Trains have always been in my blood, although I don't know why. I have no relatives who loved trains or worked on the railroads. My earliest memories of trains were along the Frisco Railway in St. Louis. I had an aunt and uncle whose back yard WAS the Frisco main line from St. Louis to Springfield, Missouri. I can faintly remember steam engines rumbling past their home as the BBQ kettle smoked our hamburgers and hot dogs. I was hooked forever. In my youth, the Frisco line that went to Memphis was only a mile from my home. In the summer, I'd often peddle my bike up to the tracks. My only regret is not having a camera in those days because I'd surely like to share those images, but, they still remain as a wonderful memory. It would be some years later before I would purchase a 35mm camera and the rest is history, so to speak. I fulfilled my dream of becoming a locomotive engineer for the Frisco and would wave at my aunt and uncle as I passed the very back yard in which I used to watch trains as a kid. It was quite a thrill for them...and me!

Although I didn't photograph the Frisco very much as an employee, I certainly could tell some stories about that experience. As an engineer one day, I actually hit a herd of cows that, instead of scattering off the tracks as I blew the whistle, decided to run down the tracks away from me as though they were going to outrun a 55 mph freight train. They lost the race; very messy indeed! From chickens to wild turkeys, to deer, dogs, and cats, everything seemed to find its way onto the railroad tracks and in front of ME!. Unfortunately, that included automobiles as well. Yet, I survive to tell these stories and for that I'm very grateful. Although taking photographs of trains is exciting, (it's really no different than hunting or fishing), it can also be dangerous. Trains are supposed to stay on the tracks and they usually do, but sometimes they don't. I respect the weight and immensity of these things, and always try to have an avenue of escape if something goes wrong.