ver since I was a young boy growing up near Richmond, Va, trains have been a part of my life. You could hear the long low whistles in the night from my grandparent's house, and it wasn't a family trip if you didn't have stop and wait for one to pass on the way from the massive Richmond yard to points north.

Trains dominate the culture in Ashland, and the main street through town (aptly named Center Street) is split in two by a double tracked mainline that passes the Ashland Station on its way through to Washington. With galloping silver Amtrack liners and thundering freights rolling through day in and day out, trains are as much a part of Ashland's culture as the stately homes that line the streets along the railroad.

The Ashland Station, Ashland, Virginia, in an undated photo. Photo from the Ashland, VA, tourism department.

Of course, it's not just the sight of these massive engines and their tons of cargo that impresses me. My grandfather worked on the C&O railroad back in the 1960's, retiring in 1963. He worked as a painter for the railroad, painting bridges and structures until he retired and then started his own company, painting houses, churches, and offices in the central Virgina area. Richmond's famous Broad Street Station, now the Science Center of Virginia.

So, you might say that railroading is in my blood. At any rate, it's been an ongoing fascination and hobby since I was a boy, and it's one that I would like to share with you. Welcome aboard.