As I said in the last post, rail trails are excellent places to find rare and hard to find plants, including pink lady’s slippers (Cypripedium acaule.) I know of one trail where they grow all along one side of it. How can you witness something so beautiful and not feel grateful to simply be alive?
This old depot in Ashuelot, New Hampshire, just south of Keene, isn’t as elaborately adorned as some that still stand in this area but it has been taken care of and seems to be fairly complete, except for the wooden platform it surely must have had. The train would have stopped just a few feet out from that red door. This was on the Ashuelot branch of the Cheshire Railroad, which was part of the Boston and Maine Railroad system. The Cheshire Railroad ran from Keene to Brattleboro, Vermont, and from there north into central Vermont or south to Massachusetts.
A sister train to the Flying Yankee pictured here would have carried passengers on the Cheshire Railroad from 1935 until its retirement in 1957. The gleaming stainless steel streamliner with “Cheshire” on its nameplate ran over 3 million miles in its history as a state of the art diesel passenger train. Its second car was a combination baggage / mail / buffet dining car and the third car was coach seating and had a rounded end with 270 degrees of glass for observation. It carried 88 passengers. Thanks go to the Troy Cheshire Railroad Depot Commission for providing this information, and to Wikipedia for the photo.
I know that a lot of freight was hauled over these rails but I was surprised to find these old boxcars slowly sinking into the earth outside an old abandoned paper mill. There was a lumber yard and warehouses across the tracks from my grandmother’s house and when I was a boy I used to play in and on boxcars just like these. That was back when the trains were running so I also used to get chased out of them frequently.
These cars were from the Green Mountain Railroad, which still runs as a scenic railway through parts of Vermont.
The old boxcars weren’t coupled correctly, so if you moved one the other wouldn’t follow. Can you see what the problem is?
This is how knuckle couplers should look when coupled to move the cars in tandem. The parts with the holes through them should always front to back as they are in this photo from Wikipedia. Or side to side, depending on how you choose to look at them.
I recently found the largest colony of fringed polygala (Polygala paucifolia) that I’ve ever seen growing out in the middle of nowhere, alongside a rail trail.
It’s always a pleasure to see these little winged beauties. It took quite a bike ride to get to them but it was worth the achy knees.
New Hampshire used to have a lot of paper mills but many have gone out of business. This one seems to be slowly crumbling. I’ve watched buildings like this crumble before and it always seems to start with an unrepaired leak in the roof. The water coming through the roof rots the roof rafters, floor joists and sills, and finally the rotting building is too weak to handle the snow load and, usually after a heavy snowfall, down it comes.
You can find many old rusting railroad artifacts along these rail trails. I took a photo of this object because I didn’t know what it was, and I still don’t. It was about a foot long and quite heavy.
In my 50+ years of being in these woods I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite so strange as this-whatever it is. I call it rock slime because it looked slimy but I was surprised when I poked my finger into it, to find that it felt like cool water and wasn’t slimy or sticky at all. It hung down for about a foot under a rock overhang that constantly dripped water, so that it couldn’t dry out. If you’re reading this and know what it is, or if you’ve seen something like it, I’d love to hear from you.
This is a close up of the rock slime. The back looked the same as the front. Are those eyes I see in there?
Sometimes, rarely but sometimes, you run into a dead end on a rail trail. This fallen tree marked the end of the maintained part of this trail and it reminded me that this is what they would all look like if it wasn’t for the dedicated, hardworking volunteers that keep these trails open for the rest of us. Here in New Hampshire it is mostly snowmobile clubs that do this work all summer and they accept donations. If you use the rail trails in your area, why not find out who maintains them and consider making a small donation or volunteering some time? I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated. Just think of what strange, interesting, and beautiful things we’d all be missing if they weren’t kept open.
Go outside and walk a bit, long enough to take in and record new surroundings. Enjoy the best-kept secret around – the ordinary, everyday landscape that touches any explorer with magic. ~John R. Stilgoe
Thanks for coming by.
the box cars you photographed in this post where are they located?
They’re in Ashuelot NH behind the old paper mill on what is now the rail trail.
Beautiful photos and country. As for the “J-hook” looking piece of metal you photographed, it’s a Fair rail anchor; used under the rail surface between wood ties to minimize longitudinal forces, i.e. drag from train brakes, contraction/expansion of the rail metal.
Thank you Cliff for the information. You’d think with all the years I’ve walked railroad tracks that I would have seen one before, but I never did.
Great photos.
Downloaded some to use as wallpaper.
Wish I had a rail trail.
🙂
Thank you. I didn’t know there was anyplace in the country that the railroads didn’t go.
Seems like all the rails around here are still in use.
And if I did find an abandoned rail trail, I dare not walk on it. Considering the Nazi politics of this state (Oregon), I’d probably get thrown in a federal penitentiary for 40 years for disturbing the dust.
What wonderful places those rail trails are! Who’d a thunk it?
I’m kind of envious of all the great things that the engineers used to see. What a job that must have been!
My seven year old has started reading your blog now as well and is thoroughly enjoying it, just as I do.
That’s great to hear. I hope he becomes even more interested in nature.
I didn’t get to my rail trail this weekend after all but seeing yours had made me or the more determined. That slime is strange!
That rail trail isn’t going anywhere, I’m sure. The slime turned out to be algae. Possibly spyro gyra. (Not the band)
Thanks for the wonderful walk on your rail trail. We recently spotted pink lady slippers growing along the lakeside trail with bluebead lilies. A wonderful sight.
We have a great rails-to-trails here on the South Shore of Nova Scoita. Our house is within walking distance we take full advantage of it. Your are so right… It takes us to places we would never be able to access otherwise.
I don’t always comment but read & learn so much from your posts! Thank you!
You’re welcome Dawn. It would be great to see blue bead lilies and pink lady’s slippers growing together. Don’t forget to go back and see the berries on the blue bead lily. The color is amazing.
I’m glad that you keep your rail trails open. It’s a real shame that not every community does. If they only knew what they were missing. Thanks for your comment.
fringed polygala – thanks for the ID of this flower we saw on our hike in Pawtuckaway State Park two weeks ago. We saw a bunch of lady slippers too but no green slime. (It was threatening rain so I didn’t bring my camera along to be able to figure out what the flower was. It reminded me of birds flying.)
You’re welcome. It’s always fun to find out the identity of plants and I’m glad this blog was able to help. I often remind people that I can make mistakes too, so it’s always best to check a field guide, but in the case of fringed polygala nothing else really looks like it. It’s a beautiful little flower.
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays.
Thank you Agnes, for the re-blog. I just found you in the spam filter and I’m not sure why. It’s the first time that has ever happened.
lol .. You’re very welcome, Allen.
I’m not surprised at all that you found me the spam folder. All kinds of things are happening .. and we need to stay alert.
Thank you for looking for me in the ‘spam folder’. Am truly grateful and appreciate a very kind and loving soul friend in you. Sending bright Reiki blessings your way. Namaste.
Thanks again, and the same to you.
A most enjoyable narrative! Always a pleasure to read (and see) where your adventures take you.
Thank you Sue, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
The lady slippers seem to be doing well this year. I walked the trail to Sandogardy Pond today and came across a colony that had dozens of them in a 10 foot radius.
They are doing well and I’m wondering why. Last year the ones in my yard didn’t even bloom even though, if I remember correctly, we had plenty of rain.
It sounds like your find would have made a great picture.
I took one, but haven’t loaded it onto the computer yet. My non-macro shots of flowers are never very good though. The flowers tend to disappear in them.
I’ve seen some very good photos on your blog!
How wonderful that you found lady slippers! My wife and I are big train buffs, her grandfather was an engineer with the UP. When the kids were small we would visit the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, where they had all kinds of old trains and cars – mostly out of service but a couple were working. It was all run by volunteers, a labor of love.
I see lady’s slippers all over at this time of year, but they don’t last long. That railroad museum sounds like my kind of place and they’d probably have to drag me out of it.
The green slime was an unexpected treat. Many of the old railway tracks round here are totally overgrown which is a great pity as they make good walking when maintained.
I’m glad you liked the rock slime, which turned out to be algae. It’s too bad that your rail trails aren’t used. They’re a good way to get deep into the forest.
Very nice, Allen…I don’t know what might cause it to happen, but if I ever get back east, I’d love to take a walk along one of your old rail trails…they’re so very inviting. Wonderful quote at the end, too….well chosen.
Thanks Scott. If you ever do make it out here let me know. I can give you directions to some amazing places.
You’re welcome….and I will be sure to check-in with you, Allen…if that day ever gets here. 🙂
Hi, your “rock slime” seems to be a green algae of the genus Spyrogyra. Some 400 species of this genus are known. They thrive in freshwater and are a known pest in freshwater garden ponts (at least in Germany).
Thanks you very much for the Identification. I’ll Google it and read up on it. I’m surprised that I’ve never seen it before. So many know about it that it seems like it must be fairly common.
You definitely live in an interesting “neck of the woods.” I knew it was going to be another great hike with pink lady slipper for the first picture.
Thanks! You can’t lose when there are lady’s slippers involved. I love seeing them.
Thanks for the history lesson and the great photos of the flowers!
There’s some “rock slime” growing near the creek that I pass each day, I’ll have to see if I can get a photo of it. I believe that it is algae. It’s been a dry spring here, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to photograph it.
You’d think that the old box cars would be worth something as far as recycling the steel and iron that they are made of, enough to make it worthwhile to do so rather than let them rust away.
It doesn’t take long for nature to begin reclaiming the old abandoned buildings, they may not be suitable for humans, but I’m sure that they provide shelter for plenty of critters of all sorts.
Thanks Jerry.
I hope you can get some shots of the algae. I’d like to see it.
That’s what I thought about those boxcars. There is a lot of steel in one. I can’t imagine what it might be worth but it seems like it would at least be worth dragging them out of there.
I can imagine that there must be quite a few critters living in those old mills, and that’s why I stay out of them!
Sorry, no algae today. It’s been so dry that the water source has dried up.
That’s too bad. I wonder if it comes and goes with wet weather.
Congratulations to the volunteers who maintain the former rail trails, old railway lines are always very interesting and part of our history.
They sure are Susan. The hard working people who maintain them deserve our thanks.
I’m thrilled to have found your website because I’m from the Mass-NH border and enjoy the Monadnock area most. I now exist in Illinois, barely surviving the billiard table flats, where old cemeteries are flanked by cornfields and interstates, as a moth merely exists when away from a flame.
I saw algae like that hanging from the constant drips in the rocky section of the Spellman Trail at Monadnock last late summer. It hung like a widow’s spirit, drooping and wet, but not quite as neon as the one you found.
Gosh, your website is like a Yankee Magazine, but specific to my favorite corner of the entire world. Thanks so very much.
Thank you Sven, for your excellent comment. I read a few blogs from your part of the world and know that there are some very beautiful things out there, but after living in Florida I know what you mean about the lack of mountains and hills. I was only able to stand the flatness for a few months.
I’m glad to hear that you saw some algae like this one. For a while I wondered if it might be unique.
I hope I can continue to bring you a little taste of home occasionally. Thanks again.
I’ve been away and just spent some time catching up on your blog over a cup of coffee. Good stuff!! I left with leaves just budding and have come home to lush, green….no view of the swamp from my kitchen window till October! It’s been a joy to see all the early spring flowers you’ve seen and to know the identity of some I’ve seen in years past. I do love star flowers and now I’m intrigued and if I ever get down to the swamp again I will check out how many flowers!
Thank you Jocelyn. It’s amazing how fast it all grows, isn’t it? I’m glad you’re discovering the identity of the flowers you see. Sometimes knowing their names can help us feel closer to them. I’m still looking for that starflower with five flowers. If you find it I hope you’ll let me know!
My grandfather was a great lover of all things railroad, probably because his father worked on the Fitchburg to Peterborough line and the tracks were right in front of his childhood home at the corner of Routes 101 and 202 in Peterborough. Your photos of the relics from a time gone by are wonderful!
Thanks Martha. Your grandfather was a lucky man. I never knew that the tracks ran through there, but I can picture a train like the Yankee Flyer making that run.
ROCK SLIME INDEED!
It was the first time I had visited this planet
And having heard of the doings of humans
On the approach of one I hid beneath a rock
But In vain, I’m afraid, as I was quickly spotted
And discovered the rumours are only too true
It insulted me* and then poked me in the eye
(* I should perhaps point out that I am telepathic,)
Ha, that’s funny Ben. I hope you never lose your child like imagination. Thanks for starting my day with a smile.
“Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.”
– May Sarton
Thanks Ben. I couldn’t agree more. This world would be a different place if we all spent more time getting in touch with our inner child!
Cool shots of old trains! I think your green stuff is just algae. Check this website: http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-plants/freshwater-algae/
(It’s from New Zealand, but has a fairly decent picture of the type I think you have, if not the exact species. It’s weird that when you google “algae” – most of the hits are assisting people who own aquaria and are trying to get rid of the stuff!)
Thanks Jennifer, that link is a good one! I wondered if it was algae but like you, all I could find was information on how to get rid of it from aquariums. The thing that really struck me as odd was how it was hanging rather than lying flat. I’ve never seen algae do that. Thanks again for the help.
I always thought it would have been neat to be a railroad bum, just riding the rails with Boxcar Willie. I enjoy exploring some of the old mills and abandon places. Even with the chance of getting in trouble, being caught beyond the “No Trespassing”, I sometimes just can’t help myself. Interesting history on the railroad. I wonder if the “rock slime” is algae growing in the water coming out of the rocks. I’ve seen similar formations in the spring in the fountain in my pond. Usually by the heat of summer it clears up on its own, but always returns.
Thanks Laura. When I was a boy if I wasn’t playing in the river I was walking the railroad tracks, and ever since then I’ve been fascinated by all things railroad. When I saw them taking up the tracks it was as if part of me died for awhile, but I’m so glad that the trails are still here.
Jennifer agrees with you on the algae and her link has some great information. i wondered if that’s what it was but I’ve never seen algae do what this was doing, which was hanging in the air. It was strange.
Reblogged this on Writing Out Loud and commented:
Part 1 Just as good
Thanks Bob, for the re-blog.
I really enjoy your images of nature gradually taking back what man has made and then abandoned. It’s fascinating to see what remains, sometimes merely because it was so well made, and sometimes because people choose to maintain it. As for your slime, it looks like something alien from a science fiction movie.
Thanks Mike. I’m always surprised bu how much abandoned “stuff” there is out there, and I wonder how someone just decides to walk away and leave everything behind.
I agree with your assessment, but the girls tell me the “slime” is algae, which I wondered about. If you have a chance to read it, the link provided by Jennifer Schlick is interesting.