The engineer

 It would be his last train ride on the old 98. He arrived at the station earlier than most so he could take a few moments to remember it in all its glory. The year was 1905 and the Wild West was beginning to tame. Small towns were growing, and the lawlessness of the past had become the stuff of newspapers. Gone were the shootouts on main streets, and those who tried to cause trouble were dealt with an iron fist by sheriffs who wouldn’t bend the law but instead enforced it.

The railroads had brought significant growth and wealth to enterprising men and women who left the big cities in search of adventure in the once dusty streets of a taming West. He was sixteen when he first learned to drive the old steam engine. Like his father and grandfather, both engineers, his love for the iron horse was in his blood, and he never imagined himself doing anything else.

He had seen more of the land than most would in a lifetime as he traversed cut forests and mountain tunnels carved out by workers, mostly Chinese laborers who were brought in by the railroads. Unfortunately, enslaved people was a more accurate term for their situation. 

He felt at home in the engineer's seat, rolling into stations to unload everything from furniture to building supplies. He transported soon-to-be brides of men who answered newspaper advertisements for wives, as well as people of many different races seeking a better life. In his third year as an engineer, he was stopped and robbed by masked men who had guns and weren't afraid to use them. They made off with an army payroll and a bag of jewelry from the passengers, but no one was hurt, and with shaky hands, he continued to the next stop.

Over the years, he met many people in various towns, each encounter a fond memory of his days on the rails. After thirty years, the old 98 was set to be replaced by a new breed of engines—faster and capable of pulling ten times the weight. He glanced at his pocket watch and realized it was time to board. Gathering his bag, he climbed into the engineer's seat, savoring the sights, smells, and sounds of the old 98 one last time.

"All aboard!" the conductor yelled as he waved him on. Slowly, the old 98 moved out of the station, gaining speed as more coal was shoveled into the furnace. He took it through the forests and carved tunnels one last time. Although she was still doing what he wanted, she moved a little slower than before, and that was okay with him.

At the final destination, he shut down the old 98 and waited until the steam dissipated, listening to the aches and pains of a long journey. It was rumored that the old 98 would be scrapped, but he later learned it would become part of a railroad museum, where it would rest for eternity on silent rails. He spent his remaining years as an engineer at an amusement park, guiding passengers through forests and man-made tunnels. Although it wasn’t the same as the old 98 it was a way to stay on the rails and live the life of an engineer.

Mike 2025