Sri Lanka, Oct. 19 -- Tramcar on gas works street in 1910

Walking down the sparsely crowded Norris Road to my office at Fort 54 years ago, I noticed two street urchins discovering silver under a layer of molten tar on the road. Hidden underneath the tarred road which first appeared as bar of shinning metal, their 'lucky strike' was part of a track on which the tramcars that conquered City's roads, carrying commuters for over five decades used to roll. There are a few visible tram lines near the Old Town Hall at Dias Place. Tramcars a milestone in the history of city's transport system, a milestone that has since been uprooted in the name of modernity.

"Strictly speaking there are no roads in the island.", -- Rev. James Cordiner, Chaplai...