I love your writings, Rosie... they are immediate and evocative...
So...Being an Itinerant by nature, I spent a summer working on a project to commemorate the NY Central Railroad... it was an installation showcasing the eras of the NY Central train lines passing through the City... so, we formed a kind of collective of artists and crafts people to design a re-enacting diorama of the city to replicate the train line through three different periods of the railroad's history using the appropriate vintage model trains threading through Manhattan between 1853-1930 (Gotham City). Each display was interactive with the viewer using buttons on the outside of the casings to run the trains. The entire display was housed in a passenger car restored to its original grandeur. where the viewers could sit for a little film on the history with the display-taking up the other aisle. This in turn was situated within the "stables" of "The Breakers"--the summer "cottage" of the Vanderbilt's who made their fortune building this line. It was a kind of Russian doll of nesting capitalism in motion. Ayn Rand would have loved it at first glance... BUT... We had great fun creating it and each of us had strategically placed gags, anachronisms and little subversions ... like the music of Ewan McColl piping through the speakers... All aboard???
I loved this, especially your very apt comparison of trains = communism and cars = capitalism, or socialism vs individualism.
I had a real shocker of a time giving my oral submission against Shane Jones’ fascist abomination on Friday: I wrote a well-researched diatribe against the Fast Track Bill, being hyper aware that I was lucky to be chosen to speak when so many thousands weren’t. Then they derailed me two minutes in because I mentioned, and called it, “the unfortunate incident” of Maureen Pugh getting shoved by a local protesting the Sam’s Creek gold mine that could be fast-tracked under this Bill and which would massively impact te Waikoropupū Springs (as you say, one of the clearest in the world). They accused me (who wasn’t even at the protest and co-led years of non-violent protests and environmental justice movements) of being “threatening” (especially to women politicians - again, a ridiculous accusation seeing I ran for the Greens twice and am hyper aware how misogynistic both politics and the public abuse of female politicians are) merely by mentioning that locals were upset and would continue to protest the destruction of our tāonga. Idk what they expect to happen when Shane Jones gets zombie mining projects resurrected all over the place, but it’s going to be mega-divisive and upset a lot of Kiwis. Still, they cut down my submission time, so I couldn’t get my points (and jabs against Shane Jones) across 😔I just hope they didn’t use that tactic against everyone who mentioned local protests!
I love the moments of familiarity and recognition though this - that’s just like my dad too, pick a part on Saturdays, that’s where Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett got its name etc. Hard to explain but this one really connected. Thank you!
Oh yes! I have not read Raising Steam but I came across this quote in my 'research' for this piece: "The aristocrats, if such they could be called, generally hated the whole concept of the train on the basis that it would encourage the lower classes to move about and not always be available.”
It wasn't snappy enough, plus I don't generally quotes books I haven't read, but diving (slightly) deeper just now, I found this one: "The Grags came down heavily on those who did not conform and seemed not to realise that this was like stamping potatoes into the mud to stop them growing."
Also this: "Everything is magic when you don’t know what it is. Your sliding rule is a magic wand to most people."
And this: "And in this doleful mood he ventured to wonder if they ever thought back to when things were just old-fangled or not fangled at all as against the modern day when fangled had reached its apogee. Fangling was indeed, he thought, here to stay."
And: "And all that anyone can say now is: What next? What little thing will change the world because the little tinkers carried on tinkering?"
Like Jonathon Richman says, "folks you don't see on the train..."
Good material for a bard, if you've got no choice, I guess (Hickman I mean).
My favourite bit in that Richman clip is when he goes "Salt Lake City, everybody off," and some random stray Mormon in the crowd is like 'Wooo! Salt Lake City!!!'
I love your writings, Rosie... they are immediate and evocative...
So...Being an Itinerant by nature, I spent a summer working on a project to commemorate the NY Central Railroad... it was an installation showcasing the eras of the NY Central train lines passing through the City... so, we formed a kind of collective of artists and crafts people to design a re-enacting diorama of the city to replicate the train line through three different periods of the railroad's history using the appropriate vintage model trains threading through Manhattan between 1853-1930 (Gotham City). Each display was interactive with the viewer using buttons on the outside of the casings to run the trains. The entire display was housed in a passenger car restored to its original grandeur. where the viewers could sit for a little film on the history with the display-taking up the other aisle. This in turn was situated within the "stables" of "The Breakers"--the summer "cottage" of the Vanderbilt's who made their fortune building this line. It was a kind of Russian doll of nesting capitalism in motion. Ayn Rand would have loved it at first glance... BUT... We had great fun creating it and each of us had strategically placed gags, anachronisms and little subversions ... like the music of Ewan McColl piping through the speakers... All aboard???
A revised estimate on the 'million tons of coal' from Kev:
"A large loco can use 2.4 tons of coal an hour.
A million tons divided by 8 hours/day x 250 days/yr x 10 years is 50 tons an hour, so a large exaggeration by Mr McColl."
I loved this, especially your very apt comparison of trains = communism and cars = capitalism, or socialism vs individualism.
I had a real shocker of a time giving my oral submission against Shane Jones’ fascist abomination on Friday: I wrote a well-researched diatribe against the Fast Track Bill, being hyper aware that I was lucky to be chosen to speak when so many thousands weren’t. Then they derailed me two minutes in because I mentioned, and called it, “the unfortunate incident” of Maureen Pugh getting shoved by a local protesting the Sam’s Creek gold mine that could be fast-tracked under this Bill and which would massively impact te Waikoropupū Springs (as you say, one of the clearest in the world). They accused me (who wasn’t even at the protest and co-led years of non-violent protests and environmental justice movements) of being “threatening” (especially to women politicians - again, a ridiculous accusation seeing I ran for the Greens twice and am hyper aware how misogynistic both politics and the public abuse of female politicians are) merely by mentioning that locals were upset and would continue to protest the destruction of our tāonga. Idk what they expect to happen when Shane Jones gets zombie mining projects resurrected all over the place, but it’s going to be mega-divisive and upset a lot of Kiwis. Still, they cut down my submission time, so I couldn’t get my points (and jabs against Shane Jones) across 😔I just hope they didn’t use that tactic against everyone who mentioned local protests!
Wow, holy shit mate. That sucks. Share your oral submission on Substack instead?
I love the moments of familiarity and recognition though this - that’s just like my dad too, pick a part on Saturdays, that’s where Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett got its name etc. Hard to explain but this one really connected. Thank you!
Oh yes! I have not read Raising Steam but I came across this quote in my 'research' for this piece: "The aristocrats, if such they could be called, generally hated the whole concept of the train on the basis that it would encourage the lower classes to move about and not always be available.”
It wasn't snappy enough, plus I don't generally quotes books I haven't read, but diving (slightly) deeper just now, I found this one: "The Grags came down heavily on those who did not conform and seemed not to realise that this was like stamping potatoes into the mud to stop them growing."
Also this: "Everything is magic when you don’t know what it is. Your sliding rule is a magic wand to most people."
And this: "And in this doleful mood he ventured to wonder if they ever thought back to when things were just old-fangled or not fangled at all as against the modern day when fangled had reached its apogee. Fangling was indeed, he thought, here to stay."
And: "And all that anyone can say now is: What next? What little thing will change the world because the little tinkers carried on tinkering?"
....OK I'm gonna read it now. I love Pratchett
Thanks for a memorable outing Rosie. Kevin's knowledgeable and knowing commentary added to my enjoyment! Ali. M.
Fantastic Read! I was right there . And went on that Coromandel train when young.
I did the Auckland to Wellington often.
Snuck on once..
I love how us NZers have to explain a lot of our words - to the other humans of earth.
They wont know what number 8 wire is though... :)
Im all about trains.. I hate flying. The USA trains are pretty communal too.
This guys is amazing...
And is all about traveling on trains. ( train story )
https://substack.com/home/post/p-144310981
Thanks for that link... I can remember sleeping on the floor of the Overnighter too.
For some reason I'm thinking of Jonathan Richman's Bus Song, maybe because of the long-distance thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r5NkEkaXHQ
Oh yeah, cause "Three whole days on that stinking bus, and I sleep fine"
OH man - I used to take the bus - did Vancover to San fran.
And geez... teh US buses are next level.
I stopped - because I keep getting to involved helping people .
I took the train... its was better... but still rough...
So I started doing 1st class in the train... 100$ more..but sane...
_
NZ is a sane place due to the culture. Not as sane as say Turkey but people still look out for each other a bit.
the USA is a madhouse.
Like Jonathon Richman says, "folks you don't see on the train..."
Good material for a bard, if you've got no choice, I guess (Hickman I mean).
My favourite bit in that Richman clip is when he goes "Salt Lake City, everybody off," and some random stray Mormon in the crowd is like 'Wooo! Salt Lake City!!!'