TRAIN STATION
A January morning about 5:15 AM, several years back, waiting alone for the eastbound Lakeshore Limited in Buffalo N.Y. and my last employer-funded return home. A long satisfying career entailing countless flights and long road-trips was drawing to a gratifying close, and on this one last segment, I chose to take the train. Truly an occasion of unbridled contentment and satisfaction, my days ahead would be savored slowly with reflection and appreciation starting today, on the rails… making my way home, via Albany, and the scenic Hudson River Line.
Note: Thanks for participation incentive from Milka Pejovic’s post found here, based on “A Word A Week Challenge:” found here.
My fondest memories of childhood are the train journeys our family took to my grandmothers farm. Steam engine and overnight sleeper carriages rattling along and arriving in Cowra NSW at dawn. You’re right too about trains giving you time to savour and reflect. I think many of life’s plans have been formed looking out of train windows. Great imagery MV
Thanks Wes. Yeah the steam engines – the puffing smoke, chuga chuga and clickity clack….It is magical.
Love this photo Marty, and also the new blog look, very nice! I think of all the many train journeys I have taken, and the thoughts I would reflect upon during those times. Very evocative this post, thank you 🙂
Thank You again, Sherri. The recant and photo was real, of course, and I was alone, but…the calm deception was me racing across the track after setting up the camera on 10 second delay!
Ha Ha, love it! I was kind of wondering how you managed it as I did pick up that it was you standing on the station. The important thing is that it worked, and wonderfully 🙂
Great atmospheric photos MV, I love trains too. In fact I must have ridden on the same trains at Allen who made the first comment … great old steam engines leaving from Sydney and puffing and pulling and pushing us up and over the Blue Mountains to Bathurst, Blayney and Cowra in the Central West. Those sounds and smells have gone, but your photos bring back the sense of that time 🙂
I believe steam locomotives were pretty much replaced in much of the US rail systems in the mid to later 1950’s. What about in Australia? Thanks for the comment. M 🙂
a little research has revealed the last steam train into Sydney Central was in 1969 … so we kept them just a bit longer than you … however my train journeys were over by 1963 so I did not notice until it was too late to say Goodbye!
A beautiful, eloquent look back and look forward. I can feel the memories you were taking into the future with you. And of course you take me back – to all those train rides in NY and PA and the life chapters they carried me through.
Trains, train tracks, signals, “telegraph” poles, trestles…they all seem to elicit a magical memory, a “feeling, ” stemming from my very early years. It’s warm….it’s nice. Thanks for your words, Diana. M 🙂
There are awesome colors in Your photo.
Thanks, I must day most everything was awesome to me at that time! 🙂
Very nice photo romantic and atmospheric
great choice, takeing the train
Thanks. We hope to have trains in our travel itineraries more often in the future. M