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Train travel was key to commerce |
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| Those fire breathing smoke belching monsters were one of the main means of transporting mail, products, and people. Standing next to one of the monsters sure put you in your place. The ground would shake even when the engine was standing still. You could feel the heat radiate from it's skin and hear the fire roaring in it's belly as the water was turning into steam. Pumps to produce air for the brakes would be churning away, the steam generator to generate electricity for the passenger cars would be whirring away, and every now and then when you least expect it a safety valve would open to relieve the high steam pressure and scare the bejesus out of you. In the small town I grew up in mail came twice a day by train. Freight would be delivered in box cars to the many businesses along the tracks daily. You could travel to many of the surrounding towns and cities on the train. These were big, noisy and dirty machines, boy I sure miss these monsters. |
