| Its a quiet summer evening in a small rural Pennsylvania Cumberland Valley town. The rains of the day have given way to a bright sultry glow to the west as the sun begins to set.The birds sing their song. Traffic flows neatly and the drivers extend a friendly wave. The kids play on their swing set in the backyard. This tranquil peacefulness is about to end. Norfolk Southern train 227 rumbles up the valley passing scenes like this in towns like Maugansville and Greencastle. A light appears in the distance and before you know it the train blows its horn letting the residents of this small town know of its arrival. The crossing bells ring and the gates fall. Gone is the quietness of just a few minutes before. Then its powerful locomotives swoosh by and the trains contents of trailers, some stacked upon each other screech as steel rubs against steel. Then as quickly as it began, it stops. Look around, its back to serenity. The gates lift up. The traffic resumes without a fuss. The birds still sing their song and the girls still playing in their backyard like nothing happened. For this is normal in this small rural Pennsylvania Cumberland Valley town. Im just glad I was there to capture it. |