Lincoln Dwyer keeping trains on track

For Lincoln Dwyer, there was always an undeniable passion for driving from an early age. His father, Septimus Dwyer, and brother, Arthur, were both motor-trolley drivers with the Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) and Lincoln had a burning desire to follow in their footsteps.

It, therefore, came as no surprise that Lincoln grabbed the first opportunity he got to become a motor-trolley driver at the country's railway corporation.

Today he is the lone train driver at JRC, and he is set to return to the rail lines for consistent runs soon, following an announcement by Transport Minister Robert Montague that the rail service would be returned for students in sections of St Catherine.

When THE STAR visited Lincoln at his office at the Spanish Town Railway Station yesterday, excitement was plastered across his face; pretty much the way it was 40 years ago when he sat in his envied seat of the engine for the first time.

"It take a lot of training, you just don't jump up on a locomotive and drive it, but because you are coming from a motor-trolley, you have some experience of what the line is like from early. So when you get on the big engine here, it don't take much for you to get into the operation," he shared.

Nerves of steel

Driving the train, he said, requires nerves of steel and great concentration and awareness. He recalled one occasion, in his earlier days, that he became frightened beyond measure as he travelled from Kingston to Port Antonio in Portland. He said that when he reached tunnel 13, he became scared by the darkness of the tunnel.

"It appears to me like the train was going into the wall of the tunnel, so I make a big duck and go down. And when I come back up I thought something was wrong, but after a few weeks I get used to it and things started to build up," he said, in-between laughter.

Lincoln said that he trained for more than two years to become a locomotive driver as it was essential for him to learn and understand Jamaica's rail system. He thoroughly enjoyed being the coach of one Jamaica's engines until 1992 when the railway closed due to financial turmoil.

The father of two said he had to switch lanes to become a taxi driver after trains stopped chugging. He later became a driver for the Windalco Bauxite Company for five years.

Almost a decade later, Lincoln revealed his happiness hearing of the revival of the train service. He told THE STAR that he believes it is a necessary form of transportation to be provided, to give residents another option of travel.

"It's a very good move because people need choice. It's one of the better ways to travel, and it's comfortable, it's safer," Lincoln said as he sat comfortably in his envied seat at the front of the engine. With ease, he demonstrated how he keeps the trains on track.

As he outlined how he carries out each journey, he said that he got the most satisfaction from ensuring that the journey is completed safely. Lincoln said that he is eager to share his knowledge with the upcoming set of drivers, to ensure the tradition of trains in Jamaica is preserved.