Riding high on hills

The shrill whistle and tell-tale traces of smoke suspended in the early morning mist were signs that the heritage on wheels had rolled out of Siliguri Junction on its the first chartered trip.

The smiles and excited conversation of passengers as they alighted from the train at Sukna spoke of the ride's success.In between, lay six hours of breathtaking beauty, interspersed with stoppages at quaint stations and a peek into the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) workshop at Tindharia.`

Riding on a train that is pulled by a locomotive manufactured 75 years ago is an experience in itself. Add to it the beautiful locales the toy train passed through and the invigorating cups of Darjeeling tea that we were served on board.

The colonial experience was palpable,`said Iva Guha, a housewife, who was on the heritage ride with her teenage daughters.The train started from Siliguri junction at 9 am with a full house of 40 passengers.Pulled by the steam engine, Victor, built way back in 1929, the heritage tripper moved through Sukna, Rongtong, Tindharia, Gayabari, Mahanadi and terminated in Kurseong. `The train stopped for some time at Tindharia and we went around the toy train workshop of the DHR.

Though it was foggy and very cold when the train pulled out of Siliguri Junction, the clear sky and sunny weather later on made it ideal for this relaxing ride`Guha said.DHR brought down the rates of chartering the toy train five times the original amount and tied up with private tour operators all over India to revive both the legacy and the economics of the heritage on wheels. The interiors of the compartments were done up like they used to be during the Raj, for added effect.The toy train, which was accorded world heritage status by the Unesco, was handed over to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited in November in a bid to recover the losses it was incurring every year.`The tour operators had everything planned out. There were snacks, a sumptuous lunch and fruits for the in-between times,` said Partha Ghosh, another passenger. `The local people were so friendly. Though the train stopped only for a short time at the stations, they were there to greet us. It was a unforgettable experience.`

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