“The ‘Goods,’ the ‘Mixed,’ the ‘Passenger,’ the ‘Paper,’ and ‘Express’;
The men upon the engine - ‘Baldwin’ or ‘Black Bess’,
The brave Australian drivers - the stalwarts of the land -
The firemen, guards, and porters, and the noisy Tramway band;
May their runs be merry, through Traffic’s storm or shine,
Their ‘attitude’ be jolly, though on or off the line:
And may Australia’s railways as the winds of progress blow
Remain the People’s Asset, and grow stronger as they grow.”
Notes
From "Old Pioneering" Days. p. 307. A short piece, perhaps a toast, seemingly by Charles MacAlister himself, describing the railways in the 1880s. The first line lists the different classes of train services at the time.
The men upon the engine - ‘Baldwin’ or ‘Black Bess’,
The brave Australian drivers - the stalwarts of the land -
The firemen, guards, and porters, and the noisy Tramway band;
May their runs be merry, through Traffic’s storm or shine,
Their ‘attitude’ be jolly, though on or off the line:
And may Australia’s railways as the winds of progress blow
Remain the People’s Asset, and grow stronger as they grow.”
Notes
From "Old Pioneering" Days. p. 307. A short piece, perhaps a toast, seemingly by Charles MacAlister himself, describing the railways in the 1880s. The first line lists the different classes of train services at the time.
No comments:
Post a Comment