Railroad Days, 2015, Russell, KY

Railroad Days, 2015, Russell, KY

This photo serves as a monument to life’s ever-changing nature.

The now-defunct annual Railroad Days event held a special place in our hearts, because at one point in time, three of the family’s men were railroaders at the Russell locomotive shop just a short walk away from this event. Many of our customers during the weekend were friends and coworkers, so it really did feel like home.

Also at one point in time, Cliff’s mane was flowing so fiercely that almost daily he was compared to Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame. If you squint, you might just be able to see the resemblance.

The highlight of Railroad Days was the final night of the event. Y’all know that us Eastern Kentucky folk are a little bit crazy about regional musicians, and it really showed when now-disbanded Prestonsburg, KY-based duo Sundy Best took the stage and absolutely PACKED the streets of downtown Russell.

Shoulder to shoulder, thousands of minds were blown away by Sundy Best that night, and we took it upon ourselves to cure their post-show munchies. I guess a perk of being a country music star is never having to pay for grub when you tour, because we loaded them down with a rack of ribs, a handful of pulled pork sandwiches, and God knows what else. In exchange, they signed our cutout Dorky, which became a tradition for us at subsequent events.

In 2020, none of the Stewart boys are railroaders, Cliff has buzzed hair, and Sundy Best have gone their separate ways. In the words of Bobby Braddock, “The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.” We’re happy with the way things have turned out.

#tbt #throwbackthursday