Trains are fun. They're cool. They're old, they're new, they're antiques and modern at the same time. You've got light-rails, you've got coal-burning monstrosities in museums. My father likes trains because as a child, he would sit on a fence by the tracks and watch them go by. I like them because they're an economical way of transporting goods. And yes, riding in an open car on a coal-powered train is truly a filthy experience: soot everywhere. Once you have that experience, you understand why people wore travelling clothes.
The SC Archive and History Foundation is holding a lecture series here at the archives on trains, and it promises to be fascinating. Plus, I've heard you get a reproduction 1827 map (ok, it's actually here on a table behind me). Looks pretty spiffy, train routes and all. Yes, spiffy.
You can see the schedule and topics - orphan trains, anyone? - and register for the Railroad Lecture Series at the Foundation site!
Friday, January 8, 2010
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South Carolina's Charleston to Hamburg line was the longest railroad in the world for a short time in the 1830s. Our state has so many unique connections to railroad history, and I am sure these lectures will be great.
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