For the last year in Korea, I have not heard a train whistle-except for the two week visit with my family. It is good to hear the distant—and not so distance sound of the train’s horn.
It is the little things that we miss when we are away. And for me, and my love of trains, it was the train whistle and the sound of the railroad. I have always loved trains, I remember hearing a distant train passing through town growing up. To hear these trains, I would have to be outside, but the Army has given me more and more opportunity to be close to active tracks. In Virginia, we were close to a major connection between the South and Washington, DC. This was probably my first opportunity to be close to an AMTRAC serviced rail line. Then, in our move to El Paso, I had the great opportunity to begin photographing them and seeing them frequently and hearing them daily. As we moved to Kansas, I had another opportunity to enjoy being close to two very active lines, as they led in and out of the major Kansas City yards of BNSF and Union Pacific. And now that I am back in El Paso, I look forward to more and more enjoyment of the trains as they pass.
I walked outside tonight and was able to hear the sounds of a nearby BNSF line as a train was traveling into El Paso. Down the hill behind my house, I am frequently seeing trains on the Union Pacific line and hearing their horn as they approach different intersections. It is an exciting time for me as I, once again, am able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the freight trains passing by. I am thankful that they are once again a part of my life.