The Footplate Padre affirms that humour has always been a feature of railway life; it continues to be so today.
In my 10 years as a locomotive engineman I cannot recall a day when we didn't draw much merriment, sometimes at the expense of a fellow railwayman, from a story or a situation.
Such stories regularly involved the correspondences that locomotive enginemen received from office staff, some of whom were former or unsuccessful enginemen.
The story
This particular story reflects the days of steam hauling goods-trains in outback areas. It was a very different era from today's diesel hauled train culture.
The timetabled period of time between the two rural centres was 40 minutes, but this goods-train hauled by a steam engine took 60 minutes, 20 minutes over scheduled time.
Sure enough correspondence (commonly referred to as a 'bung') from the locomotive depot clerical office duly arrived some four weeks later – accompanied with the steam engine driver's sign-on sheet.
This process ensured the driver had officially received the notice.
The 'bung' required the steam engine driver to account for the 20 minutes delay on the said date and in the said 'section of line'. The driver replied in writing that there was a 'bull' on the line and that the farmer's gate was open.
Another bung
Another seven weeks went by when another 'bung' came to the steam engine driver which stated that enquiries to the said farmer had revealed that his gates adjacent to the railway line were always closed.
In the days of steam it was not uncommon for sheep and cattle which had strayed onto the railway line to be hit and killed by steam engines.
The railway department now required an itemised account of time lost. This was the written reply the steam engine driver gave: "20 minutes lost: 10 minutes fireman chase bull; 10 minutes bull chase fireman."
I have often thought of that story. The dilemmas of life come across as so real in this story. The second time round, the steam engine driver was faced with answering the same question in such a way that both revealed the truth and discredited the other options.
Sometimes only you and God know the real story. Listeners may come to other conclusions, depending on their interpretation of the situation.
The Bible speaks about this as a peace that surpasses all understanding, and this is the joy of the Lord.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html