Blogging on family, politics,conservatism, music, movies, history, books, poems, etc.
The Cumberland Post
My Backyard, Six Miles from the Cumberland River
Monday, July 5, 2010
Mystery Train
One of the few things I ever won in my life was a Lionel Train set at the Inglewood Theater back in 1951. I still have the old engine, tender, and a couple of the green passenger cars in the set.
I got hooked on real trains earlier than that, back in 1945 when Mom took me on a long train ride to visit Dad when he was in basic training for the Army Air Corps. He was stationed in Paris, TX, so we took the whole round trip from Nashville on a train.
These memories surfaced again last week when Big Ed sent some me some great train pics.
Then last night we watched a fairly poor independent movie called "Mystery Train," which is set in Memphis and features a few scenes on board an Amtrak. Time for a train post.
So, while you listen to Little Junior and Elvis do their versions of a great song, take a gander at the great train pics below the video. Thanks Ed.
Would you believe I rode a regularly scheduled steam train as late as 1968? It was in Japan, between the cities of Sapporo and Wakkanai (on Hokkaido). And in the summer, too, so I could hang out the window, smell the smoke, and get cinders in my hair, when not being berated by the conductor to "quit doing that!" I assume that's what he said, because he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Japanese. But some gestures are universal, as is tone of voice.
So. I've had a life-long love of trains, too. And since we're not that far apart in age I've made many a long-distance journey by train, both as a child and as an adult.
Barry, I didn't travel that much as a kid but we did take several trips to Nashville on the old Tennessee Central. My Dad worked for that RR as a fireman in 1940-41.
Buck, I took a solo train trip from Nashville to Detroit (!) back in 1956 when I was 16. I'm planning to do a post about it sometime in the future. Amtrak doesn't come through Nashville anymore so if I want a train ride I have to go to Memphis or maybe Knoxville (not sure about Knoxville though). The last train trip I took was in 1963. I rode "The City of New Orleans" from Hammond, LA, to Louisville and then took a Greyhound over to Richmond, KY to interview for an instructor's job at Eastern Kentucky U. It was a great ride up and back. And I got the job!
Would you believe I rode a regularly scheduled steam train as late as 1968? It was in Japan, between the cities of Sapporo and Wakkanai (on Hokkaido). And in the summer, too, so I could hang out the window, smell the smoke, and get cinders in my hair, when not being berated by the conductor to "quit doing that!" I assume that's what he said, because he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Japanese. But some gestures are universal, as is tone of voice.
ReplyDeleteSo. I've had a life-long love of trains, too. And since we're not that far apart in age I've made many a long-distance journey by train, both as a child and as an adult.
Great post.
I've also had a life-long love for trains probably because that's the way we traveled when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteBarry, I didn't travel that much as a kid but we did take several trips to Nashville on the old Tennessee Central. My Dad worked for that RR as a fireman in 1940-41.
ReplyDeleteBuck, I took a solo train trip from Nashville to Detroit (!) back in 1956 when I was 16. I'm planning to do a post about it sometime in the future. Amtrak doesn't come through Nashville anymore so if I want a train ride I have to go to Memphis or maybe Knoxville (not sure about Knoxville though). The last train trip I took was in 1963. I rode "The City of New Orleans" from Hammond, LA, to Louisville and then took a Greyhound over to Richmond, KY to interview for an instructor's job at Eastern Kentucky U. It was a great ride up and back. And I got the job!
ReplyDelete