Best Tucson Sound

A locomotive whistle

Traffic noise and jets overhead send shivers through us. The sweet music of the train engine, though, is as comforting as that of a calliope. Especially late on a still night, when the pressures of the day toss around in our minds, the soothing sound of a faraway locomotive reminds us of a gentler, slower era. For the past 123 years, trains have rumbled through Tucson. Because the tracks cut diagonally across the city, the sound of the whistle is shared with those from Marana to downtown to the far eastside. That gentle noise can stir memories in us of forgotten loves and more peaceful times, long ago trips and moonlit nights, and all we have to do is listen.