MY JOURNEY
The transition from the rural countryside to the bustling capital can be clearly viewed through the window of a train carriage. The visual impact of the moving landscape is what travelling by train is known and loved for whether it's through exotic or familiar locations.
Music: Carrollton by South Shore Concert Band/Richard Whitmarsh
Written in 1828, The Carrollton March composed by Arthur Clifton is the earliest know train station to date to commemorate the groundbreaking of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Lewisham - Bank (London DLR)
28th December 2014
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is method of transport like no other. Travelling through the cities business district to the London's docklands, the innovative, driverless train is one of the world's most advanced train control systems.
Music: Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
Written in 1956, "Folsom Prison Blues" follows the traditional symbol of the train whistle whilst evoking sympathy for the lonely, cold-hearted prisoner who "shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." Riding a chugga-chugga train rhythm, the song gives voice to the frustrations of a condemned man sentenced to life in prison. (Janovitz, 2014)
Bentley - London Waterloo
24th November 2014
To analyse the experience of train travel and the romantic associations, I have embarked on my own journey recording across the country understand the opinions of train travel today. I have recorded the journeys visually to emphasise the movement of trains:
This short visual study of travelling by train from Oxford to Nottingham’s shows the changing time of day and how it affects passenger experience. As the darkness increases so the reflection of the train interior becomes apparent. The journey at this time of day then becomes more about the activity with in the carriage rather than the scenery passing the window.
Music: Mystery Train by Elvis Presley
The song "Mystery Train" is only sixteen lines long, one for each car in the train being sung about. Of those sixteen lines, only half of them are unique. The remaining eight are repeats of the other eight. Its sparseness, however, is the source of its mystery. Co-written by Sam Phillips, owner of the legendary Sun Studios, and popularized by Elvis Presley, the song could easily be taken as a simplistic early-rock shuffle. Let it be, however, and it turns into something strange, sad, and haunting. Those sixteen lines only say one thing: that a train came from nowhere, picked up the singer's lover, and then left for parts unknown. Anything beyond that is up to the listener. What is this train? Where is it going? Who is inside? (Rich, 2010)
Oxford - Nottingham (via Birmingham New Street)
25th January 2015
Video 15
Video 14
Video 16