In response to Nancy Merrill Photography A Photo A Week Challenge: Recording History.

Dusty Electricity

I was in the control station of the KTM Rail that connected Singapore to Malaysia for an estimated one hundred years. I noticed the electricity switch box, electricity meter, and many power points for three-pin plugs. I took a particular interest in the thick layer of dust that had settled on the exposed areas of the power points and could not help but wonder how much history is being held under the dust.

I stood there for a long while in an attempt to transport myself back in time and step into the shoes of the men who operated the rail.

I imagined that they might have been drinking coffee while reaching out to press the switch. I imagined that they might have been perspiring hard by midday. I imagined that they might have been talking about their wives and children.

I wondered how life was for the people who worked the railway day in and day out.

I might never get an answer, but I am glad I got to capture this piece of history.

Enjoy!

Do you find yourself staring at dust that had settled on exposed areas too?

[Photo: Taken at KTM Rail, Singapore, 2011.]