The History of Hospital Trains (Audio Interview)

[@zephyr_bet_1522]

Hey Nick. This episode is neat! Here's the answer to my question: One piece of railroad history that's often overlooked is railroads within a local area (specifically the steam era), whether shortline, regional, logging, narrow gauge, etc. These railroads hold a unique spot in railroad history as a backdown of sorts in areas of the country that were either less known or in rural locations, often only known to their locals. To me, they give esthetic vibes (so to speak) in ways that represent railroads in a more slow, picturesque way, while in other cases, they show the perseverance of railroads working in tough environments like rocky terrain, dangerous weather, or harsh deserts. While many of these railroads' histories are well preserved in some form, like the Buffalo Creek & Gauley or West Side Lumber Co., others aren't so lucky; either barely preserved or haven't been preserved at all, or have struggled to keep their history strong in preservation in some fashion. Often overlooked by other railroads like class 1s, these railroads represent their own unique history, stories, people, equipment, or whatever it may be that have shown they can function or be just as well known as (or better) than bigger and more famous railroads.