Great Days at the Whistle Stop, My Local Hobby Store

Every so often when I was growing up, my mom would take my brother and me to Sacramento when our report cards came out.  I always chose to visit the Whistle Stop Train Store.
It was great to walk the isles and see all of the Athearn Blue Box freight cars and imagine the train that I could build.  Southern Pacific 50 foot box cars made me think of the trains that moved through Davis.  As the men at the counter talked about Western Pacific and how it was sadly gone, at that moment, I guess my interest in our historic railroads began to grow.
I would listen for hours about the Santa Fe and its conquest of Cajon Pass and what it would be like if and when Southern Pacific and Santa Fe ever were to merge.  "What do you think of that Kodachrome Scheme?" they would ask.  I learned a lot from visiting the Whistle Stop.  Those were truly great days at my local hobby store.

Having a Cup of Coffee in Rutland, Vermont

I stopped and had a cup of coffee in Rutland, Vermont in 2010.  I always enjoy visiting cities that are an important part of our railroad history.
As I entered town, I saw the tracks of today's Vermont Railway.  About fifty miles to the south, I saw a northbound train making its way across Vermont.
I took in the downtown of Rutland.  The streets were punctuated with the original brick buildings in a town which had grown around the railroad. Rutland, Vermont truly was the nerve center of the Green Mountain Gateway.