Train a comin’ ... again and again and again.
FOLKSTON FUNNEL
Some people like tinkering with old cars. Others enjoy collecting stamps or coins or building model airplanes. Bird watchers love watching and documenting bird species. Then, there are the railfans—also known as train spotters or “foamers” (as in
“foaming at the mouth” when they see a train). For the estimated 200,000 railfans in the United States alone, there is no more wondrous place than a little spot just thirty minutes west of St. Marys. It’s known as the Folkston Funnel.
As many as 75 trains a day pass through this little hamlet at the edge of the great Okefenokee Swamp. All trains traveling north and south to and from Florida must pass through the exchange, as well as rail traffic going east-west because the tracks split just north of Folkston. Train enthusiasts from around the world make this pilgrimage annually to record their sightings. Some focus on the engine types. Others meticulously chronicle the boxcars and their cargo. While others obsess with the documentation of various types of graffiti splattered across the broad metal panels that glide by.
America’s love affair with the railroad is one readily understood. After all, where would this country be without trains? And what industry defines American progress better than the railroad
industry? Most cities, like Folkston, have grown up around the railroad. Though these days no trains actually stop in Folkston (not since 1973), the old rail depot has been spit-shined and offers a sidecar adventure into the world of railroading with its
museum displays and train-related gift shop. The Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce is also housed in the depot. In 2001, the City of Folkston dedicated the adjacent rail platform which has become a popular gathering place for “foamers” and “foamer wannabes.” With wireless internet, picnic tables and even a grill, the platform (modeled after a Lionel toy train platform) is set up for comfort, convenience and enjoyment for those whose passion for this slice of Americana runs much deeper than the minor inconvenience of getting off the interstate.
On a wondrously blue day in late fall, a handful of men wait
eagerly in the early morning quiet. Friendly chatter crackling from the strategically-placed overhead speakers announces an impending arrival and sends the devoted railfans into action. The ringing of the nearby crossing gates pierces the early calm. Mere seconds later, an earsplitting horn signals the approach of a
mammoth CSX engine. The men huddle closer to catch and share the intricate details of the spotting. “When you’ve seen one train, you’ve seen them all,” is a statement that has no place in this world. Here, every train is special. And every
spotting an adrenalin shot of the highest order.
The passing train engineers, accustomed to seeing fans
gathered on the Folkston platform, will often give an extra
toot on the horn, or dangle a friendly wave out the window. For they, too, are part of the fraternity. A fraternity that boasts hundreds of websites, books, museums, libraries and even their
own conventions. The annual Railwatch Festival Day for Folkston (which occurs April 5 in 2008), is just one added excuse for these “brothers” to get out their notebooks and head to the Folkston Funnel. Each year, more than 25,000 people from as far away as England, Sweden, and beyond, sign the platform’s guest book. And that is a testament to how a small town,
driven by people with vision and determination, can create an economic treasure out of a seemingly ordinary, everyday occurrence.
Former Folkston Mayor Dixie McGurn was one of several visionaries who got behind the movement to make Folkston a drawing card for railfans. From her charming gift and frame store on Main Street in Folkston, Whistlin’ Dixie, she tells of the struggle and the victory.
“Cookie Williams had the vision,” McGurn explained. Williams, a train enthusiast who moved from Virginia to Folkston in the 70s, recognized the value of the funnel as a national attraction. Then McGurn made a good case and achieved state funding to build the train-watching platform.
As children, who among us did not, at one time, stand patiently and count the cars rolling by on a seemingly endless freight train? Who among us (baby boomers and before) has not thrilled to the congenial wave that comes from the little window of a red caboose? Who has not, at some time, been awed by the lonely sound of a train whistle on a moonlit night? Yes, America’s love affair with the railroad is timeless and unwavering. And nowhere more alive than on the nostalgic viewing platform at the core of the Folkston Funnel.
Editor’s note: For more information, visit www.folkston.com. Painting by renowned railroad artist Robert West,
commissioned by Dixie & John McGurn. Special thanks to The McGurns for sharing the painting. Prints are available at Whistlin’ Dixie Custom Framing and Unique Gifts in Folkston. Visit www.whistlin-dixie.com for information.
