“as i stepped off the train…” By Michael James
“As I stepped off the train, past memories of trains, stations and journeys came flooding back.” So wrote my good friend John as he shared with me his story of a life-time spent, in, on and among trains and railway folk. He went on to say that, “Train travel, when operated smoothly and correctly, is the most civilised mode of transport (after the wheel) the world has invented and which brings people of every country together.” The current debate in this country would seem to present a somewhat different picture. Daily railway commuters would probably agree in theory, but the practicality of overcrowded trains, often running late or even not running at all, makes what should be a lovely, relaxed journey, a nightmare. Then there is the ongoing question of the value of the proposed HS2 train (now agreed in part), from London to Birmingham and eventually, to Manchester and Leeds. Is it going to be worth it? What is the value of railways in this day and age? Last year I wrote about 'My Mate Steve' and in January of this year I wrote about, 'My Mate Steve's Dad'. Steve and John West are great railway enthusiasts, and much of their spare time and holidays are spent visiting railway stations all around the UK and abroad. Steve is what many would know as 'a train spotter' but both he and his dad, are much, much more than that. Thought by many with a slightly 'superior' attitude, to consider those who love railways as, 'anoraks' and therefore 'beyond the pale', is to not recognise the depth of knowledge that they have. They can easily identify the type of engine, the size of it's wheel base, and it's locomotive horse power, as well as knowing the history of rail transportation around the world. You and I may be fans of our own interests and hobbies, but railway enthusiasts are also 'fans' of their world which is much larger than we might imagine, and with a friendship group that can be found on any station across the world.
Michael James - March 2020 page 1
John has written a piece which he has allowed me to share with you now. He calls it 'A Railway Story'. As I stepped off the train, memories of trains, stations and journeys came flooding back. After nearly 70 years of rail travel on such diverse lines, such as the Brecon Narrow Gauge Railway, with it's 4hp steam engine, travelling through our beautiful countryside from Merthyr to Ponsticill, or on the mighty, unit called 'The Canadian', which runs from East to West across Canada. From Halifax in Nova Scotia, with it's Titanic Museum, across the plains of Ontario and the lakes of Manitobia, through the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, to the lands of high timber and grizzly bears in British Columbia before finishing in Vancouver on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. The range of locomotives (engines), from probably the worlds most famous steam engine, George Stephenson's 'Rocket, built and trialled in 1830, right through to the modern day Japanese Shinkansen 'Bullet' capable of travelling at 200 mph from Tokyo to Kyushu in the shadow of Mount Fuji, the world of the railway is huge in it's capacity and variety. It is not only the locomotives that have changed over the years, perhaps even more importantly for the passengers, the carriages have become more comfortable. Early carriages were no more than open 'Cattle Trucks', in which the passengers were subjected to the mercy of the elements of wind and rain, to say nothing of being enveloped in smoke, to the more luxurious and famous 'Orient Express', the South African 'Blue Train and the 'Siberian Express.' The modern travel experience on these trains is just like being inside a moving first-class hotel, with sleeping compartments, complete with en-suite facilities, dinning rooms where a full range of first class cuisines can be taken whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery though your window. Then there are the 'Club Cars' where drinks, both local and international, can be sampled all through the night, if desired. What a way to travel and get to see places
Monday, 02 March 2020 21:39 Magenta Yellow Cyan Black
