Every town, every train.

When Margie, Junipurr and I settled down to watch a movie late last night, I wondered how long it would be until a train appeared on screen or the sound of the whistle entered the movie. The movie was set in New Mexico. It was not about trains and nothing in the kicker information said anything at all about trains. Yet, I was quite certain a train would make its presence known in the movie.

Sure enough, about 30 minutes into the movie, a freight appeared, clattering its way through a scene of horror.

Since I took up this crazy train photographing hobby, I have become ultra aware that a train makes itself in just about every movie we watch, set in the modern era dating back to the US Civil War. The train itself may or may not appear, but sooner or later, the distant cry of the lonesome whistle will blow.

Sometimes the whistle of the movie train will mingle with the whistle of the late night freight. Although our house is two-and-a-half miles from the track, when atmosphere and wind conditions are right, the distant sound of the whistle slips into our house, just as it does in the movies.

Yesterday's late night northbound freight rolls through the western fringe of Wasilla, just past Pittman. To me, it is every train in every town and countryside. 6/12/21

"Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly.
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
I've never seen a night so long

When time goes crawling by.
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry.
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves began to die?
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky.
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry." - Hank Williams