Trains no longer whizz through the Trinidad landscape connecting urban Port-of-Spain to rural sugar cane communities like Tabaquite. But the memories linger. Retired train fireman Neville Lynch, 80, opted to share the memories etched in his mental archives. He had attended a lecture themed Discovering and Conserving Trinidad's Railway Heritage at Napa Auditorium, Keate Street, Port-of-Spain, late last year. It was hosted by the National Trust Council and Trinidad Railway Heritage Network. Presenters Jalaludin A Khan and Wayne Abraham shared their photographic collection and research on the defunct railway system. Activist Clive Nunez blew his whistle.
Members of the audience interjected with lively train vignettes, picong and stories gleaned from their parents who worked on the railway. Summing up sentiments, several participants said they never knew "train could be so sexy." Recently, Lynch, who was accompanied by his son Transport Commissioner Rueben Cato, delved deeper into his treasure trove of knowledge. At the lecture, Lynch remembered using cow dung to caulk the train. Laughing uproariously, he said: "I did not want to return to the mess." Slipping into the role of an oral historian, Lynch said: "We would use cow dung to clog some of the creases in the boilers. It was made up of tubes. They carried elements for heat to get the smoke out. They used to bring the steam to a super-heated tendency. The manager would say, 'Run out there and get a batch of cow dung from an Indian lady.'"
"Cow dung was free." Cato added: "At one point, if we took cow dung from a villager...a lady in Cunupia, she would say, 'Come no further, the last time you were here the cow stopped giving milk the next day.'""It was a joke but it was reality." Abraham had interjected: "That's Trini engineering for you."
Knolly's Tunnel
Today, Knolly's Tunnel which was a landmark along Jerningham Junction/Rio Claro still stands as a testimony to an era gone by. The eponymous Knolly's Tunnel got its name from then acting colonial governor Courtney Knolly. There was pomp and splendour when it was opened on August 20, 1898. Reverting to the Knolly's Tunnel, Lynch said: "It was a dangerous aspect of the work at Tabaquite. It was challenging. Cargo, cane and heavy oilfield equipment were transported there." Lynch added: "The tunnel would get dark like the inside of a cinema. Imagine the days of no electricity. Think about the moment you are about to enter the tunnel. Less than a quarter-mile down the tunnel is an incline. The hill is so high where they cut the tunnel. It wasn't cut with mechanical equipment."
There was more adventure in the Trini outback. Lynch said: "As the train is going along, it pulling the dry sand. It taking a few branches, leaves and flowers. After a time, the tender box had sand." Resourceful workers had to make an intervention. Teamwork, timing and trust were the watchwords. Lynch said: "We took the shovel and got down on the footboard. While going through Knolly's Tunnel, the driver can't see you. You can't see him." There was an element of suspense and mystery as the train snaked through the canefields. Lynch said: "The only time he know you're alive is when go through the tunnel and you see the light on the other side."
Everyone, especially the driver, would breathe a collective sigh of relief. "He didn't fall off. You might even utter a Hail Mary." Despite the challenges of shovelling river sand, baking it in a kiln and transporting it in buckets, Lynch remembered the era fondly. "Train era was glorious. Magnificent engineers." Knolly's Tunnel lent itself to "stealing love on the side." While the round-faced moon shed her beams, he said: "We were young. The tunnel was a nice moment for love. You could steal a kiss in passing."
Train built T&T economy
Romance aside. Lynch paid kudos to the railway system as the foundation of a buoyant local economy. He said: "When the train reached Rio Claro or Princes Town, it was the only time the villages started to operate. People would be waiting for rice, sugar and pitch oil (kerosene). We even transported oilfield equipment." Pt Lisas Industrial Estate and deep water harbours were virtually non-existent. Lynch added: "We were pulling from as far back as Siparia. We were bringing king sugar for export. We went by the lime kiln for aggregate. It had telegram and communications systems on the train, just like the TCM movies."
Proper compensation for train workers
While the train was the "engine room of economic activity," Lynch felt ex-railway workers were unfairly treated. The contempt hurt. He said: "It's unfair to think that no government never gave true consideration to ex-railway workers." "When I retired, I got a pension of $28 per month. I moved from janitor to fireman." Quizzed on whether he would like to see the reintroduction of trains, Lynch said: "No." Quickly, he volunteered the reason for not being a champion of the throwback symbol of industrial development. Trains never ran in neighbouring Tobago. Lynch said: "It would be too costly." Commuters lost their limbs on the train. The late television personality Salisha Ali suffered such a fate. Using the analogy of a home, Lynch said: "It should have stayed and younger generations would have improved its value. It would have been part of the Trini culture. People would have appreciated trains."
China swears by train
In the 21st century, powerful nations like China recently completed railway stations like Beijing South. The site is bold, airy and spacious enough to fit a jumbo jet between the columns that support the central hall. By 2030, it is expected to handle 105,000 passengers a year. That would be 50 per cent more than Heathrow, London-the world's busiest international airport.
About Lynch
He was born at Laventille Road, Port-of-Spain. But grew up at Clifton Hill. As a child, he and his sister Hilda Foster set fish pots for wabine (small fish you catch in a ravine). He is married to Grace Lynch and fathered seven children-Arnold, Cheryl, Sandra, Sherma, Tricia, Sheldon and the late Neilson. His son had fond memories, too. "I would look forward to seeing him when the train stopped at San Juan. I would take him his hot meals. I felt I had to take him to the lecture. I knew it would have brought back the ole time days."
