IRON RAILS WEST
D.L. Wodash


Chapter 1

EARLY DAYS

It was a new day as the sun came up over the snowy peaks of the high mountains tops. The sun cast its rays slowly across the green valley below, hitting the bright gold and red leaves of the aspen trees and scrub oak brushes. Engine # 409 stood at the station house building up steam in her boiler. This was the last run on the winding tracks through the mountain passes and across the open prairie to Falling Rock City. This was the same run it had made over the past 20 odd years. The train has moved freight and passengers over the iron rails from one town to another all of these years. Joseph Woods, the engineer and 409 have delivered the goods with safety, and always without fail, to their destination.

Joe had not missed a run on this route for the last 20 years, and this would be the last run for him too. The wear of the years shows on his face and hands. Both have wrinkles and deep lines of a hard, but very pleasant life of working on the railroad. As the black smoke rolled from the smoke stack of the old engine, Joe looked at the pressure gauge. It still did not have enough pressure to operate the steam cylinder and drive the wheels. After all these many years it took a lot longer for old 409 to build up the steam pressure in the boiler. He looked toward the rear of the train, watching the passengers board the passenger cars, the way he had done for so many years in the past. Joe saw an older man boarding the last passenger car wearing an Union Army uniform from the Civil War days. This caused his mind to drift back to the memories of the days of the Civil War.

It had been a hot and humid day as the Union train pulled a grade on its way to Cold Springs Crossing. The America 4-4-0 engine belched black smoke from the stack, pulling cars loaded with troops, supplies, cannon, and horses. Joe was in the cab of the locomotive watching the countryside pass as the train continued its journey. The locomotive groaned as the train made its way up a grade. Joe's father was the engineer of this troop train and he usually took Joe along on most of the trips. Joe watched the fireman put wood into the fire box, trying to keep the pressure up in the boiler. They had another half-mile to go before reaching the crest of the hill and then it would be downhill into Cedar Point station. Joe always liked to go with his father on these runs. At times his father would let him run the locomotive. Joe's father looked across the cab at him and smiled. It was good that his son took such an interest in trains. Joe was good at operating the train engine for someone of his age, Peter thought. Maybe someday he would have his own locomotive to operate.

As the troop train reach the top of the grade, Confederate troops came out of the woods on both sides of the troop train. They were shooting at the locomotive and the cars carrying the troops and supplies. One of the bullets hit the fireman in the chest. He fell to the floor of the cab. Peter yelled, "Keep stoking the fire box, we must keep the pressure up." Joe opened the door of the fire box and threw wood on the roaring fire. He could hear the bullets hitting the engine's boiler. The troops were trying to slow the engine down by hitting one of the steam lines. Some of the bullets hit inside the cab and he could hear them whistle around his head. The train broke over the crest of the hill and started to pick up speed as they descended the grade. They both could hear the shots being fired behind them as they reached the bottom of the hill and moved onto the valley floor. Peter passed the Cedar Point station and would continue onto the next stop so they wouldn't have the Confederate troops down on the train.

The troop train pulled into Cold Springs Crossing and came to a stop on a side track. Joe looked down at the fireman and knew he was dead. This was the first time in his life that he had seen a person killed. Joe turned to his father and asked Pa, "what were those troops trying to do?"

Peter said, "They where trying to stop the train from delivering more troops and supplies to the front. The South is losing the war and they are willing to try anything to slow down the onslaught of the Union forces."

The Union Army Major in charge of the detail came up to the engine and asked if everybody was okay? Then he saw the dead fireman laying on the floor of the cab, "Peter, can your son take his place?"

"Sure he can! As soon as you unload your troops and supplies, we will turn around and head back to Maryland."

The Major shook his head, "My orders were changed just before we departed. The new orders state that we are to move onto Lexington Crossing. The command