Post Scripts: Trains still at our home

Most readers will recall I love trains: that I had an elaborate model train layout in the basement of our Gallatin home, etc., etc. Here in San Marcos, however, trains are not very popular and even if I wanted to, there isn’t enough spare space in our two-bedroom apartment to renew my longtime hobby.

I do fudge a little at Christmas, even though our Yule tree must sit on a counter-top that separates our tiny kitchen from our tiny living room. Beneath our four-foot Christmas tree I have managed to place a circle of track on which runs a tiny inch and a-half long N-gauge locomotive (the smallest on the market) which pulls two passenger cars.

Now this mighty-mite locomotive doesn’t really pull the train. It is so tiny there was not room for the electric motor inside its boiler, so the train is actually pulled by a motor inside the first passenger car. This locomotive is pushed. We railroad fans always find a solution to our problems. I guess I should mention the Snyders also have a lighted Christmas train in our front yard this year with Santa at the throttle.

As I mentioned, trains are not popular here because two busy rail lines run right through the center of the city and its suburbs, making noise 24 hours a day, with residents often angry because of those engineers who lean on the whistle from one end of city to the other. In addition, some of these freight trains are over 125 cars long and can tie up traffic at three or four heavily traveled main streets at the same time. Traffic here is a big headache to begin with without having it jammed up by slow-moving freight trains to avoid contact with impatient drivers.

I must add we do have one deluxe passenger train that comes through about twice a week. It is a beautiful sight to see and the engineer on this train doesn’t try to wake up the dead with his air horn as he heads for Los Angeles or where-ever.

Kathy and I live about a mile from the two main rail lines; one operated by Southern Pacific and the other by Santa Fe. Traffic officials have talked for years about building overpasses to relieve traffic congestion but not one has been built. The city prods the rail people and their reply is: "We were here long before the automobile was invented. It’s your problem." I tend to agree with the railroads, although they should be willing to participate in the cost and avoid future lawsuits and costly litigation.

Early settlers came into this valley because of its climate and clear-flowing rivers. The near-by Aquarena springs still produces about 50 million gallons of good-tasting fresh water every day, which forms a river all by itself. Within a few miles of San Marcos are several other clear-flowing streams, lined with ancient Cypress trees. Very scenic

But San Marcos will never replace Gallatin in my heart. As the saying goes: "Home is where the heart is." Kathy and I greatly miss all our old friends and neighbors, plus the newspaper office atmosphere. The ink is still in our veins.