Coal from Appalachia rumbles into this port city, 150 railroad cars at a time, bound for the belly of the massive cargo ship Prime Lily. The ship soon sets sail for South America, its 80,000 tons of coal destined for power plants and factories, an export of American energy — and pollution.That image of a unit coal train brought back memories. Years ago when the other DrC and I wandered North America in a series of RVs, we would stop at Anvil Campground near Williamsburg, VA, located immediately adjacent to the rail line referred to above.
When coal trains rumbled past in the night the ground shook so it felt like the train was about to hit the RV. In the daytime, you could watch the rails bounce up and down as the trucks (i.e., sets of train wheels) rolled over them - the sight didn't inspire confidence in rail safety.
