Western Railroad Discussion > FORWARD......"A Railroad Burial"

Quoted From the O Gauge Railroading Website:

"Yesterday I had a remarkable experience and I wrote an e-mail to a friend telling him what happened. I excerpted most of that note and posted it below.I know some of you will chastise me for doing what I did but it did seem "planned". Believe me, it was what I wanted but I never thought it could happen. Shame on me, and I mean that! I DON'T condone what I did, but it just "happened". Yes, despite the fact that there were no signs I know I broke several laws including one of the health department's. Yes I "coulda", I "shoulda" , I "woulda" but I didn't. The
things you should have done but didn't are manytimes the things you regeret most in life...but then this story is also about the "other side of life". So enjoy and then flame away, but no condemnation will ever touch my wonderful experience.



We live less than two hours from Union Pacific's Tehachapi loop. This is where, in order to gain/lose elevation, a train will circle over itself.
It's really interesting to see and I don't believe that this happens on any other railroad. I apologize if I'm telling you something that you're familiar
with cuz I know it's as least as famous as the Pennsy's Horseshoe Curve.

I had never visited the loop so yesterday, a Saturday, was a perfect day. Cool Sunny Southern California weather and due to some issues at
work I needed to clear my head. Annie and I got up there pronto and it is a marvel of engineering. Annie was afraid we might have to wait a
long time to see a train but I explained that this is a place where a two track main narrows to a single track, so there's traffic from both directions
that have to wait to get through the loop.

Immediately we saw a train passing through the loop. While the track has two barbed wire fences between the access road and the tracks (lots
of railfanning at the loop and I guess too many people got dangerously close to the tracks) we watched from less than 100 yards away. It's
amazing to see what looks like two trains, one passing overhead as the other enters a tunnel underneath, but it's ONE train passing over itself.
I even decided that I would temporarily forgive the UP for holding onto their paint scheme copyrights so tightly.

Now Ray, here's where the story gets good. I had ulterior motives for my trip to the Tehachapi Loop. My brother had worked for the Rock
Island for over 20 years (until it became a fallen flag) and you know he was a real train lover. I had brought my brother's ashes up with the hope
of spreading them near the loop. The area is full of rolling hills and beautiful rock formations. The site of the twin barbed wire fences dashed my
hopes of getting them on the tracks which is where I was hoping I'd spread them.

My wife felt that I should do this myself, besides I might need somebody to get me out of jail or worse. I got out of the car and grabbed the container of
ashes from the trunk and walked a short distance to one of several memorial markers near the loop. I thought "well if this is as close as I get, well
that's what's meant to be". After reading the inscription I noticed there was a gate just a short distance away. I walked over and....the lock on the
gate was unlocked. There are no "no trespassing" signs posted.. Probably some maintaince crew working someplace but unusual considering the
lengths the UP has gone to in order to keep things safe.

Well I squeezed through the gate, making my way past the first fence, and walked a short distance to some trees that were much closer to the tracks.
At the base of a tree I opened the container and spread a bit of his ashes on the ground hoping I'd be giving some minerals back to this tree in the process
of returning my brother back to earth. Again, I noticed another gate in the distance and I figured well "let's take a look".

I get up to the second gate which is now VERY close to the track and Ray, it's also unlocked! Again, no signs or warnings. I figured that I've already
gotten this far so if I'm gonna get in trouble I better do it first class. I open the gate and slide through being careful to close it behind me. I walk a hundred
feet up a steep grade to the track. I hadn't been this close to real track since I walked to school along the old C&EI tracks back in Chicago. The track
looked so different with concrete ties, metal tie fasteners and immaculately groomed ballast.

So, here I was, ON the Tehachapi Loop. I quickly spread the remainder of my brothers ashes on the track and hearing a diesel horn I quickly got down the
grade to the second gate. I made sure I closed the gate leaving it as I had found it. I started walking back to the first gate and heard the engine much
louder. I stopped to see three BNSF diesels slowly pass over the area where I had just deposited the ashes.

I waved to the engineer and he blasted the horn. My eyes filled with tears and the I then smiled one the biggest smiles of my life. My brother was really
home, at least in my eyes, and it was a First Class memorial. I got back to the car and my wife and I cried a few more tears but they were tears of joy.

I don't know why the gates were left open, I don't know why there were no signs posted. All I know is that everything happened in a way that made me
think that this what was supposed to happen. I'm not a real religious person but I might concede that some divine intervention was present.

This was a day I will remember forever."

.................................

A MAN who needed closure.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

AMEN BOB

Tom

very nice to hear the final walk with your brother was so eventful. good going and best of luck for the future of train watching and enjoy the memories of your day

Thank you for sharing this experiance with us on TO. It was touching to read.

Jim - Lawton, NV MP 235.5

Great story! I myself helped the daughter and grandson of a late railfan friend of mine find a nice location to spread the ashes of their father/grandfather. He had been an especially avid fan of the former C&EI railroad and had told me that his wish was to have his cremated remains spread along a railroad right of way upon his death. When approached by the daughter recently with a request for railroad location ideas, I offered the suggestion that they might place his ashes under the old coaling tower along the CSX mainline through Sullivan, Indiana. They completed this task a couple of weeks ago and forwarded me some photos complete with daughter and grandson holding a toast to their relative next to the right of way. I just felt glad to have been able to be a part of the planning process. Yes, it did involve a bit of trespass.

PC7461

You are not the first to spread ashes around the loop. I have seen this happen two time while I have been at the loop. The last time 5 cars load of people came up to the top end of Walong on the other side of the track. I was wonding what was going on then I saw them spread the ashes on the track.
Dennis

Tresspassin' ain't a problem in Heaven . . . An old bluegrass song, ' Bound to Ride ' has a lyric that goes: " And when I die, just bury me under the tie . . so I can hear Old # 4 as she comes rollin' by . . . Peace Brother.

on the rails there a saying we heard back in the sixties from the old heads in the Oakland yard, that said when its your time to pull the pin ,and you move on you want to go the great round house in the sky. we had a switchman in the seventies ,that knew he was dying and asked an old head to take his ashes and find a memorable spot, old suitcase said he put the ashes in a sander on a passenger train on the Cal P . for all that have said goodby i say rest in peace and im sure that for those who have dealt with this and did a xtra mile the memories will keep them alive right on , and highball!