STOE CDC gives his account of cutting it close to the line. Dedication or stupidity?
Pumped full of pride and adrenaline, I found myself replaying the last hour in my mind, pondering the fine line between “dedication”and “stupidity”…
What started out as a beautiful spring day of painting freights alone was ending in ominous skies and big, fat, puffy rain clouds overhead. I had decided to work between lines today for added seclusion. The signal lights ahead and the slow hiss of the coal cars behind me, gave me the gut feeling that they would be pulled before I was done, leaving an opportunity for a last minute photo before I left. This time I was wrong and as I was wrapping it up the weather started to break pretty quickly.
Although I was finished, it’s always a little bittersweet to leave one behind, especially having to leave without a little momento. I was contemplating on waiting for the coal line to roll out. But as the first fat drops of rain started pelting on me from above, I quickly realized the lack of desire to get drenched greatly outweighed my desire to stick around for some mights and maybes. So, away I went, kicking rocks.
The next day I was curious and after doing some homework, I found her laid cross town. Time for flicks. A stealthy forty-five minute walk down the tracks led me well into guarded CSX territory, surrounded by the circus trains that were in town and a plethora of blubbering carnies doing god knows what, but I wasn’t going to let these weirdos deter me.
On my toes, I crept in deeper and deeper, crouching in silence and waiting for an opportune moment. It was pretty hectic, so I knew I had to be quick. As the white security SUV passed me for the second time, I found my opening and I was fortunate enough to bolt out from my position and snag my flick while he put some distance between us. However, his sudden brakelights caught my eye and I knew my time was up. Here he comes. I need a plan.
As the bull was in mid u-turn a hundred yards away, tyres squeeling and kicking up rocks. Suddenly, the airbrakes were released in an angry “PSHHHHH!” and the line of autos started its slow roll northbound away from this shit show.
The train increasingly continues to pick up speed, so did the bull and so did I. At a full sprint, I eyed the next ladder approaching and got a bead on it. With an outstretched arm I latched onto it for dear life, let the beast yank me up and rode it down past the dead end of the access road, leaving my pursuer in the literal dust.
Riding out on the side of this train sixty feet or so above a rushing river I caught myself lost in thought… Mind racing and heart thumping, I wonder to myself…”dedication or stupidity”?
The question of the ages.
The answer never became clear this day and after half of my life doing this shit, I suspect that it possibly never will. What I do know is that through the ups and downs and until I’m dead and gone, these are the memories that will never fade… –Stoe CDC
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