Why are people fascinated with trains ?

[TBat55]

The art in engineering. The feeling you get when you look at something that you worked hard at for a very long time. All the pure work effort put into railroads. Millions of spikes, tunnels through solid rock, bridges over impossible terrian. Ya gotta love it.

[Anonymous]

It's in my genes.

[Anonymous]

I read most of these responses and feel the same way some of you do. Steam engines are the closest thing to a living, breathing being as a train can be. Watching all the movement as it's rolling by coupled with the sounds is just amazing. Actually running a steam engine? Incredible! (A Mikado on the Sumpter Valley RY. in OR.) My memories that probably solidified trains in my heart are a train ride when I was three and being dragged off by mom when we were at our destination. Seeing the long line of engines and cars moving on thin ribbons of steel but NOT seeing any movement as, it seemed, the train glided along it's way. Looking forward to seeing the caboose (sigh), counting the number of engines on the head end, amazement at seeing extra engines (before I knew they were called helpers) in the middle or end of the train and just the fascination at seeing something like that in action. I've never been enthralled with cars or ships but I did like planes. Still, nothing has replaced the awe in watching a train no matter what is going on with it.

[Anonymous]

I once read the book "all aboard" all abouth Joshua Lionel Cowen and his Lionel train company. The author asked himself this question (why he like trains) many times over the years and finally came up with an answer to it all. Someone once came to a conclusion and shared it with him. The friend said "It is not the trains that you want, but what you really want is your father's arm around you" (His father was deceased.) Somehow I identified with this as my father was a model railroader and he is also deceased. Maybe the trains are a way of visiting with him, in a way!

[Anonymous]

I think its the redneck in all of us. We just like the idea of having control of power to do something not humanly possible. The bigger and badder it is, the more we like it. I have a really strong sense of this, because I am part redneck[C):-)] and part farmer. We just can't help it.