As many of you have probably figured out by now, my parents worked for Frisco. Mom was 3rd generation in her family to do so.  Her grandpa came from Ireland and laid track for them, all 5 of his sons worked as conductors, one of them was my grandpa.  He worked freights and then passengers.  Mom worked at General Office in St. Louis, met Dad at company picnic.  She quit working when they married.

Dad  started with Frisco at 16, neighbor was getting his son a job and asked if Dad wanted one too.  He said yes, quit high school and never looked back. Worked in their old freight house on 7th street and then at Lindenwood Yards. Initially he checked car seals on third trick but later was able to get a job inside the office where he stayed.  Dad died before BN took over, but Mom was not happy to see the Frisco name removed from his old office. 

We took many train trips all over the US on Dad's pass, pre-Amtrak.  I also took two other trips to CA with friends, once on a tour when we rode the original CZ back from San Fran to Omaha, where we got off and picked up MP to head home.  The other trip two friends and I got a Pullman bedroom which qualified us to ride on all Pullman UP City of Los Angeles from LA to Ogden, Utah. Ate in a dome diner and explored the train with fancy lounges including a bullet nose on the rear.  My parents and I also took a number of steam trips pulled by CB&Q #4960, never knew what time we would return, but always had a lot of fun. 

I did ride Amtrak Empire Builder/Coast Starlight to San Fran a few years ago, a friend flew out to meet me and I left 5 days before her. We also took the SW Chief to Grand Canyon and #4960 pulled our train on the GCR.  It was like seeing an old friend.

So I grew up with trains and never stopped loving them.  I now take shorter trips with local railfan group. We've taken A&M in AR which was a thrill for me to see the Frisco name still on bridges & stations. We also rode behind #844 on steam special from Omaha to North Platte where the train went across Bailey Yards, that was something to see.