First Annual National Train Day
We love trains! I was a brakeman on the Grand Trunk Railroad for a year or so back in the 1990s. My cousin was an engineer for many years, too.
I was very pleased yesterday to get an email from the B&O Museum in Baltimore, Maryland announcing the First Annual National Train Day sponsored by Amtrak. From the event website:
What is National Train Day?
On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, ceremonially creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. And America was transformed.
Suddenly, the country was united in a way it never had been, and train travel sparked imaginations in small towns and big cities, among folk who desired adventure and businessmen who saw fortunes to be made. The sound of a train whistle was the soundtrack of happy reunions and tearful farewells. It heralded the arrival of mail, supplies and change.
The train became more than the go-to mode of transport for people and goods. It was a proud achievement of engineering vision, technical ingenuity and sweat. It was a cultural force that sparked the creative imaginations of storytellers in songs, movies and novels. Railways provided jobs for thousands of Americans. The train station became a focal point of every community, from New York City’s Pennsylvania Station to the tiny stations that dotted rural America.
Now, 139 years after the golden spike connected east and west, there’s never been a better time to take the train. Huge crowds and the frustrations that go with them burden our highways and airports. And at a time when we all share the same pressing concerns about ecology and energy conservation, trains are a more energy-efficient mode of travel than either autos or airplanes. Riding the rails is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Not to mention meet interesting people and see breathtaking scenery.
So mark May 10th on your calendar for a coast-to-coast celebration of the way trains connect people and places. In New York’s Penn Station and Union stations in Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles, there will be simultaneous National Train Day festivities that are a treat for all ages.
A Golden Opportunity
The spirit of National Train Day resides at the Golden Spike National Historical site in Utah, which commemorates the achievement of those who created the national’s first transcontinental railroad. It was there that the final spike was driven into the tie that joined the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, and it’s part of a network of nearly 400 important sites that’s cared for by the National Park Service. And like all of the places you can visit within the National Park System, the Golden Spike National Historical site is alive with history, recreational adventures and beauty.
There will be celebrations in Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. The largest event will be in D.C., though.
On May 10, 2008, in Washington DC’s Unuion Station, National Train Day Activities will inlcude:
Speaking of the Golden Spike National Historical site, I found this cool movie on YouTube posted by SkipW. It features a condensed version of the Golden Spike Celebration for the completion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad held on October 23-25, 1914 at Cain Rock, Humboldt County, California.
Because the film has no audio, I thought I’d try streaming my own soundtrack. One of my favorite train songs is Neil Young’s Southern Pacific from the Reactor album. (I know, I know. Southern Pacific doesn’t quite fit because the film is about the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, but it’s cool anyway). You have to hit play for the movie and the song individually, but I think it’s worth the effort.
