This is the single track railroad line that runs right through the center of Marfa, Texas. Train horns have blared in Texas for more than 160 years, and the history of the state’s railroads begins with an infant republic. The railroad represented a path to economic development and settlement; wherever it went, commerce bloomed. Marfa’s existence, like lots of places, was initially due to the railroad. This spot was merely a railway water stop and freight station in 1883, when it was named. By 1887 a stately courthouse had been built a few hundred yards from the tracks, and the town grew up around it. So Marfa became the county seat because the railroad line ran through the town. It is impressive to be walking on a street near the railroad tracks when a train comes through! The freight trains are up to a mile and one-quarter long pulled by four engines. Depending on the speed of the train, if you are stopped at a rail crossing it can take two or three minutes for all the cars to pass.
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