A slow train journey
There is only one train plying from X to Y. I had no other choice. The line is a narrow gauge. It passed through farming country and it mainly carried farm produce, although passengers were often using it too. At every station on the way it loaded and unloaded involving quite a lot of shunting which took a lot of time. Remember it took nearly four hours for a distance of 60km.,
I traveled once by that rain. At first I could not believe that a train (in this age) could go so slow. I had to put with it. The train moved at a snail’s pace and one could almost get down and get back on it. I did not try it because it was not safe for such foolhardy experiments.
The train stopped to pick up baskets of eggs, hens, vegetables and other farm produce. Naturally those who travelled by this wonderful train were faun workers moving either from one estate to another or going to town for a change. The train was not clean. The familiar sights of newspaper and magazines were not found at the stations. The stations on the way were manned by a skeleton staff, the station master, and the point’s man doing all the duties. There are only two trains for the whole day and life for them is boring.
The journey was interesting for me and I got down whenever the train stopped to load an unload. There was no milling crowd or colour I could see. There was not even a soft drink to be had. I could see how they shunted the wagons. It was interesting to see the people who came to take their goods. There were all sorts of baskets, hampers and baggages. Once the loading was done the train would start again and go on.
Since the train ran through farming country I could see farm steads all the way, with their gardens, poultry, cattlesheds and granary. I couldn’t see any tall buildings. I could see a calf looking with fear at the steaming train; a half naked boy not very goggling at the passing train and people engaged in farming activities.
After a while it all got very boring. Anyway it was good to relax from a hectic city life.
