From "post-20s" to "post-80s", from steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, electric locomotives, Harmony to Fuxing, from the battlefield to resist U.S. aggression and aggression, safe driving to the front line of fighting the new crown pneumonia epidemic... They are driving the speeding trains. Galloping forward, we are also practicing our original aspirations and missions in time after trial.

The community where Ren Zhongde lives is close to the railway line, and the train rumbling by, so he is the most familiar and pleasant voice, and he often brings his thoughts back to those suffering or passionate years. Ren Zhongde, whose home was in Shaoyang, Hunan, was poor when he was a child. He didn't enter the school until he was 12 years old. He dropped out of elementary school because he was poor and left school to seek a living. He was introduced to Guangxi Railway Department as a long-term material worker in 1940.

Ren Zhongde, a 100-year-old retired train driver sitting in front of his house

"At that time, I thought it was a good day to have something to do every day and to fill my stomach." Ren Zhongde said that the war broke all this and he was forced to flee. After the Japanese surrendered, Ren Zhongde returned to his original unit and worked successively as a driver, a fireman, and so on. After the founding of New China, Ren Zhongde obtained rare cultural and business training opportunities. In 1950, he obtained a driver's license through hard work and became a train driver. When the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea started, a large number of railway workers were required to transport materials and build railways. In 1951, upon hearing the call, Ren Zhongde, who had just turned 30, couldn't wait to call for battle. "I put in my pocket the certificate of the Anti-U.S. Aid Korea Reserve Team every day, and after waiting batch after batch, I finally found my name on the Hall of Fame." He recalled.

Five train drivers and apprentices from the Liuzhou Locomotive Depot of China Railway Nanning Bureau Group Co., Ltd. gather together. Ren Zhongde (front left) and Cao Zhiyao are playing chess

On the battlefield, Ren Zhongde drove a steam locomotive through the war to deliver supplies for the Chinese People's Volunteers. "We lurked during the day and dispatched at night, fearing that the fire in the steam locomotive cavity would be spotted by the enemy, we wrapped the locomotive in the dark and moved forward. When the enemy plane was bombed, we hid under the locomotive." Talking about the war, the old man He speaks fluently and has piercing eyes.

The winter battlefield is bitterly cold. Ren Zhongde recalled that wars were frequent, work was dangerous, and supplies were scarce. He wore a cotton coat weighing a few kilograms and could not take it off for several months. If you can't take a bath, just apply some prickly heat powder to make do; when the food is finished, pour large coarse salt with hot water to satisfy your hunger.

In the rain of bullets, dangers follow. Avoiding planes and gun pits, the locomotive driven by Ren Zhongde was severely damaged by the attack on three occasions-the first time, the locomotive boiler was pierced by an armor-piercing projectile; the second time, the locomotive was damaged when the locomotive was attacked while traveling; the third time After completing the mission and retreating, he encountered a bomb explosion. The shock wave threw Ren Zhongde more than 10 meters away... When Ren Zhongde regained consciousness, he was already lying on a hospital bed. The attack caused serious damage to his brain and internal organs. After emergency rescue, Ren Zhongde was arranged to return to China for treatment in view of the frontline situation and his condition at the time.

After returning to China, the recuperated Ren Zhongde once again drove the train on the road. In 1956, he encountered a flash flood while performing a transportation mission. His companion died on the spot. He himself was seriously injured and could no longer serve as a train driver. "My life is given by the party organization. I can't let the country support me and do something within its power." In 1958, Ren Zhongde threw off his crutches and took the initiative to find a unit to ask for a job. Locomotive inspector, line attendant... He was diligent and responsible in different positions, and was approved to join the Communist Party of China because of his outstanding performance. "I am a person from the old society. The Communist Party gave me a new life." The old man who is about to celebrate his 100th birthday said with emotion. Since joining the party, he has a backbone in his heart.

Cao Zhiyao, 80 years old this year, has a pocket watch that has been cherished for 50 years and was given to him by his master Ren Zhongde. "One is not afraid of hardship, and the other is not afraid of death. Do your best. This is what the master taught me." Cao Zhiyao from Dashangou, there was no railway passing through his hometown in the past. When he saw the roar of the train in the movie for the first time, he made up his mind to become a train driver. In the 1960s, Cao Zhiyao put on a train driver hat as he wished, and started to race on the Xianggui Railway and Jiaoliu Railway.

The 80-year-old retired train driver Cao Zhiyao and the model of the train he carved

It is commonplace for Cao Zhiyao to attend work in severe cold and scorching heat. "In the summer, the bedding and mattress are soaked with sweat. In the winter, the water on the windshield directly condenses into ice, and people are shivering from the cold." He said that the driver often had to stretch his head out of the window to look out. The scorching sun and Blizzard went straight to their faces and "hello". After retiring, Cao Zhiyao continued his unwilling feelings for trains in another way. With his experience in sports cars, he imitated the trains he had driven to carve lifelike train models. "Now I still often dream that I am driving a train. This is the profession I love for my life." Cao Zhiyao said.

You Yongxu, a 52-year-old train driver, drives an electric locomotive

"One mile with four slopes, many bends and tunnels, the railway runs through the mountains, and the train passes through the clouds"-this is a true portrayal of the Guizhou-Guangxi Railway in the 1990s. You Yongxu, who had learned driving skills from his master Cao Zhiyao, drove a train through this rocky mountain. Near Layi Station of Guizhou-Guizhou Railway, there was once a section of "Huilong Road" where "Dragon Head" and "Long Tail" were facing each other, which was called "the line along the cliff". "This section of the line has steep slopes, many bends, and many landslides. The viewing distance is only two to three hundred meters. Driving is extremely difficult, but we have created an excellent result of safety and accident-free." You Yongxu said.

The Jiaoliu Railway is one of the north-south traffic arteries, and the Huaihua to Liuzhou section used to be the only non-electrified section of this line. "There is a Pengmoshan tunnel on the line. The slope is very large. Diesel locomotives are needed to help push the train. Two locomotives work at the same time. Smoke billows in the tunnel. You also need to wear a gas mask." You Yongxu said. Today, the Jiaoliu Railway has been electrified across the board, and You Yongxu is still "running around" on the railway. Master Cao Zhiyao personally made the check hammer that he gave him, and he has always treasured it. "Smooth control, safety and punctuality are the bounden duty of a train driver."-The master's exhortation is still in my ears.

At the end of the 1990s, Lin Bin entered the railway department with a vision for the job of a train driver.

The 42-year-old train driver Lin Bin (left) and his apprentice Ding Zhizhong confirmed monitoring data together on duty

In the winter of 2008, a severe snowstorm hit the south. Transportation was blocked, a large number of passengers were stranded, and electric locomotives could not work... To ensure the normal operation of diesel locomotives, Lin Bin and his colleagues went to a small station in Guizhou for more than 20 days to regularly heat the locomotives to ensure that the water pipes did not freeze. "The weather was cold and there were power outages everywhere. The apartment we lived in had no water or electricity, so we had to dig well water to solve the problem of eating." In the era of high-speed rail, Lin Bin became the first train driver in Guangxi. "The first time I drove a motor car, it was the most proud moment in my life." Lin Bin said, the driving environment and conditions are much better now, but the safety awareness cannot be relaxed at all times. "For the high-speed train driver, even a small mistake can cause serious consequences."

"Post-80s" train driver Ding Zhizhong is driving a train

Similar to the experience of master Lin Bin, Ding Zhizhong, who was born in 1987, has not only experienced the test of major emergencies, but also felt the pride of the high-speed rail era. In the Spring Festival travel season of 2020, the new crown pneumonia epidemic broke out. Liuzhou locomotive depot set up a party member commando team to call on EMU drivers to rush to aid the route of the epidemic area. "I am a party member and I am from Hubei, and I have an unshirkable responsibility." When he pressed the red handprint on the invitation letter, Ding Zhizhong remembered the scene of his youth: In 1998, there was a huge flood in his hometown. In the moment of crisis, the local party member commando team stood up. Out, carrying sandbags to form a human wall to block the raging flood. "At that moment, I made up my mind to become a Communist Party member." As an EMU driver, Ding Zhizhong's anti-epidemic "battlefield" was in the driver's cab. During the driving process, his gloved hands were covered with sweat, and his face was deeply marked by wearing a mask... In 96 days, he and the commando members made 1,120 trips and drove 34 times. More than ten thousand kilometers.

A group photo of five train drivers and apprentices from the Liuzhou Locomotive Depot of China Railway Nanning Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

At the end of 2020, the new Fuxing was assigned to Nanning Bureau Group Company, and Ding Zhizhong became the first batch of Fuxing EMU drivers in Guangxi. "This car is the 13th type of EMU I have driven. More and more advanced technology brings passengers a more comfortable travel experience. As a train driver, I am particularly proud of it." Ding Zhizhong said. Editor/Wang Jiangwen