I was a rail fan from the very beginning of my memory, not as crazy as some so called “real rail fan”, but truly a rail fan, or train fan.
I once lived beside a busy railway since I was born. So trains became my “big” friends in my early childhood. Days and nights, the horn of trains accompanied me. My house was on the top floor of the apartment building. So every time I sat in the balcony, the figure of train was clearly in my sight. Sitting on a chair to watch them come and go was one of my greatest pleasures at that time. For another aspect, my family needed to depend on trains to fulfill the migration from Beijing to my hometown in Zhejiang province once a few years. Railway is the bond between me and my far away relatives.
So that may be the reason why I became a train fan when I was very young.
For train fans, we collect all things about trains, from train tickets to souvenirs. And we especially like taking photos of trains. Holding a camera, standing beside the railroad to capture the enormous beauty and shock that trains bring us is our favorite pastime. We even travel thousand miles only to have a look at some unique trains, such as some endangered steam engines or imported locomotives. We devote to our hobby, though it will cost time and money, but it deserves. As the saying goes “A real rail fan will chose a beautiful engine rather than a beauty.” Our footprints and pictures record our happiness, as well as the developing process of the railway system. Trains have become a part of our lives. And the scene of an express train dashing over the infinite field under brilliant sunset often appears in our dreams.
Years ago in Liaoning province, I have had the fortune to drive a real steam locomotive, to feel the mysterious creature given birth by the Industrial Revolution. With steam surging out of its body, the original power of the train was presented in front of me. That was surely a feast of eyes. I felt thrilled when boarding the cab, sitting in the driver’s seat, holding the handle and feeling the train gaining speed. That experience would be one of my treasures over my lifetime.
Since the time I became a rail fan, I wanted to become a train driver when I grew up. I always imagine of driving my own train, dart through the storm, to deliver my passengers and freights on time, to give my customers the sense of safety and reliability - safety and reliability, they are what the railway system gives me. Because for trains, once departed, whatever circumstance they may face, as long as they can still move, they will surely arrive in their destination at any cost. And that's what I admire the most. Obviously, without the contribution of millions of railway workers, the railway system won’t be operated that well. Through their dedicated work, the railway workers can keep the entire giant system accurate and punctual. And that’s why I admire them as well, and wanted to become one of them.
Next time when you bump into a diesel locomotive, just stand beside it, silently, to feel your heart beating with the engine. You will discover that, again, your body is filled with energy, with the power to continue your marching forward. Since trains will never lose their target, never.
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