The 1880 Train

Rapid City almost feels like home. Since leaving home, this is the first place we’ve spent more than one night. If all goes well, we’ll be here a couple of more days. Weather might be a problem. It 87 yesterday but dropped to 55 today with snow predicted on Wednesday. We fear the snow and may be driven south early.

We started the day by riding the “1880 Train”. It was enjoyable and insightful. Many mining claims were established around the Keystone, South Dakota area for various metals and minerals--gold, of course, being the most infamous. The mining operations required supplies and this gave rise to a host of suppliers. Hill City was established around making and delivering these supplies. If you think about it, the suppliers (General Store, Saloon, etc.) seem to make the real money out of all of these quests for riches like looking for gold.

At any rate, the railroad between Keystone and Hill City was established to deliver all these supplies to the miners, ship what they mined and provide a place for them to spend their riches. We rode this line. Along the way were abandoned mining operations with the dilapidated buildings still in place. Typically a “mining city” here was one or two buildings. None bigger than about 500 square feet. Those one or two buildings would serve as housing, hospital, saloon and whatever else was needed. Can you imagine living in conditions like that and in such an isolated way. That had to be a hard and lonely life.

A little local color. The engineer sounded the horn as we approached a small house along the tracks. An old fellow came out in his “Sunday go to meetin” clothes and greeted us with hat waving and animated waves. We waved back. This was old Leonard and he’s a regular greeter.

After the train Becky suggested we travel back to the Badlands. I won’t try to describe the sight in detail. It was remarkable in different ways than yesterday because the sun was low in the sky and we drove until dark. The colors and shadowing were beautiful and other-worldly. It was worth the trip and I wish each of you could see this.