I enjoyed Bill Jacob’s timely editorial on the removal of the “overhead bridge” (The Daily Leader Sunday 6/12/2016).  This was an article that had to be written.

Bill is not old enough to remember the days when most of the trains (and there were a lot of them) were pulled by steam locomotives.

They were replaced by diesel power beginning in 1956 and were all gone by 1959.  Standing on the bridge was a real experience when one (or two) of those living, breathing, noisy, smoky, underpowered monsters came under the bridge, straining to pull dozens of freight cars up the hill to the highest point on the railroad.

The observers, mostly children then, were covered with smoke, water vapor, and cinders.  The bridge shook like it was coming down and the noise was almost unbearable.

Often the engineer would give a special toot on his whistle if he saw someone  standing up there. A common occurrence then, and then it was gone.  I miss those days.

Thank you, Bill, for reminding us of a glorious time in our little town.

 

 Jimmy Perkins