It was late and the home front was calling my name.

But, I had to do one thing first — take pictures of a train depot.

To psyche myself up even more for the Amtrak Inspection Train event, I decided to take pictures of all the Americana that was hanging at the depot.

American flags, banners and insignia displaying our great country’s colors were on full display.

Through the sodium-burning lights, the scene looked majestic and I knew that I had picked the right time to come and get those pictures. In fact, Ditto Gorme, a local photographer, posted his pictures of the depot at night on Facebook earlier in the day. His pictures inspired me to do the same.

Once I returned home, I put my pictures on our Facebook page and my on my personal timeline.

The pictures turned out really well and it helped pump me up for the day that was about to come.

Like most trains, if not all of them, the Amtrak Inspection Train was ahead of schedule for the event — 20 minutes to be exact.

The entire Atmore Advance office attended the event and we got there early.

It was a beautiful day. The temperature was a little warm, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

After getting many pictures before the train’s arrival, I got in position to get the right shot of the locomotive rolling into town.

Before the train arrived, the Atmore Fire Department was asked to do a christening by setting up two engines — one on either side of the track — to spray water on the train.

Fire Chief Ronald Peebles said it took 2,000 gallons of water and it managed to soak the entire train with room to spare.

As the train arrived, the crowd awaiting erupted and paid greeting to what could be a fixture in the community.

The train event went off without a hitch and all city officials should be commended on a job well done.

America was on full display that day in Atmore.