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The National Museum of Transportation, Saint Louis, Missouri

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The city of Saint Louis in the U.S. state of Missouri, a city located on the Mississippi River, is commonly known as the ‘Gateway to the West’.  The city’s most famous landmark, the Gateway Arch, is a monument to those who went west to seek opportunities.  It is here in this city that you will find the National Museum of Transportation.

What is the National Museum of Transportation?  Well, of course, it is a museum of transportation from automobiles to planes to boats, but the majority of what you will see here is trains.  As you enter the museum parking lot, you must cross a set of railroad tracks.  This is just the beginning.

You park your car and walk to the Visitor Center where a Wabash Railroad Caboose sits outside.  You enter the museum, and you see automobiles on display.  Yes, it is a transportation museum.  As you walk around, you see a model train display, and you see model trains encased in glass.

Be warned.  You have not seen anything yet.

Remember when you crossed the railroad tracks as you entered the parking lot?  Well, you can take a ride on the miniature train that circles that parking lot.  You see aircraft on display and a tanker truck.  As you take a ride, the narrator tells you of each locomotive, mining equipment, and rolling stock you pass by.

In case you are wondering, there is much more to see.

You walk through the Earl C. Lindberg Automotive Center seeing the old cars, and then you see an old train station.  On the outside, you see a model train display.  On the inside, you see models of locomotives and rolling stock to include a model of the ‘General’, a steam locomotive that was part of a chase in the U.S. state of Georgia during the American Civil War.

Now you think that you have seen a lot of trains so far.  At this point, you have not seen much.

Why should you visit the National Museum of Transportation?  Ladies and gentlemen, this museum boasts a large collection of railroad rolling stock.  No, it is not just from the railroads that are particulate to the Saint Louis region.  You have rolling stock from the Missouri Pacific Railroad, the Georgia Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railway, the Burlington Route, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Union Pacific Railroad, the Norfolk and Western Railway to include Locomotive Number 2156, a locomotive that was originally at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia, and the Santa Fe Railroad just to name a few.  The collection includes locomotives, boxcars, passenger cars, trolleys, and other rolling stock.

The National Museum of Transportation is located at 2933 Barrett Station Road in Saint Louis, Missouri.  It is open year round, but the miniature train only runs seasonally.  The entire museum is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about admission, hours, and events at https://tnmot.org/.

The city of Saint Louis, Missouri is the Gateway to the West, and it is the home of a great museum known as the National Museum of Transportation.  Let us say that it is a gateway to transportation in the nation.

Maybrook Railroad Museum, Maybrook, New York

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of New York is known as the Empire State.  Why?  Most people would think that it is because of the World Famous Empire State Building located in New York City, but the name was actually coined by George Washington, a General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War because of the role the U.S. state played in the war to include the Battle of Saratoga which was the turning point of the War, and the name stuck as New York City remains the financial capital of the world, and, in the early years of the twentieth century, was called the Gateway to North America with the influx of immigrants entering the city.  Most people think about New York City as it is the most populated city in the United States of America and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, but there are other famous cities in the state like Rochester and Buffalo where, in the suburbs, you will find one of the most famous waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls.  The state has many great small villages.  One of this villages is Maybrook.  Located in the southeast region of the state about seventy miles north of New York City, the small village of Maybrook is a small, charming village that makes the state of New York special.

Some of you are saying, “I love New York.  There is so much great history and nature area in the state.  I enjoy the skyline of New York City with the high rise buildings to include the Empire State Building.  I love Niagara Falls.  There is so much in this state.  As for Maybrook, there is really nothing to see there.  Therefore, I will not be visiting this village of Maybrook.”

So, you do not see a reason to visit the small village of Maybrook.  What is special about this small village?

As you exit Interstate 84 and drive south on New York Route 208, you come upon a caboose from the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.  I know.  There are many lonely cabooses on display across the country, but this is not your average lonely caboose.  What makes the village of Maybrook so important?  It was here where the largest railroad yard in the state of New York where the town saw the largest number of trains, about fifty two trains a day, during the height of World War II which had to move quickly to supply the troops.  Sadly, the yard nor the Maybrook Railroad Line no longer exists.  The old railroad line crossed the Hudson River going towards Connecticut.  The bridge, called the Walkway over the Hudson, is now a pedestrian bridge where you can get exceptional view of the Hudson River.

Some of you are saying, “Well then.  If the railroad yard is no longer there, there is no reason to visit Maybrook.”

Ladies and gentlemen, there is more to the story.

Drive one mile south on New York Route 208 into the village of Maybrook, and you will see the Government Center.  Yes, it is where the government of the village of Maybrook meets, but there is also another important place here.  What is this important place?

Welcome to the Maybrook Railroad Museum.  When you arrive, you will not see a locomotive or a caboose or any kind of rolling stock.  Why visit the museum?  As a place where the largest railroad yard in eastern America was once located, the small museum tells the story of how this small village played a big role in the railroad history of the United States of America.  Although you cannot see the actual railroad yard itself, you can see pictures and artifacts and books of the railroad yard.  Yes, it is a small museum, but there is much railroad history inside, and for a little excitement, there is a model train that runs road above you.

The Maybrook Railroad Museum is owned by the Maybrook Railroad Historical Society, and it is operated by volunteers, and they are open to anyone who is willing to volunteer.  It is located inside the Maybrook Government Center located at 111 Schipps Lane just off of New York Route 208 and a short drive south of Interstate 84.  It is open seasonally from the first Sunday after Easter April to the Last Sunday in October from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.  Admission is free, but they gladly accept any donation to keep the museum open for many generations to come.  Parking is on site, and the museum is wheelchair accessible.  You can read more about the Village of Maybrook and it role in the region at https://www.villageofmaybrook.com/.

Maybrook, New York is a small village with a big railroad past.  The Maybrook Railroad Museum preserves and honors that past.  You love New York, and you will love the Maybrook Railroad Museum.

Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Some of you may have heard of a place called Hawks Nest State Park in the U.S. state of West Virginia.  What is Hawks Nest State Park?

Some of you are saying, “Well, it is a nest that was created by a hawk, and the great people of West Virginia made a state park out of it.”

How the park got the name is unknown at this point, and there may be a hawks nest here, but when you come here, you get a hawk’s view into the New River Gorge.  You stand at the overlook and lookout over the gorge and see an amazing view.  A visit to Hawks Nest State Park is a place you will want to see again and again.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice.  I have heard great things about the state of West Virginia, and I am aware of the natural beauty of this state.  I am pretty sure that there is a lot of beauty here, but because this park has no railroad, I will not be making my nest here.”

Why visit Hawks Nest State Park?

As you arrive and walk to the overlook and look down into the New River Gorge, you see the great gorge with the New River flowing through the bottom.  You see a dam of which, sadly, was a site of the worst industrial disaster in the state’s history during the construction of a water tunnel.  As you look into the New River Gorge, you see a railroad line.  The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built the railroad through the gorge to mainly transport coal from the coal mines to the ports of Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia, but that is not that main reason for visiting the park.  The main thing you will see has been the number one view in the park.  As you look into the gorge, the number one view is the view of the railroad bridge crossing the New River.  Originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and now owned by the Chessie Seaboard Transportation Company (commonly known as CSX), it is still in use today.

Now you have a reason to visit Hawks Next State Park.  When you come here, you may have a problem leaving.

Hawks Nest State Park is located in Ansted, West Virginia on U.S. Route 60 ten miles west of U.S. Route 19 and the World Famous New River Gorge Bridge and the New River Gorge National Park.  The overlook is open from sunrise to sunset, and it is completely wheelchair accessible.

Hawks Nest State Park in Ansted, West Virginia is a great park to visit.  You may not see any hawks or hawk’s nest, but you will get a great view of the New River Gorge and a railroad bridge crossing the New River in the gorge below.

The National Postal Museum, Washington D.C.

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Here comes the mailman bringing the mail.  Regardless of the weather (except during dangerous conditions), the mailman has delivered the mail to every address in the United States of America.  Although technology has changed, the mailman continues to deliver the mail.  The United States Postal Service which has been delivering the mail in the United States of America since the nation’s beginning employs the mailman.  Today, you can see the entire process of mail delivery in the United States of America by simply visiting the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  I tip my hat to the mailman and the work that he, or she, does.  As for the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C., well there is a problem.  The museum is about the United States Postal Service in the United States of America.  In this museum, you see things about the post office.  This is not a museum about the railroad.  Therefore, I will not be delivering myself to this museum.”

Yes, this is that National Postal Museum.  Yes, this museum is about the United States Postal Service.  No, this is not a railroad museum.  So you are wondering why a railroad fan would want to visit this museum.

The National Postal Museum is, of course, about the United States Postal Service.  The museum has exhibits on every factor on the United States Postal Service from the beginning to the present day.  From the very beginning of the United States of America, the mail was delivered by a person called the mailman or the mailwoman.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice, but how could they deliver the mail if they did not have a mail truck?  The automobile was not invented until the late nineteenth century.”

When mail delivery began, the mailman rode a horse, or if they were in a town, they walked to each address similar to what they do today.  So, not much has changed.  The mailman went from a horse to a horse and buggy between the different towns.  As many of you know, it took many days to ride from town to town.  In 1927, something began in the United States of America.  It had been running in Great Britain, but it made its way to the city of Baltimore in the U.S. state of Maryland.  What was it?  The railroad had come to the Western Hemisphere.  The railroad started with horsepower.  How much horse power?  One horse power.  Well, it was one horse pulling a car on a set of railroad tracks.  When the steam locomotive arrived, cars were no longer pulled by an actual horse but by an invention that had the power of many horses.  Instead of taking days to get from one town to another, it just took a few hours.  After the American Civil War where the railroad was used to transport soldiers and supplies, the United States Postal Service took advantage of the railroad, and the Railway Post Office was born.  What was the Railway Post Office?  It was simply a Post Office in a railroad car.  You can see an old Railway Post Office car at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and at other railroad museums in the United States of America.

One of the exhibits at the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C. features the ways the United States Mail was transported.  You see the common mail truck.  You see an old carriage.  Then you see a replica of a Railway Post Office Car without the wheels below, and you walk in on floor level.  (Great for those in wheelchairs at the old post office cars were not wheelchair accessible.)  On the inside, you see exactly what you would have seen in a real post office car.  You will see the old mail slots and replica mail bags.

Is that all?  Nope.

The Railway Post Office had a mascot.  Who was their mascot?  Meet Owney, the mascot of the Railway Mail Service.  He lived from 1888 to 1897, but during his life, he was a very famous dog as he rode along in the postal car across the nation with different mail carriers.  When you visit the museum, you can see Owney, the actual dog, inside a glass enclosure.

Now you have a reason to visit the National Postal Museum.  It is owned and operated by the Smithsonian.  It is located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue across the street from Union Station.  It is open every day from 10:00am to 5:30pm, and admission is free.  However, you will have to pass through a security checkpoint.  Please note that that museum does not have its own parking, and the street parking is very restricted with meters with limited hours and permit only parking, but the Union Station Parking Garage is within walking distance.  There is plenty of transit buses that pass by the museum and the Greyhound Station is nearby, and you can also arrive by the Metrorail subway, Amtrak, the Marc Commuter Train, and the Virginia Railway Express.  (Yes, you can take the train to the museum.)  You can learn more about the museum and the current exhibits at https://postalmuseum.si.edu/.

So, visit the National Postal Museum.  See the history of mail delivery in the United States of America.  See how the railroad played a role in the delivery of the United States Mail.

Waiting in Shamrockville

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Saint Patrick was sitting on a bench at the train station in Shamrockville.  Lenny the Leprechaun saw him sitting and walked up to him.  “Where are you going?” he inquired.

“Shiver me timbers.  I am riding the train to Goldsburg.”  Saint Patrick eyes glowed as he saw Lenny standing near him.

“Nice.  I have always wanted to go to Goldsburg,” Lenny said.

“Why don’t you join me?”  Saint Patrick welcomed him.

“Sure!”  Lenny sat next to Saint Patrick.

Phoebe the Fairy was flying by and saw Saint Patrick and Lenny the Leprechaun sitting on the bench, and she flew over to them.  “You two must by taking a train ride.”

“Oh we are.”  Lenny was very excited.  “We are going to Goldburg.”

“Why don’t you join us?”  Saint Patrick urged her.

“Gladly!”  She smiled as she flew over and sat next to them.

There was a toot of a whistle.

“Here comes the train.”

The train pulled up to the station, and they boarded the train.

Wishing everyone a HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!!!

Mister Rogers Neighborhood

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

“It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine?  Could you be mine?  It’s a neighborly day in this beautywood, a neighborly day for a beauty.  Would you be mine?  Could you be mine?  I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.  I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.  So let’s make the most of this beautiful day, since we’re together, we might as well say, would you be mine?  Could you be mine?  Won’t you be my neighbor?  Won’t you please, won’t you please, please won’t you be my neighbor?”

For the last three decades of the twentieth century, many people young, and old, turned on their television and heard a man commonly called Mister Rogers who was a star of a television program called Mister Rogers Neighborhood.  The show began with a view of the neighborhood Mister Rogers lived in.  In the next scene, Mister Rogers enters his home and sang the song.  Although the show was targeted to young children, many adults became a fan of the show.  Although the show aired its last episode in 2001 and he passed away in 2003, the legacy of Mister Rogers and Mister Rogers Neighborhood continues on to this day.  In 2018, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood aired in theaters telling the story of the television series with Tom Hanks playing the role of Mister Rogers whose real name was Fred Rogers.  Fred Rogers may be gone, but his legacy lives on.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  Mister Rogers must have been a great man to have been loved by so many.  There is one problem.  The show was about Mister Rogers and was a show for children.  It was not a railroad show for railroad lovers.  Therefore, I have no desire to be his neighbor.”

So, you do not want to be a neighbor of Mister Fred Rogers.  Why?  The reason is because you had never seen the Mister Rogers Neighborhood television show.

As mentioned, the show began with a view of the neighborhood.  This neighborhood was designed after his hometown of Latrobe in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.  What is special about Latrobe, Pennsylvania?  It was a town designed by a civil engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad who named the town after a college classmate, Benjamin Henry Latrobe II who was an engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the son of the man who happened to be the architect responsible for rebuilding the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. after it was burned down during the War of 1812.  Latrobe was also the western terminus of the Ligonier Valley Railroad, a narrow gauge railroad that ran east of Latrobe to the town of Ligonier.  There were also two trolley lines that operated in the town.

Some of you are saying, “It is nice that he came from a railroad town, but what does this have to do with the television show?”

As mentioned, again, the show began with a view of the neighborhood.  One of the things that you saw was a trolley.  Mister Rogers entered the house and sang the famous song.  Along with Mister Rogers, the show had other characters.  Part of the show took place in ‘The Neighborhood of Make-Believe’.  How did he get to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe?  One of the characters of the show was called ‘Trolley’.

Some of you are saying, “That is a strange name.  Who in the world is ‘Trolley’?”

Oh!  ‘Trolley’ was an actual trolley.  Well, it was a model trolley that departed from Mister Rogers’ living room to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.  ‘Trolley’ was followed as it left Mister Rogers and along its route until it arrived in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a neighborhood that featured puppets.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  That is interesting.  I bet he enjoyed riding around in his expensive cars and never rode a train.”

Well, you are wrong again.  While he was living in New York City, New York during the filming of the television show, Fred Rogers rode around New York City on the subway.  No.  He did not have his own private subway car.  Fred Rogers enjoyed being around people, and a ride on the subway allowed his to mingle with the regular common people.  He was also a big fan of trolleys.  A famous photo of Fred Rogers is a photo of him sitting on the steps of a trolley.

Some of you are saying, “That is very nice.  Too bad that the trolley is now scrapped.”

Sadly, you are wrong again.  The trolley, Trolley Number 3756, can be seen at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pennsylvania, like Latrobe, a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Some of you are saying, “Whew!  It got spared.  I am glad that they saved it.  Why the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum?”

Why the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum?  In honor of Fred Rogers, whose home is in the Pittsburgh Metropolis, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, also in the Pittsburgh Metropolis, was the perfect home for the trolley, but there is more to the story.  The photo of Fred Rogers sitting on the trolley steps holding a replica of ‘Trolley’ was taken on October 3, 1983, at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum by a museum volunteer.  Fred Rogers was visiting the museum to film an episode of the television show.  While he was visiting, Fred Rogers operated at trolley with help from a volunteer.  Today, you can visit Trolley 3756, and you can replicate the photo of yourself.  The replica trolley used in the photo can be seen inside a glass encasement inside the Visitor Center.

Now that you know that Fred Rogers is a trolley fan, you might want to move to his neighborhood.  You will probably enjoy being his neighbor.

Prince, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

How many of you have heard of the small town of Prince located in the southern region of the U.S. state of West Virginia?  Unless you live in that region or work for the National Park Service or are a railroad historian, you most likely have never heard of this town.  It is a suburb of Beckley that is on the New River inside the New River Gorge which is famous for its beauty and an engineering marvel, the New River Gorge Bridge.

Some of you are saying, “I bet that the town is named after some prince in a foreign country.”

Sadly, you are wrong.  That town is named for William Prince, who happened to be a settler in the region and was never part of any royal family.

What is this town known for?  Well, it is mostly a ghost town like the nearby town of Thurmond.  Like Thurmond, it is a railroad town as the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now CSX Transportation) passes through.  Like Thurmond, the town has three amazing features.  The first is the New River.  The second is the surrounding natural beauty.  The third is the train station.  Both towns are known for their train stations.  The train station in Prince has a special history.

What is special about the train station in Prince, West Virginia?

The train station in Prince, West Virginia serves as the Amtrak station for the city of Beckley as the city does not have its own train station.

There is more to the story.  The railroad line was originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway serving the region’s coal industry by transporting coal from the mines of West Virginia to the ships in the harbor of Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia.  The town of Prince, West Virginia did not have a rail yard.  What put the town on the railroad map?  It is on a junction of two railroad lines with the main line going into the gorge and the other line going to the southern region of the state, but what put the town on the railroad map was the train station.

Well, many towns were put on the map by their train station, but what makes the town of Prince, West Virginia special?

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway had a plan to build modern train stations on their railroad lines between Charleston, West Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia.  As you look at the train station, it looks old with the old C&O symbol on the side.  When the station was built, it was very modern.  Of all of the planned stations, this was the only station to be built.  Yes, you are looking at the only planned station by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to be built on the line.

Today, the train station retains its original look.  It is the main building in the town.

The next time you think about the town of Prince, West Virginia, think about a town surrounded by natural beauty that had railroad royalty.

Manassas Museum, Manassas, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many people in the United States of America and around the world have heard of the town of Manassas in the U.S. state of Virginia.  The town is rich in history and is most famous for being a major player in the American Civil War.  The most famous thing about Manassas is that it is the only place where two major battles of the American Civil War took place.  The first battle, commonly called the First Battle of Manassas, is where a Confederate General named Thomas Jackson was issued the name ‘Stonewall’ after he continued to fight the Union Army as much of the Confederate Army was retreating, a stand that gave the Confederate Army a victory.  Although the American Civil War dominates the town’s history, that town is known for many things.  The best way to learn the story of Manassas, Virginia is to visit the Manassas Museum.  Located in the Old Town (the original part of the town), the Manassas Museum tells the story from the very beginning to the present day.  If you want to know everything about Manassas, Virginia, the Manassas Museum is a place that you must visit.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  I have been to many town museums, and they all talk about their town.  As for Manassas, the town is truly about the American Civil War and the two battles.  There is a problem.  Manassas is famous for the American Civil War and not railroads.  Therefore, I will not be battling my way to visit this museum.”

You are exactly right.  Manassas, Virginia is dominated by American Civil War history.  What is the point of visiting Manassas or the Manassas Museum.

Even though the history of Manassas, Virginia is dominated by the American Civil War and the only place were two major battles of the war took place, the history of Manassas does not start there.  How did the town start?  Well, it was originally called Manassas Junction.  How did the name Manassas Junction come about?  Even though the town is famous for the American Civil War, it began as a railroad town.  A display at the Manassas Museum tells the story of Manassas as a railroad town which features a step for passengers from the Southern Railway, a railroad that served Manassas.  There is also a conductors hat and a replica railroad lantern.

If that is not enough, the First Battle of Manassas was the first war in American history to use the railroad as General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and his troops arrived by train at a location near the museum and marched up to the present day battlefield to fight the war.  The first railroad built specifically for military use ran from Manassas to a town called Centreville.  If that is not enough, all of the railroad tracks with the exception of the military railroad which was short lived still pass through Manassas today and is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway today.  If that is not enough, the Manassas Railroad Festival takes place on the first Saturday in June every year.

As mentioned, the Manassas Museum tells the story of Manassas.  The railroad is a big part of the history of the town from the very beginning as a junction on the railroad to it days as a suburb of Washington D.C.  Manassas has a history that continues to this day.

The Manassas Museum is located at 9101 Prince William Street in Manassas, Virginia just blocks from Virginia Route 28 and across the street from the Manassas Train Station.  Parking is available at the museum.  It is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Saturday and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday.  Admission is free, and the museum is completely wheelchair accessible.

Come to the Manassas Museum.  See the story of Manassas from the beginning to the present day.  See how the railroad started a town that continues to transform the United States of America to this present day.

Trixie on the Line

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

It was the start of my day.  I arrived at the park to start up the steam locomotive of my miniature train, and I began the inspection round of the tracks looking for any problems or cracks.  I rolled out of the station and continued into the woods.  I arrived at the first bend, and after I made the turn, I squeezed on the brakes.  Right before me was a lady with her long bright red hair wearing a bright white shirt and dark blue jeans with the bottoms rolled up slightly on her legs dancing barefoot on the tracks.  She stepped then twirled then stepped then twirled with her hair flying around.

“Excuse me, mam!”  I called out.  “You can’t be on the tracks.”

She appeared to pay no attention to my voice as she continued to dance around.  I inched closer to her.

“Hello!”

I pulled the whistle.  She twirled around to wink at me.

“Mam, you cannot be on the tracks.”

She gracefully tiptoed closer.  “Me sorry.”  She sulked.  “I was just having fun.”

“Sorry to spoil your fun,” I said, “but these are live tracks, and the train will be running soon.”

She glanced around.  “I am far from home.  Can you give me a ride on the train?”

“Well!”

“Please!”  She injected. “I’ll be your friend forever.”

I gave it a thought.  “There is only one seat.  You will have to sit on the boiler.”

She stepped over, and she threw her leg over the boiler and sat on top of the cab laying her head on my chest and stretching out her bare feet towards the stack.  I continued forward inspecting the track below.

“I have never ridden a train before.”  She peeked up at me with a beautiful grin on her face.  “I’ve always wanted to ride a train.”

She stretched out her left foot to feel the steam flow between her toes.

“Be careful.  It can burn you.”

But she paid me no mind as she stretched out her right foot over the smokestack.  I wanted to say something, but she appeared to be caught up in the moment.  I continued with my inspection.

I slowly arrived at the station.  She was still laying her head on my chest.  I glanced at my watch, and…  I sped up the train going back into the woods.  I felt the strands of her hair smack up against my face as the winds blew.  I glanced down to see her big and beautiful smile.  When I arrived at the station a second time, I glanced again at my watch.

“Sorry,” I spoke as she was rubbing her head on my chest, “but the train ride is over.  I have to get everything ready for the park to open which is in an hour.”

She peeked up at me.  “Thank you for the ride.”

“Gladly,” I replied.  “It was a pleasure riding with you.”

She stood up, and she stooped over to kiss me.  “Maybe we can do it again tomorrow.”

“I will look for you.”

She started to step away.

“What is your name?”  I asked her.

She whipped her head around.  “Trixie.  My name is Trixie.”

She turned at walked towards the park exit.

“Nice to meet you.”  I spoke.

She turned and blew a kiss.  From that moment, I saw bright days ahead.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

When it comes to the President of the United States of America and the railroad, many of them have used the railroad.  If you were asked which president is most associated with the railroad, most people would probably think about Abraham Lincoln.  He would have been the first President to have a Presidential Railroad Car, kind of like the Air Force One of the railroad, but that car became his funeral car after he was assassinated carrying his remains from Washington D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois.  Even though he was born in the U.S. state of Kentucky, Springfield, the state capital of the U.S. state of Illinois was where he was launched into the political spotlight.  It is here where the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located.  A visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is a place that you must see if you wish to see the entire story of Abraham Lincoln.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  Abraham Lincoln was a great man.  In matter of fact, he is known to be one of the greatest Americans of all time and one of the greatest men in history.  I always enjoyed the fact that he is associated with the railroad more than any other American president, but as for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this is not a railroad museum, a railroad site, or has anything to do with the railroad, I will not be booking a visit to this place.”

As mentioned, Abraham Lincoln was associated with the railroad more than any other U.S. President.  You are right when you say that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is not a railroad museum, and you are right when you say that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is not a railroad site, but you are wrong when you say that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has nothing to do with the railroad.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum consists of the library.  It is called the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  It also consists of the museum.  The museum has different exhibits, but two of the main exhibits are about his life before his presidency and the other is about his time in the White House, not the white house that is in your neighborhood but the one in Washington D.C. that is the home of the sitting President of the United States of America.

As you walk through the White House exhibit, you see displays of his time during the American Civil War, the life in the White House, the cabinet meetings, and the assassination at Ford’s Theater.  The exhibit ends with a display of the route of his Funeral Train.  The route started in Washington D.C.  It continued to Baltimore in the U.S. state of Maryland and to Harrisburg, the capital of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  The train then went east to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then went up to New York City in the U.S. state of New York.  It went north to Albany, the state capital of New York and then went west to Buffalo, New York.  It continued to Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio and then went to the Ohio state capital of Columbus.  It went west to Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, and then it went north to the city of Chicago, Illinois before going to the last stop in Springfield.  The Funeral Train went in the reverse route of the way he went to Washington D.C. to serve as the sixteenth President of the United States of America.

Yes, Abraham Lincoln had great ties with the railroad, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum commemorates that tie.  Along with his ties to the railroad, there are many more reasons to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located at 212 North Sixth Street at the intersection of Jefferson Street (Illinois Route 97).  Please note that the museum does not have its own parking.  It is either street parking or parking at a parking facility.  The great news is that the museum is wheelchair accessible.  You can get information on the hours and admission at https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/.

In the U.S. state of Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, in the state capital of Springfield, you will find a museum that tells the story of the sixteenth President of the United States of America.  You will be disappointed if you do not visit.