I worked on a CPR steam train last summer in the Canadian Rockies. The scenery from Vancouver to Calgary was something else. I was on an IMAX film crew and got to know the train drivers pretty well. It's funny how the 'grass is greener,' as they envied my flying job and I envied them driving that big old 4-6-4 steam engine!

It truely is a dirty job, though, when part of their duties involve climbing under the thing daily to lube and inspect the main bearings, and catching soot all day isn't all that great, either. At least they converted it over to burning bunker oil instead of coal.