March 10, 2006

AMEN:

Thrill to the steam engine, the most radical machine ever built: The train was once a revolutionary force, bringing romance and power to the world through its steel wheels (Simon Jenkins, March 10, 2006, The Guardian)

O let the midnight special shine its everloving light on me. So goes the song. But what, I often wondered, was that midnight special, and why should I want its light to be ever-loving? Now I know. And I know a whole lot more.

I am a sucker for enthusiasm. I regard an enthusiast as worth a hundred cynics. Dr Johnson was wrong about money being the root of all innocence. For real harmlessness, for total glorious innocuousness, nothing beats a hobby. And no hobby the world over is as innocently compelling as steam trains.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 10, 2006 9:29 AM
Comments

The largest steam piston engines (IIRC) were the four story tall triple expansion engines made for the Olympic class liners - Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic.

Four. Stories. Tall.

Posted by: Mikey at March 10, 2006 10:56 AM

If you are not familiar with the black and white night photography of steam trains by O. Winston Link, you are in for a treat. Powerful stuff and technically more difficult than one might think.

Posted by: Rick T. at March 10, 2006 12:28 PM

I remember that train song from so many years ago about hauling pig iron on the old Rock Island Line. Anyone remember that song?

"If you want to ride it, ya gotta ride it like you find it, get your tickets at the station for the Rock Island Line."

Posted by: Tom Wall at March 10, 2006 4:46 PM

Tom:

http://www.lyricsxp.com/lyrics/r/rock_island_line_lonnie_donegan.html

The best recent tune is Long Black Train by Josh Turner:

Websites: http://www.joshturner.com/
http://mcanashville.com/
Online I-Squad: http://i-squad.com/mcanashville/JoshTurner.html
NEW AUDIO PLAYA: http://i-squad.com/player/Josh%20Turner/jtplaya1.html

AUDIO: "Long Black Train" Clip
RA: http://www.universalstudios.com/cgi-bin/ramscript.cgi?store/Nashville/mca/088170291/088170291_0101_7.ra
WMA: http://www.joshturner.com/audio/088170291_01.asx

VIDEO: "Long Black Train" Full
Real: http://www.universalstudios.com/cgi-bin/g2script.cgi?nashville/mca/088170291_1_full.rm
WMV 100k: http://www.joshturner.com/video/088170291_01_100k_full.asx
WMV 250k: http://www.joshturner.com/video/088170291_01_250k_full.asx


Posted by: oj at March 10, 2006 4:57 PM

Thanks, oj, I'll take a ride.

Posted by: Tom Wall at March 10, 2006 8:11 PM
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