![]() Charming old practices are still in place, including the use of signalling lanterns and the wonderful Neals token instrument system, which is used to safely control the passage of trains on the single-track sections.Īs we enter the 1km-long Barog tunnel, the longest on the route, we hear the cheers and hoots of those in the open carriage who are clearly having the time of their lives, despite their discomfort. This part of the world has largely ignored the computer age. That is about as far as the modernisation goes though. Sadly (for railway buffs, at least) the original steam locos were retired from service in 1971 and today you are likely to be hauled up the mountainside by a 40-year-old diesel. The narrow gauge (two feet six inches, or 762mm if you prefer) track passes through a total of 102 tunnels and crosses 864 bridges, many of them spectacular multi-arched viaducts with precipitous drops. The technical stuff regarding the Kalka-Shimla railway is staggering, even to a non-engineering type like me. As we climb higher, the vistas open out and I gaze across vast plains - while, towering above, the Himalayan peaks are caressed by shrouds of mist, giving them an almost mystical appearance. The views from my armchair are out of this world. On another day, without my responsibilities, I may well have done so but I sadly decline and wander back to my opulent suite. ![]() They are in tremendous spirits though and invite me to join them in the open carriage. The rest stand in a puddle of oily water. A few of the budget travellers are perched on upturned buckets. Little kiosks sell the ubiquitous sweet milky tea along with out-of-date bars of mildewed chocolate and packets of potato crisps, bloated to almost bursting point in the rarified air.Īt one station I wander to the front of the train to check on our unfortunate friends in the ’cheap seats’. The train stops often and we take the opportunity to hop off and take refreshments as there is no dining car on board. We pass through pretty little stations decked out in blue and white, most of them a century old. At times we positively race along at almost 20 kph at others we barely achieve walking pace. The railway winds its way into the Himalaya like a thread of tarnished silver, cutting through thick forests of pine, cedar and oak as it clings to the steep slopes. It took five years to complete and, more than a century on, it remains an engineering wonder. It was obvious a railway had to be built and in 1898 construction began. At that time the 96-kilometre route from Kalka, 1420 metres below Shimla, was served only by a rough track which took bullock-drawn carts days to traverse. Three cups of sweet milky tea later we are mustered from various parts of the station and ushered into the carriages for our journey into the hills.īy the 1860s the town of Shimla was firmly established as the British summer ’capital’ in India, its cooler climes suiting them better than the oppressive heat of Delhi. He looks terrible and smells no better, but he has an infectious grin and despite causing us more than two hours delay in the end, it is impossible to feel any resentment towards him. ![]() ![]() The drunk driver, Mr Singh, introduces himself to me and apologises profusely, saying he had overdone the liquor the previous night at a "splendid party" and thought he might be close to the limit. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |