With all the recent activity surrounding Railroad Park, Bob and I have been inspired to explore some of the tracks surrounding Birmingham. I was amazed at how many there are! We really ARE a community built around our railroad heritage. There is so much to see and so much to be proud of! Since the tracks run everywhere, it's easy to overlook them, or take them for granted. But we're one of the few major American cities with an active track right through the heart of our city. Over twenty trains still pass through Birmingham daily!
So Bob's begun to paint a watercolor tribute to our railroads. You can see a preview of it HERE. We plan to create an online gallery of his railroad and industrial paintings as he continues to be excited about painting not only the trains, but the industry and mechanics surrounding them. The collection is growing! It's still exciting for us to watch the trains go by, to wave to the engineers, and to actually see them wave back! Nothing's more exciting than a train!
Yes, Railroad Park has us pumped! Not just about the park, but about our city, our industrial heritage, and the possibilities created by an acknowledgment of just how important these railroads ARE to Birmingham. It's another critical piece in a revitalized downtown!
So visit Railroad Park if you haven't already! Walk the trail next to the railroads. And like us, maybe you'll gain a new appreciation for what we may all take for granted. After all, the railroads created Birmingham, and they may just once again take a vital part in our future in ways we never imagined! As Mayor Bell said, it's our growth corridor!
