A memorable morning train watching in the Western Ozarks
(photos - at the bottom)

Down near South Greenfield, MO there’s a place I love to watch trains. You can hear them come down off the prairie through a valley from Lockwood, MO to the west. With the echoes in the valleys, it seems you can hear them blowing their horn for that entire descent.

Saturday, June 29,2002 I was traveling to the east through that area and thought, "I’ll go by South Greenfield and see what I can see." Between Golden City and Lockwood I caught and passed a container train heading that way. This would make it even better as I would be able to ‘catch a train’ at a favorite spot - and I wouldn't have to wait long.

It was a little foggy, very muggy and hot, and the bugs were active. Soon I heard the engine’s horn echo through the valley in the hills, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of a flat wheel on the rails.

I caught several good shots of the train very carefully coming around the curve. It blew for the road crossing where I was standing. I dropped my camera to watch and wave as you do as it went by.

The engineer waved and grinned
"What the blazes?"
It was a blond woman in a ponytail and safety glasses.

GOOD for HER - GOOD for that railroad!

That REALLY made the day.

I knew of women engineers, but had never thought of the possibility here.

The train went across the turnout to Greenfield, around the graceful S-curve in the creek bottom at South Greenfield, and on up the valley towards Everton as I leisurely followed taking photos of key locations.

JQ

Click on the pictures for an enlargement - close the window to come back here for the next selection

	Did I say "HOT AND MUGGY?"
	Coming down the valley from Lockwood, MO
	It's a great place for this kind of shot
	The engineer that gave me such a grin and honk on the horn lends new meaning to the term 'Train Watcher.'
	Across the Greenfield turnout and on to the east.
	Further along, the creek looks like it would be refreshing.
	The mysterious old iron bridge has a date of 1911 on the builder's plaque Load limit 8 tons.

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Copyright © 2002 Jim Quarles, all rights reserved. Text, graphics, and HTML code are protected by Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission.

Jim Quarles
Springfield, MO

Revised: May 22, 2003