These mighty workhorses once were the very foundation upon which American industry thrived and to a great degree, still does. The steel and iron forged by the minds and hands of men not only pulled a steady sting of cargo and passnegers, but also broadened the expanse of our civilization (or so we called it). However, too often it came at the expense of other human lives and as such, I cannot say that life is better now than before. Only God can judge whether the good of such things outweighs the bad. Standing here gazing at this old symbol of strength, I have to admire what it is and at least acknowledge how powerful, and in some ways, how beautiful of a thing it was. Both glorious and garish, here it is, standing firm in the history and fabric of our nation to be admired and, perhaps, abhored at the same time. To give you a bit of insight on why my view of such things can be mixed this way, I have a great love of science and technology, but I am also part Cherokee. Vue 4 on a Mac; no postwork; The train was a gift from a friend - A note for the more serious train buffs out there: he made this train entirely in vue, but fairly quickly. It is not meant to to be "fully detailed." Even so, it looks great to me. Thanks Dominique!; The trees in the foreground are by Thomas Khran (www.thomaskrahn.com); Simple tracks, Photo backdrop, Metal, Rust and background tree textures by me