The Conductor

If you listened to my show yesterday, you’ll have heard me talking about a train conductor whom I’ve met a few times and whom I speak with whenever I see him. Well, this is about him.

The Conductor

In my novel about railways,
He will be the protagonist. I’ve
Met him so many times now, in
My real life, the boy with the bushy
Beard and the inquisitive eyes, and
That real interest in people, trains,
And living thoughtfully, to make
The most of the days he has.
Just yesterday, he says, he
Made a day trip by train
To Germany to visit an
Uncle. And we talk about
German rolling stock, which
Despite its age is still the best
He’s seen, and this new English
Uncomfortable carriage with
Its too-rigid seats. I tell him about
How exciting the first 125s on the
East Coast Line were, and he smiles
As he tells me he’ll have to check
Them on YouTube because he’s
Too young to remember them,
And the old 47s on the Hastings
Line that dragged wood-panelled
Second Class carriages with lights
Above each passenger’s head
With fluted glass shades. Not
That I’m a train spotter, I say.
I just love trains and travel. He
Grins. Till next time, he says,
More stories then.

R 27/03/2025 13:34 London-Norwich train