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The railway adventures of childhood
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Shao Jiamin, who is in his 60s, likes walking along the Shanghai-Hangzhou railway track. It brings back childhood memories.
“I went to primary school at the Ye’s Family Ancestral Hall,” Shao said. “There were two routes to and from school. One went along Humin Road and the other along the railway. We children always chose the latter even though it was longer. It was just more fun.”
For the children, pebbles along the rail line and even old cigarette packets were regarded as interesting finds. Despite the safety hazard, children used to walk on a rail to see if they could balance themselves. Sometimes they put a coin on the rail and waited until a train came along to roll it flat.
They always waved at passing steam trains and tried to guess their cargo and destinations.
“Of course, it was dangerous and we were forbidden to walk too close to the rails, but we just couldn’t help it,” Shao said.
The walk along the railway changed with the seasons. In spring, grass shoots were tasty to munch on. In summer, the sound of cicadas filled the air. In autumn, deadwood could be collected to burn at home. In winter, chunks of coal dropped by trains could be used to warm the house.
“My father was a railway worker,” said Shao. “I learned later that the stretch of track we walked along was one of the earliest railways in Shanghai.”
Now, several decades on, the old tracks are long gone, and high-speed trains have replaced the old steam engines. Metro Line 1 runs along the new Shanghai-Hangzhou rail line.
“It is just a sign of passing time,” Shao said.
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