Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Steam Locomotives but .... Were Afraid To Ask.
Welcome to Steamtown, A National Historical Site
Actually I am not going to answer all of your questions, because there is such a vibrant history and so much detail, I find it a bit overwhelming. What I will share with you is a photographic tour of some of the engines and display areas that I encountered at this amazing place.
There was something nostalgic dating back to my early childhood when My Dad would take me by train to see the Cleveland Indians play ball. I remember hearing that " All Aboard" then to. History holds dear my memory of the trains and that whistle in the night barely audible but there was a comfort to that sound back then.
I even took a short one mile ride on one these old steam engine trains just so I could say I had the experience. When the whistle sounds it's last call, the conductor said, "All Aboard". My jovial conductor warned me that it has been said that he has broken many a camera. Not for me. Hearing his baritone voice cast me back into my childhood just as surely as did his big smile.
Today, we still have our trains running but when we see them today, our feelings about them are more of angst and how long they are likely to be blocking the intersection. But there was a time....
Steam locomotives and the train cars they so mightily pulled along was big business back at the turn of the century. Even before that these steam engines mostly seen along the Eastern seaboard provided a cost effective transportation for people as well as goods that shaped the economic growth of this county for many decades. Not to mention the major role that they played of being an effective way to settle the Wild West.
With manufacturing in the East such a vibrant industry, it was the foundation for much of the employment that has now mostly disappeared. And trains allowed the goods to be moved from city to city making for one of the most vibrant economies in the world.
But these trains would also pull our cities closer together. By the early 1900's what would have taken days of travel by any other means, would be just hours even with the stops along the way. But soon they would experience a new competition from automobiles. And by the 1950's railroads were starting to disappear in favor of highways both for travel and for the delivery of our freight.
The beauty of Steamtown for me was experiencing the sounds and the sights of our history that shaped this country we all call home. As for the steam railways, the part they played will never be forgotten and even to this day, for me at least, provide almost a romantic childhood memory I will never forget.
Enjoy the Ride !
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