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First prize essay by Robert Lee: "Jobs are created by the train. People with jobs help contribute to the community. The community thrives”
Posted on : Thursday 11th October 2012
Robert Lee lives in Los Angeles, Calif. He is the first prize winner in our First Anniversary essay contest and will receive a solid pewter locomotive model. Congratulations, Robert! Everyone who submitted an essay will receive a 2013 BNSF photo calendar. Thanks to everyone who participated.
An Essay By Robert Lee:
The sun is setting in California and the skyline of the “City of Angels” is highlighted by a burnt orange sky. A locomotive horn is sounding, the crossing signal bells are ringing and the red lights are flashing while the gates are down. Cars are waiting for the train and folks are captivated as the locomotive passes through the crossing, pulling shipping containers, petroleum tankers, and auto carriers. What is the importance of freight rail to my community’s future?
Freighters packed with shipping containers and tankers full of petroleum sail to the largest port in the United States, the Port of Los Angeles, from all parts of the world. These massive ships are unloaded and the goods packed in shipping containers travel onward to other parts of this great nation via the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway.
The Auto Carriers hold brand new cars, while the Tankers hold fuel produced by the refineries in Wilmington to be used in the new cars that the train will bring to a neighborhood near you. Jobs are created by the train. People with jobs help contribute to the community. The community thrives.
The last train car goes by; a little red light flashing near the coupler gets smaller and smaller. The crossing gates go up, the red lights stop flashing, the signal bells stop ringing, and the locomotive horn fades into the distance. I suddenly realize that the car I’m driving, the gas I’m using, and the clothes I’m wearing, probably wouldn’t be possible without the train in our neighborhoods. That’s the importance of freight rail to my community’s future.
Great job Robert! We at SCLS are all very proud of your accomplishment.
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Robert Lee is a member of the Southern Calfornia Live Steamers. He and his wife Daisy work above and beyond the call of duty in running the SCLS kitchen on run days and keep us all from starving. Robert also brings a level of professionalism to our public run days as he assumes the position of station master, safely and efficiently dispatching the many trains that run carrying thousands of passengers in a 4 hour period each run day. Robert has just been nominated to the position of SCLS club secretary. We look forward to some excellent newsletters in the future. 
