• Editorial
• Steam Update
• The romance of steam by Joydeep Dutta
• Whither steam, the preservation movement... and the DHR itself? by Terry Martin
• Letters

Mr. Ashok Kumar, who took over as Chairman - Railway Board on 1st September, has kindly consented to become the Chief Patron of society. We thank him on behalf of the Executive Committee and all members for his decision to extend his support to the society and its activities. In the next issue we hope to carry out a profile of the Chief Patron and a message from him.

The inaugural issue of the ISRS newsletter came in for accolades as well as criticism from various quarters for publishing the article ‘Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - The present scenario and thoughts for future’ by R.R. Bhandari. We reproduce some of the responses and reactions in this issue. As clarified earlier also, the very purpose of publishing these divergent views was to encourage an open debate on the issue. Also, we want to bring everyone along with us in our campaign for steam preservation and format it is important that we make others understand why we feel the preservation of railway and steam heritage is important.

The society’s official view on this issue is very candid - We want every chunk of DHR heritage available today to be preserved and we want the railway to be 100% steam operated. People ask me what harm would it cause if the DHR is partially dieselised? Well, for one diesel locomotive has got nothing to do with heritage since that kind of motive power (diesel locomotive NDM6) was never operated in the history of the railway. Secondly the operation of diesel-only services between NJP and Kurseong robs the traveller the charm of riding on the most beautiful section of the railway that is between Sukna and Kurseong on steam.The Darjeeling-Ghoom special on steam passing through the cluttered streets and built up area that is all-pervading between Kurseong and Darjeeling is hardly a connoisseur’s idea of traveling on the DHR behind steam. We want atleast one daily steam hauled normal service between NiP and Darjeeling and the Kurseong - Darjeeling school train to remain steam for the common traveller and not just those who can afford steam charters. If the IR decides to operate additional services behind diesel to prove any points, it is entirely their outlook. As we go to press, the partial dieselisation of the DHR has come under scrutiny of the UNESCO and they have questioned the rationale behind this change. At the same time, the local as well as international media has also come down heavily on the lR for fiddling with national heritage.

The diesel locomotives have so far failed to produce any significant advantage over steam on DHR as per the latest reports emerging, as it is pulling a formation of only three (2 + 1) coaches as before and it still take 7-8 hours to reach Darjeeling from New Jalpaiguri without even the watering, loco changing and refueling stops. We also understand that since the arrival of diesels, the maintenance of steam locomotives is abysmal and steam can be seen leaking from every joint so much so that the crew have to protect themselves by using banana leaves etcetera! But the railways had it coming. Anyone versed with railway operations can tell you that it is more expensive to run and maintain two types of motive power than one and hence with appearance of diesels, steam was bound to suffer.

It was not just the diesels that were a cruel surprise for visitors to DHR this summer. People were shocked, to say the least, to see the appearance of a concrete carbuncle in the middle of ‘Agony Point’ looD, which is an absolute eyesore. The ‘Agony Point’ or the ‘Bees Mile loop’ is generally regarded as one of the most photogenic points on the DHR and has produced countless pictures since the opening of the line. We fail to understand that if neither the introduction of diesel locomotive affect the status quo of DHR post the UNESCO award nor the building of concrete structure right besides the track then what does?

Amidst all this gloom, some good news that we have from DHR is that a total of 8 coaches have been extensively remodelled at New Jalpaiguri and are said to be as charming as a Swiss alpine meter gauge train. Importantly they have depicted the Himalayan life on the walls and have a one by two sitting arrangement. A company called Marksman from Siliguri has renovated these coaches. These coaches will be used in the special tourist trains from NJP to Darjeeling. Some other refurbished coaches are shortly expected from Kalka and Mysore workshops as well.

The Summer Newsletter was delayed due to reasons beyond our controls so we have decided to combine the summer and autumn Newsletters. From this issue we have started a ‘letters’ column and we look forward to your bouquets and brickbats and to your opinions about how this production can be further improved.

As ever we request your contributions for the Newsletter in whatever available form. The society’s website www.indiansteamrailwaysociety.org is. under construction and we solicit your inputs and comments about the same.

“Timetabled steam services finished on Thursday February 3rd, 2000 when YG 3437 arrived at Wankaner at 2130 Hrs hauling 411 Morbi - Wankaner passenger virtually unannounced and unnoticed! YG 2-8-2s 3360 and 4369 were the other locos working on this day At the 11th hour a farewell to steam special train was sanctioned and YG 3360 was superficially cleaned overnight with slogan boards in Hindi proclaiming ‘Mere Bharat Mahan’ (My India in Great), ‘Jai Hind’ (Hail India) affixed on the sides of the boiler and a brass plate saying ‘Sandhya’ (Evening) fixed on the front lamp bracket. This loco was expected to haul a VIP last steam special due to run sometime on the Friday the 4th February YG 3437 was also in steam as standby on the morning of 4th. However the loco still hadn’t left the shed by the time we boarded the late running Saurashtra Mail at 1100 Hrs and the engines was still in the same position (cold and minus its name-boards) several days later when we passed through Wankaner en route to Vadodra. So whether the steam special actually ran or not, we do not know!” Therefore, we would be interested to hear from anyone who knows whetherthe last steam special planned on 4th February actually ran or not. Several enquiries at Western Railway headquarters at Bombay and Rajkot Division office yielded no replies at all.

Further Brian says, “On the final day of steam at Wankaner, YP 2825, YG’s 3261/3318/3334 were having their tenders emptied of coal and being prepared for storage joiningYPs 2150/2211/2233.The remaining locosYP’s 2683/2813 and YG’s 3525/4129/4138/4159/4182 were all condemned, several of them extensively cannibalised. YG’s 3360, 3437 and 4369 were being retained in working order for breakdown trains and other emergencies like diesel railcar failure.”

On a more positive note, the end of steam at Wankaner was not to be an absolute full stop of all steaming activities on IR. We reported in the last issue that WP 7161 (4-6-2) was borrowed by Western Railway to take part in celebrations following completion of 100 years of Churchgate Headquarters. Although this function failed to materialise, the loco was steamed’up at Bandra diesel loco shed, where itwas stored, fora shooting of a Hindi Film called ‘Veer Sawarkar’. At least the visit to Bombay was not entirely a waste forthe WP 7161 as is got a much sought after chance to work in a Bollywood movie. Viraf MulIa reports:-

“WP 7161 was steamed on 15th February for the shcoting of’Veer Sawarkar in BAMY shed. Bharat Vohra and myself were present there, ready and well equipped with our cameras. Lucky for us that the railway police and the shed staff tcok us both to be from the film unit so no questions were asked. Her majesty the WP gave a grandiose performance during the run pasts with every retake hauling a light load of four coaches. The only hitch was that she was masquerading as SMR i.e. Scottish Midland Railway perhaps a namesake for the London, Mkiland and Scottish Railway (LMS). Another case of poor research of railway content for the cinema. So for this dubious role, the existing Palace On Wheels board was replaced with a one saying SMR on the buffer beams. The coaches were also camouflaged in some vague light brown livery to look like period wooden coaches. Lucky for us the camouflage was on one side only and we were clicking away from the other side with the evening sun in our favour. The WP crew arrived on 15th morning by The Flying Ranee from Udhana to fire and drive the loco. What a remarkable evening it was! It brought back my childhood memories of when steam ruled supreme in Bombay and it was after almost a lapse of twenty years that I saw a WP in Bombay AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER!”

The Doon Valley Railway celebrated 100 years of its foundation this year and the Moradabad Division organised extensive celebrations for the event under the leadership and guidance of Mr. P C Sharma, DRM Moradabad. Amongst other things, a special WP hauled train was organised to carry the chief guest of the function, Kumari Mamta Banerji, Hon. Minister of Railways. WP70l5 was chosen for this event and the first trial run was conducted on March 13th at Delhi on the Ring Railway lines when it hauled a delighful wooden tourist coach, which was previously being used by the Butterfield Tours. Several Delhi based ISRS members were able to join and enjoy this spectacle of steam by a WP in Delhi after a gap of neariy six years. Subsequently the loco was despatched to Haridwar where it made two trial runs between Haridwar-Dehradun before the final event. The special run for the minister on 24th June however was sadly cut short to only 10 Km single block section run between Dehradun and Harrawala.

On the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), things were to change forever and absolute reign of steam for 120 years on this line was jeopardised by the introduction of only diesel hauled services between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling on May 22nd.This hasty step could alter the presentation of the line forever and will surely affect the tourist traffic as well since steam has always been one of the biggest appeals of the line.The only silver lining behind the clouds at the moment is that steam has been retained on the Kurseong-Darjeeling ‘School’ train and the seasonal tourist special between Darjeeling-Ghcom. IR has also given several assurances that steam will be retained on DHR for the Ghcom specials and steam charters but this has little meaning for the steam enthusiasts who want the diesels to be removed and the services to be put back on 100% steam haulage (See elsewhere in this issue for more details).

MLR 740 (1907) was one of four Orenstein and Koppel tank engines with articulated coupled axles on the Klien-Lindner principle, which worked on the Neral - Matheran narrow gauge in the days of steam. After the closure of steam on this route, 740 went to Leighton Buzzard Railway, a preserved railway society in Bedfordshire, England. Following many years of being kept in storage, the society recently decided to restore this locomotive to full working order. After a complete overhaul the boiler was reunited with the frames in January and clearance tests taken.The next major event in line would be the steaming up of the rebuilt boiler and there would be no doubt many ISRS members who would like to be kept updated about the progress of this engine. Edwin Lambert who also works as a volunteer Guard on this railway has provided the above details and pictures and has promised to send more news forthe members as it happens.

As the steam pressure in the ISRS boiler rises, one can expect a few more special steaming events in days to come. The latest is line is a proposal to put back some steam on the Neral - Matheran line as well. We had expected that this announcement would mean revival of either MLR 739 that is incarcerated at Parel works of Central Railway or the MLR 741 which is plinthed at Matheran station. But we were surprised to learn that two of the B class locomotives from DHR are being sent to Neral instead. Although this will give the enthusiasts a rare opportunity to witness an unusual motive power on this line, we still feel that the best bet for the Matheran Light Railway (MLR) would be to have one of the old MLR class loco revived and used here for these were the locos that were spedally designed and ordered to work the sharp contours of this line.

At the time of going to the press we have the most significant news for our readers that of a possible revival of an already removed historic rail link with an added incentive of broad gauge steam thrown in as well. Read on;

I am writing this article at the crucial juncture when the steam railway preservation movement has started to gain momentum in India. Fairy Queen, the oldest working steam locomotives in the world had already completed three successful seasons since its resurrection from a dead museum exhibit to full working order in 1997. Indian Steam Railway Society (ISRS), the first ever and the only society in India of its kind has been formed due to efforts of dedicated steam enthusiasts and it has made giant strides in the first few months since its inception bringing the Indian steam railway enthusiasts on a common platform. Another happy news is the encryption of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway by UNESCO as a ‘World Heritage Site’ and UNESCO has regarded the octogenarian B class steam locomotives that have worked the traffic on this line for most of its life as one of the most unique features of this railway. The 100 years of the Doon Valley railway were recently celebrated at Dehradoon station recently amidst fanfare and on this special occasion, a special WP steam locomotive hauled train was run for Minister of Railways who presided over the function.

All these point towards the fact that the steam locomotives still remain at the centrestage of attraction for the railway enthusiasts and the common man alike.

But this fascination with steam is not new. In fact it began with the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the first public railway in England in 1925. Roy Fuller describes this event through the following verse:

From the very inception steam locomotives became the ultimate symbol of man’s control over nature. From the “Locomotion” of 1825 or the “Rocket” of 1829 and thereafter to the famous “Mallard” of the 1930, the steam locomotives transformed the world and influenced the society as no other means of transportation has ever done. In fact the steam locomotive was the most integral part in the nineteenth century’s collective imagination. No country, no statesmen, no businessman, no political scientist, it seems was without his own locomotive vision. The locomotives liberated people’s imagination.

The steam locomotive was the most human machine ever designed. It has a personality of own. Unlike the modern diesel and electric locomotive, the working parts of the steam locomotive were visible to the beholder and this was one of the single most important common feature in attracting both amateurs and connoisseurs alike. It was Walt Whitman who in his all-embracing ‘Ode to a Locomotive in winter’ provided the most complete set of the outsider’s response to the great machine.

Many view the steam locomotive to a human being. The exhaust from its cylinder is its breath, the firebox its heart, the connecting road and pistons are its limbs and so on.

The romantic appeal of the steam locomotive is incomplete without any mention about those independent minded aristocrats of the railroad - the engine drivers. The locomotive cab has always been a center of attention for the enthusiasts and steam loco drivers have always been considered as the king of the railroad whom every adolescent boy has revered in his childhood. During the Golden Age of railways there was hardly any young boy in England who did not want to become an engine driver. The public’s fascination with railroading in the 19th century elevated the driver to a status of a folk hero and it was heightened by the American description of ‘Engineer’. Ballads and legends, especially in America, glorified this courageous man who dared bad weather, damaged tracks and mechanical failures to bring his train in safely and on time.

So begins the immortal ballad of Casey Jones, an American steam locomotive driver who died in one of the most legendary wreck in railway history. Casey Jones had made even in his lifetime a legendary reputation for himself. Controllers regarded him as a fast roller, a runner whom they could depend upon. Casey was disciplined nine times for breaking the rulebook!

By 1900, at the age of 36, he had worked upto the Illinois Central Railroads crack express running between Chicago and New Orleans. His stint was between Canton, Mississippi and Memphis. On the night of April29, having finished his northbound run, he was asked to replace a sick engineer on the southbound run. He agreed if he was given his regular engine, a 4-6-0 No 382. The train was 95 minutes late and Casey along with his fireman Simm Webb set out for the 188 miles run to canton. They did the first 50 miles in less than 47 minutes.

“Jones had hollered to me over the boiler head”, Webb recounted many years later: “Oh! Simm, the Old girl has got her high-heeled slippers on tonight. We ought to pass Way on time.” That was the last thing he ever said. A freight train that should have cleared the tracks at Vaughan, 14, miles short of Canton, was held up on its siding by the malfunctioning of yet another train further up ahead and several wagons were still on the main line. Suddenly Simm saw two big red lights and yelled: “We are gonna hit something.” He heard Casey apply the brakes as he himself jumped to safety. When he came to the station half an hour later he found No.382 lying demolished in the wreckage of three freight cars and Casey Jones was dead. Casey Jones was the only one casualty but more importantly, true to his post, was only two minutes late at Vaughan and would have surely made it on time with the southbound mail.

Though I sincerely believe that the Indian loco men have also performed such heroic driving feats but it is unfortunate that such ballads and songs were not written about them. While I was at Kharagpur as a student of the Indian Institute of Technology, I had an opportunity to make friends with several railway men of Kharagpur. One of them, M S Narayana, currently a diesel driver became a very close friend. Whenever I used to meet him, he recounted the thrill of working as a fireman on the leading WP locomotive of the Puri Express along the East Coast route between Kharagpur and Khurda Road. Incidentally, the Puri Express was a heavily loaded train by the steam age standards, having more than 18 coaches and two WPs were required to haul it.

Narayana recalls that his driver was called” Speed King “ since he had created a fantastic punctuality record. Though the driver’s had much more importance and were respected more than the fireman in the railway hierarchy as well as by public, Narayana says he used to enjoy his job as a fireman. Many loco crewmen believe that firing remains the toughest footplate job. Mr. Halder of New Jalpaiguri, another wonderful railway friend says that locomotive firing is a form of dance. He says that it is an art to balance oneself while firing the locomotive when it is negotiating a curve at speed.

Yet another ex-firemen at Kharagpur, DV. Rao also recalled his thrill of working as fireman on the East Coast Route. While approaching a station as the driver called out...’ Distant Green’ . . . Rao would put in a few quick shovels of coal in the firebox. And by the time the driver called out.... ‘Home Double’ Rao had already closed the firebox and the train would thunder across the station without any smoke. It must have been a wonderful sight!

The recognition of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) as being a World Heritage Site brings in its wake a number of important responsibilities. The railway has now been placed on an international stage, and this may be an opportune time for us to consider where the railway is going from here and how it should further take shape. Indeed, there have been suggestions of volunteer help from many who have the experience and skills of working on other narrow and standard gauge railways across the World. It would be given with a good heart and generous spirit, but caution must be exercised, for this could inadvertently cause offence to those working on the railway.

The need for a strategy is urgent, for there are still dissenting voices in high places, and no response can be mis-interpreted as an endorsement. Mr R.R. Bhandari, a much-respected biographer of the history of Indian Railway System, has unbelievably suggested that the railway should close down, with the exception of a small spur from Darjeeling for the amusement of tourists. I am reluctant to pass comment in fear of sounding impertinent, but as a senior railwayman he does have the ear of many other senior railway bureaucrats. The severe economies applied with the logic takes it beyond belief, whilst at the same time flaunts a direct and blatant contradiction with the spirit of heritage and UNESCO. If one was to apply the same reasoning, the pollution from the industry in Agra that causes damage to the stonework of the Taj Mahal would justify razing most of the monument to the ground, retaining perhaps a minaret and a sign to say where the rest once stood! I draw strength that Indian Railways understands that a nation not only distinguishes itself by the progress it makes, but by the history it honours.

The future of steam on the railway illustrates another cause for concern if the history is ignored, for that teaches us to learn from the past, and thus helps us understand the present and shape the future. The DHR was able to comfortably maintain a service in the 1930s that took 5 1/4 hours for the run from Siliguri to Darjeeling, and four bogie carriages and at least one freight wagon was the normal load. The coaches was heavy and ornate, and even during the time of the Second World War when the trains were jam-packed with soldiers, the 1942 timetable shows the Mail’ was still able to depart Siliguri at 6.40 and arrive at Darjeeling by 12.12.

This demonstrates what properly maintained steam locomotives were capable of. It was not a matter of speed but time, for there were far less delays than experienced now. The volume of road traffic may well contribute to impeding the progress of trains today, although I cannot recall the train actually slowing down when crossing the road, whilst the speed was always restricted to 5 mph through the bazaars. It would however impede progress to compare the performance of an exhausted stock of octogenarian steam engines with that of a new diesel!

A new (or re-built) steam engine designed and engineered to modern principles would not need to frequently stop for water, re-fuelling or blowing up a bit more pressure, and I can tell you from my experience with owning and running vintage vehicles that an 80-year old internal combustion engine can be a lot more temperamental! The technology is now available to build highly efficient oil-fired steam locomotives that can be operated by one man. Improved operational readiness can be achieved by an external electrical heating device which can be remotely controlled by telephone and enables an unattended locomotive to be put into steam from cold and thus be ready in about 10 minutes when required for service, whilst efficient boiler insulation can enable locomotives to be kept in steam overnight.

The history of the Garratt locomotive on the DHR reminds us of the operational limitations imposed by this unique railway. Once their technical inequities were sorted out, the locomotive proved it was capable of hauling a greater payload than the four bogie carriages and wagon of the B Class. However, the mathematics of flange friction came into play with longer trains, explaining the tendency for derailment on the tighter curves. It is not by accident the trains ran in tandem or triplicate on the mountain section; it was the only practical means learned by hard experience.

Comparisons with other Indian mountain railways can also be misleading, for the Kalka-Simla and Matheran Light railways were built on their own engineered routes away from the highway (the Simla line costing over four-times per mile to construct than the DHR) and can offer unique views for the traveller. Whatever the economics are on offer, the fact is most people take trains for one of two reasons (i) as transport or (ii) the pleasure. If a train is used for transport, the motive power is irrelevant; if it is for pleasure, it can be crucial.

The spirit of adventure has always been the undeniable attraction for most visitors to the Himalayas. It is therefore the means of transport that is a vital part of the equation for the success of the DHR, and with that the sense of the journey becoming an integral part of that adventure. Returns over the years have showed that World Heritage status can bring at least a 25% increase in visitors, and the employment of new diesel traction would be seen as a betrayal of that heritage. Whatever modern internal combustion represents, it cannot be heritage! Steam traction for passenger trains is therefore important, and that is why the Festiniog, Ravenglass and so many others not only re-built their steam engines, they constructed new ones.

There in lies the reasoning behind the Welsh Highland purchasing Garratts from South Africa, the Harzquebahn and Selketalbahn in Germany having laid up their diesel locomotives, and the Silvertown and Durango in Colorado depending solely on steam. This latter railway is 45 miles long and seats are fully booked months ahead of running. A survey on the Schafbergbahn in Austria showed that 79% preferred steam traction, 3% diesel and 18% had no preference. The Swiss are as shrewd and astute as any nation could aspire to; they recently commissioned brand-new steam engines to be built for their mountain railways, for they understand that is where the best business potential lays. Turning the DHR passenger service over to diesel is simply putting a Band-Aid on the current problem and turning it into just another narrow gauge railway and not the most important steam narrow gauge railway in the World. Emotional? Yes of course it is, but then the business of the DHR must lay here and with the understanding that emotions have taught mankind to reason.

Darjeeling, Sikkim, Kanchenjunga, Tiger Hill, Everest, the Himalayas .... the pull for the visitor is irresistible .... almost. There are now quality hotels of an international standard in Darjeeling, but the journey is hardly attractive for somebody who is not an enthusiast. Travellers are attracted to the town, but what it needs is the tourist. A traveller will travel lightly and think nothing of hitching a ride and seeking the least expensive accommodation, whilst a tourist on the other hand spends money on the “Indian Experience”. The DHR has the ability to turn the journey into an adventure for that tourist, and a comfortable one at that.

The reputation for an erratic service is recorded in all current travel books; it need not be so if Indian Railways are serious about attracting passengers to use the line. I have met international tour operators who are most anxious to include the DHR on their itinerary, and their customers would pay good money for the experience, but they cannot make the bookings if there is no guarantee of a train for them. It is a potentially long journey by rail to Darjeeling, but the problem can be turned into an opportunity by a stop for tea at Tindharia and lunch at Kurseong, as in the earlier days. Comfortable carriages that had a refreshment facility would attract the tour operator, and what better to convey the spirit of romance and adventure than a steam train climbing the Himalayas? The price of one ticket on such a train would probably exceed the whole of the fares taken on the existing service.

The receipts for the Darjeeling - Ghum tourist train are encouraging,

but it is still ignoring the potential of the rest of the line, for most of the unique engineering features are between Sukna and Kurseong. The tourist train should be a steam-hauled service from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling every day, and one that waits to connect with the Darjeeling Mail, which invariably arrives from Calcutta late and currently obliges its passengers, to take the bus or a taxi jeep. The station at Sukna could have the huge potential of being tastefully adapted to being a rest house and accommodation for groups and individuals arriving or departing on flights at Bagdogra. Passengers arrive daily at the airport bound for Darjeeling, and ignoring this valuable source of revenue is unforgivable. The tour operator would see a niche market with a new experience for tourists and visitors to India. A traditional steam-hauled train with comfortable carriages and a buffet car would be the perfect introduction to Darjeeling. Visitors travel from many parts of the World to take the journey behind a steam train, but it is not just to see the trees at Menzies Creek, the tulips in Medemblik or the shingle on Dungeness beach.

India has had the wisdom to judge the success of the railway by its capacity to fulfill a social need. It must be remembered it is a working railway and it is essential to maintain a service that is tailored to the needs and requirements of those who live along its route. I doubt if many of those using the service care a fig about the motive power, but just because steam technology is older than internal combustion, is not a justification for its replacement.

Internal combustion is nothing new to the DHR, and indeed the question was being discussed by the Directors as far back as 1909 whether to purchase a second-hand motor inspection trolley. It did not materialise, and the first such vehicle to arrive was a 40hp railcar in 1920. It did not remain in service for long, and it was to take another twenty years before the next serious attempt with a Bo-Bo diesel ordered from Walford Transport in Calcutta. It took two years of testing on the Howrah-Amta lines before it was despatched to Siliguri, but it was not long before it revealed its inequities. Trials in more recent years focused on employing one of the German built Bo-Bo diesels that had acquitted themselves on the Kalka-Simla and Matheran Light railways, but it was not long before it was sent back. But there may just be a case for diesels on the DHR today!

The Hill Cart Road to Darjeeling takes a severe beating. The deforestation of the land that made way for tea plantations and buildings has allowed the monsoon rains to pound the rock surface with no abatement, and over the years, much of the soil has been torn away. The sun heats the surface by day and causes it to expand, whilst by night it contracts with the cool air. The surface is loosened with this stretching and compression and becomes broken into boulders, fragments of stone and dust. The rain beats on the weakened surface, washing away the smaller particles, dissolving minerals and leaving insoluble material to be blown as an abrasive dust. Winter freezes the rain in the weakened crannies and expands, promoting the destructive action beneath the surface.

The Hill Cart Road was built in 1861 for bullock-cart and certainly not constructed for the intensity of traffic witnessed today with heavy lorries and trucks. The geology of the land and the foundations of the road simply do not stand up to the continuous pounding and stresses caused by the axle loads. There used to be a weighbridge at Sukna that limited the vehicles to 4 tons and ensure that no more than 15 lorries and 35 passenger buses operated on the road. It is no longer used and the trucks and buses thrash up the road unchecked. One only needs to look at the subsidence of the road levels and compare it to the railway to see where the culprit lays with erosion. A transfer of freight from the road to rail would provide an immediate solution. A comparable weight carried on the road would be distributed over twice as many axles when placed on a bogie railway wagon, which in turn is transferred to lengths of rail and sleepers.

There is very little freight for Kurseong and Darjeeling that would be compromised by the difference in time taken if rail transport was used. It may even give justification for a diesel hauled freight service, but even then I would have severe reservations. Diesels now operate all the trains that pass through and stop at my local station. It has not taken long for a thick film of black diesel fuel to be deposited across the track when the trains stop or slow down. I fear the consequences of this on a railway that crosses the road so many times and runs up the main streets of villages .... road vehicles will pick this up on tyres, and it becomes as dangerous as driving on ice. I cannot imagine the nightmare of a diesel-hauled train snaking around Ghum in the mists, honking at invisible diesel lorries who are honking back in the confusion and each belching out their lethal cocktail of murderous exhausts. It has very little to do with heritage.

I would like to feel that India has the confidence and the wisdom to innovate and lead with a co-ordinated strategy of regular steam passenger service and not let itself down badly~by following in the wake of others who thought diesel was the answer. Diesel traction is the answer for many railways, but not one that climbs mountains by such intimate terms with the road and the villages it serves.

The DHR has the potential to become the premier tourist line in Asia and replacing steam on passenger trains with diesel is to prise the diamonds from its crown and replace them with glass.

I reply with reference to the article by Mr. R. R. Bhandari in your Spring 2000 issue. The article was concerning the current situation with regard to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) and went on to entertain some ideas for its future. To say I was astonished at the conclusions suggested by the author is a manifest understatement. My immediate thought was to prevent circulation of your newsletter amongst a wider audience for two reasons;

1. Because there would be uproar, not just amongst steam enthusiasts, but because there is wide recognition here that the DHR has the potential to offer an extraordinary marketing opportunity, and
2. Mr. Bhandari is well respected for his works in the UK and this article might compromise that position.

May I, on behalf of your Journal offer a vision of an alternative future? One that is calculated to ensure the DHR would be an economic success. Firstly, the presentation of the current logistics and statistics I naturally accept. It was interesting to learn that expenditure over income is so vast and that the DHR carries approx. 50 persons per day. (Apparently, according to the newspaper report there were 123 passengers on the day of the recent accident on 1st June. But that is a very minor point.) The figure of 50 would immediately catapult forward if: -

1. The DHR connection were timed to coincide with the connection from Calcutta,
2. The uncertainty of when trains run, with staff themselves unsure and imparting incorrect information to potential passengers was rectified.
3. The fare structure for Western tourists is vastly inappropriate. Even the most cost conscious Westerner would be prepared to pay many, many times more than currently charged. The future of the line hinges upon recognising the tourist potential. One Western tourist would, in the right circumstances, pay more than the revenue raised by one current train. But I will address this later.

Let me try and address an alternative future for the DHR than that proposed by Mr. Bhandan. I have to overcome my natural reluctance because, after all, I am a Westerner, and it is your railway in India. However if India follows the concept of perceived progress’ as we have done then allow me to tell you of the mistakes we made and the price we now pay. In the 1950s’ and 60s’ the talk was all of doing away with the old and bringing in the new, as defined by modern futuristic architecture and transport systems. By that I mean we ripped up our railways and conceived a wonderful network of new roads and motorways. Half a century later we are now all aware that was a terrible mistake.The roads are clogged. We have learnt that as fast as we build a road, more traffic pours onto it. We now recognise that we have to go back to the railways, but it far more difficult because we did away with them. The moral is you never solve a traffic problem, you merely move the problem elsewhere. We scrapped all those ‘nasty’ steam engines; just as steam technology was about to make a quantum leap. As an example of architecture the old Euston station had to go to make way for a soulless monstrosity that now even the railway operators now see as a folly. I should like to address a number of issues.

Mr. Bhandari suggests - Lift the railway to widen the road. The reader may now see that if the railway was removed from the Hill Cart road the following would happen.

1. More traffic would use the road.
2. Heavier traffic would use the road.The axle loads would be concentrated. On a railway it is spread.
3. The terrain would be disturbed and suffer even more than at present.
4. The bottlenecks, such as the entry to Darjeeling, would still exist, in fact they would get worse for the reasons 1) and 2) and 3).
5. The pollution at Darjeeling would increase. Every tourist who goes to Darjeeling talks about the diesel fumes. We have a TV holiday programme, the presenter who took a holiday in Darjeeling said the fumes were her most memorable memory and she felt like she was carrying a tankful for days!
6. Because of 5) tourism from wealthy Westerners would decrease and those who came would return home to tell others not to go.

How to make the railway pay? As I mentioned above there are a variety of factors. I touched upon some of the current thinking that ensures the line does lose money. Allow me to present a vision of the future. The traveller alights from the ‘Mail, he is ushered to his waiting train where baggage stowed, he has facilities to cleanse himself. He sits in an observation car, is brought a drink. The steam hauled train climbs up to Darjeeling, meals and more drinks being served from the galley on route. He experiences the adventure of the trip, and buys from the attendant a souvenir booklet. He alights in Darjeeling after a journey time of some 6 hours. For this he has been happy to pay somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds.

How do I arrive at that vision?

In 1950 the Tal-y-LIyn railway was saved by a group of well-wishers who were perceived as ‘wanting to hang on to the past’. It is now a thriving tourist attraction, causing much secondary employment in the tourism, service, and other industries. The Ffestiniog railway followed, but that was harder, because the trackbed had been lifted. The project met with local opposition. Now it is recognised that it economically saved the area. Many other lines followed in the UK. It is now in the tourist psyche that a holiday is incomplete without a trip on the local railway. And it’s not just the UK. Take the USA, (home of the diesel don’t forget), where the Colorado narrow gauge railways attract exactly the same attention. And both of these are 100% steam! Other countries, notably European, are developing in this fashion. The latest is the Sargon Mountain Railway. The railway lies in an isolated area that lacks industry. It is suffering economic decline. People began to leave the area. Enthusiasts and local businessmen got together and are starting to reverse the process and to regenerate the area. They are 100% steam too. Funny that.

What can we learn from the above? Economic arguments, not emotional ones.

1. A prevailing mindset is not necessarily correct in the long term. Pioneers who have a vision are usually simply ahead of their time.
2. The Western tourist is wealthy. He is widening his horizons, willing to travel further. (Providing it is worry free.) One western tourist is prepared to pay in one ticket as a train full of locals.
3. Darjeeling could be a sought after attraction. It conjures up magic and mystique amongst Westerners already.
4. Make the journey up to Darjeeling part of the experience.
5. Make the journey an adventure. Not just the trip from Darjeeling to Ghum. The jungle, the lower reaches of the line present an unfolding drama. The tourist wants to see and experience (up to a point) local colour.
6. Sales spin-offs. Tea rooms on stations, a Museum, souvenir books, etc. All bring employment and generate revenue. Don’t think in terms of a few rupees, think $ and pounds. And lots of them!
7. Did I say a 6-hour journey? With steam? The journey took 5 1/4 hours in the 1940s’ pulling much heavier coaches. With modern technology on steam available that is very much a realistic figure.There are steam experts here in the UK poised to offer expertise.
8. Travel companies are always looking to develop new markets, I know that a number have looked at the ‘Toy train’ but have been forced to abandon plans because both the railway and the information about it is unreliable. The potential is there to be tapped. It just requires marketing.
9. The DHR Society, UK has, for the past two years hired a train at a cost in excess of 3000 pounds on each occasion. A third is planned for 2001, bringing income of the line to over one million rupees. In the west nostalgia is big business. Travel companies would look at this option seriously.

This now brings me to a crucial element in the future success of the DHR. Steam! Think of the DHR and what is the image that comes to mind. The loops? The zigzags? No, I’m afraid it the ‘B’class loco steaming up the hills. Steam is crucial to the DHR experience. At all times the engine is only afew feet away and audible the whole time. On many other tourist lines this is not the case. On metre or broad gauge, with a dozen carriages it may not really matter to many what pulls the train. There are plenty of other railways just as scenic, just as spectacular as the DHR. It is the steam engine that is the crucial element far more so than elsewhere. The tourist sees it as part of the experience, or in this case, the adventure. Virtually all preserved lines know that without steam tourists would not visit.

It is grossly unfair and absurd to compare 100-year-old steam technology with that of the modern diesel. Steam technology has moved on dramatically. For example there is expertise in South Africa and the UK (where a number of steam bocos. are being built) that estimates that it is possible to get to Daqeeling in less than 6 hours, without changing locos. Utilising modern technology and maintaining the ‘B’ class appearance. The DHR has a unique opportunity. It has managed to remain almost original, undisturbed, a sort of time capsule. In the west people would give a great deal for a marketing opportunity such as this. There is no need for diesels; the tourist will feel short changed if diesels impinge on his experience. I have said before, in articles written for magazines, that if the DHR (as it was before the arrival of the diesel) were in the UK, it would be a tourist attraction bigger than Buckingham Palace, theTowerof London, or Shakespeare’s Stratford. It can, by providing a real experience for the tourist (which has very little to do with steam enthusiasts) become a profitable railway. Even allowing for wash- aways and landslips, excess personnel (which is not debated here). Indian Railways are to be applauded for their tenacity in keeping this remarkable railway open in all its loss making years. All that it requires now is to grasp the vision.

David Barrie
Worcester, England

I was fortunate to visit India no less than 8 times between December 1982 and January 1998. I had a wonderful time watching and photographing the steam fleet. The friendliness of the staff was probably the most wonderful part of the trips. I also met an Indian girl who I married in ‘83, and certainly looked forward to visiting the in laws!

I have had a little experience here in Australia in the railway tourist industry, being involved in passenger marketing. I was disapointed to find very little in the form of objective research into the wants of tourists in the context of steam operations.

One of the wonderful aspects of India was the background of steam traction on the scene. While many would say that it enhanced their visits, it is of course very difficult to quantify this benefit. So I sympathise greatly with those who try to recreate this ‘background’ in order to enhance the attractiveness of the tourist destination.

When last in India, I went to Mhow, near lndore. to photograph the final MG operations there. It was obvious that steam did not have a great deal of time to last, and should I return, any steam would be preserved. I have been watching the efforts to keep the Darjeeling Railway operable, but regretfully wonder if it can survive in such a manner as to preserve its unique environment. The cost of maintaining the right of way in such an unstable area would alone be overwhelming! Any project that starts now must be, if not self sufficient, certainly such that the minimum of resources are committed in an ongoing manner. Whilst in lndore, I reviewed my (little!) knowledge of the requirements of successful operation. I would suggest that any who study British experience do so carefully, as unique cultural and historical factors mean that operations survive in the UK where they would not in other countries. (It is a little like studying pubs in Australia!) Remember also that the longest line is less than half the length of the Darjeeling, and with a fraction of the track renewal cost. To make DHR viable from a staffing point of view, would reduce the staff such a level where its benefit to the community would be small.This would probably reduce the local support.

In Indore, I wondered what a preserved operation would require to have a chance of survival in India.

• It would not be too long. Most tourists appear not to want to spend too much time on a train of this type.
• It would preferably have normal operations in order to reduce the avoidable cost of track maintenance. This is probably the greatest cost of a railway operation, regardless of the salary structure.
• It would be within a relatively short distance of another attraction for foreign tourists, in order to reduce access cost to tourists.
• The trip should be pleasant and attractive in its own right.
• Extra maintenance costs for steam should not be excessive, this favouring narrower gauges.
• It would preferably be in or near to a relatively prosperous area of India, in order to encourage local patronage, preferably in relatively large numbers.

I came to the conclusion that there is one railway in India that fulfils all the above requirements. This is the Neral - Matheran line. There are at least 2 locos on plinths that could be restored for a relatively small costs. It would not be impossible to obtain, say 2 Darjeeling locos were transferred there would be more than sufficient motive power to operate such a line. The locos would make a round trip each day, in contrast with the single trip made at Darjeeling, thus increasing their productivity. The scenery is only marginally less attractive. I do not wish to denigrate the great efforts being made to preserve the DHR. It is obvious that it is one of the great wonders of the world. But I fear that the cost of the operation will be overwhelming, allowing it to fade away to a shadow. Even if the top part of the line is preserved, it would most probably attract a fraction of the patronage that the Neral line would, were it marketed enthusiastically.

I have not sent any letters before to anyone, as I wanted the “movement” to speak with one voice. But I firmly believe that a rational (economically!) appraisal would give great promise.

Many thanks for your time,

Stuart Garry Kean
Australia

The article by such a respected person as Mr. Bhandari in the first issue of your Society newsletter does him no credit, and can be challenged on nearly every point. To respond to each of them would take up too much of your valuable editorial space, so I will confine myself to just two comments.

1. If, as Mr. Bhandari suggests, the DHR is reduced to a few disconnected lengths, then UNESCO would immediately withdraw the World Heritage Site status so recently conferred on it. The Government of India (through its agents Indian Railways) are custodians of this Site, the first to be awarded within India for six years. After the expenditure of so much time, effort and money to achieve this status, Mr. Bhandari’s poorly considered article cannot have been welcome.
2. It is true that the DHR at present has a huge operating loss. More than eighty percent of the outgoings are staff costs, and as staffs are Government employees, they enjoy job security. To try and make out as Mr. Bhandari does that closing the DHR would save these costs is untrue. Whether the DHR remains open or is closed down, the staff costs will remain a burden to Indian Railways.

There are over a million domestic (Indian) visitors to Darjeeling each year, seventy five percent of whom arrive at New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri by train. Of these only seven percent continue their journey by rail. Why? Because the DHR is totally unreliable, slow, uncomfortable and dirty. These failings need to be addressed and then a vast, virtually untapped source of traffic will be opened. It would need only a small percentage shift from road to rail to make an enormous difference to the profitability of the line.

Finally I must record my dismay that so much editorial space (in the first issue of the newsletter of a Society dedicated to the preservation of what remains of India’s steam heritage) should be devoted to a badly argued article proposing the effective closure of one of the two remaining steam operated lines in the sub-continent.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Tiller
London, UK

R R Bhandari’s article in newsletter 001 is interesting and provocative. This intent probably explains why it is marked by a number of internal contradictions.

However, even a cursory reading of the World Heritage Listing will quickly show that the three proposals cannot be considered seriously as the DHR’s World Heritage status prevents these proposals being implemented.

One of the issues mentioned is the line’s alignment next to the Hill Road. Here Mr Bhandari seems to have overlooked fact that the” DHR paid a substantial portion of its net earnings for the improvement of the road” on an annual basis (see R R Bhandari, Exotic Indian Mountain Railways, 1984, pages 9, 20).

Perhaps it is time some of these funds were repaid to reroute the Hill Road?