There's a time in this fair landwhen the railroad does still run
By Stephen A. Nelson
For the Brandon Sun
For the Brandon Sun
Once upon a time ... in a land from sea to sea, Canada's railways were not only the more human way to travel -- they were the only way to travel. Trains from the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway ran daily from coast to coast, as passengers carried on their steamy love affair with trains.
These days, it seems, the love is gone. It's hard not to notice the abandoned tracks and derelict railway stations -- strewn across the country like bouquets left behind by jilted girlfriends and forgotten lovers.
Yet -- despite Canadians' auto-erotic relationship with the car and affair with air -- travelling by train remains alluring to overseas visitors drawn by the romance of Canada's National Dream. Sure, the old gal may not be what she used to be -- but these visitors still love her. To them, this Brief Encounter is the journey of a lifetime.
Yet -- despite Canadians' auto-erotic relationship with the car and affair with air -- travelling by train remains alluring to overseas visitors drawn by the romance of Canada's National Dream. Sure, the old gal may not be what she used to be -- but these visitors still love her. To them, this Brief Encounter is the journey of a lifetime.
