Finally back online after a month and a half of absence. So if I didn't respond to the awesome art posted in my absence, that's why. There were simply too many on my watch list when I got back to look through them all.

I know my great-grandfather worked for the railroad, but I don't have much information about what capacity he served in.

My great-uncle was an engineer.

And my grandfather also worked for the railroad, as a machinist. My understanding is that he worked on the boilers of the steam locomotives at the machine shops for the New York Central(later the Michigan Central) in Jackson, Michigan. Below are some pictures of said shops. The buildings still exist today, though they're used as warehouses for a large freight company. The railway still runs as well, being part of the main Amtrak line between Detroit and Chicago.

[link]

And also, just because I can, a photo(again not mine) of retired Grand Trunk Western 4-6-2 locomotive 5030 at R.A. Greene park, also in Jackson.

[link]

Is there some reason DA took my nice big wallpaper-sized uploads and squished them down into teeny things a third the size?

I cannot find the photos I want to upload. *grumbles and digs through her old albums*

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I was worried that our little patio toad had met an unhappy fate after the stupid lawn people came and sprayed chemicals all over last week. I hadn't seen a sign of him for three or four days...but last night he was waiting to greet me out on the sidewalk when I got home! It makes me happy that he's okay.

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