You just never know what is going to happen somedays. It was another Sunday afternoon and we were out exploring the Mexican countryside and the towns that happen to come our way.
Each time we set out on one of these Sunday outings my friends always exclaim, "Clark, new road for you!!!"
We had stopped in the town of Pedrita where the railroad passes through. I was out taking photos of the old train facility that still has the water tower used to service the steam locomotives in their day. That tracks are still in use and that day a train loaded with new cars from the GM Plant in Silao was working its way onto the siding.
While the train was maneuvering it blocked traffic for a time at the railroad crossing and the vehicles began to back up. I think this experience was a great example of how folks in the erea react to the unexpected. People just got out of their cars and walked up to the tracks watching the train, talking to each other, having a few drinks and just enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was more like an impromptu party rather than an inconvenience.
An elderly lady that had been walking back into town and found the train blocking her way struck up a conversation with my friends. She was entertaining them with stories of the old days when there were passenger trains and you could ride to Mexico City and how folks from all over the country would pass through their little town.
After some time the crew disconnected the last eight cars and cleared the crossing so that traffic could be on its way. We wre still talking to folks and I was now photographing the graffiti on the side of the freight cars. Now I know that graffiti is vandalism but some of it is truly works of art and some of it is extremely humorous. I would have to say that there is considerable talent, time and effort in some of the graffiti.
After all the vehicles had cleared the engine came back down the mainline picking up the work crew and dropping them off at the crossing. Like little kids we were just standing there fascinated with everything going on when one of the crew leaving the engine told us to go on up.
Seriously ???
Yes, seriously.
They were telling us to go on up into the cab of the lead engine.
Giddy as little schoolgirls and practically climbing over each other the four of us clambered up on the engine. Everybody was talking and smiling from ear to ear and here I am snapping photos as quick as possible thinking that it isnt going to last long. That is when I realized that we were moving.
WOW!!! Not only were we gettiung to go inside the cab but we were going for a ride!!! Train engines are loud when they pass you but inside the cab it was quiet, cold from the air conditioning and smooth, really smooth. So smooth that it did take a few moments to register that we were moving. At first that was only evident from the passing town and countryside outside the windows. There was literally no sense of movement until the engine had picked up speed.
If you have ever been on a passenger train you know that the ride is not exactly smooth. A few years ago on a misguided Amtrak journey from Omaha to Chicago the cars rolled so badly from side to side that it was dangerous to walk the aisle. The feeling was more like being on a ship in rough seas than a train on firm ground.
Thinking about this experience, about how much time we spent watching the train and then how excited we all were to climb on board I just have to ask what it is about trains that capture our fascination. Some of my favorite memories in life have revolved around trains.
As a small kid my Mom and I would ride the Burlington Northern from Omaha to Creston, Iowa where my grandparents would pick us up for our visits to the farm. Then there was a short line freight that crossed their property everyday around 4pm and I would be out there waving to the crew in the engine and the caboose as they passed by.
That misguided Amtrak ride to Chicago was a joy because of my traveling companion but the delays and inefficiencies of Amtrak have made me reconsider ever traveling that way again.
There was the rail trip to Machu Picchu, sitting in the front seat, gazing out the window, watching the Urabamba River and the ruins along the Inca trail pass by.
When living in Omaha I would bike the Wabash Trace from Council Bluffs, Iowa. This is an abandoned rail line that has been converted into a biking trail and gives you a view of the countryside and small towns of Iowa that you would never see by car.
The closest experience I had to this one in Mexico was on a summer visit to my friends cabin in Canada which was located near the tracks of the Canadian National Railroad. Over the years we had spent many hours walking the tracks and trestles through the forests and over the lakes of Ontario. There is a good sized tunnel located not far down the tracks and one night we thought it would be cool to stand in the tunnel when a train passed through. Looking back it was probably the Canadian beer that led us to make this decision. It actually turned out to be rather anticlimatic as the train that passed through that night was a VIA Rail passenger train and the lights from the cars lit the tunnel up like high noon. The real excitement took place when a work crew passed through prior to the VIA Rail. Sensing that it was not a train approaching we had all taken cover in the bushes surrounding the tunnel entrance. When the crew stopped their vehicle and called out to us we all slowly crept out, one by one. They were like the crew in Mexico, taking the time to stop, talk, they smoked a few cigarettes and then let us know when the next train was scheduled to pass through.
All these train encounters are great memories to me but none are quite the experience as that Sunday afternoon ride in Mexico. It was just so unexpected. We still could not contain ourselves as we exited the cab telling the engineer gracias and shaking his hand. Talking to the rest of the crew, telling them mucho, mucho gracias and how great it was for them to take the time to entertain us and allow four grown adults feel like little kids.
Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for photos of our train adventure
