Stuff I like (and the stuff that makes the blog)

So for new readers, hopefully there will be a few, here's the low down on what this blogs is about, or supposed to be about.

I like a lot of stuff, some I even know a few things about. And in this blog, I hope to share some of that stuff with you.

I've liked trains and model trains ever since I was a little kid.  The model trains came first.  I think I was about 3 or 4, and my older brothers had received an HO scale train set.  With this new treasure in hand, they headed down to the basement and set up the oval of track, and put the engine on, followed by a couple of cars and a caboose. The magic happened when they turned the dial on the power pack and that chunk of plastic and metal came to life, quietly gliding around a course of brass track.  It was infatuation at first sight.

I also like prototype train, aka the real thing.  Let me count the ways:

• They're big  (cool)
• They can be fast, which is cool
• They can be loud which is also cool!

Sounds like reasons enough, but wait, there's more!  to actually see one in person, you get to head out into the outdoors!  Now here in the cities, there is usually some truth to the expression "The wrong side of the tracks", but a lot of tracks also run through some scenic parts of the country.  To get to these scenic parts of the world, you get to leave the house and head outdoors!  Sounds like a good deal to me.

I can also hear the trains that run about a mile from the house here when I am out at night doing a little stargazing.  As a kid I was also fascinated with space, rockets, planets, and other astro stuff.  The rockets were kind of like trains into space, and seeing the a spread of stars against a velvet background is a heartwarming sight any night.

So that is a little sample of what'll be in this blog...