he railfan is not an easy man to understand. Railroading for him is simply too big, too private, and too obvious an emotion to be able to explain it. Railroading requires friends, friends who understand its complexities and can explain its virtues, friends who without thought of reward are curious and concerned about this business of flanged wheels on steel rails. Friends who, for lack of a better word, might be called railfans.
David P. Morgan
Family Fans
y two older siblings and I were blessed to grow up with a wonderful, mechanically-minded father who was a student of all modes of modern transportation, yet maintained a lifelong love affair with trains and trolleys. John was excited to share this love of railroading with his children whenever possible, always taking us along on railfan outings that spanned four decades. In the 1960s and 70s, Sarah and Jack climbed on many a locomotive to pose for dad's twin-lens camera. In the 1970s and 80s, my brother and I each racked up many excursion miles with dad in the heyday of mainline steam preservation. In the 1980s and 90s, the Old Man and I camped our way across the Deep South, documenting aging locomotives and searching for small shortlines.
In other words, the Hawkins children each spent many an hour in the passenger seat of the family sedan as our intrepid father searched for a picturesque grade crossing or drove us to yet another railroad museum. And there was always O Scale model railroading to enjoy in the basement or attic of our successive family homes. Dad was a thoroughgoing "railfan."
In other words, the Hawkins children each spent many an hour in the passenger seat of the family sedan as our intrepid father searched for a picturesque grade crossing or drove us to yet another railroad museum. And there was always O Scale model railroading to enjoy in the basement or attic of our successive family homes. Dad was a thoroughgoing "railfan."
This fascination with machines and movement to which our dad exposed us formed in my brother Jack a love of and expertise about airplanes, rockets, and flight. My sister Sarah inherited our father's fierce love of learning and an appetite for history. As for me, the youngest, it has been tracks, trains, and trolleys for as long as I can remember. The loquacious Mr. Morgan gets it right, above: One struggles to explain what exactly it is about locomotives and locations that capture the boyish imagination, but what I can articulate now is my gratitude for the three decades in which I had the privilege of sharing this flanged-wheel fascination with my father: the most generous hobbyist I've ever known. These days, we three siblings each have our own passions and interests, but we remain proud to be our father's children, and want to carry on the best of his many virtues. Dad always knew how to keep the matter of machines rightly human.
One struggles to explain what exactly it is about locomotives and locations that capture the boyish imagination, but what I can articulate now is my gratitude for the three decades in which I had the privilege of sharing this flanged-wheel fascination with my father: the most generous hobbyist I've ever known. These days, we three siblings each have our own passions and interests, but we remain proud to be our father's children, and want to carry on the best of his many virtues. Dad always knew how to keep the matter of machines rightly human.
Treasures Unearthed
In 2007, I was surprised and delighted when my father announced he was turning over to me his entire collection of railroad negatives and prints: a large assortment of images spanning 60 years of railfanning and covering all manner of southern locations. Organizing and digitally scanning this stockpile was like an archeological dig in some far country. Many pictures I had seen before but had forgotten; many more I had never laid my eyes on, making me feel I was experiencing firsthand prized spots along now-abandoned lines and lashups long since in the scrap line of their fallen flags. Even dad rediscovered a few precious images that had flown the coop of his otherwise exacting memory.
In 2007, I was surprised and delighted when my father announced he was turning over to me his entire collection of railroad negatives and prints: a large assortment of images spanning 60 years of railfanning and covering all manner of southern locations. Organizing and digitally scanning this stockpile was like an archeological dig in some far country. Many pictures I had seen before but had forgotten; many more I had never laid my eyes on, making me feel I was experiencing firsthand prized spots along now-abandoned lines and lashups long since in the scrap line of their fallen flags. Even dad rediscovered a few precious images that had flown the coop of his otherwise exacting memory.
It did not take me long to conclude that something like a website would be needed to share these photographs with the larger railfan community. What's more, since my early teenage years, I've framed up and focused my own collection of railroad photographs: diesel locomotive roster shots, freight cars, and operating steam engines. My dad was always willing to share his cameras with me as a kid, patiently teaching me how not to waste film by making each shot count. My photography continued into my young adult years with my own cameras. So with the convergence of our two collections, plus a digital venue for sharing them, HawkinsRails was born.
I've framed up and focused my own collection of railroad photographs: diesel locomotive roster shots, freight cars, and operating steam engines. My dad was always willing to share his cameras with me as a kid, patiently teaching me how not to waste film by making each shot count. My photography continued into my young adult years with my own cameras. So with the convergence of our two collections, plus a digital venue for sharing them, Scrapbooks for Sharing
The Internet is such a wonderful medium for hobbyists to share materials and information about their preferred subjects. I've listed some of my favorites sites on our Links page. I started this website to feature our combined collections of railfan images and to honor the wonderful relationship my siblings and I were blessed to share with our father right up to the end of his life.
The color scheme of this site pays homage to my boyhood railfanning, watching the Illinois Central Gulf come and go twice a week in my small Louisiana hometown. Years of seeing those beloved Paducah rebuilds shuffle local freight means that ICG orange and the white-on-black "i" herald are fixed in my memory. Although I love mainline railroading — all rail action, really — for me the "perfect little train" will always be a B-B road switcher and a dozen mixed cars, ambling along through the piney woods on a hot summer day. The rails into Covington were long ago paved over, but the many happy memories remain.
Sometimes when I can’t sleep at night I let my mind wander back to people and things and places I knew and loved as a boy many years ago. I enjoy so much remembering their sights and sounds. One of these fairly frequent awakening interludes involves the trains and stations and people who ran them, once so very familiar to me.
Frank Brooks Jr.
Beyond colors, our website is cast in a scrapbook motif because, in his later years, dad enjoyed arranging many of his favorite prints in makeshift looseleaf binders so that he and our friends could easily access and enjoy them — usually during a visit upstairs in our southeast Louisiana homestead, running our large O scale layout. After all, he would often say, "What good are pictures when they are buried away in boxes? It's great fun to look at them over and over." So in the spirit of sharing and mutual encouragement, with a nod to the early experiences that spark in us a love for this mode of transportation, I hope you will enjoy what you find here in our online digital scrapbook.
In the fall of 2009, dad came to the end of a brave struggle with chronic heart disease. Among the many final blessings he gave to me, we enjoyed our remaining railfan conversations immensely. There was always another shortline memory or recent equipment exchange to make for great discussion. In the midst of substantial physical setbacks during his last years, dad found great happiness seeing so many of his old 120 format negatives rescued from yellowed envelopes and brought alive again on the web. At the end of his life, he caught a glimpse of the great potential of the World Wide Web and the reach of digital communication. He never loved computers like I always have, but he did fall in love with this idea of an online scrapbook.
Our Photography
Since those years, I've enjoyed expanding our collections through numerous outings to lines and locations. I remain committed to the documentation of past and present shortlines operating in the southern and eastern regions of the country. I also greatly appreciate the efforts of so many surviving railroad museums and tourist-hauling operations, large and small, and so I have sought to chronicle as many of them as I can in our preservation collection. The cataloging of favorite Amtrak routes and their historic stations has also become an interest in the last decade. Surviving steam is always on the docket, as are streetcars and municipal rail. Other interests of ours can be explored on our growing Lagniappe page and throughout the site. HawkinsRails is a member of the Atlanta chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Previously, we were members of the Blue Ridge (Virginia) and South Louisiana chapters.
Locomotives, rolling stock, depots and stations, and everyday railroad operation in its historical and geographical context remain my primary subjects of interest. But I'm pleased to report that I've not outgrown the thrill of riding behind a Mogul or Mikado under steam, or discovering another first-generation road switcher belching smoke and still turning a wheel. I've also come to love meeting the railroaders who keep those old Kettles and Motors moving on down the line.
I'm so grateful for my beloved daughter Ella, who also has an interest in photography and the visual arts. She has discovered her own love for "the iron beasts" and finds riding on Amtrak and tourist trains a wonderful experience. She often helps me capture stills and video on HawkinsRails expeditions, and she has her own eye for interesting images in a railroad setting. She and her grandfather overlapped in life just long enough for her to enjoy his last model railroad layout with him, and these days she says she is honored to carry on the family railfan legacy. Another generation of Hawkins, trackside!
HawkinsRails
We think our web scrapbooks shine their best when viewed on a large tablet or computer screen, but HawkinsRails will respond to whatever device you use to hop onboard with us. We know many folks will join us from their smartphones; if you do, you'll get a mobile-friendly version of our pages for your small-screen enjoyment.
Throughout this site, photographs taken by my late father, John C. Hawkins, are tagged jch; images taken by me, Ralph W. Hawkins, are tagged rwh; and more recently, images and video taken by my daughter, Ella Hawkins, are tagged eth.
In an effort to round out our image collections of railroads and equipment that have captured our attention, over the years we have acquired a large number of reprints, negatives, and postcards by other photographers. These materials are always marked collection, and information about them is noted when known. While they are not available as copies, they are included on this site for your railfan enjoyment. I also make use of the vast digital repositories at Railroad Picture Archives and Rail Pictures to feature other railfans' roster shots that help show the long lineage of motive power and rolling stock. Credit is always given to the photographer and these images are always linked and tagged 
or 
.
Friends and Family
Rail buffs, or persons interested in the rail transportation sector of industrial history, find much of their joy, not simply in watching or riding trains or collecting the memorabilia associated therewith, but, as with all sorts of hobbyists, in the friendships forged with others who pursue a particular pastime.
Milton R. Winter
Among the numerous friends we have made in this wonderful community of "rail buffs," three compatriots stand out for their longevity of friendship and contributions to our scrapbooks. Historian and photographer Louis Saillard and my father became friends in the 1970s through their respective devotion to the venerable Delta Route in Mississippi. Over the years, they swapped as many shortline stories as they did large-format negatives, and Louis organized most of the wonderful NRHS excursions that I loved riding as a kid. He has been a champion of our online efforts and has offered a lot of material for our pages. My dad and I first met craftsman Gordon Payne in 1986 at a train show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Gordon was elated to discover more 2-rail O Scalers in the otherwise lonesome Bayou State, as were we, and thus began a wonderful modeling and railfan friendship that endures all these years later with every visit to his terrific Louisiana Texas & Pacific railroads. Ben Wells and I first chased trains together in 2008 in western Pennsylvania when a staff member heard about my strange hobby and said, "You need to meet my son-in-law!" Many years later, Ben and I have burned up hundreds of backroads east of the Mississippi: chasing slow freights, tracking down locomotives, and quoting O Brother, Where Art Thou? scenes ad nauseam. Ella and I never pass up a chance for one more steel pilgrimage with beloved Big Ben, and his great photos can be found throughout our site. Alas, "ain't it a small world, spiritually speakin'."
Ben Wells and I first chased trains together in 2008 in western Pennsylvania when a staff member heard about my strange hobby and said, "You need to meet my son-in-law!" Many years later, Ben and I have burned up hundreds of backroads east of the Mississippi: chasing slow freights, tracking down locomotives, and quoting O Brother, Where Art Thou? scenes ad nauseam. Ella and I never pass up a chance for one more steel pilgrimage with beloved Big Ben, and his great photos can be found throughout our site. Alas, "ain't it a small world, spiritually speakin'."
I'm also deeply grateful to the many railfan friends, historians, and photographers who have generously shared their images here at HawkinsRails, especially:
Gerhard Anderson, John Blehn, Warren Calloway, Timothy Carr, Jonathan Clark, Nathan Clark, Joey Cook, Freddy Frank, Kermit Geary Jr., Earl Hampton, Will Hankins, Matt Hardey, Garland Harper, Donald Hensley, Ken Heyl, Tony Howe, David Hurt, Chuck Johns, Samuel Latham, Ray Leader, Tom Ledford, Doug Leffler, Chris Martin, Christopher Palmieri, Mike Palmieri, Chris Parrott, David Price, Kurt Reisweber, Art Richardson, Gragg Robinson, Brian Rucker, Russell Tedder, and Milton Winter
Finally, a big shout-out to my nephew and Ella's cousin John C. Hawkins III, who bears my father's name, loves the Hawkins' railfan legacy, enjoys all subjects transportation-related, and as a professional software engineer has provided me a great deal of backend programming support to maintain and improve our ever-growing website. Alongside Ella, they are HawkinsRails' third generation! I know my father would be so very pleased.
Connections
Contact us with any questions or correspondence you'd like to share. Nearly 20 years on the web, we get e-mails from folks all over the world. I especially enjoy hearing about your own railfan interests and any Deep South railroad connections you might share with us — perhaps memories rekindled while parousing our pages.
For more information about scheduling an in-person or online presentation, or about acquiring digital files of images taken by HawkinsRails that match your interests, please see our Presentations page.
Welcome aboard our HawkinsRails!
We are so glad you are along for the ride.
High green signals to you and those you love.
ife is like a mountain railroad,
Comments
Ralph, this is awesome! As I started scrolling through I was thinking this might draw more people into our open houses ... But as I continued it occurred to me that this is so thorough that they might figure they have seen it all and don't need to come! Thank you, both for the enjoyment of having you there, and for your fabulous presentation.
Teryn R.
Thank you for all the great information on your website. I've read all you have compiled about the old "Loping Gopher" Railroad in my home town of Perry, FL.
Nick Y.
I just wanted to drop a note to let you know that your website has been a major inspiration and resource for my Trainz Railroad Simulator project: Huntsville railroads in the 1960's to 1970s. Combined with online resources, especially Hawkinsrails.net, other railfans, and old aerial photographs, I have been able to re-create a few memories of my early railfan experiences.
Ron P.
It was my good fortune to meet you and Ella at Phillips Yard while chasing the Santa Train. I hope that you had a safe and enjoyable day out among the hordes of people. It was a gorgeous day for the train. I finally had the opportunity to visit your website and I was thoroughly impressed. (You had me when one of the first images I encountered was the ACL ventilated boxcar.) Very well done and it's going to take me several more visits to even scratch the surface of what you have on the site. As researcher and a model I can foresee plenty to learn from the site contents. I intend to share the link to the site with a number of rail-oriented friends.
Charlie B.
I stumbled across your site while doing a bit of research on the Louisiana Southern Railway. I noted the name of the site with curiosity. Upon reading the bio I was so glad to see the familiar face of Mr. John Hawkins. I had the privilege of working with your father on the board of the Southern Railway Historical Association. Your father was a kind, generous man. We all thought of him as a true 'Southern Gentleman'. I'm so happy to see his photography living on in your site. Congratulations on maintaining a wonderful tribute to your father.
Dan S.
My good friend Rev. Ralph Hawkins sent me this link to share with you. Ralph is so fortunate to have his lovely daughter continue the Hawkins love of railroads and trains! She makes the third generation of train lovers when you include Ralph's dad, John Hawkins. Every person that I have ever heard speak of John had nothing but great things to say about him! Please make sure to check out Ralph's railroad website. You will be impressed! As a tribute to the Hawkins' family let me end up with an old saying we used to say: "See you track-side!"
Norris D.
Hello to all you Hawkins. I wanted to write and say thanks so much for doing your HawkinsRails website! Recently I was doing a search on Google for Amtrak and our recent trip, and your marvelous website came up. And boy I am glad it did! What an awesome site of info, pictures, personal accounts, etc. The whole site is amazing! Thanks for doing it. Please keep up the great work.
Brian H.
I found your website when searching for information on steam engine #77. My great grandfather worked for Southern railroad for over 50 years. When he retired, he and several other retirees from the railroad were members of the Alabama Railroad club and worked many years restoring #77 and took it on excursions to Huntsville and other places. I never met my great grandfather, but my Dad has many fond memories of him. Thank you for your time and your wonderful website!
Dustin S.
I loved the article about the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri. I worked in Bastrop as a clerk from I believe in 1969 to 71. Loved the job while attending ULM part time. You brought out great memories.
Steve G.
Thank you for sharing your photos and information on the Georgia Southern Railway in Fort Valley, GA. Please know that I sincerely enjoyed reading about you and your brother’s relationship with your father and railroads. I share a similar experience with my father.
Keith S.
I belong to a Facebook group called Rio Grande Southern Modeling and History and since I am not a modeler, I try to find historic pictures and information about the RGS for the modelers to use as reference. I visited your site today and was wondering if it would be alright to copy some of your wonderful photos and post them in the Facebook group? They are some I have never seen before and they are so great!
Cindy B.
Hi - I love your website - so much good information. My interest in Louisiana Southern come from the fact my maternal grandparents lived in Pointe-a-la-Hache their entire lives, and the abandoned right-of-way went through their backyard, and they still called it "The Track". My grandfather gardened and planted orange trees on it! Anyway, let me know and thanks. Again, great job on the website!
Tommy G.
I make a connection with your web site nearly every time I get a notion to look at railroad items. I managed to fine your home page and the love, honor, and respect shown there made me emotional as today's generation rarely experience fatherly devotion and love as we were blessed to do so. Thanks so much for all the time and dedication you have invested in the web. Thanks also for those generations before us for recording history for future generations.
Hershel S.
Thank you for the memories. Made a search for my former 40 year employer, the Louisiana & North West, and discovered your photos, etc. For a number of years I worked at Gibsland on Saturday and well remember the Gibsland Shuffle and the crews who made it happen. Again, thanks for the memories.
Gladney D.
By the way I love your web site. As a modeler that love short lines and industrial railroads you are a great source of information. Thanks for the site.
Bill D.
I have spent many enjoyable hours looking through your locomotive photo collection, for which I send my thanks.
Harry H.
Greetings from North Carolina! As a courtesy, I just wanted to let you know that I have linked your site to mine at two locations. You have a great site. Thanks for sharing so much railroad history.
Steve S.
I just came upon your site while looking for contact info for New Castle Industrial Railroad. You have many great photos that show railroads in action and integrated with local industry, not just in the woods. In our work on behalf of the railroad industry and the country we are always in need of more great railroad photography.
Michael S.
Ralph, I'm really enjoying your website. Wonderful photo collection. Thanks for the link!
Dick U.
Hey y'all, I wanted to give you guys an email. I have done a lot of digging on the site and I have to say it's pleasing. It is well put together and inspirational. As a railfan of many years and for being only 21, the images you have collected have been captivating.
Mike A.
Rail photography and travel will keep you young. Judging by your web pages, you have seen and photographed what few see in a lifetime! You are blessed! I'm 71 and in many arenas, you are way ahead of me, guy!
Doug L.
I hope this e-mail finds its way to Ralph Hawkins. I've enjoyed your web site - especially the stories and pictures of Tuskegee 101. I was wondering if I could use a couple of the photo's from your collection.
Robert A.
Mr. Hawkins, I have been on the board of directors of the railroad for the past seventeen years and the last three years as the General Manager. I would like to thank you for the very kind words that you wrote on your web site on your experience on your visit to the railroad. We have always tried to take the people back in time to show what travel by rail was like with our train ride. We don't always hear the good comments so when we do its a pleasure and again thank you. Feel free to return in the future a spend an other day with us.
Chris L.
Mr. Hawkins, I have enjoyed your website. With your permission, I would like to use your photo of the NC&StL #19095 to illustrate the origin of the L&N cars in my presentation. Best wishes to you and your family and thanks again for sharing your material.
Tim V.
Over the weekend I was introduced to this photo website by a fellow railfan. You have an amazing collection of vintage railroad history on display. Thank you for sharing all of this publicly, I have browsed for a few hours already. Again I appreciate your website, which is a gateway to the past.
Matthew M.
I’m modeling the Turtle Creek Industrial, and see you have a close up shot of the turtle on the side of the cab. I was wondering if you would be willing to share a copy of the digital original shot for use on my model locos. Thank you for your time and I really enjoy your site.
Rick K.
I was browsing (end enjoying) your HawkinsRails.net 'Snapshots' page tonight in my room in Virginia Beach, Ralph (including the pic of you with The Boys up in Meadville in January of 2012!). You sure have 'touched all the bases', over the years! Espee GS-4 #4449; 'NKP' Alco PA #190; WM EMD F7 #243; N&W J #611; RDG Alco C430 #5308; WNYP Alco C430 #430; NS GE B40-8 #3563 ... It's a long list of motive power icons! You also have seen a lot of rail museums. Warmest regards.
Nate C.
Spectacular video, Ralph. No other words for it. Steel on steel does sing as it rolls by, and the low angle shots made me feel as if I were there. Great effort. Thanks for the show!
Matt H.
I wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for your help. I used one of your photographs in my book about the coal mines of Walker County. I used the photograph of DeBardeleben's engine at Sipsey. I hope that it generates traffic on your website. You have such a wonderful collection. It was so kind of you to help me.
Iris M.
I too love trains and camping, as your home page states about you. I stumbled upon your site a few months back when my sister in Pennsylvania sent me a local magazine with D B's picture on it, and an article about his New Castle Industrial Railroad. I grew up in New Castle ... and I enjoyed the article and the opportunity to reconnect with a guy I had not seen in about 50 years! I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I enjoyed and appreciated seeing your pictures of the NCIR, and especially the updated photos you recently added.
George R.
I came across your website while searching for a train that my great grandfather engineered. He was the engineer on the Mobile & Ohio railroad on engine #264 in which you do have a picture of! It is really neat to get to see a picture of the actual engine!
Michelle G.
My dad worked at Allison Lumber back in the day during the late 20s and retired in the early 60s. I remember going to work in summer months with him. I'm 60 years old now but I can remember it like it was yesterday. As I try and type this letter it brings tears to my eyes. I can't believe that someone somewhere found this site, I hope that some one will contact me about those days of so long ago. Thank you sc for bringing this site up.
William W.
I have enjoyed seeing your posts on Facebook and on your website. You certainly have a great photo collection.
Doug B.
I was just on your website HawkinsRail.net and really enjoyed the family history. I am hoping maybe you can help with some ideas of any family owned rails in the state. I work for a television production company in Los Angeles and we are currently casting new documentary series about family owned short lines in America for major cable network and I was hoping to discuss it with you.
Mark D.
I came across your delightful website on account of pictures you have posted of the Smoky Mountain Railroad, specifically of one of their trussrod box cars and ex-Southern Railway 2-8-0 #107. I write because I was wondering if you could share with me those photos in a high-res format to help with my model work.
Dave Q.
When I was a teenager in the 1960s my dad bought a 33 RPM record of a steam engine still operating on the Bonhomme & Hattiesburg Southern, whistling through the thunder on a stormy night. The charm of it was the melodic way the engineer played that locomotive's whistle. I haven't heard it in 45 years but I can still hear bits of it in my memory. I'm glad I stumbled onto HawkinsRail.net. Good work!
David W.
So glad to find your site as I was always intrigued with trains and my favorite sound is hearing the train whistle blowing in the distance and to feel the vibration made from the wheels running along the tracks as the train comes closer! My grandfather whom I never got to meet was an engineer of the Central Of Georgia, his route was from Macon where he lived to Atlanta, back in the 30's ! I liked your page on Facebook. God bless you!
William H.
Very nice web site! I saw a link to your site from a Yahoo freight car list and am most impressed with the site layout and that you are honoring your dad’s railfanning collection. Thanks for your going to all the effort of producing such a nice, easy-to-follow web site. I look forward to your correspondence.
Jim K.
Greetings from Austria. I found your homepage just a few days ago. What can a say? I am truly impressed, what a collection!
Heinz M.
I just finished looking through most of your recent photo postings on your site. Thank you very much for sharing these with us Southeastern railfans. I grew up in North Alabama watching trains on the Sou, L&N, etc, and currently live in Mississippi. I'm surprised that our railroad paths haven't crossed over the years watching trains and attending RR events over the years. Keep up the good work with your Hawkins web site. Maybe we will cross paths watching trains sometime.
Brian J.
Great website. I work with your brother Jack and saw the link to your website from the recent forward about the world’s largest rail car. I now live elsewhere, but grew up in the Acadiana area where I watched lots of trains growing up. I came across the Louisiana & Delta railway on your site and it brought back great memories. I grew up 2 blocks away from one the the L&D spurs.
Nick J.
I just ran across your web site HawkinsRails.net. Very nice indeed! I am especially interested in the New Orleans pages, as I have also created several New Orleans streetcar web pages. And I loved the description of your high school History Fair project! I enjoyed your web site very much. Thanks for putting it on-line.
George F.
I am blown away by your site. You and your father have taken me to the railroads I always wanted to see in my youth. I like the way you presented the site, and the love between father and son is apparent. My grandfather was an engineer for the NC&StL and L&N, so trains are more than just a hobby for me. Again, thank you so much.
Robin R.
Sorry to hear about your dad. Everyone with the Mississippi Great Southern Chapter NRHS sends our condolences. We all thoroughly enjoyed the presentation he did for our banquet several years ago and admired the O scale models you and he brought up for our meetings. Thanks for continuing to share his work through your wonderful website.
Tony H.
I have recently found your website and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I was brought up in much the same way as you, with a dad with a love of the outdoors, history, and transportation. My dad carried my mom, sister, and I to 28 states before high school graduation, and we have visited most of the civil war battlefield parks, many railroad and aircraft museums, steam train excursion railroads, and national parks. Dad instilled in me a love of aircraft and railroads at a very young age, and all the memories of my dad and I train watching are some of the best I have. Dad was not as prolific as a photographer as yours, but I do have some images he took. I was given a camera at about 12 years old and have taken thousands of images since.
William E.
Greetings from London. I found your site was researching the Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern Railroad. There are some excellent photos on it and it is good to see a site like this which features shortlines and old photos at that.
Matt S.
I just wanted to drop you a quick line and let you know how much I enjoy viewing your website. The presentation as well as the photography is fantastic! I'm a fan of the Columbus & Greenville and look forward to any updates that you might be making to that particular section.
Rhett G.
I have been meaning for some time to thank you for the website. I am grateful for the contribution your dad has made to the preservation of our Mississippi rail story and the dedication that carries on with you another generation. I am not sure if we have ever met at one of the Mississippi Great Southern Chapter events in Hattiesburg, but I have certainly heard your dad speak with pride of his sons. Thanks again for keeping the legacy alive!
David P.
Wow! I am certainly impressed with HawkinsRails. A friend send me the address today and I have been pouring over it ever since. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. There are a lot of old friends there, including some old friends I never saw: B&HS, Willis Shortline, and of course the CAGY. And then there is this Westwego engine of 1948 that I've never heard of. Wow! Of course, John shot it in 1948, the year before I was born. Not even I am that old. My congratulations on HawkinsRails and I think of you both fondly and often. I hope our tracks will cross again soon.
Louis S.
Press
Macon Telegraph / Aug 2019 / collection
