there during the days of the War. But this train also brought the town’s newspapers. So the only way for the newspapers to get collected was for someone to stand at the door of the chugging train and throw the bundles on to the platform. I had the job of standing on the platform to collect these bundles of newspapers and taking them to my cousin Samsuddin who distributed them across the town.
In the morning, I could be found waiting at the railway platform, my ears tuned to hear the whistle or clattering of the wheels of the train. Then it would come into view, rushing up busily, puffing smoke and making a lot of noise. Waiting to catch the first glimpse of the train’s smoke, I started thinking about how steam engines work and the complex machinery required to turn steam into locomotion. This was where my fascination with engines and with the story of the invention of the steam engine began.
I would be hopping from one foot to another, anticipating the newspaper bundles getting thrown out of the moving train. Then there they would come, landing with big thuds near my feet. The person inside would wave at me as the train chugged away whistling and puffing steam. I would pick up the bundles and take them away. They would be heavy but in my youthful excitement, that didn’t matter.