Train Ride

Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Please don’t tell what train I’m on
They won’t know what route I’m going
                                  Elizabeth Cotten: Freight Train

I was lucky enough to hear Elizabeth Cotten sing this song live at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in July 1979. There was so much great music at the festival back then with musical legends like Elizabeth Cotten, Pete Seeger and dozens more. I imagine that I can still hear her voice singing the chorus, but realistically I am more likely remembering her voice from recordings.

I’m actually writing this post while riding on a train. It has been a long trip. I just recently passed the 65th stop and I don’t know how much further I will be going. Amazingly I didn’t have to pay anything for the trip. Just like everyone else on board, I am here because I won a lottery. The odds were very slim, but here I am. The lottery doesn’t guarantee a long journey. Some people have to get off before the first station and others have been riding longer than me. The ticket doesn’t show the destination so there is always an air of mystery.

It has been a very interesting trip through some amazing landscapes. There were spots where the track was rough and other times where my seat got pretty uncomfortable. At times it almost seemed tempting to get off early and skip the rest of the ride but that would have been throwing away a great opportunity. And once you get off you can’t get back on.

I’ve had some great traveling companions and although I started out with an economy class ticket I have been able to spend quite a bit of time up in second class, even peeking into first class for a bit. Some of the best times have been in the observation car watching the world fly by. I honestly don’t know what scenery is waiting around the next bend in the track. A lot of time, perhaps too much time, has been spent in the dining car. To me, it’s one of the great features of the train, after the views out the window and the fellow passengers.

I think I’ll just settle in and see what the rest of the trip brings. I look forward to meeting more of my fellow travelers as we see what is down the track.

Wayne
January 2025