by Chris Healy/photos by the author
Most train enthusiasts and people who are drawn to the fascination of urban transportation, especially around the New York City metro-area, may be familiar with the abbreviation “BMT,” the acronym for “Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit.” This once privately operated subway in NYC ran until 1940, until being purchased by the city. You may now ask yourself what does a subway system from the early 1900s have to do with the four modern freight trains on this page? That is because unfortunately, for people like myself, the abbreviation “BMT” stands for “Bone Marrow Transplant,” a life-saving operation that is sometimes the only known cure for many blood and bone-related cancers.
On November 25, 2024, only because of a routine yearly physical, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer that infects the bone marrow, and in my case, often does not present symptoms. The only known “cure” for this disease, on top of intense rounds of chemotherapy, is a bone marrow trans-plant from a healthy donor-match. Although I am already currently matched with several donors and tentatively have my transplant scheduled, many patients are not as lucky, and rely fully on a donor-match, as well as whole blood and platelet transfusions from donors too.
ABOVE: Colorful CSX B705 heads south on the River Sub. at Iona Island, New York, on the afternoon of February 10, 2025. CN 3385 plus CN 3395 in CREX paint look right at home in the fresh snow which fell the night before. A few meets with northbound traffic made daylight photos below the Iona Island area impossible. The New York City metro area and surrounding suburbs received up to six inches of snow the previous day, the first substantial amount this year.
Being a BMT donor means you must be in one of the bone marrow registries, which takes only a cheek swab to see if a person is a match to someone. These registries exist worldwide, as my tentative donor is from Germany. Although my prognosis is currently better then most AML and blood cancer patients, and I have achieved a complete (not long-term) remission before my transplant, I’d like to thank Railpace, and my supporters along this journey, for allowing me to share my story and raise awareness for other patients in need. Please enjoy the photography I’ve been able to do while recovering.
ABOVE: CSX Selkirk-to-Oak Island mixed freight M433-02 passes MP19 on the lower River Sub. in Tappan, N.Y., on the morning of February 2, 2025. Up front is solo Union Pacific AC44CW 6771, with a sister UP GE providing power in the middle of the train as a distributed power unit (DPU). Western railroads such as UP and BNSF have long used DPUs on heavy coal and freight trains, but this has become a common practice across all class I’s as a result of Precision Scheduled Railroading.
If you would like to reach out privately to learn more about this disease and support groups, I can be reached online.
