Oh come with me down to the Memory Line
When steam ruled the day and the trains were so fine
And the brass and the paintwork did sparkle and shine
Remember how things used to be
But the steamers have vanished these fifty long years
It’s the horns of the diesels that shatter your ears
And folk shake their heads at the very idea
That a train could be something to see
All over the network the outlook is black
And away from the cities they’re lifting the track
When a thing’s once away you can’t conjure it back
And the visions are vanishing fast
No more will they pound over Beattock and Shap
The coaches and juggernauts can’t fill the gap
And the old Coronations are sold into scrap
And the railways fade into the past
But come with me down to the station today
There’s a steam locomotive a – passing this way
With a rake of ten carriages bound for the Tay
She’s really a sight to be seen
And now you can hear her, she’s calling to you
She’ll be thundering past in a minute or two
With the smoke rising high as she storms into view
When she gets here you’ll see what I mean
Now up through Strathallan and on to Dundee
She’ll be bridging the country from ocean to sea
With the signals at green they can let her run free
And give her full rein for a while
With the great driving wheels striking sparks from the rails
She’ll be cresting the pass like a ship in full sail
And burning the miles on old Stephenson’s tail
And making the distance in style
She’s eighty years old and she’s still going strong
And the story she tells is worth more than a song
With a full head of steam she’ll keep forging along
Just give her a load and she’s game
One blast of the whistle and onward she drives
You don’t damp down the fire on those Stanier Black Fives
She’s cheating the years like a cat with ten lives
And putting the doubters to shame |