Project update

Abandoned Platform Structure of the Canadian Pacific Railway:
A Study into our relationship with the train and its affect on the adjacent urban environment


Abstract:


Recap of last semester, my project looked at the issues of interface and intelligence through the exploration of automata. Further exploration involved the fabrication of a device that utilizes tilt switches to manipulate the electric current within: creating an instance of the uncanny.

My current exploration is researching the abandoned platforms behind the pre-world war CPR station in Point Douglas. Through a suspended, puppet like, substrate (an abstraction of the platform in question) I have been exploring the act of switching, between the railway and the spaces above and below. Presently my research is looking into the behavior of the train and strategies on how to interact with it. I have explored the culture of the hobos, in search of an understanding of their behavior with the train. Although people use the train once in a while, new technologies have made its human transport less desirable. The hobo has continued to use this network, although with a risk hoping on and off, exemplifies a longstanding relationship with the train.

The behavior of the train resembles a network of electricity: bound by its conduit (rail track) and manipulated by a series of switches. The movement of this “fluid” is manipulated, into certain directions and resulting in a variety of destinations. The hobo lives a life of freedom, but lacks the control of his/ her destination on the train. The intent of this project is to explore the possibility that our relationship to the train can become more intimate, more regular. Through further research in the culture and language of the hobo, and the introduction of architectural switches within the platform space that respond to the train, I am interested in strategies to bridge the gap created by the phenomenon of the train.