Sandpoint is a train watcher's paradise

I have always been fascinated by trains. One of the high points of my day when I was a kid was to stand by the tracks and wave at the man in the caboose. We don’t have the caboose any more but in Sandpoint we have trains; big, long, earth-shaking trains that are the delight of every true train lover.

I recall seeing an article that referred to Sandpoint as one of the best train watching places in the United States. Folks, that did not surprise me one bit. All a person has to do is go down in the vicinity of our old depot and immediately you know that you are in train watching heaven. Now that all those old trees along Sand Creek have been shaved off, leaving the area all nice and bald, it is easier to see all the trains and the new buildings that replaced the homes of some Sandpoint pioneers.

Now making the trip down there just to see one train a day would not be worth the effort. A friend of mine told me that he thought that Sandpoint averages one train every 20 minutes and that adds up to 72 trains every 24 hours. I don’t mean little puny trains, I mean long and robust trains. I doubt if they can be matched anywhere in the world — not even in Texas.

If you love to watch and hear trains what better place could you find than Sandpoint. During these hard times, it is an entertainment for everyone and it doesn’t cost a penny,  unless you want to live on the tracks. All you have to do is go down to within a half mile of our historic depot and you will get an experience of a lifetime.

Can you imagine being lucky enough to live right along the tracks and in the middle of all this pleasure every day of the year?

Not only can you see a train every 20 minutes but you get to hear the sound of the train stopping with brakes squeaking and horn blowing — 24 hours a day. I am told that being that close awakens all of the senses — sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell. What more could anyone desire?

As great as train watching is there are some people who prefer the sight and sound of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Can you imagine how long a marriage would last if the wife loved autos and the husband love trains? It would not be fair for the train watcher to get all of the pleasure. Don’t worry, the solution has been found. Within five to eight years the bypass may be complete and people will say that it was worth all the little inconveniencies that building the beautiful through-pass entailed.

The great part of this plan is that the train people, and the car people, can congregate near the old depot for their fill of enjoyment. The meeting place may have to be changed because the depot is in bad shape and all that rumbling may cause it to crumble to the ground. There is some present activity trying to support the depot to keep it from collapsing and I am sure it will work — I think. Nevertheless, if this old historic building has to go the way of the trees — so be it; it will open up the view. Things like that should never get in the way of progress and our pleasure.

I think you can see why anyone would want to live in the place where Sandpoint got its start. I know you will agree that you just can’t get it any better than this. Cars, trucks, and trains on one side and a view of the lake on the other with our famous city fireboat plying the waters ready to spring into action in case a fire escapes the sprinkler system already installed. I am sure that soon there will be a rush on the land around the train-auto complex by enthusiast who would like to build a bigger and better perch where their fantasy can become a reality. In fact, there is a possibility that the bypass will become so crowded with train-auto Lookie-Lous that all the lumber and cattle trucks will have to go through town to avoid the congestion.