A Special Train for a Special Day

by Jonathan Spurlock

CSX ET44AH 3621 leads a train through Barboursville, WV, 30 Jan 2018 -Jonathan Spurlock

CSX’s former C&O line to Logan, WV and the coalfields in the region left the main line at Barboursville, WV. The Logan subdivision then traveled near some of Barboursville’s residential district before heading mostly south to Logan and beyond. The line was usually kept in a well-maintained condition but I can seldom remember seeing a train. Even in my grade school years, we had a younger-than-Little-League baseball league that played games literally a stone’s throw from the tracks. Even at 9 years of age, I could throw a rock better than a baseball, but that’s another story.

Many years later, one of the saddest days of anyone’s life happened. Dad completed his earthly journey and went to his eternal reward and needless to say, I was pretty shaken up about it. I still, and always will, picture Dad as a 36-year-old, handing up train orders, fearlessly, as a train rumbled by the Man, WV station. I choose to block out the images of his last day, an empty house of flesh on a hospital bed. No one is ever prepared completely for an event like that. Even though we had known it was going to happen, we were all caught a little off guard. Enough of that for this time.

The next day, those of us in the immediate family met to discuss the funeral arrangements. I didn’t have much to say or contribute, still numb over losing Dad. We then finished up and departed to various destinations.

I had just walked back to the car when I heard an air horn! This was something I had never heard at this location, not in a long time if ever, and I wondered where the train might be. Incredibly, the funeral home was in sight of the Logan Sub and I could see the pair of engines and string of hoppers as big as you please. Battery full? Check. Grade crossing close by? Check. Could I get there in time? That I didn’t know but I figured there had to be a good place close by.

As it turned out, the train was slowing down to a crawl. I believe it was stopped about a quarter mile from the Barboursville yard and a mile from the point where the Logan sub rejoined the mainline. There was a business of some kind with a parking lot right against the tracks. Was I in time?

You bet I was! I got there just as the train stopped at whatever signal it was, then listened as the engineer blew the whistle again and led the train on to the mainline. I snagged a few photos, but most of all, I feel this was God’s way of assuring me that things were all right with Dad and that He would still be with me. Now, some may be saying that I’m reading too much into this. Go ahead. For me, this was a special train on a special day—and I wonder if Dad made a special request, or issued a special train order for me? No matter what, this was one of the most special trains I’ve ever seen, on what could have been one of the most awful days of my life. There is no way to describe the pain I felt on that awful day, but this special train gave me the encouragement I needed to keep on going. Dad would have wanted it that way, I do believe!

Thanks, Dad!