Why We Need Trains Number 2- Understanding That Trains Carry the Freight We Need

Some of the first trains I saw were lumber trains, headed south from Oregon through my hometown of Davis, California.  I often watched these trains with my dad. 
As a boy, my dad built houses.  I remember visiting his job site.  There was always lumber.

As these trains headed through our town, I remember seeing the lumber stacked on the flat cars.  As the trains rolled through town, carload after carload of lumber passed by.  As a six year old, I quickly associated it with my dad and the houses he built.

This was the first connection I made to trains carrying the freight we needed.  As I watched the lumber rolling by, I imagined it heading to my dad's job.  I thought of the lumber being part of the houses my dad built.

As I made this connection, I knew that trains were bigger than myself.  I knew that trains helped my dad build his houses.  I knew that trains had helped build the house where I lived.  This is why we need trains.