I am not a movie enthusiast. My dislike for the world of film includes video and T.V. (other than news, sports and documentaries!). My one exception was a show at the old International Cinema on Yonge St. below Eglington, which my brother and I took in many years ago. The Titfield Thunderbolt was a delightful story of an antique steam engine in Britain operating on a rail line to London. To maintain their licence one trip per year to London had to be scheduled. Despite sabotage by truckers the community, led by a railway buff, an Anglican priest assisted by the bishop who was also a railroad nut, managed to achieve their goal with seconds to spare.

My brother gave me a clipping from the Toronto Star (May 5, 2007) about a recreational railroad in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, The Orford Express. The conductor and part owner of the railroad is a Catholic priest, Father Donald Thompson. The analogy to the Titfield Thunderbolt hit me.

The article was timely. Last summer Anne and I went shopping with my cousin in Magog at the north end of Lake Memphremagog, my boyhood stomping grounds. As we came out of the mall, we heard "All aboard, En voiture". A train was leaving for a scenic tour of Mt. Orford. Coming from a railway family (Dad was with the CNR for 48 years) I was fascinated to see the old rail line back in service. Closer to home, I am equally pleased to see the old steam train of the South Simcoe Railway, running out of Tottenham during the summer months and on special weekends.

Reintroduction of a bygone era can be a most nostalgic experience for oldtimers let alone a unique adventure for young people. I am delighted that such an old way of life is being re-introduced in many places. One of our latest experiences was 'The Night Safari', a tourist event in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. A large area of a national forest has been converted to an animal viewing area. A road system allows access for motor drawn 'trains' to pass through a most unique form of zoo The tour only operates after dark. The 'rail' cars are open streetcar-like wagons. Compartments throughout the forests are fenced at the back out of sight giving the impression of wild land. A guide at the front of the 'train' describes the various animals spotlighting each in turn, some grazing at road side within arms length of tourists. The entrance and exits of each compartment had rollers in the road which were no problem for the 'train' to pass over, but providing no footing for animals.

The sky is the limit as regards the recreational potential of forests. One of the world's most innovative forest recreation locations is Kenya's "Treetops" This is a hotel built at crown level on Mt. Kenya adjacent to a large watering hole. The area is flood lit at night providing illuminated viewing of a wide range of animals coming out of the forest for drinking water. Queen Elizabeth was staying at Treetops the night her father, George VI, died, hence automatically becoming Queen of England and the British Commonwealth of Nations. A treetop walk is featured in the Haliburton Forest of south central Ontario, one of several such initiatives around the world.

For those who see forests only as trees, a source of lumber or paper, it is refreshing to experience the natural world. This can be done on foot (Such as the Bruce Trail), by car (as in African game parks) or by train rides (such as the colour tours to the Wawa Canyon north of Sault Ste Marie). One I will take some day is the Polar Bear Express to Hudson's Bay. I regret I never took the narrow gauge rail trip through the rainforests of Costa Rica when I was working in that country. It is great that we are learning about this almost forgotten transportation technology to re discover the natural world of our grandparents.