Let’s start by defining what constitutes a railroad oddity

I struggle with the idea of oddity. What is an oddity on the railroad?

This is a rough draft of the introductory remarks I plan to give today in Atlanta.

I’ve been thinking about what oddities happened on the rails — and how to define oddity. In all the talks that I’ve given, something interesting has emerged.

There are two aspects people are most interested in regarding railroad history: it’s information about a railroad they know, or it’s the unexpected that really draws people’s attention.

I’ve given several talks, for example, around the theme of “Death on the Rails,” and it sounds like such a macabre topic, but they’ve been some of my best-received talks. Similarly, this idea of oddities on the rails is positively received.

I struggle with the idea of oddity. What is an oddity on the railroad?