Love For Trains Starts Early

If you're visiting WARail, you probably like a thing or two about railroading! It's clear that a typical railfan's love for trains must have started somewhere. For me, maybe it was the Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Road running through my backyard in Preston when I was young. I recall following with great interest and sadness when I heard that the tracks had been pulled, the Issaquah Trestle blown up, and no more trains would be running through. Or maybe it was my friend Jeff, whose Dad and Grandfather had both worked for the Great Northern. Maybe it was the UP and BN running in front of my college apartment in Pullman at all hours of the night; while I was irritated by the blaring but federally-mandated horn blowing of the UP, it was balanced out by the BN giving mere peeps from their horns at hours between 10pm and 6am.

Given my history with trains, I'm mostly to blame for my oldest son's love for a visit track side whenever we have the chance. While gas prices have really cut into those times, we value the opportunities we have to go search for trains in various parts of Seattle. And thanks to railroading, he has at least one healthy interest that can keep him away from unhealthy ones that could get him in trouble later. He draws trains now, and knows more about the BNSF than most 6-7 year olds. We don't have just one train set at home...we have various types of train sets from several manufacturers. He can speak more knowledgably about the Milwaukee Road than any other kid in the 1st grade, and can tell a yard switcher from a road switcher.

What I mean to say is that this pursuit of ours - Railfanning - is in my opinion a healthy thing to share with kids, and easily one that could occupy their time later in life when more dangerous pursuits could creep into their lives. My hope for David - and his brother Jack - is that trains are something they can enjoy as adults like we do, and then pass on to their kids.

What got you into trains and railroading? Share your comments below!

Happy Birthday WARail!

We've successfully passed the first anniversary of the first post on WARail (9/18/08). Due to family matters, and a generally busy environment at my day job, I missed the date entirely myself!

We've had a great year and found that Washington houses a lot of rail news, sites and sounds. One thing I've noticed is that more photos from Washington are posted on sites like RailPictures.net or RRPictureArchives than in 2007.

Thanks to all the blog readers and commentators for visiting WARail today and for the past year!

Welcome to Washington Railroading

Welcome to WARail! This blog is written for railfans, by railfans, and discusses the sites and sounds that make up the diverse pattern of rails that spans the State of Washington. Much of the culture and mobility of this state can thank the railroad for establishing ways to get around and move goods. The look of the rail industry is also very different in each corner of the region; the Central deserts, the high plains East, and the rainy urban West. Mountain railroading is also alive and well in Washington, with two busy mainlines crossing the Cascades. The land is also criss-crossed with the ghosts of "Fallen Flag" railroads like The Milwaukee Road, clearly evident in the track beds of a bygone era.

While today there are only two "Class 1" or major railroads in Washington, the state has tracks and routes that belonged to a teaming list of road names - most now lost to history. The railroading history here is vast, and the track miles sometimes seem endless.

WARail is here to tell the stories of Washington Railroading from a railfan's perspective. This includes commuter rail lines, light rail operations, and "Short Line" railroads. We also monitor new stories that impact tracks old and new, and provide commentary on interesting photos and trackside photo opportunities.

So thanks for stopping by; we're glad you came!

Kurt Clark