Riding the Rails of My Recollection

Looking down the rails from Cardwell Rd.

I've been thinking lately of how different things are for kids these days compared to the time I grew up in. Some of the things I was able to experience that made me who I am, my kids and grandkids (if I ever have any) will never know about. I never really thought about how fortunate I was to live so close to a set of train tracks. There was only a cow pasture and a creek that separated our property from the railroad tracks. I spent a better part of my childhood playing on those tracks. 

One time I decided to see how far I could walk by balancing myself on one rail. I started at Cardwell Rd. and made it all the way down to Wise Spring Rd. without slipping off or a train coming. That's a mile and a half if you went by road. 

My son 12 years ago

Some of my greatest joys was discovering railroad spikes and other pieces of track that had been discarded by railroad workers whenever they would replace parts of the track; I used to collect these things. Placing pennies on the rail and letting the train flatten them out was also lots of fun. I always dreamed of hopping on a slow moving train and seeing how far I could ride it but I was always afraid of getting sucked underneath and ran over so I never tried it. 

There's no telling how many pairs of pants I ruined by getting Creosote on them. Creosote is a black tar that the railroad coats the wooden ties with to preserve them. It is very sticky and stinky and it will not come out of your clothes. 

Bridge over Roseberry Creek. It used to be a lot deeper.

I used to sit on the railroad bridge that crossed over Roseberry creek and stare into the water and dream of the future and getting older. Little did I know that in the future I would be sitting in a recliner dreaming to be young and back on that old bridge again. 

 A few years ago I took my son over to my old stomping grounds via the railroad tracks. It was a lot of fun. I hope he remembers it when he is older. See all the photos from that day by clicking HERE.