July 27--Railroad Museum! No corn dogs!

[zyzyly]

It's been hot here, and other than going out for an early walk, I have spent the past three or four days staying inside and reading. Most of the year I don't get much time just to sit and read, so it is a nice break. When I was writing "three or four", I originally wrote it as "3 or 4", but my indoctrination into APA writing style is so ingrained now that I had to change it.

Malida was off today, and after she woke up, she told me she wanted to go see the railroad museum. We have a great rail museum in Sacramento--I think it is one of the best around. I used to go all the time, but haven't been since Malida got here. I'm not really sure what prompted her interest this morning, but it sounded like a good idea, paired with lunch at Joes Crab Shack on the river. So that's what we did.



Malida with one of the docents. He had me take a picture with his phone too so he could show his wife that people really do want to have pictures with him. I love the docents there--they really enjoy talking about the trains and their history with genuine enthusiasm.



This was cool--a mock up of a high speed rail train. We loved riding the trains in Europe--so fast and comfortable. Not sure why the idea of them is so unpopular here. It was cool that it sat next to an old steam locomotive. The only bad thing was that they took the Rail Post Office car off display to make room for it.

My dad used to work the postal cars back in the late 50s and early 1960s before they got rid of them. He said it was the perfect job. They would have the mail all sorted fairly early in the trip, and then one of the guys would cook some good food and they would play cards for the rest of the trip.

In the "how hot was it" department:

Comments

[wantedonvoyage.livejournal.com]

I love trains! Ours pale in comparison to those in Europe and Japan, to be sure. I suspect that--other than in urban corridors--it would be cost-prohibitive to maintain the track needed for high-speed rail for the thin amount of passengers they'd get.

[kishenehn.livejournal.com]

I visited that museum a number of years ago, and I agree -- it's really a great facility.

It would be even better with a corn dog, though. :-)

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

What's the rule? Is it write out anything below, say, 20? That's what I do. Don't know from where, school.

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

You know the story about public transit in Los Angeles, right?

US culture has been deliberately shaped to favour private automobiles, then, later, commercial airplanes as well.

[elainegrey.livejournal.com]

Yes, 101° but was it HUUUUUUUUUMID? We're just at 93°, but the heat index is 109 °F.

Yeah, i knew this when moving back to NC but but but.

I never made it to the train museum, but i heard praise from friends for it.

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

I have often heard how great the train museum is.... someday I must take the time to visit!

[howeird]

Been there many times, and you found my favorite docent! He "snuck" me into the post office car when I told him my uncle had worked on one when he returned from WWII. I visited one in Niles, and the docent on that one had done the same job as my uncle, except on the west coast (uncle was out of NYC) and I got them hooked up as email "pen " pals. Uncle passed away last year.

[howeird]

As for high speed rail, it helps when it's between countries. Tiny countries. With high petrol prices and craptastic roads. I rode from London to Brussels and Brussels to Reims to Paris to London and was very disappointed that the trains are all in culverts (to minimize air resistance, probably) and there is no view.