Wheeling and Lake Erie

A few local railroads still exist, though many have long since been converted to "rail-trails," a favorite outdoor venue of suburban soccer moms and Mr. Moms pushing those two-seated baby strollers.

I was glad to find the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway alive and well on a recent trek in the wilds of Fayette County. In fact, the W & LE is doing so well that they're replacing railroad ties on the line that runs along Jacobs Creek. Just across the tracks you see the long trail that winds up the valley wall into SGL #296.

I don't consider myself a "railroad buff." Too young. Too disinterested in technical things. But I do love the sound of a train on the tracks when I'm trekking through the forest. Some of my fondest childhood memories entail railroad tracks running alongside rivers and streams, the smell of creosote and ragweed. A train track is a powerful symbol of escape.

Of course, now that I've accomplished most of my life's goals and attained almost everything I've ever dreamed, there's nothing left to escape...except the realization that I aimed so damned low. Besides, the W & LE doesn't take a drifter anywhere except Ohio. Ohio and I have a long and sordid history. Where else can you wake up in a dumpster smelling of Amaretto and wearing a neckerchief?

Sorry, Ohio. If you weren't a colony, you're not a state...