Eastwood Station

I have traveled over sixteen thousand miles by rail in the United States, for a combined total of just under sixteen days of my life if you add it all together. During those ~375 hours of riding Amtrak trains, many lasting memories have been made. Inspiring sights seen through the windows, interesting fellow travelers and crew members met en-route, songs written along the way.

While riding though, especially when traveling alone, it can get a little lonely out there on the rails. As an introverted sort of…

As a modern-day railfan, I marvel at how technology has made it easier than ever to track and learn about the railroad-related topics that interest me. From live video webcams all around the country, to the latest newswire items, to extensive collections of historical information, it truly is a whole new world when it comes to chasing trains. 

One of these technological marvels is a website commonly known as “ASM” which many train travelers and railfans use to track the progress of passenger trains all…

Perhaps you’ve heard the term before: “fly-over country”. It’s a phrase used by busy jet-setting types that tend to pop from New York City to Los Angeles and back. By “fly-over country” they summarize the entire middle section of America - the heartland, the vast stretches of plains and forests and prairies and mountains full of amazingly scenic vistas, small towns and the good people. This simple, dismissive phrase covers everything seen from far above when zooming from coast to coast, all rolled up and…