Maps

I really enjoy looking at maps.  Although I admit there are times that I wish I had a GPS, or that I've appreciated having a GPS, I'm definitely a map person.  I can happily look at a map for long periods of time imagining what it would be like to drive along that road, or ride that railway line, or what that town might be like to visit.

My son-in-law grew up in a small town in Missouri, USA, and when he and my daughter where visiting there recently, and mentioning various town-names, I thought to myself that I need to get a detailed map so that I can see where they are.  Coincidentally one of my favorite railroads in the US is the Missouri Pacific Railroad, headquartered in St Louis, Missouri.  So, after a short search on ebay I found this really cool map of the Missouri Pacific's network, dated 1927, which filled the bill perfectly.

When it arrived I found that it was printed on extremely thin paper, though was in excellent condition, which made me wonder how it had survived so well.  Anyway, rather than frame it as it was I chose to have it scanned and printed by our local, very capable print-shop.  They did a fantastic job.   Then it was off to the framers, half a world away, who also did a really excellent job.  

Many of Missouri Pacific's top passenger trains back in the day were called such-and-such Eagle.  They carried a really striking livery of blue and silver, with silver wings across the front of the locomotives, usually EMD E or F units, or Alco PAs.  For me, they were some of the most attractive diesel locomotive liveries of all time, and so in choosing a mount and frame for the map I went the blue and silver route.  I couldn't be more happy with the result!

I'll be back home again in a few day's time and will look forward to finding a special place in the 'barn to hang this superb map.  As always I'm impatient to do it, but maps remind me that it's not about the destination, it's the journey getting there that is the most important.  Getting there can be good though, too.