Happy Friday! 😊…………...North Cascade Wanderings

Ahhhhhh, the nostalgia of the steam train! Why are we so enthralled with it-I wonder? I know that from my own perspective, there is NOTHING quite like standing closed to a steam train and feeling it-and I do mean feeling it just be! It’s exciting and a little scary at the same time, especially if you stop to think about the boiler and the pressure that lies within!

I asked ChatGPT just exactly why humans are intrigued. Here’s what it had to say:

That’s a fascinating question, and one that historians and psychologists have thought about for years. Steam locomotives seem to inspire an emotional response that diesel and electric trains rarely do.

Here are some of the biggest reasons:

• They’re alive in a way modern machines aren’t. A steam locomotive hisses, breathes, whistles, clanks, and even seems to have a heartbeat as the exhaust chuffs. You can hear it working and see every part moving.
• You can see the power. Unlike a car engine hidden under a hood, a steam locomotive displays its mechanics. The pistons, connecting rods, valve gear, and giant driving wheels all move in plain sight.
• They engage all the senses. You don’t just watch a steam train—you hear the whistle from miles away, smell the coal smoke or hot oil, feel the ground shake, and see clouds of steam.
• They represent an important era. Steam locomotives helped build countries by moving people, food, lumber, coal, and goods. For many people they’re symbols of exploration, industry, and adventure.
• They’re handcrafted machines. Every trip requires skilled people to fire the boiler, manage the water level, control steam pressure, and drive the engine. It feels more like operating a living machine than pressing buttons.
• Nostalgia. Even people who never lived during the steam era often associate steam trains with childhood books, movies, museums, and family outings. They’re tied to memories and imagination.
• They’re increasingly rare. Today, seeing a working steam locomotive is a special event. Knowing that volunteers and craftsmen spent thousands of hours restoring one makes it feel even more meaningful.

Since you’ve mentioned riding No. 70 on the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad during its maiden trip after restoration, you’ve experienced something many people never do. Watching an engine that had been silent for years come back to life—with the smell of steam oil, the sound of the whistle, and even the occasional dramatic boom you described—is exactly the kind of experience that creates lifelong enthusiasts.

Many railroad fans also say that steam locomotives have “personality.” No two sound exactly alike, and each engineer has a slightly different way of running the engine. Modern locomotives are remarkably capable, but they’re designed to be consistent. Steam locomotives, by contrast, often feel like each one has its own character.

For many enthusiasts, it’s not just transportation—it’s watching history breathe, move, and work under its own power.

So VERY aptly put! Some years ago, I was given an opportunity to run a scaled live steam engine pulling passengers. This particular train was scaled down however it was big enough to ride and the passenger cars were loaded with people! I’ve never forgotten that and have to say, I’d love the chance to drive a full sized one! That’s one for the bucket list I suppose! 🚂

I have to say that I agree with ChatGPT that when it comes to train engines, the diesels just don’t hold the same allure! They’re nice but they just aren’t alive like the steam engines are!

I like both and if I couldn’t get the chance to run the stream, I’d still jump at the chance to run a diesel engine!

Maybe someday…….

Work was busy but with the weekend in sight, wasn’t so hard today. I am looking forward to sleep though. 😏

My steps for the day:

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

That’s gonna be it for today. Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend wherever you are! 🙏🌏🙏

👣🐑☕️🚂🚂☔️😎👍😁🌙🥱😴

BSB Ezekiel 36:24-30

For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you. I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.

🙏🌹

Picture taken by me and altered by cliptocomic app

@elizabethbit is a member of ladiesofsgs4eva
a sweet group of lady stackers of SGH