In the summer of 1993 one of the places that I'd go hang out was along the Conrail Michigan Line where is flirts with the Huron River just west of Ann Arbor. In this particular spot is a large meadow is on the north side of the mainline. Every evening I'd go there, spread out a blanket, uncork a bottle of something red, cut up some cheddar, watch the sun go down, and wait for DWEL (Detroit Wayne-Elkhart) to go by. Conrail was at this time still sending him out from Wayne before sunset. I made a point to be down there by the river to see him as often as I could before I lost the daylength. Here we see the conductor kickin' back for his promenade west into the sunset through the Huron River Valley. My secret spot is a quiet location, so in the evening it is very common for Deer to gather. One time I drifted off to sleep and awoke to a small herd clustered around me at a distance of some three to ten feet or so. They were totally unaware of my presence, so I clapped my hands to scare them off lest they be alarmed by something else and stomp my direction in flight. Alas, It wasn't long before Autumn caught up with me and the available light vanished early on ... and then Conrail reverted to sending him west from CP-YPSI after Amtrak 352 passed him around 2100, making him a night time train once again.
