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| Great Northern Train entering St. Paul station |
I may be one of the only persons in the world who actually likes being stopped in traffic at a train crossing. The clickity-clackity of the train going by is like music to my ears. As a child, I remember seeing the mailbag grabbed from a post with a big hook as the train flew by a station.
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| Mail pickup |
This fascination with rails extends to the streetcars of my youth, mono-rails, and even the little park trains that cheat by running on little wheels.
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| Little train in Riverfront Park, Spokane, Washington |
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| Garden Model Railroad |
I loved going through the Selby streetcar tunnel in St. Paul when I was a girl. My grandma would let me ride back and forth to my hearts delight. God bless her!
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| Selby Street Streetcar Tunnel in St. Paul |
The short downtown mono-rail in Seattle is a must do when I visit.
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| Seattle Mono-Rail |
I've taken the tourist train ride in Ione, Washington many times (even though the cars seem to mimic a ride to Auschwitz.)
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| Ione/Metaline Falls Train |
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| Amtrak in the mountains |
So you would think a person such as me would be the first in line to support high-speed rail lines being constructed. Well, I'm not.
Because? They Don't Work!!
Which brings me to a great post by the Lonely Conservative: Dan Maffei Thinks Choo Choo Trains Will Boost Economy
Hack Wilson is as sick of the negative political ads as I am - maybe more so. I don't think they work, and as a matter of fact, I don't think any political ads really work. I really believe the people that vote are smarter than the average peach pit - just my opinion...What is it with Democrats and choo choo trains? You’d think they would have learned that dumping millions of dollars into rail subsidies was a bad idea in the 1970′s. But no, these progressives never learn. read the entire article
As a result of his fine post, Hack earns the coveted:
Rant of the Day Award:
One week from Victory
by Hack Wilson
Today, in order to soothe my soul, a trip to Costco is on the agenda right after I have four brand spanking new tires installed on my car.
Play nice while I'm gone and visit Larwyn's Links (click on image) for the best of the web.
8 comments:
Dear dear Adrienne, thanks so much for the lovely eye candy! I was ten years old when the streetcars were torn out in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and I was inconsolable. Still am. That said, the proposed LRT line between Minneapolis and St. Paul might be a good idea, but they're going about it in the stupidest possible way: running it down the middle of University Avenue, and allowing multiple stops (that's what buses are for).
Adrienne dear, you lost me when you say High Speed Lines Don't Work. Why? Please, say it isn't so.
Bob - I'm going to have to look up the LRT line thingy.
I can well remember picking up the streetcar at St. Clair and Cleavland and riding it downtown. Taking out the streetcars was a big mistake (IMO)
Ken and Carol -
re: Light rail:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8655
re: high speed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/23/AR2009082302037.html
Been on that monorail in Seattle more times than I can count! I used to love taking the ferry into Seattle (from Bainbridge) and walking down the waterfront and crossing the street to go to The Art Institute of Seattle for school . . . often times a train would be railing by and I had to wait . . . love love love trains. I love the bells ringing out warning and the clackity clack of the wheels on the tracks.
I ride all the trains I can, Adrienne- even once Amtrak from LA to Cleveland with sleeper cabin.
I ride trams and Metros daily- and even an annual historical steam train venture plus German and Czech high-speed rail (up to 180mph).
Been to quite a few museums too... you are not alone!
I live about 1/2 block from the BNSF double track on the south end of Como Lake in St. Paul. My house shakes periodically. I love it. Being near the train tracks was a selling point for me.
My Grandaddy was switchman for UP in S'port. I grew up learning about trains and cars from he who could fix both!!
Love love trains. As do my kids. We've got enough track in this house to lay rail clear across town!! And if you put in that g-rail I'm gonna be headed north from union station after spring thaw!!!
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