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(Sixth in a series of eventually 1,000 images).

Like death and taxes, progress happens no matter what we do to stop it. The image below may cause you to reflect on an era once considered a golden age. Do you know what it is?

This is a photo of an early 20th century locomotive’s wheel and the gear which drives it. During this era, railroads were a primary method of moving goods and people throughout the United States. Today, railroads carry commodities over more than 100,000 miles of track* with passenger travel concentrated mostly in the Northeast.

Railroad museums throughout the United States are dedicated to the preservation of the history of railroads and rail travel. This photograph was taken at the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway depot in Eureka Springs, AR. The railway is a living museum that tells the history of rail travel in the region, which began in the late 19th Century. ES&NA Railway offers scenic tours as well as lunch & dinner excursions.

To plan a visit to a railroad museum, visit ES&NA’s website or www.railroadmuseums.com for a directory of locations across North America.

*Source: Association of American Railroads