A couple of fellows I know, just this week went up to Essex, Montana. Exploring the old route over Marias Pass. Both are retired GN/BN men. Both were surprised at what they saw. As I like to describe it- "Miles and miles, of miles and miles." No people, no stations. Not much of anything they recognized. Nobody they had ever known. A couple of helper units, but nobody around. Stopped and ate lunch at The Isaac Walton. Food was good. But the people seemed a bit stand off-ish. None seemed interested in answering their inquiries, or even a few seconds of chat, etc. Nor did they even seem to know much about the past, or present railroad. They both came home, feeling rather sad and disappointed. Both had worked long careers with service at places such as Stryker, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Coram, Belton, Summit, Essex, and many other stations on that line. Guess I can't blame them for feeling a little bit down. It's as if their past lives had never happened. That would indeed feel like a shock. :sad: Boxcab E50
I sometimes get kind of down looking at very old photos of the railroads around here. They were much more part of everyday life. Now folks are just kind of annoyed by them. When a line is abandoned and the old right of way absorbed into the landscape, most people have no idea a train even ran there once. Tracing one of my favorite ghost lines south from the old sugar mill, it first goes through a suburban neighborhood, streets, houses, playgrounds and all totally obliterating any trace of it. Then a new boulevard covers it and runs for about a mile right on top of it before it veers off in another direction. The ghost roadbed then goes through an elementary school, more neighborhood, a grocery store and then parallels state highway 6 covered over by all sorts of businesses, a hospital, a school bus parking lot, and more. A few years ago the last sign of it where it had crossed highway 6, RR crossing signs painted on the road were paved over. It is now totally erased.
When I spoke with the one I know most closely, I was truly surprised by how dejected he seemed to be. :sad: Boxcab E50
Occassionally I will pull up Google-Earth and try to trace an old B&M or Rutland route.....I guess you really shouldn't attempt to go "home".
Despite the constant drumbeat otherwise, when I visit in person, see photos, or otherwise explore where man is no more, it's amazing how fast nature reclaims. Without our help! You're right about not being able to go home again. The family farm of my youth, is now a bunch of houses. But done decently. Not the packed together like bread slices stuff we see other places. Just down the road, was a huge saw mill. Nobody who now lives in the many houses on that land, even knows there was also a large mill pond, dam on the river, and a sizable logging railroad facility there! I've had to take people by the hand, into the brush, and chop away salmonberries and alders, to show them the proof. One small remaining concrete foundation. mg: Boxcab E50
Have you ever seen that GN advertisement during WWII when GN had the lodges closed? It showed a cartoon pic of Rocky shedding a tear saying that he misses all the travelers. I picture him standing on top of a mountain doing the same thing, lookin' at the traffic on US 2 and the lack of anything else.
Reminds me of the old station and yard area at Hoosac Tunnel. Back in the early 1900s through the late 1940's it had all sort of acitivity with electrics cutting off and interchange going on for the HT&W. Now all that's left is the switch located across the river from the tunnel marking the location as the east end of Soapstone siding. Hard to believe this area was once a busy spot on a important mainline.
Did they notice the old GN section house that is used as a residence in Essex? The owner grew up in the house, his Dad was the Section foreman. When he heard it was to be torn down he bought it and moved it a few iles to Essex. I have had great train conversations with guests at the Issac Walton. They are there for the trains as well as the scenery. I am sorry your friends missed that.
Which one? There are two. One was moved in from Red Eagle. The man who was it's second owner, was one of my two friends up there that day. The house you're talking about, was originally bought from the RR by Joe Pettinato. Believe there's still a member of his family living in it. Although his son Russ lives in another nearby town. Anyhow, they both knew Pettinato well. Boxcab E50
It makes me sad too, remembering the B&M Geep 9's blowing their horns just a mile east of my open bedroom window on a quiet New Hampshire July night. Now those tracks just see a once a month New England Southern engine and a tank car. The old signals still stand silent guard of the main line, their lenses, bulbs and wires gone. Only rust and birds are a steady companion. The grade crossing lights, sentrys for the motor vehicle, they are retired. And the many stations for towns no one remembers, only a foundation and a granite whistle stop remain. All that remains of the Concord part of the Concord and Claremont branch is a granite whistle stop next to route 3 near Fisherville. Coarse Fisherville went the way of the B&M, it is now just a burb of Concord.
