Greensboro was dubbed Gate City because we were such a hub of train activity. The above photo is of a train passing through town at the 500 block of South Elm Street. Two couples are waiting patiently to get to their destination on the other side of the tracks. While trains are not as prevalent as they used to be, you can be sure that one will pass when you are in a hurry! Fortunately, the trains aren't that long and don't usually last a long time. The above couples had the right idea; to talk to each other and wait patiently for the train to pass.
The above train appeared to be a freight train. However, we still have passenger trains going through downtown, too. Have you ever used Amtrak's services in Greensboro? They offer eight trains daily. Among the places they go are: Raleigh, New York, Charlotte, and New Orleans. A summer train trip sounds like such an adventure. How wonderful it would be if every child could experience a train trip.
When I grew up trains were still part of life. My father traveled in his work and took trains all over the country. It wasn't until the 1950s when Pres. Eisenhower decided (along with Congress) to derail the trains in favor of interstate highways (this was also pushed by lobbyists for the auto industry and businesses the feed off the auto industry). It was, in my opinion, one of the worst decisions ever because of the impact it has had on our planet.
Did you know that GM and the truck industry bought up the many electric trams in many of the cities back about that same time; ripped up the tracks and installed gas-guzzling, smoke-spewing buses? Another bad decision.
And yes, Jacob is fine. It is my pen name and also an affiliated real name.
Nice to hear from you again!
Posted by: Lowell (Jacob) | Saturday, June 29, 2013 at 02:54 PM