This picture is taken on the top of the hill overlooking the train tracks. To many, it is just the route in which the loud, blaring train blows through our campus at the most inconvenient times, without fail. Whether it’s before your 8 am class, mid-afternoon when you are trying to catch a nap, or at the awful wee hours of the morning, the train is there. However, these tracks have more than one use.
The train is a unique aspect of the JMU campus. As if 81 running through campus wasn’t enough, we also have an active train. You would think that it would divide the campus, however, I believe it shows the value of movement. The campus has continued to expand over obstacles, such as those, through out the years, which is also representative of our expanding education.
As I stated before, these tracks are not just used for running the train from one point to the next, it is also used much like a sidewalk. At any given time, there are people meticulously walking along the unevenly spaced railroad ties. I know personally, I have walked the tracks to get from Lakeside back to Hillside, many times. The tracks at this point are open and have beautiful landscape along it, which help it seem acceptable to walk over them to speed up a route.
So although the tracks should be a private space for the train to run and the company to take care of, it is used as a public space at JMU, just like any other sidewalk found throughout campus. To me, the spot I took the picture from is beautiful and shows that double usage of something out of the ordinary and simple.
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