Railroading is Railroading

Coal runs through the seams, older than the mountains themselves. One wonders, “If Virginia knew about this coal, would it have seceded West Virginia so quickly?” You have to laugh.
Over your shoulder the whine of dynamic brakes and the squeal of beveled wheels, agonizing in pain, a hundred cars of coal run from mountain to the shoal. This is West Virginia. The West Virginia of today, not much has changed.
The hardwoods stand a shoulder taller than when I last ventured here. But that is about it. The names have changed here and there. Norfolk Southern and CSX run the coal today.
The Class A’s and Alleghenies are gone. Even the Century’s and SD40-2’s are gone. SD70M-2’s and SD70MAC's now shoulder the tonnage. Horsepower is horsepower to corporate. Grace is grace to us railfans. The coal needs to get where it is going. When the ink is black, the railroad is running, railroading is railroading.
But railroading is made of people. It is made of journeys. It is made of sweat and toil. Made of 2am shifts. It is not just a way to get coal from point A to point B. Railroading is a way of life. It is grandfathers who broke their backs lifting drivers and grandsons who lift tractions motors in the same way. Railroading is railroading.
As long as goods roll down this track, railroaders will get it there. They will stand strong. At their hands, the trains will run.