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Author: jbcowgill
I am one who loves to travel. I enjoy photography. I take many photos of my journeys. I also write short stories and poems.
How many of you have ever heard of Shippensburg University located in the town of Shippensburg in the southern region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania? Alright! It is not as well-known as Penn State University or Harvard or Notre Dame. It began as Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1871 before it was simply named Shippensburg University. For a university that it not very well known, it has had many famous visitors like Pat Benatar, Salt and Pepa, George Carlin, and Jesse Jackson. Every semester, they have many students that attend this university. Shippensburg University is a university that has a deep history.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! This is nice. A university that has a deep history. Oh, I love Pat Benatar. She must have hit the place with her best shot. There is a very big problem. There is no railroad here. Therefore, I will not be making my best shot to visit here.”
Shippensburg University is a university that has a rich history. It is not famous for railroad history. What does Shippensburg University have to do with the railroad? Although the Norfolk Southern Railway passes through Shippensburg, it is a few miles from the university.
As you walk around the university, you see the various structures. You then notice what looks like a rail trail. The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail begin on the northeast side of the university, and it is here where you see two boxcars. The Penn Central boxcar houses the Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum, and the Conrail boxcar houses the Conrail Museum. The railroad line was originally built by the Cumberland Valley Railroad, but it was later taken over by the Penn Central Railroad, and Conrail was the last railroad to run on the line before railroad service ended.
What does this have to do with Shippensburg University? It was a plot of open land along the Cumberland Valley Railroad that became the determining factor for the location of the university. The railroad would bring students to and from the university and played a big role in the establishment of the school.
The next time you think about Shippensburg University, think about a university that had its beginning with the railroad. You can hike the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail and get a feel of how the students came to school.
Johnny was a man who loves trains. During his free time, he would go to the train watching park to watch the trains go by.
One day, something was different.
He walked down to the train watching park, and he saw a lady with long hair, black jacket, blue jeans, and flip flops sitting on a bench. He was use to having the park to himself. He walked over to the lady. “Hello!”
The lady turned to him. “Hey! Are you here to watch trains?”
“I am.” He smiled.
“I like watching trains.”
“I am Johnny. I come here most of the time to see the trains go by.” He noticed a tattoo of a railroad crossing on her ankle.
“I am Lisa. I am new in town. I moved here from the big city. I noticed this park, and I decided to take a look. Three trains have come by so far.”
“Nice. We can watch trains together.”
Johnny and Lisa watched trains throughout the day. Each day, they were at the park watching trains… together. Two years later, they were married.
Have a HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!! May you spend the day watching trains with the one you love.
The U.S. state of Virginia is a state that is so rich in history as well as natural areas. It has famous cities like Richmond, Williamsburg, Norfolk, Alexandria, and Charlottesville. It is the state that gave birth of more U.S. Presidents that any other state. This includes George Washington, the first President of the United States of America and is called the Father of the Country and Thomas Jefferson, the man that wrote the Declaration of Independence. The city of Charlottesville, famous for being the home of the University of Virginia, is also the home of Monticello, the famous home of Thomas Jefferson and the only home of a U.S. President that is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and Highland, the home of James Monroe. With all of these historic sites, there are historic sites that are overlooked. One of those places is east-northeast of Charlottesville.
Welcome to Bracketts Farm. What is Bracketts Farm? Well, it is a farm. It is a historic farm that is also a working farm that covers 500 acres featuring a farmhouse and slave quarters as well as barns. (The farmhouse and slave quarters are private residences. Please do not trespass.) There is also a pond where you can go fishing. There are hiking trails as well. It is located in the Green Springs Historic District protecting the area from being condos and single family homes. Even though the structures are not open to the public, the farm is. As you walk around, you can see a peaceful place that is still working today.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! This is nice. It is great that this historic place has been preserved. There is a problem. What is the problem? There is no railroad here. Therefore, there will not be any history of me visiting this place.”
So why visit Bracketts Farm? The farm has no railroad history, nor does it have any history with the railroad, and, as far as it is known, no railroads have ever run through the farm or through the Green Springs Historic District. The nearest railroad is in the town of Trevilians which is east of here. Why visit Bracketts Farm?
Let us begin with the farm itself.
Bracketts Farm was established in 1790. Elisabeth Aiken Nolting was the last owner of the farm before it was sold to the Bracketts Farm Foundation, an all-volunteer foundation, who now owns the farm. As mentioned, it is a working farm that has farm animals (not owned by the foundation) that are grass fed. The public is invited to fish in the pond as well as walk a nature trail and see some of the farmland.
Some of you are saying, “That is very nice, but the farm has no railroad history.”
That is true. Why visit this farm? The answer begins in a nearby town.
Have you ever heard of the small town of Cobham, Virginia? So, you have never heard of this town. You are in the majority as most people have never heard of this town. What was special about the town of Cobham? As you drive through this town, you say to yourself, “There is not much here.”
You cross a small bridge which crosses a railroad track, but it is just a simple railroad track. There is really nothing here… but that was not always the case.
The town gets its name from an estate called Cobham Park which is located in the town that gets its name of a village in England, United Kingdom of the same. (The village is called Hanson today. The Cobham Park Estate is not open to the public.) This town, which looks as if it has no history, had one of the earliest train stations on the railroad line when the Louisa Railroad reached the town. The line was later taken over by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built a train station. Why? The town had a siding track. There was also the Piedmont Female Academy which made much use of the station. The train station was replaced by another train station in 1905. Today, the post office is now a private residence. Only the main railroad line remains and is owned by Chessie Seaboard Transportation. (We simply call it CSX.)
Some of you are saying, “It looks like Cobham had the fate of many small towns in the United States of America. The train station is gone forever. However, this has nothing to do with Bracketts Farm.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is where Bracketts Farm comes to play.
When train stations are replaced, the old train station gets demolished. As for Cobham, Virginia, the train station was spared. It was taken apart. It was then taken to Bracketts Farm and reassembled.
Some of you are saying, “It was reassembled, and it continues to rot and rot and rot.”
Ladies and gentlemen, if you desire to see rotting train stations, then you will want to see the old Cobham Train Station at Bracketts Farm. The Old Cobham Train Station has been fully restored. The ticket office, the living room, and the upstairs family bedrooms are fully restored. An addition was built on the rear of the station opposite of where the tracks were located to include an extra room, a second bathroom, a full kitchen and eating area. The station can be rented out for events, or you can spend a night here. The one thing that is missing is the railroad line. Sadly, you cannot see passing trains during your stay.
Now you have a reason to visit Bracketts Farm. Think of Bracketts Farm as a working farm that continues to feed the people in the United States of America and preserve a piece of railroad history.
Bracketts Farm is part of the Green Springs Historic District in Louisa, Virginia which is owned by the National Park Service. Bracketts Farm, although on National Park Service property, is run by volunteers from the Bracketts Farm Foundation who also preserves the old train station. The farm is located off of Virginia Route 22 east of U.S. Route 15 and is part of the Hallowed Ground Driving Tour. (Hallowed Ground is a region the begins in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and ends in Charlottesville, Virginia that has more historic sites that anywhere else in the United States of America, mainly along U.S. Routes 15 and 29). You can learn more about Bracketts Farm, the Bracketts Farm Foundation, read more into the history of the farm, and see how you can visit at https://www.bracketts.org/.
When you hear about Bracketts Farm, do not think about another farm. Think about a farm that is preserving agricultural history and railroad history.
Who is Hazel Ruby McQuain? She is not famous to most people. Although she was born in the town of Coshocton in the U.S. state of Ohio, she made great contributions in the city of Morgantown in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Morgantown is famously known as the home of West Virginia University. Hazel Ruby McQuain is famous for establishing the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust which made a donation to build the John Wesley Ruby Memorial Hospital which is located on the campus of West Virginia University. (The hospital is named after her husband.) She made other contributions throughout Morgantown. For this reason, the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park was created in her honor. Located on the Monongahela River, it features an amphitheater where concerts are played, a kayak launch for those who wish to paddle on the river, a hiking and biking trail, and a picnic area. The view of this park is a real contribution for a woman who did so much for this city.
Some of you are saying, “You know, this is very nice. It is great to honor a great woman who did great things for the city of Morgantown. Go Mountaineers! However, there are numerous problems here. The first problem is that Hazel Ruby McQuain has made no contributions nor does she have any connections to the railroad. The second problem is that Morgantown, West Virginia is not a railroad town nor is there a railroad passing through here. The third problem is that this park has nothing to do with the railroad. Therefore, I will not be contributing a visit to this town or to this park.”
Why visit the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park? She has no connection with the railroad. Why visit the park?
It is true that Morgantown, West Virginia, being famous for the University of West Virginia has no real railroad history. Other than a light rail system, there is no railroad here. However, that was not always the case.
As you enter the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park, the first thing you see is an old train station. Why is there an old train station here? It is because the Caperton Trail passes through the park.
Some of you are saying, “That is great. It has the old train station, but what is special about the Caperton Trail.”
On the south side of the park is an old railroad bridge. Why is there an old train station and old railroad bridge? The Caperton Trail is a rail trail. The Deckers Creek Trail, another rail trail, begins at the old railroad bridge and continues along Deckers Creek.
As you can see, you have a reason to visit Hazel Ruby Park. Along with the concerts, you have a place where the railroad once ran. The old train station can be rented for events as well.
The Hazel Ruby Park is located at 185 Garrett Street in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is just off of U.S. Routes 19 and 119 and a short drive from Interstates 68 and 79. Parking is on site, or you can hike or bike the trails to the park.
Why visit Hazel Ruby McQuain Park? She has no connection to the railroad, but the park keeps the railroad history of Morgantown, West Virginia alive.
The Northern Virginia Model Railroaders is a model railroad club based in the Washington D.C. suburb of Vienna in the U.S. state of Virginia. The club is based inside the old train station that was once on a railroad line. (The railroad line is now the Washington and Old Dominion Trail named after the last railroad to own the railroad line before it was abandoned.) Inside the old train station is a model train display.
What about the model train display?
The model train display is a model of the Western North Carolina Railroad, an actual railroad that ran in the western region of the U.S. state of North Carolina particularly between the cities of Salisbury and Asheville with towns in between. The railroad line is still in operation today under the Norfolk Southern Railway. A trolley line, model after the Blue Ridge Traction Power and Light Company, is also displayed here.
The members of the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders are all volunteers who have a great love for model trains. Their model train help keep the memory of two forgotten railroads alive.
The Northern Virginia Model Railroaders are located in the old train station at 231 Dominion Road NE in Vienna, Virginia along the Washington and Old Dominion Rail Trail just a few blocks from Virginia Route 123. Please note that due to the age of the structure that the model train display is not wheelchair accessible. Parking is street parking, and it is free. The model train display is free to visit, but they can gladly use your donations to keep their trains. They have eleven open houses a year. You can get more information about when the display is open to the public at https://www.nvmr.org/.
When you think about railroads and the state of Pennsylvania, there are so many famous rail sites and railroad excursions that you can bring up. The railroad is a major part of the history of the state of Pennsylvania. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania encompasses all of that history under one roof.
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has one of the largest collections of locomotives, rail cars, and artifacts in the United States. You will notice this is before you approach the museum from the east or the south. The collection includes steam locomotives including the Lindbergh locomotive that raced a plane, electric locomotives, diesel locomotives to include the last E7 in the world, historic box cars, plus many others under one big climate controlled roof or outside where there is also an old turntable.
Among the huge collection you will also find model train displays, an honor roll, a kids play area, a train simulator, and a gift shop just to name a few. Be advised that when you come to this museum, you will need to give yourself plenty of time to see everything.
If that is not enough, the Strasburg Railroad, the oldest short line railroad in the United States, is across the street where there is plenty more to do.
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is located in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the Lancaster suburb of Strasburg, Pennsylvania on Pennsylvania Route 741 (300 Gap Road) just east of Pennsylvania Route 896. It is open all year round. General admission is $10.00 for adults, $9.00 for seniors and $8.00 for children 3 to 11. (Rates many vary due to specific events.) Go to www.rrmuseumpa.org for more information on museum hours, to learn about the history of the museum, to read about their numerous restorations and to look up special events hosted by the museum. For the rail fan, this place will fail to disappoint you.
The U.S. state of Arkansas is nicknamed the ‘Natural State’. If you have driven through the state, you can see why it gets that name. There are no major cities in the state although the metropolis of Memphis in the U.S. state of Tennessee has suburbs in the eastern part of the state. Speaking of Memphis, Tennessee, the mighty Mississippi River runs on the eastern border of the state. As the ‘Natural State’, it is interesting that the state capital is Little Rock. It is also the state’s largest city. The state is also known for its hot springs. One of the places where you will find some of the state’s hot springs is in the city of Hot Springs.
Some of you are saying, “Well, duh! It is called Hot Springs because there are hot springs there.”
Yes. That is why it is called Hot Springs. The city was a city of spas. That is hot spring spas. Many of the spa structures remain in a section of the downtown area known as Bathhouse Row, but not all of them have working hot springs. Yes. Hot Springs, Arkansas was a place of hot springs, and Hot Springs National Park was established here. Before they went to the U.S. states of Florida and Arizona, baseball teams did their spring training here. Yes. Hot Springs is the birthplace of baseball spring training. Many famous baseball players to include Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth, Cy Young, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and Stan Musial, just to name a few. Many United States Presidents visited here. Arkansas’ own William Clinton lived here and graduated from high school here. This was a resort for celebrities, but it was also a haven for gangsters. One of the most famous gangsters, Al Capone, had a personal room at the Arlington Hotel. There is so much to Hot Springs, Arkansas. If you are ever in the central region of Arkansas, it is worth your time to visit.
Some of you are saying, “This is nice. I have heard of Hot Springs, Arkansas. I knew about the springs, but I never knew that it was the birthplace of Spring Training Baseball or a gangster haven. There is one very big problem. This city has no railroad history nor does it have anything to do with the railroad. Therefore, I will not be feeling the hot springs of this place.”
The city of Hot Springs, Arkansas has never been a railroad city. As you walk and drive around, you see no signs of a railroad ever being here. Then you come to the Greyhound and Transit Bus Station at the intersection of Broadway Street, Market Street, and Broadway Terrace. It appears to look like an old train station. Well, that is because it was an old train station. This train station was a major contributor to the growth of Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was built by the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1917. It was a spur line that connected to the main railroad line in the town of Malvern, Arkansas.
The railroad line began as the Hot Spring Railroad in 1876. It was a narrow gauge railroad that was built by Joseph Reynolds who built the railroad line so that he could ride the train from his home in Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois to the spas to help cure an illness he has. The railroad line was converted into a standard gauge railroad and was eventually taken over by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Passenger service was discontinued to the town with the last train leaving in 1964, and the original railroad line is now a rail trail. Some of the old rails remain. The main railroad line in Malvern remains in service and is the closest Amtrak stop. The current train station in on the National Register of Historic Places.
The next time you think about Hot Springs, Arkansas, you can think about the hot springs, but it was once a place where the railroad once came to town.
Each year begins on January 1 with New Year’s Day and ends on December 31 with New Year’s Eve. A majority of people around the world stay up all night to celebrate the exact time when the clock strikes at midnight ending the year before and starting the year ahead. Most people dress up and attend a party. Some parties are private while others are public like the most popular party at Times Square in New York City, New York. With twenty four time zones, the celebrations happen each hour around the world. The celebrations begin in cities like Wellington, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia, and end in cities like Anchorage, Alaska and Honolulu, Hawaii.
How about riding a train from the old year to the new year?
The place is Boyertown, Pennsylvania. What is special about Boyertown? Well, it is not a famous town, but it is the home of the Colebrookdale Railroad. What is special about the Colebrookdale Railroad?
It is December 31, 2025. I arrive at 10:00pm and park my car in the parking lot. As soon as I step out of my car, everything changes. I see a clock, and it says, ‘It is 10:00pm. The day is December 31, 1925’. Wait! What happened? I heard somebody say, “We will soon say goodbye to 1925 and hello to 1926.” Did I go back in time? I walk to the Victorian train station to get the ticket to ride the train. I look around and see Model T Fords arriving at the station. I see other classic cars, but they are not classic cars. It is 1925. I board the train, and I go to my seat at a table in a first class car.
The train leaves Boyertown at 10:30pm. Where are we going? Ladies and gentlemen, we are headed to 2026. Well, at this time, we are going to 1926. We are going down the track seeing nothing but darkness with an occasional site of railroad lights at the grade crossings. I see people walking up and down the train ready to ring in the new year.
Then, the time comes. It is official. We have officially ridden the train from the old year of 1925 to the new year of 1926. We were the last people to ride the train from the old year and are the very first passengers on the train in the new year.
Well, the train returns to the station in Boyertown. We deboard the train on January 1, 1926. I walk away from the station, and things change. What happened? I see a sign that says, ‘Happy New Year 2026’. I am back to the present. It is said that the Colebrookdale Railroad is a railroad that takes you back in time. A ride on the New Year’s Celebration train, you are not just riding history. You are a part of history as you ride from one year to the next.
This is Christmas. What is special about this day? Almost everywhere you go, you see a model train around the Christmas tree. Even though some people may not like trains, they enjoy watching the trains go around the base of the tree. Everyone is awestruck with the train. It keeps going and going and going until somebody pulls you away. The model trains make this day special.
Have yourself a Merry Christmas. May you enjoy the train as it goes around the tree.
The town of Strasburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is a railroader’s heaven. You have the famous Strasburg Railroad, the oldest short line railroad in the United States. You have the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania right across the street with the large collections of locomotives and rolling stock. You have the Choo Choo Barn that holds a large model train display depicting Lancaster County. You can spend a night at the Red Caboose Motel where you stay in a real caboose. In the town itself, you have the Iron Horse restaurant. With all of that, you are probably wondering what else could be in Strasburg. One place that you cannot overlook is the National Toy Train Museum.
In case you are wondering, this is not one of those toy train museums where you have this small train display. This is a museum that has a very big collection of toy trains. From the very moment you enter the building that is built to resemble an old train depot, you are greeted by walls and walls of trains from Lionel to Bachmann to American Flyer from the early years to the present day. Yes, there is that many trains. Along with the shelves full of trains are, what everyone wants to see, the model train displays of every single scale. You can also see videos of the trains as they roll through the displays and visit the National Toy Train Library, which has a very extensive collection of books, catalogs, postcards and much more. As mentioned, this is not your normal train museum.
The National Toy Train Museum is located at 300 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania next to the Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant just north of Pennsylvania Route 741. They are open from 10:00am to 5:00pm on most days, and admission is only $7.00 for adults. You can get more information at www.nttmuseum.org.
If you ever want to meet people who play with trains, the National Toy Train Museum has people who have many trains to play with.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 