Railroads
The last time we came this way the locomotives were all branded Santa Fe (actually: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, or AT&SF). But in 1996, that company ceased and was acquired by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, hence the BNSF branding. "Santa Fe" was more evocative, but it's nothing to do with us. We're just wowsing across the USA. Accept it, or leave. These trains, however, are huge. Two, three or four engines. 6,600 feet overall. A lifetime to pass by. Hopping a freight was once the only way to travel for an army of hobos (migrant workers). The tradition continues, largely with "lost" men and women. But the freights are faster.
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The last time we came this way the locomotives were all branded Santa Fe (actually: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, or AT&SF). But in 1996, that company ceased and was acquired by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, hence the BNSF branding. "Santa Fe" was more evocative, but it's nothing to do with us. We're just wowsing across the USA. Accept it, or leave. These trains, however, are huge. Two, three or four engines. 6,600 feet overall. A lifetime to pass by. Hopping a freight was once the only way to travel for an army of hobos (migrant workers). The tradition continues, largely with "lost" men and women. But the freights are faster.
The journey
1. Route 66: The Mother Road
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Copyright Sump Publishing 2016
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