Thursday, July 23, 2015

people movers in many places

Image: 1  Hank (on the right) on the Amtrak back to NY from DC

Image: 2  Hank (extreme right) as a school-boy at the RMC (Royal Military College)
on a train from K.Lumpur to Ipoh on the way for the Perak River Expedition

Note: Was late in posting at d'Verse (the reason for inclusion of the link, apologies!)

Had been on people movers

The Underground Tubes in London
Been on trains out of London
South to Bournemouth and north to Luton
When bound for Cranfield made the mistake
by taking the All Stations instead of the Express
It took close to 5 hours for mandatory stops
at all the small stations for the journey
whereas the Express did only 3 stops
along the same direction

The trams of Delft-Amsterdam
The Metro in Paris after arriving from Amsterdam
It was fast and furious transcending through Belgium
and into France as the Immigration people went
about their formalities on the trains themselves

From New Delhi through Nagpur to Calcutta and
back to Bombay (Mumbai now) across the sub-continent
both ways which took a few days for visits to many factories

The trains from Zurich to Milan through Lugano
The funicular train up Mount Pilatus in Switzerland
The clock-work Swiss lines were just a wonder

The cable cars of ‘Frisco, heave and ho!
One could just imagine pulling at the levers
the old fashioned way over undulating terrain
That was a long time ago!
Are they still in service?

The Amrak to DC and back to N York
The NY subway network to Times Square
Present day LRT in Kuala Lumpur
MRT in Singapore and the likes

Nothing like the thrill though
of childhood travel with your peers
With unity of purpose
On a train through moments
of memories during school days at the RMC
where we were transported by train for our Annual Camps
and for expeditions around the country

Those were the days
Those were the good old days!

For Susan's hosting at PU's Midweek Motif - unity
and billgncs' at d'Verse's Poetics -  All Aboard


26 comments:

  1. A very different and unique take on the prompt "unity". Loved the lines, "With unity of purpose
    On a train through moments
    of memories during school days"
    A great read!

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  2. Haven't been on a train since I left England, i.e. 40 years. Used to be on them all the time when I was younger. Including le Metro in Paris.

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  3. I see you mentioned Bournemouth.....I live there.
    Great poem Hank, I go on a train now and then but not as often as I used to.
    Yvonne.

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    1. Was in London on attachment to a Bank. We were brought to Bournemouth for a visit. It was long ago though!

      Hank

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  4. Ha. They were good old days, travelling by train. If you have ridden all these, wow. I have been limited to subways in NYC and Baltimore, a couple steam engines. And there is a certain unity or symbiosis that happens when you all ride together in the box.

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  5. Well hank, I think your readers will find at least one place to their heart...like myself, my place is Calcutta, now Kolkata in our state, and surely nothing like that "childhood travel with your peers"...

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    1. We were in Calcutta for just a few days many years ago. We were then attending a course in New Delhi and were taken around visiting factories around the country

      Hank

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  6. Wow, you've been on a bunch. I've only ever been on a subway once and that was it.

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  7. hey you've rode quite some nice trains... the funicular train up Mount Pilatus is home play for me... cannot even count how often i rode it..still thrilling each time

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  8. Wow Hank, you've travelled so much on trains. It's amazing. I like your recounting of your rides. You must have tons of memories.

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  9. You are quite the world traveler. I've used many as well.

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  10. Much fun to remember all the old train journeys...mine range from the 2nd class carriages in India to the Shinkansen in Japan.... and each has its own story!!

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  11. This is wonderful! Truly enjoyed reading it :D

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  12. Oh.. the Unity of purpose.. in human trains of meaning.. holding cars together.. humans chains of love.. coupling friends instead of separating
    eyes of choo choo whistling gone..:)

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  13. A great adventure in your words that take you with your journey.

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  14. You really went off on some adventures on the train. You're blessed where you live that you can access so many countries.

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  15. Wow, Hank, the traveling man! Nice how you were able to wed the two prompts so smoothly.

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  16. Wow, thanks for sharing your travels, Hank! Yes, I am back... for now.... I am a train lover from way back. Everything from the clickety clack through the Midwest to subways in NYC, I love mass transit. Love being alone in a crowd as well as traveling with a friend or in a group. Sounds like you have done it all, my friend! Great photos, too... Love, Amelita

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  17. Hank, you definitely have experienced the trains of the world! So many wonderful journeys you have taken.

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  18. You sure traveled a lot Hank, wow ~ Enjoyed your photos and train memories ~

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  19. This is so nostalgic...I can feel that coming through in your poem. And, I grew up in Singapore so spent my childhood riding the MRT all over the place so your poem brought back some nostalgia for me too. Thanks :-)

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  20. Beautiful memories and trail of time.................

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  21. The good old days indeed - in the UK at least we do not expect trains to even move people any more..sigh!

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  22. Travel with friends is always enjoyable, but travel by train is something special.

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  23. Hank,

    You are truly a world traveller and managing to unify the world map at the same time. I absolutely hate using the underground in London with its pushy crowds at all hours...I used to love the Paris Metro, years ago!
    Eileen

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