It is the trains

[Old]

Song is old folksie but the trains are something else.

 

[Tortuga]

In 2009 the Union Pacific 844 went through town. A brother and I waited by the tracks and watched it go through. I think the 844 is one of the last operational steam engines. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_844

Edited June 12, 2023 by Tortuga

[dove]

The trains were great but such pollution!. When my kids were little, we took them on a train ride in a coal driven train. Stuck my head out the window and got a face full of ash – didn’t expect that. 😑 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Dove

[Tortuga]

We did the White Pass Alaska train excursion once, it was pretty interesting.

https://wpyr.com/

[Qapla]

It is generally agreed that the largest steam locomotives are the 4-8-8-4 'Big Boys', built by the American Locomotive Company in 1941-44. They are 39.852 m (130.74 ft) long and weigh 508.02 tonnes (1.12 million lb) with tenders.

 

There is only one of the 25 built that is still working. It underwent an extensive refit to get it into working order for the anniversary of the "Golden Spike" and is now only used for promotional excursions. Part of that refit was to convert it from coal to 

 

Crowds line the tracks and crowd the stations when this train comes to town. They say you can feel it before you see it.

 

 

 

 

 

The thing is, old steam locomotives burned wood, then coal ... yes, they pumped out a black cloud - but did they really produce more actual pollution than modern diesel-powered engines? Just because the exhaust isn't a dark color doesn't mean it doesn't pollute. Just like cars - we can't usually see their exhaust, but we know it pollutes.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Qapla

[Old]

I rode the Challenger on our to the cleveland convention in 1946.

 

[Precision]

Sounds like quite an enjoyable assembly...

Edited June 13, 2023 by Precision