Together in Spirit

Browsing From the Desk of Fr. Mike

Traveling by Rail

There is something about railroad travelers that is different than any other traveler I have experienced. First there is a common pattern of stories that we tell and that we share. We recount the various routes that we have been on, and the different experiences that we have had while riding the rails. It seems every railroader has had some experience of a long delay and an unexpected encounter with other passengers.  When a delay happens there is a universal acceptance of the reality. You can tell instantly when the person is a rookie rail traveler, as we encounter one delay or another. The rookie reacts as if this should not be happening, and wonders (usually aloud) how the delay could be fixed. The veteran rail traveler has a very philosophic way of embracing the delays and it usually leads to other stories of their adventures on the rails.

During my vacation I took three separate rail adventures in Colorado. The first ran through the Royal Gorge that has been carved out by the Arkansas river. The canyon was a spectacular slit cut through a mountain by the river. It’s edges rose by at least 1000 feet on each side as the train passed along the flats created by the river. Aside from the view there was nothing very special about this train ride. There is a train ride out of Osceola WI or out of Duluth that would be very similar and you wouldn’t have the 16 hour car trip to get to the ride.

The second train was much more interesting. It is called the Cumbres-Toltec train. It travels from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO. It is powered by a steam engine that is fired with coal. It climbs to the highest mountain pass that any railroad uses in North America. We crested it at 10300 feet. It was a beautiful ride that included meadowlands and alpine terrain. On this train I encountered true railroaders who, like me, were traveling on the train just for the experience of being on a steam train. There were some great conversations about other trains that had been ridden, and one individual I sat with was a retired switch man for one of the railroads. He had great insight about the activities of the train.

The last train was the Durango-Silverton railroad. It had the most spectacular mountain scenery of any of the rides. It was on this trip that we encountered air-pressure issues that caused the train to be stopped for a time as the crew worked on its repair. It was on this train that it occurred to me how similar most veteran train riders were. As I talked with several passengers surrounding me not one of them complained of the delay. This was when the stories began of other delays and of other rail adventures that others have had. It was then that I realized too, that I was one with them, a true railroad traveler.

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