Seeing everyone’s choice of response for the Weekly Photo Challenge is an exciting part of ending each week. This week we trade letters for numbers. My approach will be unorthodox I am sure, but numbers are unorthodox for us writers anyway!
In January I finally decided to change one of the longest running numbers in my life, namely the amount of years I had delayed beginning a hobby I had wanted to enjoy for almost three decades, model railroading. I took the leap in a big way, buying track, rolling stock and an engine. What I did not immediately appreciate was the number on my engine, which I call Mary Kate, for a reason you might guess.
Of course you can see the 245 underneath the window of the cab. Each engine you see on your local rails will have a unique number so it can be identified by the railroad company. The interesting thing is that every replica engine and car manufactured for the hobby has a unique number too.
Here is some train cars I bought from eBay that are part of the Southern Railway delineation and each has a unique five digit identifying number. All five of mine are part of the 74000 series, which may not always happen if you buy the cars piece by piece. I am not a purist at this point in my brief journey so that is not as big a requirement as it might be to some others in the hobby.
These seven cars were purchased at the first train show I attended over in Asheville, North Carolina in March of 2016. Tomorrow I will get to attend my second, in Johnson City, Tennessee at my alma mater and school my son will get a degree from in May and hopefully my daughter will in May of 2016, ETSU. Here is another number for you, the Mountain Empire Model Railroaders will boast 64,000 square feet of model railroad gear, layouts and a steam engine display.
If you want to know more about my train adventures please visit my train oriented blog, Alpine & Clinchport Railroad.
I will be looking for your numbers now that I have mine ready for your perusal.