By Steve Bailey We should not push for the loss of railroad infrastructure, but trails preserve disused rights of way for future generations. Multiuse paths blend the line between transportation corridors and recreation. Besides improving urban areas, more expansive rail trails continue to connect nearby communities long after the rails are pulled. Rail trails as a teaching tool can be seen taking shape around Charleston. In an area rich with Civil War history, some connections between that event and the built landscape can be made through plaques and other signs. Spurred by booming development, the story of an antebellum railroad is being shared with a new generation along the West Ashley Greenway.