dsuarang: Intrigued by Locomotives

Assalamualaikum

U Go Loco
or
Have U Gone Loco?

I have always been intrigued by locomotives especially those breed of 'steam' engines of yesteryears. However both 'diesel' and 'electric' locos are my favourites too.

As a child I used to take train rides from KL to my parents home up North Peninsula Malaysia.

These rides will usually occur during school holidays or term breaks. Time and again I will fantasize being a loco driver managing / manoeuvring a loco engine.

The pride and satisfaction of being skilful with big engines such as locomotives . . . I believed would be beyond my imagination.

One of my many childhood fantasies was to have a true to life loco system set at home.

The tracks, the station, the railway gadgets n gimmicks . . . including images of anything that has a bearing to locomotives.

And . . . all these in the proximity of my very own playroom!

Yours sincerely was so used to seeing such influential luxurious ads being spread on panoramic screens during my younger days when I frequented cinema shows.

Imagine what all those watching did or was capable of doing to a young mind then!

I was so intent on acquiring the skills of a locomotive engine driver / loco engineer. My simple reasoning then was that I could be travelling places manoeuvring a loco engine. And, I love to imagine being able to do that in style.

But as fate would have it, all the above were not bound to happen. Nothing of that sort ever materialized! My childhood fantasies nevertheless remained.

My make-believe craze recurred very late in life! Incidentally it also happened on a make-believe railway track.

Saturday 19 April 2014. I visited the Malaysian Army Museum at Port Dickson."I came, I saw and I conquered".

The locomotive was there at the head of the coach at my very disposal.