Sentimental Journey

I got this image from Flikre. It is called, "Passing Train". I love trains. I love the idea of going back to the olden days when you could ride coast to coast on a train, eat at a dining car, smoke a cigar in the salon, and perchance partake of some spirits of some sort, mine would be a coke, but never mind. And, since I gave up smoking, the smoking car would be out of the question too, but I can dream.

Going by rail today is not so easy. Railroads want to haul freight, not passingers. But, perhaps when times get tough, and when airlines can no longer afford to fly, perhaps the train will return. Dining cars, sleepers, you name it. It never went away in Europe. You can still tour the world there on train.

I remember in the '60's there was a satirical movie about trains, and travel. I believe the title of the film was,"If it's Tuesday this must be Amsterdam" or some such title. I saw the movie, but now some forty years later, only the title seems to have stuck.

I once traveled by train. We were going to Grandma's. I loved watching cars wait while we passed. I had often been in the waiting line along the road as the turn style was down and the warning bells clanged, but it was nice being the reason they had to wait. It was like we had a free pass to go on our way, and the car had to wait and take its turn.

Back to the song,"Going to take a sentimental journey.....Why did I decide to roam, going to take a sentimental journey, stentimental journey home...Seven, that's the time we're leaving....going to take a sentimental journey home." And somewhere in those lyrics, there is a line about the clickitclack of railroad track, taking me back......