Why it is worse to be a young rail fan

[dldance]

But Gabe, remember that you will be around to see sights in the future that the older timers may not.

- 150 ton cars
- bering strait railroad
- 10000 hp diesels
- new electrification
- etc

- Just keep off the tracks.

dd

[gabe]

I am sure you are all familiar with the older generation telling the younger one that it doesn’t know how lucky it is with all of the modern conveniences—essentially I had to walk to school eight miles up hill both ways types of stories (and we liked it).

Well, as I was staring at one of the most incredible railroad sights I have saw yesterday (Madison Hill), it really hit home how much I and the current younger generation of railroaders miss and how today’s enthusiasts are eclipsed by the hobby of yesteryear.

(1) I will never see a set of SD-9s with dynamic braking, extra ballast, and scrubbers bring an empty coal train up Madison Hill (a hill that would wind an in-shape person just from walking up).

(2) I will never see a quartet of Illinois Terminal diesels of ranging from SW-9s, covered wagons, geeps, and SD-39s haul a 150 car grain train down the main street of Gillespie (or Staunton) Illinois.

(3) I will never get to see steam engines regularly entering and leaving the siding of the now gone Illinois Central Springfield-St. Louis main--or regular steam engines at all as my father did as child.

(4) I have never seen an F-unit on a regular freight train, and it doesn't seem likely that I ever will.

(5) I didn't get to witness railroading when there was 50 (or even 25) Class ones, more short lines than you could count, and I couldn't travel 100 miles in any direction without crossing 5 different routes.

(6) I think ALCO is a discount store.

(7) I didn't get to rail fan when you could not only walk on the tracks and get a friendly wave from the engineer—rather than your phone tapped by the FBI—but also get occasional cab rides.

(8) I didn't get to see Illinois Central (and other railroads) race passenger trains with E-units at speeds that would turn Amtrak's knuckles white.

(9) I don't get to see Chicago Illinois & Midland Geeps sneak into the back side of Taylorville with 13 cars and steal the show from the larger Norfolk Southern (at least there is a chance that could happen again—though I doubt it).

Old timers: you may have had to walk 8 miles to school uphill both ways—and liked it. But, let me assure you, I don't have anything on you when it comes to Trains.

A very depressed Gabe