STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Local historian John Lundin is featured in Idaho Public Television’s new documentary exploring the history of Idaho’s railroads.

“Tracks of Time: The History of Idaho’s Railroads” aired Thursday night on Idaho Experience. It will repeat at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 13 during the station’s on-air fundraising drive.

It will also air at 11 p.m. Monday, March 7, on Channel 116 for those who have Cox Cable.

The documentary traces the history of railroads in Idaho from the first locomotive that steamed into Franklin in southeastern Idaho in May 1874 to the massive freight trains that ply the state today. It includes a look at the immigrants who would help lay the tracks and the building of Sun Valley as the nation was beginning to emerge from the Great Depression.

Lundin was interviewed about the railroad in Shoshone at the McFall Hotel, which was run by his ancestors. Passengers arrived there before heading north to Sun Valley. He also was interviewed in the Sun Valley Lodge about the Oregon Short Line’s impact on Idaho and the Wood River Valley.

“When I decided to do this project, I knew a documentary on railroad history would be interesting,” said Producer Forrest Burger. “But oh my, what I’ve learned along the way! This topic is much deeper than I ever imagined. It’s been a really fun learning experience!”