[Magdalen] Night Lull.

[Joseph Cirou]

When I was in grammar school, there were still a few steam locomotives in
our area. The Rock Island Brainard Run on the southside of Chicago used
steam engines when the other runs used diesel. There were a few NYC locals
that had steam. I guess these were the trains that would make every stop
between Chicago and Buffalo. I do remember people working downtown who
lived farther than Valparaiso--40 miles away --a distance before expressways

Joe

On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 12:51 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
> I've fallen asleep and awakened several times tonight to the pleasant
> sound
> of steady rain from Tropical Storm Bill.  It's warm, so all the doors  and
> windows
> are open and the sound comes through, loud and clear.
>
> I was just thinking about other night time lulling sounds.  I no  longer
> sleep
> in my prime upstairs bedroom because I avoid the stairs, but up there  with
> the windows cranked open I could hear the steady whine of  tractor-trailers
> plying I-80 on their way from New York City to Chicago.  It's actually
> quite
> a pleasant sound at my distance of about a mile.
>
> The most memorable night lull for me, though, is the constant wailing  of
> steam locomotives as they hauled iron ore from the MN Iron Range to the
> largest
> of the ore docks in Superior, WI and Duluth, MN during the summers  when
> I stayed with family in Superior.  The steam era ended slowly, but not
> until
> after the Korean War, at least in the "Twin Ports".  When one  approached
> Superior and Duluth from any direction there was a drop of 500-600  feet
> and the ports were in a black haze that rivaled that of Pittsburgh during
> the
> heyday of the steel production.
>
> But back to tonight's rainy pitter-patter.
>
>
>
> David Strang.
>