Why do we often love trains?

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lol

The sound of being in one is strangely relaxing, it has similar calming effects that a small running fan has on me.

Do autistics love trains?

Many do.

Do nt's love trains?

Many do.

What are the stats?
Do autistics love trains at a higher rate than do nt's?
Never seen figures on it.

Memorizing the timetables for the entire Island of Great Britain is probably a sign of autism.

But many are exhilarated at the site of a mid twentieth centurey steam locomotive chugging down the track- pumping out black smoke and letting out a steam whistle.

Its not confined to any particular neurological wiring.

Love trains myself. I actually got to ride (indeed cross the USA) in the last pullman trains in the midsixties (after steam was gone but while they still had classy restaurants,sleeping cars,and uniformed staff. To many (even my own age) a "trainride" means riding on amtrack. To me the thought of riding a train conjures up memories of riding the pullman trains of my childhood (like comparing a classy restaurant to a Seven-Eleven store-very different experiances).

Some say that the autistic mind works like a train-stays on one track. While neurotypicals are more automobilelike- can constantly switch lanes.

So maybe we like trains because we ARE LIKE trains.

I like them because they represent stability. They are on tracks like the rides at Disney, so I know they won't go crazy on me. In a plane or a car, the pilot/driver/other drivers could stop paying attention or actively want to kill someone and crash, so I certainly feel safer in a train. Plus I like the spider web that their routes make, so train maps, especially subway maps are fun to look at.

I also liked Thomas the Tank Engine, but the difference between us is it was a special interest for me, even though it didn't last very long. I also had Thomas toys too, but I don't know which ones they were. I really don't remember the names anymore, but I think they were the green train and I think the other one was some box-shaped train.

I do know that when I was quite young, I really loved trains.



The only thing better than a train is a train with a friendly face on the front.

I would guess that we mostly like steam trains.
They're all busy, full of mechanical bits. Wonderfully complicated. The engineers have to do a lot of monitoring of the steam pressure and so on.
They look and sound powerful.

Don't count out Diesel Electric!

Percy and Toby. I only know this because I have a 3-year-old.

One thing that I have long wanted to do is to buy a railroad passenger car, haul it out to the farm, set it on rails, insulate it well, and make it into a one bedroom home for me to live in.

Sorry, but they really don't do anything for me whatsoever. Too simple and uncomplicated. The only exception are the very early Diesel locomotives from back in the 1950's due to their styling.

Even the Class 55s?

Trains don't matter to me one way or the other really, but I have ridden on one. I'd much rather ride on a train than fly, but if I ever go on one again I'm getting a sleeper car. Otherwise it's like the bus!

I don't know which one is which. Also, wasn't there a red train too? What was the name of that one? I am also not sure, but I think I remember the red one being grumpy all the time.

OK, I take it back, those have style.

You're thinking of James....he was one of the larger steam engines who (along with Gordon and Henry) liked it lord it over the smaller/younger/less experienced engines like Thomas, Percy, and Edward.

When I was a kid (and when I watched Thomas stuff with my younger half - sisters cuz they liked it too) I thought that James, Henry, and Gordon were all three pretty grumpy, lol.

I grew up beside the train tracks.

One thing I love is the deep tshkug-tshkug-tshkug-BOM-BOM-BOM-BOM-BOM of the engine. I love how that sound just rolls around so deep and beautiful. I love the Doppler effect and the 'clack-tchk-tchk-clack-tchk-tchk-clack-tchk-tchk...'.

I often traveled by train from my rural remote home to the city. I got travel sick sometimes, but it did not dampen my enthusiasm. We sat in a rickety-old passenger car that rocked back and forth. The conductor wore an archaic wool uniform and he had a pocket watch. He served us tea.

I miss the cabooses and how we would wave at the crew when they passed, and they waved back. Because of where we lived, field trips sometimes consisted of going to a neighboring village via riding in the engine, and riding in the caboose on the way back.

I love the smell of diesel. I love the smell of hot metal and feeling the heat on the rails. I love the smell of the gravel bed and how I would search for prized agates between the ties. The creosote was even a good smell.

And the whistle - oh, what a beautiful, deep soulful music.

The glasses and dishes rattled and clinked in our home when trains passed. It made guests from the city nervous. To me, it was all music.