Talk about a strange day… not the theme but the dating! 2017 shows the day as May 12th but it also says it’s the Saturday closest to May 10th, which this year is May 13th, and what the heck does May 10th have to do with it!?! Supposedly it has something to do with the uniting of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific but that fell on May 9th.

I think the one thing we can all agree on is that trains have made America what it is today. Without the train the westward expansion might have still happened but it would have been slower. The Civil War might have still been won by the Union but it would have taken longer. And the Great Depression probably would have ended at some point but not as soon as it did.

And still, we have primarily forgotten about the train. We fly planes, take the buss and drive ourselves where ever we want to go. And yes, some of that is due to the train companies that charge an arm and a leg for poor service, poorer destinations and restriction on our comfort. But it wasn’t always this way. It use to have some of the best food available, entertainment and arrived in daylight at respectable places.

With the invent of high speed trains perhaps things will change in the future. Just like the people depending on the trains in the mid-1800’s to transport them west, we are waiting for trains to answer the needs we as customers have. Or maybe if we needed them a little more then things would change. At least the people at the National Railroad Passengers Corporation who created today hope it will.

How to celebrate – Take a trip on a train (Maybe a short trip). Study the history of trains. Just sit by railroad tracks and watch the trains go by.
Like this:
Like Loading...