Winter Walk on the Railroad Trail

Two nights ago when the temperature moved up to a cozy 7 degrees, we couldn't help but head out with Chester for an early evening walk on the old railroad right-a-way. The tracks were removed some years ago, maybe about 20 or so. Many folks around here remember the last trains as they plied their trade through these parts. I believe Tony, the engineer, said in the 70s they rolled over the tracks for the last time---just fadded away, not really that long ago.





I like walking on the old berm because there is almost no chance of turning my trashed ankles. The surface has been groomed by snow mobiles, is hard, but yet soft to walk on without dropping into the deep snow that covers the rest of the landscape. It really just isn't much work as the pitch is virtually flat. Sometimes, I am a bit of sissy, but it irks me when I tromp through the deep snow and plop my foot on the edge of a hidden stick and instantly do the dreaded face plant and crunch goes the ankle.

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As the railroad slid into obscurity, these roadbeds were, in many places tidied up, the rails removed and recycled, a layer of crushed limestone was placed on the surface and the rails became trails. Originally owned by the various companies the hauled the grain, milk and, at one time, people and other commodities (humans are a commodity? Not now I guess, only slaves.) the right-of-ways fortunately have remained in place to some degree.



As we sauntered down the old berm in the windless evening, the memories of the trains trickled through my brain. I do remember the steam engines, the massive brutes smoking and grinding along the tracks down in Gray's Lake Illinois, home of my grandparents. It wasn't that many years after the war. Then, they were gone and big "Uncle Gus", the fast diesel, came in. What got my attention that night on the trail was the memory of a system of transport that was economical , effective and by the looks of fairly costly to build, particularly in the 1880s.

These days we are hearing more and more about the need to reestablish the rail system in this country because of it's fuel efficiency. In the future our ability transport all our needs by personalized motor craft will not be economical. The fuel used to drive our autos and trucks will be much less available and much more expensive than it is now. The word on the street and in the mouths of most futurist is that the trains will have to come back----and if we are smart, very soon. I don't think we're smart so I reckon we will be walking here for some time, hopefully just for enjoyment.

So as I walked down the trail full of the evening's crisp air, I had to wonder how long it will be before we see a program called Trails to Rails?