Boy have I rode on some railroad tracks in my day. 41 yrs I pulled the throttle. When I first got started we were using the first diesels which at that time were ready for the scrap yards. I've had diesels blow up, ran over trespassers, and hit alot of cars. Always enjoyed the views in the fall account we ran into the foothills of North Carolina. Our generation was the last of the so called firemen too.