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The U.S. state of Virginia is a state rich with history.  It is also a state with a diverse landscape with the beaches and flat area in the east to the mountains in the west.  It has it major cities like Richmond and Norfolk to its smaller cities like Charlottesville and Roanoke.  Then you have your small towns.  One of the small towns is Covington located in the western region of the state.  It is a forgotten town despite of the fact that Interstate 64 and U.S. Routes 60, known as the Midland Highway, and 220 pass through the town.  This forgotten town is the home of the Allegheny Highlands Industrial Heritage and Technology Discovery Center.  What is the Allegheny Highlands Industrial Heritage and Technology Discovery Center?  For short, it is simply called by locals as the Discovery Center, but it is a museum where young minds, and older minds, can learn about the industries in the region.  Regardless of age, the Discovery Center is a small place where you can learn so much.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  A discovery center in a small town.  Cool!  There is a big problem.  The place is about industry and technology and not a railroad place.  Therefore, I will not waste my time making a discovery of this place.”

Yes, it is called the Allegheny Highlands Industrial Heritage and Technology Discovery Center and not a railroad museum.  Why visit here?

The Allegheny Highlands Industrial Heritage and Technology Discovery Center displays all kinds of local industries.  Among these industries are Pulp and Paper Making, Forestry and Wood Products, Iron, Carbon, Fiber and Film, Power / Energy Conversion, Communications, Printing, and other industries.  As you walk through the hands-on exhibits, you will see an exhibit on mining.  In this mining exhibit, you see a picture of a mine car on rails.  Much of the mining industry uses railroads to move its mine cars.

Some of you are saying, “I guess that must be all.”

Nope!

Above the mining display is a model train display.  You can see two trains, a freight train and a passenger train, going around.  It depicts how that railroad played a big role in the region.  The town of Covington happens to be in Virginia’s Rail Heritage Region, and the train display tells the story.

The Allegheny Highlands Industrial Heritage and Technology Discovery Center is located at 227 North Maple Avenue near the town center of Covington.  Admission is free.  Hours vary during the years.  As for wheelchairs, the museum is completely wheelchair accessible.  Parking is street parking.  You can get more information at Home – Discovery Center.

The U.S. state of Indiana is a state located in the eastern region of the Midwest of the United States of America.  It is not a state that many people choose to spend their vacations in despite the fact that this state has so much to offer.  You have the Indianapolis 500, one of the largest sporting events in the United States of America that takes place in late May in the capital city of Indianapolis.  You have the University of Notre Dame in South Bend.  The state is known for basketball.  The state has many small towns.  One of these small towns is the town of Osgood.  Located in the southeast region in the state, it is a typical small town with a proud history.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  I love small towns.  Small towns in many ways helped built America.  There is one big problem.  What is the problem?  The problem is that this is not a railroad town.  Therefore, I will not make good on visiting this town.”

So you do not want to visit Osgood, Indiana because it is not a railroad town.  Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to learn the history of this town.

The town of Osgood, Indiana, is named after A. L. Osgood.  Who was A. L. Osgood?  He was a chief engineer.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  He must have designed some great structures so they named a town after him.”

A. L. Osgood was a chief engineer for the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad Company.  He was in charge of surveying and laying out the railroad beds for the railroad.  Why name this town after him?  The town owes its existence to the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad.  In 1857, the railroad was completed between Cincinnati, Ohio and East Saint Louis, Illinois.  A man named George W. Cochran began to lay out the town.  The town had a train depot, a freight house, an engine house where locomotives were serviced and maintained, a turntable used to turn locomotives around, stock pens, and a siding used as a waiting area for trains to wait on a single track for trains to go into the opposite direction making Osgood a center of transport in the area.  In 1899, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad took over the operations in the town.

Today, the freight, the depot, the engine shop, turntable, stock pens, and siding are gone.  Only the main line remains and is now owned by the Chessie Seaboard Transportation (CSX).  It is a very quiet town with U.S. Route 421 running north and south through the town.  During your visit, you may stop and glance around.

Boston is the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.  Well, it is actually the capital of the New England States, the six states of which Massachusetts is a part of.  Boston is famous for its sports teams.  You have the Boston Red Sox, a professional baseball team that is part of Major League Baseball that play at Fenway Park, one of the most famous baseball stadiums in the United States of America.  You have the Boston Bruins, a professional hockey team that plays in the National Hockey League.  You have the New England Revolution, a professional soccer team that is part of Major League Soccer.  You have the New England Patriots, an American football team that plays in the National Football League that have won six championships.  Then you have the Boston Celtics, a professional basketball team that is part of the National Basketball Association.  The Boston Celtics are the most championed team in the National Basketball Association and the third most championed team in North America.  (Number two is the Montreal Canadiens, and number one is the New York Yankees.)  As for sports championships, Boston is the second most championed city behind New York City, New York.

Boston is a famous sports city, but it is also a city with a lot of history with many historic sites.  The famous ride of Paul Revere took place here.  The city is famous for the Boston Tea Party.  You cannot forget Samuel Adams who led rebellions against the British here.  It is the home of the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned ship in the world.  Yes, this ship can be summoned to fight in a war.  The city also has history in its suburbs.  The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, and the famous ‘Shot Heard Around the World’ happened at Concord Bridge in Concord.

The city of Boston is also where you will find the largest bypass in the nation.  Interstate 495, not to be confused with the Interstate 495’s in Washington D.C. and Wilmington, Delaware, is the longest bypass, a highway that takes vehicle traffic around a town or major city, in the nation beginning south of the city and allowing drivers to go west past the main region of Boston.  As you drive along this bypass, you come upon the suburb of Hudson.  As you drive along Interstate 495, you see signs for ‘The Rail Trail’.

Some of you are saying, “The Rail Trail?  There are millions of rail trails in the United States and around the word.”

That is true, but there is something special about ‘The Rail Trail’ in Hudson, Massachusetts.  What is special about it?

As you see the sign on the highway, being a railroad fan, you are very curious to see what it is.  Of course, you are going to check it out.  What is ‘The Rail Trail’?

The Rail Trail Flatbread Company is a restaurant located in the town center of Hudson, Massachusetts.  They are mainly famous for their flatbreads and their beers, but they serve other food as well.  As you are being served by a great group of people, you wonder how the name came about.

The Rail Trail gets its name from the numerous rail trails in the town.  What is special about rail trails?  Rail trails were built along old railroad beds.  Was this a railroad town?

Before it was Hudson, it was called Fentonville.  The town of Fentonville had two train stations, and the railroad played a significant role in the town being a factory town.  The train stations closed in the 1960’s.  Many of the railroad lines were eventually converted to the rail trails today.  Today, the Rail Trail Flatbread Company restaurant commemorates the significance of the railroad to the region.  How is the food?  The best way to find out is to visit the restaurant itself.

The Rail Trail Flatbread Company is located at 33 Main Street (Massachusetts Route 62) in Hudson, Massachusetts with a second location at 233 Main Street (Massachusetts Route 16) in Milford.  The restaurant does not have its own parking, but there are parking areas nearby.  You can get information on its menus and hours and into the restaurant’s history at Rail Trail Flatbread Company | Wood-fired Flatbreads & Brunch in Hudson & Milford, MA.

The next time you hear about Boston, Massachusetts, you think of the sports teams, you think of history, and you think of a little restaurant that serves great flatbreads by great people.

It was a peaceful day in Americaville.  Tommy was going to the train station to watch trains.  He arrived and saw a lovely lady with long blonde hair, blue jean shorts, and a shirt that said ‘U.S.A.’ standing on the platform with her flip flops in her hand.

“Are you here to watch trains?” Tommy stared at her.

“Oh no!”  She winked at him.  “I am waiting for the train.”

“The train?”  Tommy was surprised.  “Passenger trains haven’t been here in years.”

She smiled.  “I am waiting for the America Train.”

“The what?” He was stunned.

There was the sound of a whistle.  He turned and watched a steam locomotive approaching the station.  As it came closer, he saw the red, white, and blue colors and the number 250 on the front.  The locomotive continued to pull the red, white, and blue passenger cars until it stopped.  A man in colonial attire opened the door and stepped onto the platform.

“Hello there, Wendy.”  The man tipped his hat.

“Hello there Ben.”  Wendy was excited.

“Are you ready to come aboard?”  Ben asked.

“Can he come?”  She pointed to Tommy and winked.

Tommy could not believe was he was seeing.

“Come.  You will enjoy it.”  She blew a kiss.

“I think he’s stunned.”

Wendy walked over to Tommy, and she yanked him onto the train.  He could not believe what he was seeing.  “This is not happening.”

She kissed his cheek.  “It is happening.”  She tossed her flip flops onto a seat.  “This is Benjamin Franklin.”

“It cannot be.”  Tommy was shocked to see everything.

“It is happening.”  Thomas Jefferson came to him.  “Have a seat.  You will enjoy the ride.”

Tommy looked around and saw George Washington and John Adams.  Wendy sat him in a seat.  John Phillip Sousa stood up and sang, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to the United States of America, Happy 250^th Birthday to this great nation.”

Abraham Lincoln stood up and said, “Fourscore and 250 years ago, brave, and great men when to Philadelphia and signed a great document.  This document formed thirteen colonies into fifty states to create these United States of America.  Happy 250^th to these United States of America.”

“Is this happening?”  Tommy’s face had a stunned look.

Wendy smiled at him.

The train pulled out of the station.

HAPPY 250^th INDEPENDENCE DAY to the United States of America.

The Cover Photo is of the Spirit of 1776 Trolley on display at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pennsylvania.

First Locomotive is the Number 1 Locomotive that pulled the American Freedom Train in 1976 and is on display at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore Maryland.

The Second Locomotive is Number 611 of the Norfolk and Western Railway on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia. It is the only surviving Class J locomotive in the world.

The Caboose is from the Lehigh Valley Railroad and is on display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. state of Indiana is a state that not on many traveler’s lists, but it should be.  The state is famous for being a popular basketball state with movies like ‘Hoosiers’, and it was where Hall of Fame Basketball player Larry Bird was born.  As for racing fans, who does not know about the Indianapolis 500?  It is a very traversed state as the six longest routes in the nation pass through the state.  (That is U.S. Routes 6, 20, 30, and 50 and Interstates 80 and 90.)  Not many people know the state for its railroads, and there are many railroad places in the state.  Among these railroads is the Whitewater Valley Railroad in Connersville.

Some are saying, “Wow!  That is nice.  A railroad that runs on whitewater in a valley unlike other railroads that run on train tracks.  It is like whitewater rafting on a train.  I wonder how they do it?”

Well, that it not how it works.  They run on railroad tracks like every other train.  The name comes from the fact that much of the route is along the Whitewater River.

Some of you are saying, “Yeah, and it goes into the woods and comes right back.  Nothing special.”

Ladies and gentlemen, it is not just a simple train ride.  Why ride the Whitewater Valley Railroad?

The trip begins in the small town of Connersville.  You buy your ticket and board one of the vintage railroad cars.  You hear, “All aboard,” and the train leaves the station.  You look at the different sites as the train rolls by.  You come upon the Whitewater River, and as you ride along and cross the river, you see ruins of an old canal.  You then arrive in the small town of Metamora.

Some of you are saying, “Great.  You get here.  There is nothing here.  Then you board the train and head back.”

Ladies and gentlemen, when you arrive in Metamora, you actually are back in time.  Well, you are not back in time, but the vintage structures make you feel that way.  Oh, remember the ruins of the canal?  It is restored in Metamora and is part of the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site.  Here, you will see a restored canal lock, and there is an old mill that you can tour.  You can tour the vintage shops and restaurants.  If you want a keepsake, you can visit the 1838 Photography shop to get an old time photo of yourself, friends, and family.  (This could be your favorite part of visiting Metamora.)

Well, it is time to board the train and head back to Connersville.  When you return to the station, you step off the train.  You look back, and you feel something very special.

The Whitewater Valley Railroad is located at 455 Market Street in Connersville, Indiana, just blocks from Indiana State Routes 1 and 44.  Parking is on site.  Due to the vintage equipment, the train is not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about the excursions, schedules, and buy tickets at https://whitewatervalleyrr.org.

When in Indiana, you think of basketball.  You think of the Indianapolis 500.  The Whitewater Valley Railroad is another great reason to visit the state.

The U.S. state of Indiana is a state that has many great treasures although the state itself is not a popular tourist state.  It is the home of the Indianapolis 500, the most popular Formula One race in the United States of America with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a hallowed site in the sports world.  With Indianapolis, the state capitol, as the most popular city in the state, the state has many great state towns.  Among these small towns is the town of French Lick.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  A town named after the fact that the French know how to lick.”

Actually, that is not true.  The town originated as a French trading post which happened to be near what is called a salt lick, a spot where animals can lick and get minerals for their body.  One of the most popular sports in Indiana is basketball.  It just happens to be that French Lick is the hometown of Larry Bird.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  I have heard of hummingbirds.  I have heard of mockingbirds.  I have never heard of a Larry Bird.”

Larry Bird is a real person who grew up in French Lick.  (His home is not open to the public.)  He played professional basketball for the Boston Celtics and won many championships for the team, and he made is way to the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Although Larry Bird is the town’s main claim to fame, there is also another great reason to visit this town.

Welcome to the French Lick Scenic Railway.  Yes, you can ride the train in the same town where Larry Bird spent his childhood.  What began as a museum offered train rides from the old French Lick Train Station.

As you arrive, you noticed many vintage railroad cars.  You walk around and see the various train cars, but you came to ride the train.  You board the train in one of the vintage railroad cars, and you take a ride south of the town through the forest with scenery on each side of the train.  It then returns to the train station.

The French Lick Scenic Railway, just like every train ride, is very unique.  It has its unique features and sites along the way.

The French Lick Scenic Railway is located on Indiana Route 56 in French Lick, Indiana.  Please note that due to the vintage railroad cars, the train is not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about the French Lick Scenic Railway and get information on the train rides and read more into the history of the railroad at French Lick Scenic Railway | French Lick, IN.

The French Lick Scenic Railway cannot guarantee that you will see Larry Bird.  They cannot guarantee that you will win a National Basketball Association Championship or get you into the Hall of Fame.  What they can guarantee is a great and scenic train ride… and maybe see some other birds along the way.

There is so much to see in the U.S. state of New York.  You have New York City, the most populated city in the United States of America famous for its numerous skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, and One World Trade Center, and it is home to one of the most spectacular bridges in the world, the Brooklyn Bridge.  You have the city of Buffalo, of which one of its famous suburbs, Niagara Falls is the home of one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls.  You have many small towns in the state, and you have the region known as ‘Upstate’ that is filled with the Adirondack Mountains.  The small town of Lake Placid hosted two Winter Olympics.  One of the most famous rivers in the world, the Hudson River named after Henry Hudson who explored the region, flows into the Atlantic Ocean south of New York City.  The river has many famous bridges to include the Staten Island Bridge and George Washington Bridge.  As you follow the river north, you pass under many spectacular bridges.  One of these bridges has gotten the name ‘Walkway Over the Hudson.’  Unlike most bridges across the Hudson River, this is strictly a pedestrian bridge.  Walkers and hikers can walk from the city of Poughkeepsie on the east side to the west side of the river.  As you walk across, be advised that you will see spectacular views not just of the Hudson River itself, but you will get spectacular views of the shorelines of each side of the river.  Oh, this happens to be the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.  Yes, as you walk across the bridge, you are traveling across history.

Some of you are saying, “That is cool.  This is amazing.  It would be amazing to walk across the Hudson River and enjoy the great views.  However, there is a very big problem.  This is a pedestrian bridge, not a railroad bridge.  Therefore, you will not see me taking a walk here.”

You are right.  It is a pedestrian bridge.  No trains go across this bridge.  Why would somebody who loves trains have any interest in visiting this bridge?

The Walkway Over the Hudson in a steel cantilever bridge that was built and opened in 1889.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  Great construction for a pedestrian bridge.”

It sure is.  Why build a steel cantilever bridge for simple pedestrians?  That would be a big waste of money.  As you begin your walk, you notice a flat trail.  It looks as if it was an old railroad bed.  Well, that is because it was a railroad bed.

When the bridge was built, it was originally called the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge.

Some of you are saying, “Wait a minute.  How does it get the name Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge?”

That is a great question.  As mentioned, it is a steel cantilever bridge.  Why build a steel cantilever bridge simply for pedestrians?  The answer is that it was originally not a pedestrian bridge.  It was a railroad bridge.  The bridge had two tracks and brought the Maybrook Railroad Line, part of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, across the Hudson River.  For decades, you could watch trains, both passenger and freight trains, go across the Hudson River.  Sadly, the bridge was damaged by a fire on May 8, 1974, and it never saw railroad service again.

The bridge saw new life on October 3, 2009, and it was opened as the Walkway Over the Hudson, and it is part of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park.  Oh, the old railroad bed, it is now part of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.

Walkway Over the Hudson is designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is owned by the New York State Bridge Authority and operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.  It is also supported by the Friends of the Walkway.  You can enter the bridge from either side of the Hudson River with parking on both sides.  The bridge is wheelchair accessible, but please note that the elevators do not operate year round.  The bridge itself is open year round, but it may close during inclement weather.  As for the bridge, it is a very high bridge.  Those who have a fear of heights will want to use caution.  You can read more into the construction and history of the Walkway Over the Hudson and get information on directions and hours at Walkway Over the Hudson – walkway.org.

The Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York is a spectacular river to see.  What better way to see it than to take a walk on the Walkway Over the Hudson.

You pull into the parking lot.  You see the short Brookville locomotive on display.  You walk by the huge test weight car that is used to test heavy weight on the tracks.  You see a railroad signal overhead.  You see one of the old railroad shop buildings.  You see a box car and a caboose.  You see all of this… and you have not even entered into the building to pay your admission.

Welcome to the Railroaders Memorial Museum located in downtown Altoona in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  It is a museum dedicated to those who worked on and for the railroad.  It has numerous exhibits that give you a look into the workers lives as well as the workers families, and it tells you how the railroad has contributed to so many aspects of American life from industry to agriculture to life at home.

Once you have spent time inside, you then go outside to see the cars that are on display including a super flatcar that is used as a stage for summer concerts.  You can even see a turntable used to turn locomotives and cars around.

They have a roundhouse that you can tour.  Be warned.  There is much to see at this museum.  If that is not enough, you can walk outside past some old workhouses or to the nearby train station and watch the trains roll by.

The museum is located at 1300 Ninth Avenue in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania.  It is open from early April to late December.  You can get admission price information and of upcoming events at www.railroadcity.com.