The Himalayan Queen -- it is a romantic name given
to a train running on a mountain track between Kalka in Haryana and Shimla in
Himachal Pradesh. The entire route is
mesmerizingly scenic. You will remain
awe-struck from the very moment the train leaves the station, chugging
arduously up and up.
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| The scenic route of the mountain railway |
UP AND UP IN A TOY TRAIN
(By Subbaram Danda)
We travelled to Kalka
from Chandigarh, a distance of 30 kilometres, by taxi to catch the Himalayan Queen heading to Shimla. It left
the station at 12:10 p.m. We chose this
mode of travel for the laidback convenience that it offered. As it picked up speed and pulled up and up,
it was sheer pleasure watching hill settlements, deep valleys and distant
mountains pass by.
Also known
euphemistically as the Toy Train, it trudges along languidly on a
narrow gauge. It takes as many as five and a half hours to reach its hilly destination 96 kilometres away. The rail-line, more than
100 years old, has the World Heritage tag given by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
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| The Toy Train negotiates a sharp curve |
It is different from
other trains in several respects. Each
compartment is small with just 30 seats and not connected to others through a
vestibule passage. No wonder, it is
called a Toy Train. Therefore, food is
not served in the train. Following a piece of advice from a canteen waiter at
Kalka, we carried some packed snacks to see us through till we reached the
destination.
It is entirely a
chair-car train with a total of seven compartments. It is not air-conditioned. So we could keep open the glass windows for a
clear view of the scenery outside and also take photos.
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| In the compartment |
The rail-line was laid
during the British Raj for the then rulers to come to Shimla for their summer
retreat. Its operations commenced during
the days of Lord Curzon in November 1903.
It was considered the “crown jewel” of the Indian National Railway.
The track passes
through 102 tunnels and over 800 bridges and viaducts. One tunnel is more than one kilometre
long. Some bridges look like ancient
Roman aqueducts with an array of multi-storeyed arches. More than two-thirds of the track is curved,
sometimes at angles as sharp as 45 degrees.
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| Roman aqueduct-like bridge with multiple arches |
The train’s movement
was fascinating. It began its climb
upwards almost immediately after it left the Kalka station, which is at an
altitude of 2,150 feet above sea level.
In just 40 kilometres from Kalka, it was moving at an altitude of 5,200
feet -- a mind-blowing climb of 3,050 feet!
Interestingly, for the passengers it was almost imperceptible. By the time it reached Shimla it had climbed
a total of 5,320 feet vertically so to speak.
We had booked our seats
on the first day when the online reservation window opened. We were given one window seat and the next
one on the right side of the compartment, said to be the best side for watching
sceneries outside while heading towards Shimla.
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| A scenery on the way -- two parallel roads |
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| A hill-side settlement |
Whenever the train
passed through a tunnel, children in a compartment before ours gave out shrill
cries, enlivening the journey. When the
train passed through the one kilometre long tunnel, it was a continuous hilarious hooting.
It was an experience!
Less than half way
through, we could feel chill breeze from the hillside enter the compartment and
freshen up our faces. Outside, deodar,
pine, oak and maple trees in valleys swayed passionately in the winds in demure
sun.
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| Hills and valleys with a variety of trees |
Apart from getting the
UNESCO tag, the rail-line has also entered the Guinness Book of World Records
for the steep gradient it continuously negotiates.
It would be better, if the Railway pays sufficient attention to maintaining the compartments spick and span. Otherwise, the show piece status of the train would vanish into thin air.
Though there are a few more Toy Trains, the features of the Kalka-Shimla line are outstanding. We have travelled by a couple of such other trains also but our feeling is that the experience on this route is pleasingly different. We were told that in winter the scenery en route would be spectacular with snow clad hills and valleys glowing in picturesque splendour. (Ends)
Though there are a few more Toy Trains, the features of the Kalka-Shimla line are outstanding. We have travelled by a couple of such other trains also but our feeling is that the experience on this route is pleasingly different. We were told that in winter the scenery en route would be spectacular with snow clad hills and valleys glowing in picturesque splendour. (Ends)
(Our tri-city sojourn will continue)
May 12, 2018
