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Every December there is a tradition that I cannot miss. It’s not the tree or cookies or anything like that, it’s something that takes a little less than 10 minutes yet it’s one that has timeless lessons, much like your favorite Christmas movie. The tradition is to find on YouTube and then listen to O. Winston Link’s recording of the Pelican at Rural Retreat, Virginia from Christmas Eve 1957.
The OWL, so well known for his images and sound recordings of the Norfolk and Western at work during the final years of mainline steam in this country, captured something truly special that night in the Old Dominion, a railroad that never stopped and the people who made sure of that.
The engineer at the throttle, the fireman keeping an eye on his gauges, and the conductor back amongst the patrons are but three of the many examples of those who sacrificed their time away from their families so that others may make it home to theirs.
Those same sacrifices are being made today by the railroaders currently out on the high iron. For every Amtrak crew working on Christmas Eve there are countless freight crews marking up and taking America’s cargo across this country to the destination, whether they’re the first part of the journey or the last mile. That phone you used to order off of Amazon? Likely came inland on an intermodal train. The gifts the gifts you ordered may have moved across the country on a stack train too. Enjoying that bread or chicken? How about a grain train? Filling up your tank on the drive home? The ethanol in your gasoline like came by train as well. I bet that car rode in an auto rack train too. Dare I even say Santa gets a unit coal train every year for the bad boys and girls?
The man in the red suit may get most of the attention and adoration this Christmas but the real heroes are the men and women in safety vests and steel toed boots climbing in their cabs ensuring not only that the holidays go off without a hitch, but that the country stays moving. For that, we say thank you to each and every railroader this Christmas and every day. Merry Christmas to you all and clear signals ahead!