Sunday, October 12, 2008

gone west


This is not a real story since nothing in particular really happens but then again, that's true of much of our lives. What we're left with is a series of impressions whose implications we reflect on later. When we departed Montreal for Vancouver the train seemed to be our best means of getting there for several reasons. We had tons of stuff and it was cheaper to ship it all if we were passengers on the same railroad. Since we had a small child and pets to look after we decided for comfort's sake to travel first class.

We boarded the Canadian early on a beautiful autumn morning to learn that the first class cars would be added that evening when we got to Thunder Bay north of Lake Superior; the first day was spent just watching the gentle rolling landscape of Quebec and southern Ontario between bouts of excited conversation. It had been dark for several hours when the train rolled to a hissing stop and the conductor asked us to step down and wait until our car was available. We expected a station and a cozy place to wait but instead found ourselves between the rails in an enormous switching yard while the wind blew and sodium lights glared pieces of heavy equipment into high relief while leaving everything else in Stygian darkness. Luckily none of us suffered frostbite as we watched the engines push the new cars into position and soon a door opened to warm light and we climbed the little stairs with great relief.


Our conductor very kindly brought us a late dinner and hot drinks then went off to finish making up our beds. As the train pulled away into the pitch darkness of the northern night I settled the baby into his bed and climbed into my own bunk with a fresh cup of tea. The stars and moon lit the lakes as we rode further west.

My love affair with trains began in Europe and most especially in England in the mid-60's. You've seen them in movies like 'The Lady Vanishes' - narrow corridors, private little compartments with 2 cushioned benches facing each other and the semi-open area between the cars to traverse when you want to go to the bar or the dining car. There's something magical about spending hours or days not quite being anywhere at all but simply being another anonymous passenger temporarily suspended from the routines of place.

Our train was nothing like the old English ones but it wasn't new either. When Canadian Pacific decided to replace the rolling stock they discovered new train cars would cost millions more than they were prepared to spend. Instead, they refurbished the ones they'd had for more than thirty years so we got to travel in the most old style comfort North America could provide. The dining car was wonderfully appointed with crisp white linens, fine china, silver flatware and crystal.. not to mention great food. Yet guilt and sadness weren't that far away either. At breakfast that first morning the train moved slowly through part of a native Canadian reservation. The houses I saw were ramshackle and the children watching the train looked hungry and cold. I hope things got better for them.

Probably the neatest part about the trip, other than having real beds, was that we got to spend time in the baggage car. Every so often the train would stop and, even though I have no clear reason about the why, the result was that our conductor would let us know in advance so we could go and take the dogs for a walk along the track. The baggage handlers had a very comfortable setup with overstuffed furniture for relaxing on and a real potbellied stove for heating water for tea or whatever. During the day they left the big doors open and I remember the horses running alongside as we picked up speed one day on the prairies. So long as one of us was there the dogs were allowed out of of their traveling crates making them happy too.


As we closed in on the Rockies, the observation cars were added to the train in Calgary. Seeing the mountains of the west for the first time was an experience hard to describe.. or to draw. Mountains as far as the eye could see and beyond with huge forests and rivers raging through the gorges. Our waiter told us about the train that had fallen a couple of thousand feet into Hell's Canyon years before then told us he'd been ordered not to mention that and to please not tell the other passengers. As if we would ;-).

29 comments:

  1. I'm trying to think of something clever to say, but I just what to gush my complete adoration of your writing. What an adventure and you tell it beautifully.

    All the drawings are fantastic, but the very first one gives me shivers. I can just feel the cold.

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  2. I was lucky and got to visit in Vancouver a few years back. My sister-in-law was from Vancouver. What a nice city.

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  3. What a rollicking, rolling tale. I love the way you work the metaphor that is this train story into your language. I felt like I was on that train with you.

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  4. dcup - I'm glad you enjoyed it but I have to say I'm well aware your writing skills surpass mine. For me, it's all about the drawings then I let the story tell itself.

    okjimm - We lived there for six years and happily got to extend the 60's well into the 70's. It's a very pretty town.

    spartacus - I drifted back into train time for a while there :-)

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  5. What a great story. I love train travel, there's nothing like it.

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  6. cdp - I prefer taking trains whenever I can. Portland to Seattle is fun and I used to go from Providence to NY and Philadelphia by rail quite often.

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  7. oh god i love your drawings.
    why do trains trigger nostalgic memories? maybe it's the rocking back and forth, or the hypnotic clack-clack of the rails.
    but no, you talk mostly about living things: animals and people. maybe riding a train makes us slow down and relate to each other differently.
    i like the reclining drawing best. it has beautiful lines and lots of texture. it feels luxurious and sensual.

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  8. sigh. when i grow up i wanna ride onna train.

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  9. I've actually never taken a train, have always wanted to, and now I want to even more.

    There's something magical about spending hours or days not quite being anywhere at all but simply being another anonymous passenger temporarily suspended from the routines of place.

    Exactly. Yet there's still a connection to something compared to an airplane at 30k feet, which would seem far too artificial.

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  10. sera - I remember how good the warm compartment felt after the disconnectedness and freeze outside. Riding the razor's edge of ecstasy while riding the rails of change..

    gfid - One day your ticket will come.

    randal - You're right and ships are great too but what I'd love to do is travel across the country by airship. Wouldn't it be fun to hang out on the balcony of a gondola sipping whatever one likes to sip?

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  11. Now that would be extra cool. I already have the monocle for it.

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  12. one of my sons, who is currently studying computer engineering and robotics has a passion for dirigibles. he built one about 10 feet long in his first year. he dreams of building a full sized one of carbon fibre, powered by all the latest technology.

    maybe i'll get a ticket for that too, one day.

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  13. Hi Susan
    Another warm tale about a cold yet interesting landscape. I enjoyed the descriptions and drawings that took me with you on your wonderful journey aboard that rather grand old train. I presume they represent nostalgic memories of another era -set in interesting times.
    Best wishes

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  14. This is really wonderful Susan... and brings back so many train memories for me too. That includes my dog in the baggage car on one trip.

    Hey maybe the new world order will include more trains!

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  15. randal - You'd look good relaxing on a teak deck chair.

    gfid - What great news. I hope I'm still around to share the ride and the company. Sailing over the land is an exciting prospect.

    lindsay - It was fun as it was but I couldn't resist the temptation for just giving the impression. That's the difference between art and photography, isn't it?

    gary - It was very loose back then and now, with the help of gfid's son, perhaps we can look forward to travel by dirigible one day. Cool.

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  16. Like Dcup, I am gobsmacked by your writing and your drawings. Since I can think of nothing clever to say I will just give you an award. Come over and claim it.:-)
    http://tinyurl.com/5cpwap

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  17. Absolutely gorgeous illustrations!
    Happy to have found your blog through La Balette Rouge.

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  18. lbr - So nice to have you visit again and I'll be right over. In fact, I'll promise to keep in better touch with you and he weasel.

    ihf - Thanks so much for coming by and leaving such a sweet compliment. I do enjoy drawing :-)

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  19. I love this. I was conceived on a train heading west from Chicago. And throughout my early life my mother and I took train trips. When I came back from Italy I took the train from New York to California. Our train travel needs a big upgrade. It's a lovely way to travel--trains and ships. I love them both. Planes I hate. Flying coffins is how I feel packed onto one.

    Love love love the illustrations.

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  20. utah - I got to travel by train quite a lot when I lived in Europe for a couple of years. It was the most practical and comfortable way to travel between cities and the only way to get to some small towns. I agree that flying, unless one could travel in a luxurious dirigible, is for the birds.

    I'm glad you like the drawings.

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  21. Susan, I enjoyed every line of this - plot or not. I had not been by here after the end of September, when I was watching for another post. Then October we were gone for two weeks and I'm still catching up! So it was a great pleasure to find this. I especially love the way you drew the smoke in the first illustration. And the nude is beautiful, with the white female back and the rich patterns around it reminding me of La Paresse. The illustration with the horses captures some of the magic of seeing that kind of thing while sitting in comfort in your private rolling room. We must travel cross country by train some day.

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  22. steve - I'm so glad to see you've been by again and have offered such a nicely detailed review of the drawings. The last one didn't work out because I was too weary to do it properly but I liked the idea of us riding on the top of the train with a parasol for shade and the sign over the tunnel says: 'Your Future Waits'.

    We had a bad month or so as well with both of us having surgery within the same 3 week period. I didn't visit much either but we're both better so I'm drawing and touring my favorite blogs again. See you soon.

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  23. Susan - sorry to hear you both had to go through that! I'm glad you're both doing better.

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  24. If I ever travel again, it will be by train. And now that we have a President with infrastructure on his mind, maybe we will have our rail system upgraded and our own bullet trains. Then you guys might get a visit from the savage one. Oh joy for you. There are reasons I live alone.

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  25. steve - Thanks for the kind words.

    utah - The guy has his work cut out for him but if he really does start a new WPA the railroads might be on the list. I don't know - you probably wouldn't be too much stranger or non-PC than us :-)

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  26. Oh, Susan - that nude! Oh, that nude. I love it so much, I can't think straight! :D

    Beautiful story. You are amazing.

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  27. pagan - I'm delighted you like it. What I remember was how luxurious it was to be warm and content after the bitter cold.

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  28. Susan, I left you a little something at my place. It does require some physical labor and the usual writing, but you're more than up to it.

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