoot!”
Life goes on.
…The railroads from when I was a kid-Chicago Northwestern, and The Milwaukee Road.
Hmmm, that’s funny… [#ditto] !!! Also, the Wisconsin Central…
I miss the CGW, CNW, RI, and IC, even tho I never actually saw any of them.
Riding with Lehigh Valley Crews. Running CR trains up the lake shore. Riding the domes of the GN Empire Builder in 1969. Riding the California Zephyr from San Francisco to Chicago in 1968.
LC
I miss the Milwaukee Road.
And the CNW.
Two railroads from my youth that I was way too young to appreciate.
I miss the interurban between Great Lakes Training Center and Chicago. At night northbound when leaving the third rail to the overhead, the whole thing would coast to a stop in the dark. We young sailors would laugh as the trainmen hooked up to the trolley wire out there in the cold night.
Bob
CNW engineer ‘Ernie’ who gave me a ride on a 3 MU set of SD40-2’s when I was a kid, the CNW in general, and CNW’s 1385.
Burlington Northern befor the merger and southern pacific oh and of course the DRGW
The sleeping cat on the sides of Chessie boxcars and locomotives.
The SP throught Texas.
The Bangor and Aroostook through Northern Maine.
The MP sawblade emblem.
Hancock air whistles. The railroad I grew up next to used them, it’s hard to explain how annoying regular diesel air horns sound when you’re used to the Hancock’s.
Fortunately for you, 1385 isn’t gone… just out of service! Still, it would be nice to see 'er back on the rails again, like when I was 12 and rode the museum train behind 'er…
I’ve done that too! Did you ‘Stop the robbery’ on the train? I still have my “Hero” ribbon from that! God…I need to get to Mid-Continent!
Nope, we didn’t have that… I did get nicely covered in cinders, though!!!