Fairwell 2018 Centerville, Maryland

The last day of the year dawned gray and dreary but despite its rough start it delivered the nicest prize of the year -- a working RS-3. Yes, I would have loved to have come across it on a bright sunny day with the trees decked out in their finest fall folliage. But you know what? Sometimes you take what you can get and appreciate fate's gift.

I didn't know about the Maryland and Delaware until that morning. I didn't expect to run into a train that morning. And to find an RS-3 in revenue service in 2018, well, who can ever expect that?

2018 wasn't my best year for a lot of reasons, but it still delivered its share of prizes. After finishing their work, the crew gave me a friendly wave and rumbled off down the track. It made me smile. The year ended on a high note.