How trains impact you and I daily
Train Journeys in Culture: Part 1
Adam at Iconic Grand Central Station in NYC 2024
Hello, and welcome to On Track with Adam Hansen Fine Art. Last time we talked about how military, art, and faith culminated into my current journey as an Artist. (If you missed it, no worries; you can see it here from 2024.)
Now let’s continue the conversation from my Homepage on Why do I like trains so much? (You can read this short description on my about page here) Inherently, where I grew up plays a big role. Ohio’s tagline, the heart of it all, truly is an all-encompassing phrase. Ohio is primarily agrarian, with industry filling in most of the cracks. This being said, Trains have and continue to play a major role in its daily state economy. My grandfather, affectionately called “Pa-pooh,” used to say, “If the train whistles not blowing then the economy is slowing,” and for Ohians, it was true. So here we can begin to see a comfort built around the sound of a train horn and security. Also, no relative’s or friend’s house could escape the sound of a distant train horn.
Little Tikes Toy Train Set from 1990s
Now, as a boy, my first train set was a little tikes steam engine with one car (which my son now plays with- thanks for saving it, Mom ;) ). But what was fascinating to me was watching the Thomas the Tank engine 1990s reboot series- no surprise to anyone. But for me, it was the imagination to think of trains having personality, determination, and a desire to do good and have fun, also think The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper. Then, when my first true train rides began around 6-9, reality exceeded expectations, and I saw these massive captivating machines frothing at the stacks with so much energy and power, and it excited me from deep within that I could connect with and also feel powerful.
Thomas the Tank Engine
So, from here, we see a positive family culture surrounding trains through economic security, a personal excitement and feeling about a machine that was loud, boisterous, powerful, and how these were used to help people through popular kid’s storytelling.
Lionel Catalogue -1949 Lionel Trains: A Christmas Tradition
Our next tie-in in Christmas nostalgia and history- The Polar Express and Lionel, for instance- are now household names, but Lionel toys were all but foreign until 1900 when electricity advancements from DC to AC were safe enough to create such a child’s toy. America was booming, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, in the late 1880s -known as the Gilded Age- with many other industry moguls, had connected America through lucrative land deals, helping us to become the largest rail network in the world. Still, today, we hold this prestigious title with over 250,000 miles of track.
Union Station Washington D.C. 1906- Library of Congress Archives
To continue this nostalgic theme, trains and their stations were economic powerhouses and literal social wells of information in America. They were the airports of their time. Naturally, the fastest and most efficient way to see anyone for business or Holiday visitation was by train, and trains brought everything for a town to survive and thrive: goods, workers, loved ones, new ideas, and inventions. Not to mention, the Railroads were one of the top employers in the US for decades until the rise of cars with Henry Ford and the eventual creation of the Interstate Highway system following WWII. So naturally, trains were used as a symbol of American manifest destiny to go forth and conquer the Wild West and unite the country under one rule. So important was this that the Civil War depended heavily on the constant sabotage and rebuilding of Railroad lines to control the flow of goods and troops to supply the war efforts, and whoever controlled the rails won the war.
The General, Union steals Steam Locomotive from the Confederacy during Civil War-April 12th, 1862
All this to say that a kids’ toy by Lionel seemed the next natural step to take reality and form it into children’s imaginations, hearts, and minds just like their parents and preceding generations. Trains often symbolize progress, unification, and nostalgia for Americans. There is also a dark side to trains as well where oppression, control, and greed can also be seen, but this is for another post.
Manifest Destiny with Trains, Oil Painting by John Gast
For part one’s conclusion: Trains impact you and me daily through four main key points: 1.) Economic security and progress 2.) Storytelling 3.) Historical Precedence for the spreading of goods, people, and major ideas and inventions
4.) Most relevant today is Nostalgia and entertainment- getting fun feelings of Holiday cheer when we see a train set around a Christmas tree or feel powerful and proud when a chugging steam engine goes by…
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for next month. Future special content will be released for paid subscribers only later this year; until then, if you haven’t seen our Train-Inspired Art, check it out on our website.
Acsending Power in Fuyu (Japanese Winter) by Adam Hansen
More importantly, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic and how trains have affected you growing up in your region of the world. Post in the comments below to start our community conversation and swap stories. This space is meant to serve us both, so let me know also in the comments if you want to hear more about trains, art, faith, the arts community, composition, tea, bagpipes, men’s fashion, interior design, travel experiences, and recommedations or any other specialty I have related to my art journey. Post below to start the conversation, and we’ll chat soon.
Thanks for reading,
Adam Hansen
Fine Artist and Designer
Train Enthusiast