I'm anxious to see the movie special Art discussed on MTV. I checked and its showing numerous times, like a lot of MTV things. The A&E special was very good too and if you see it on, check it out.

I grew up the son of a railroader. My Dad's entire life was spent (including the WWII years,719th Railway Battalion) on the railroad, Pennsy, Panhandle Division, to be exact. He was a fireman and engineer, and I remember the last days of steam on the Pennsy when he fired an M-1. He was OK with the diesels, and as an engineer had a reputation as a "smooth rider." He died in '73 and one of my most poignant memories was a trip to the roundhouse about a month before his death. He was very weak, but stopped by an engine and began ascending the steps into the cab. I asked him not to wear himself out like that and he turned and said, "Just one last time Son." We sat in the cab of that engine for about 20 minutes as he talked of the various controls, but with long periods of silence while I could only imagine the memories that must be going through his head as he sat with his hand on the throttle lever and stared out the windscreen.

Like other occupations, the railroad gets into your blood I guess. He was a railroader through and through. I'm glad he didn't see what has happened to the roads today. Like the hobo lifestyle, the railroads have changed and the romance of times long past are now just a wonderful, beautiful memories, like the ones I have of him.

Spaw