Train yards
Why are trains looked at as such an old mode or inconveinent mode of transportation? The tracks and trains in this area of the country are most exclusively used for the transport of coal to our numerous power plants or grain to and from the mills and aged elevators spread throughout the Midwestern landscape. The train does not have to be viewed in this way, seperated from human travel. Afterall, was the Midwest and West not settled by this same system of steam and steel clicking along mile after mile of endless lines? The train yard and old stations just East of downtown still serve as a central hub for trains passing through. Why not bring back some of those passenger cars to connect the cities and even small towns of the region. Old depots and newly renovated depots like the Overland Station in North Topeka can serve as inspiration for these thoughts of a progressive mode of transporation that is underutilized. Trains… what a smart way to reconnect the past with the present to put us back in touch with the landscape and raise awareness of the land and places we travel.
