My dad greets the westbound California Zephyr as it races across the Illinois countryside east of Kewanee back in 2018. Unlike many railfans, I didn't inherit my love of trains from my dad, or any relative for that matter. In fact, he used to tease me that sitting by the tracks waiting for a train to go by seemed about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it was always just good natured kidding. In reality, he's greatly supported me in my hobby, even if he hasn't always understood it. Even for the casual observer like my dad, the size and speed of these wonderful machines still has the ability to impress, however. After the Zephyr whipped past us doing every bit of the 79 mph track speed, he turned to me with a smile on his face and said, "Woah! That was intense!"
