2013 Project 365 - Day 228

2013 Project 365 - Day 226

2013 Project 365 - Day 166

2013 Project 365 - Day 155

Choo-Choo!

There are few things cooler than trains, so if logics holds, there are few places cooler than a train musesum. I subscribe to that logic, and due to that fact, I found myself at Ogden's Historic Union Station at the end of 25th Street. This train station was a mecca for train travel in the west, even more so than it's cousin's in Salt Lake City. The Transcontinental Railroad reached a union at Promintory Point, Utah (not far from Ogden) and later the casueway built across the Great Salt Lake both naturally funneled trains through Ogden. There were numerous static displays in the yard including seveal rail cars used by the Army, as well as nearly envery variety of locamotive used - including my favorite - the turbine powered locomotive. Emma, while intially impressed, was not as entralled with the train museum as dad, but none the less enjoyed the voyage as well as the train whistle toy she came away with.

Toothless Grin

You may have noticed this toothless grin in an earlier photo but we couldn't pass by an oportunity for a mention of the story behind Emmas first tooth loss. This bugger had been loose for a couple months but was clinging on stubbornly. At last it broke free and Emma, who had prepared an envelope in which to present her tooth to The Fairy, placed the chomper under he pillow. Miraculously the next day the pillow package had been replaced with a note from the Tooth Fairy (reminding Emma to brush her teeth) and a gold dollar coin with which to compensate Emma for her loss.

Two Rolling Stones

The rhytm of the rail has captured Emma and I. We are writing as we take a train ride - for no particular reason - to the end of the line in Ogden, UT. So far I've clocked a max speed of 79.5 MPH on my geko GPS with a moving average of 45.8 MPH. Not bad, especially considering the train is a straight shot into the center of Ogden cutting signifcant time. Quite frankly I'm not sure who's more excited - Emma or me.

Frontrunner

The age of the modern metropolis dawns on Salt Lake City. Commuter trains now whisk passengers up and down the Wasatch Front in a manner similar to their contemporaires in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Diego.

I foolishly decided to ride the train on it's second operating day, convinced that Monday traffic would be light. So rather than driving to our lunch date with mom we (my daughter and I) took the train. Incredibly there were instead tens of thousands of people who could put regular Monday activities on hold in order to test the train. Poularity doesn't seem to be an issue - so long as the fare is free.

I am hoping the train will be worthwhile for us. It's an exciting addition to the transportation infrastructure. And while I don't like the passenger cars as much as those on the metra in Chicago I like them more than the Amtrack trains in LA.

I am reserving judgement of the day to day operations until I can ride a few times with normal traffic. (the throngs of familes with multiple strollers and the lack of consideration that would motivate them to collapse those wheeled monsters was aggrivating at best.) I think weekday travel will be a different beast when the novelty is gone and the fares are in place. In the mean time, bravo to UTA for involving the community and driving interest with the Frontrunner trains.