Earlier this week, we looked at where farming has come since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, fifty years ago. We referred to it being one of the greatest human accomplishments ever. Make no bones about it, it is probably our crowning achievement so far.
However, this is also another anniversary. A major event which, at the time, was thought to be equally impossible. It was a century before Neil Armstrong took his small step. It was in 1869 when the golden spike was driven in Ogden, Utah, marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The event was celebrated earlier this year with a commemoration at the golden spike site. The Union Pacific Railroad has been making the celebration a big deal throughout the Midwest in a ?big? way.
On Wednesday, in Des Moines, the Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy steam engine made its way into town. Part of the sesquicentennial celebration for the golden spike, the Union Pacific spent a few years restoring this one of only eight remaining big boy engines, some of the largest steam engines ever built. 4014 was part of a fleet built in the 1940s for the Union Pacific, it was decommissioned in the 1960s. After almost 60 years of inactivity, the locomotive was restored to become the only functioning big boy left in the world.
It was great to see the crowds that lined either side of the tracks as the train made its way into to the downtown yard area. It was a mix of young and old. Train enthusiasts and people who just wanted the chance to see something they may never see again.
For me, trains represent raw power and determination. They are one of the closest things to the irresistible force I have ever seen. It was that raw power and determination that built the transcontinental railroad. Laborers of many different backgrounds worked together to accomplish this feat. We see railroads in so many places, now, it is hard to fathom the feat of engineering this railroad was 150 years ago. Think about it, this track covered thousands of miles through all kinds of terrain. They built over rivers, prairies, and even through mountains. They broke their backs and gave their lives to realize a dream of connecting the two coasts in a way never dreamed possible.
Horses and wagons would give way to this modern marvel. Now goods could move from coastal ports all over this great land. It was this event which really led to the explosion of the midwestern states. Yes, there were people out in this remote part of the continent, but now there was a way to get goods from all over the world to the center of the country. This led to the rapid growth of cities like Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Spur lines were built to get these supplies to even further remote places. Places that didn?t always have access to river traffic and shipping.
A great example of what the railroad did to build this country happened right near where I am originally from. The town of North Redwood, Minnesota no longer exists. It has long since been annexed into the city of Redwood Falls. There is still a single track which runs through the city and passed the local grain elevator. It is part of a rail line which is in bad need of upgrading. It was here at a depot that a box of pocket watches had been delivered but rejected by the local jeweler. A rail worker by the name of Richard W. Sears asked for permission to keep the watches, and his request was granted. Sears quickly sold the watches to co-workers. More people asked him where they could get a hold of watches. Soon, people were coming to him in need of other supplies. After only six months of helping people order the supplies they wanted but weren?t always able to get, Sears moved his business to Minneapolis and it exploded into the Sears Roebuck corporation. Sears realized the railroad offered him a connection that could help him distribute goods all over the country.
The railroad also helped the growth of agriculture. Grains, livestock, machines, and manpower all came to the Midwest by railroad. We were able to market our goods to the rest of the country and soon to the rest of the world, thanks to the railroads.
By the mid-20th century, the automobile would become commonplace and large trucks would start to move more goods on a growing network of highways and roads. However, the train endured. The railroads upgraded from steam to diesel power, and eventually to some electric machines. Some tracks would become obsolete and be removed altogether. My own hometown of Morgan, MN was a town which flourished under the railroad. My mother used to tell me how my town had implement dealers, car dealers, a theater, and much more. However, as the cars became more efficient as a means of transportation, the need for each town offering the same goods and services dwindled. The county seat had everything you needed in a larger quantity, and soon the rail lines to the smaller towns weren?t a necessity. Trucks could get goods to larger rail centers, and they cut down on the operating costs of the rails. Morgan lost its railroad and the need for its own dealerships and entertainment centers. The small rural community landscape which flourished under the rise of the railroad seemed to dwindle with its downsizing.
For some, seeing the Big Boy is a reminder of where they came from. A sense of community history will probably never be realized again. It is a faint trip down memory lane to the glory days of steam for others. For the younger generations, it is a way to see a tactile representation of the stories grandpa or grandma used to tell. For the even younger, it is just a chance to get to see something really neat.
That?s what trains are for me. I sit in my train room in my basement and build my little rail empire. Small rural areas juxtaposed against a growing urban sprawl. The connection is that singular engine chugging down the lines. Its cars trading raw products for finished goods. The solitary engine chugging down the line and quietly, relentlessly building and maintaining the American way of life. We can travel below the seas, up into the clouds, and beyond into the heavens. However, for me, it is the clickity-clack of steel wheels on the track. That peaceful and harmonious tone brings a smile to my face. The engines may be different, and the whistles no longer sound the same. But, it?s that clickity-clack. The same clickity-clack that my grandfather heard, that his grandfather heard, that my kids can also hear. The sound of a heritage formed in the Midwest by raw power and determination. The determination of people to connect their lives to others and forge a country, no matter the obstacles in front of them.
