Ok, now that the Hobbit reference has clicked for some of you (or the rest are going ‘huh???’)… I felt like taking some time to talk about the places I run. One of my favorite places to run (and closest… literally connecting into the development where I live) is the Nor-Bath Rail Trail, what was once the a line of the Northampton and Bath Railroad. It’s an approximately 5.2 mile long trail, with 3.8 of those improved and plans to complete the rest. For 77 years, up until 1979, the Northampton and Bath Railroad was a standard gauge, steam railroad that served as a junction point for the Lehigh Valley Railroad among others. It provided vital transportation links for the old Atlas Cement Company, along with supported other local industries.
It really hit me last week running on the trail how vital railroad transportation was in the early 1900’s, and continuing even into the 1970’s. Nowadays, steam railroads are long gone as a primary source of transportation. I still enjoy steam-powered excursions via the Strasburg Railroad down near Lancaster, as it helps rekindle my interest in railroads and trains. From a runner’s perspective, the trail is pretty much a flat, straight run that gives me an excuse to do a nice little out and back with plenty of shady trees covering it. Some signposts along the way point out historical locations that the railroad once served. I’m actually running through a piece of history!
