Nostalgia & History > Safe & Happy Travels, Grandma!

My sweet grandma who encouraged my love of trains and accompanied me on a number of my railfan adventures as a child and young man (as well as financing them) passed away yesterday just 3 weeks shy of her 89th birthday. The picture below is when she took me on the Rio Grande Zephyr from Salt Lake City to Provo on April 8, 1983. I was 15 years old and played hooky from school so we could go. I remember her offering to buy us tickets clear to Denver on the spur of the moment that day, but I said 'no' for reasons that I don't recall. We bought tickets on the RGZ to Denver for a few weeks later but then the Thistle mudslide came down and we never got to make the full trip. In June of that year she took me and my two younger sisters on a memorable trip to Disneyland riding on Amtrak's Desert Wind at my suggestion. We rode through Cajon Pass in the comfort of an excellent ex-ATSF 'El Capitan' coach. I still have the issue of TRAINS magazine that she bought me in the gift shop at Los Angeles Union Station. In later years we made frequent enjoyable trips on the Heber Creeper in Heber, Utah. Her house was just a block from the Union Pacific main line in downtown Salt Lake City. I remember many happy occasions watching trains go by from her front yard. When I was a child, she would often talk about buying an old caboose and putting it in the backyard. (It was only later that I realized how impossible that would have been.) Thank you Grandma! Safe and happy travels!

I hope many of you have special memories of parents or grandparents that encouraged your love of trains the way my Grandma did for me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/13 22:56 by davew833.

---

Thanks for sharing the story of your "train" Grandma with us. Not many women would have entertained the idea of putting a caboose in the backyard--sounds like she was a very special lady and my condolences on your loss.

I think one of the great experiences in the young & formative years of a railfan's life is that magical trip to Grandma & Grandpa's house.
The chance to see some trains from exotic "other" RR (than I was used to seeing at home) is a memory that will burn inside me forever. The
shot of your Grandma posing in front of the Zephyr is a priceless representative for all of us. Many thanks for stirring up one of my most
endearing memories!

Lance

Sorry for your loss.....What memories......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/13 05:05 by bluesboyst.

Sorry for your loss. So glad you have the great memories of a grand mother who indulged in her grand kids their passion.

Thank you for sharing the photo and memories.

Thomas G.

Dave, what a great story and you have my sympathies. It is obvious that you will always have those treasured memories to remember her by. May she travel straight rails and have clear signals.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

nice lady

Dave,

Sounds like your grandmother lived a long, fruitful life. Sorry for your loss.

My start was similar to yours except it was with my great-grandfather. During the mid '60s when passenger trains were still scheduled thru Thomson, GA, I remember, as a 5 year old, my great grandfather grabbing his felt hat and cane before taking me on a couple block walk from his house to the railroad tracks to watch the train. I wish I had a photo of him with the train. The influence continued with my grandfather, great uncle, and parents.

We are all lucky to have such positive influences in our lives.

Jay

Nice story, thanks for sharing it.

It's difficult losing someone who means so much. My condolences.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/13 00:10 by BCHellman.

My condolences. And thank you for sharing those great memories of your grandmother with us. Shows us how speical she was!

CV the civil E in NJ

My condolences for your loss - thanks for posting the story.

I attribute my interest in trains to our weekly trip to the New Haven Railroad station in Greenwich, CT where my grandmother would arrive each Monday for a visit on her day off work. She shared and encouraged my interest, describing all of the different types of trains she had seen boarding in New Haven. Later when she retired and returned to England we would visit. She would take me to Warrior Square Station in St. Leonards, Sussex where we would buy a platform ticket to watch British Rail's unique Southern Region DEMUs emerge from tunnels and stop at the station.

Dave