India

[IanC]

Its a fascinating place Rik and your pictures and information are appreciated.

It's on my bucket list of places to visit. Railways, architecture, scenery and history. Great combination.

Michael Portilo was on TV tonight on his Indian Railway travels. He went through Bangalore where my Father went to school, and Kolar Gold Fields where my Grandfather worked.

Thanks for sharing your journey and experiences.

Ian

[ge_rik]

Thanks folks. Glad you are appreciating them. Hope it isn't a bit like being invited by relatives to see a slide show of their last holiday. At least you can ignore the thread if it is a bit like that.

Forgot to mention that the museum manager proudly showed me a video of the two (battery powered) locos and coach which he'd scratchbuilt from tinplate - approx 16mm scale. Of course, when I tried to show him a video of my trains my phone ran out of battery.

A few photos from yesterday afternoon.

The line's remaining working steam loco - KC 520 British Loco Co 2-6-2 built 1906, withdrawn 1971, rebuilt 2001

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The diesel railcar. Not got any info on this (anyone?)

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A view from the platform to part of Shimla

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The mail train being shunted out of the carriage sidings. The passenger which has just arrived plus its loco has just been shunted into the adjacent siding. The mail train is the last of the day and seems to be only third class. I wish now I'd booked on that one for today's trip. Looked like the passengers were really up for having a good time!

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Leaving Shimla later today on the 17:50 and so will be dark for most of the 4.5hr journey but it means we can catch the Kalka Mail to Delhi at about midnight and then the 08:20 from Delhi to Jaipur. Due to arrive in Jaipur at 13:10.

Rik

[philipy]

Glad you are enjoying yourself Rik, please keep it coming.

The mail train is the last of the day and seems to be only third class....

Leaving Shimla later today on the 17:50 and so will be dark for most of the 4.5hr journey but it means we can catch the Kalka Mail to Delhi at about midnight and then the 08:20 from Delhi to Jaipur. Due to arrive in Jaipur at 13:10.

I feel exhausted just reading that!

[Peter Butler]

Wonderful pictures Rik, and what a story to tell..... how I wish everyone's holiday photos were this interesting!

[markoteal]

Great updates Rik - nothing like relative slideshows - yours are really interesting!

Glad its all going to plan - looks like a classic journey leg you have in front of you!

And glad to hear my shelf railway engineering has a grown up version working in India!

[ge_rik]

Hi folks
Glad you are enjoying the virtual trip. At this moment we're chugging our way down to Kalka on the Shimla Railway. Forgotten I'd booked is First Class ( the Deluxe Express). We stocked up with food for our mammoth journey only to be served with a delicious meal which included tea (of course), Bombay mix, some sort of veg pastry, then followed by vegi Dahl, Bombay potatoes and cauli with rice, then curd and soan cake.

Very unexpected and surprisingly good quality.

More to tell tomorrow after our first overnight train.

Rik
PS Using the Indian mobile phone I hired to send this

[Soar Valley Light]

Wonderful pictures Rik, and what a story to tell..... how I wish everyone's holiday photos were this interesting!

I absolutely agree with Peter.

You are also making me very hungry Rik! Please keep all the details coming

Andrew

[Peter Butler]

We stocked up with food for our mammoth journey only to be served with a delicious meal which included tea (of course)

So many people get concerned about the food available in such places, whereas for me it would be the tea..... can't stand it!!!!!

[LNR]

Enjoying the pictures Rik, hope you are enjoying the holiday.
Grant.

[FWLR]

Love the photo’s Rik and looks like some very interesting builds may be coming along soon….

[ge_rik]

Love the photo’s Rik and looks like some very interesting builds may be coming along soon….

I am very taken with the Shimla railway. It is still being run in exactly the same way as it must have been run for the past 100 years. The station layout at Shimla is fascinating. As I mentioned before, as it is built on a shelf, width is restricted and so they have made the most of the space. Nice arrangement of a single slip serving the carriage sidings plus a small turntable for the railcar. In the middle of the long platform is a diamond crossover so they can get two platforms for the price of one. The loco shed (well leanto) is beyond the platforms and a half mile extension rises up towards the centre of the town. Apparently, there was an aerial ropeway which was used to ferry goods too and from the main town on the ridge above.

We did joke on the train coming down, that I would have to have some serious earthworks if I intended modelling any of this railway. Think I'll stick with Peckforton for now!

Rik

[markoteal]

Great update Rik - yes the Shimla looks a great line - and great to hear about all the extras you don't always see onto TV (extension into Town, Engine Lean To etc)

Looking forward to the next instalment - lets have a pic of this infamous Chai - with perhaps a characterful wallah dishing it out?- (Peter you will be allowed to look away!)

[Peter Butler]

- lets have a pic of this infamous Chai - with perhaps a characterful wallah dishing it out?- (Peter you will be allowed to look away!)

Thank goodness I don't have smellyvision!

[ge_rik]

Great update Rik - yes the Shimla looks a great line - and great to hear about all the extras you don't always see onto TV (extension into Town, Engine Lean To etc)

Looking forward to the next instalment - lets have a pic of this infamous Chai - with perhaps a characterful wallah dishing it out?- (Peter you will be allowed to look away!)

Hi Mark
A picture of the engine 'shed'

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.....and then turning through 180 degrees, the line up to the goods shed

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Not got a picture of the chai itself, but here's the chai wallah we had a drink from in New Delhi

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Rik

[ge_rik]

How many men does it take to couple up a loco?
When I spent the afternoon at Shimla station I was intrigued by how many men it took to couple up the loco to its train.
1. Guard guided the driver back
2. Coupling man, held one of the loops and dropped it when the couplings engaged
3. Hammer man, whacked the coupling to ensure it was secure
4. Wire man, wrapped some galvanised wire around the hooks and twisted it to keep them together en route
5. Pliers man, twisted together two electrical wires between loco and first coach)
6. Station master, oversaw proceedings and the nodded sagely when it was all done

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Then, yesterday before our train departed, it took 8 men. For some reason, despite the combined efforts of all the above (apart from wire man), the couplings wouldn't lock together. Poor wire and pliers man were redundant. They even called in extra 'experts' including one who clearly had authority (chief engineer?).

Eventually, they gave up and they marshalled the loco usually reserved for shunting duties (and wire man and pliers man were delighted) - and we still left on time!

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Rik

[bazzer42]

Lovely pictures Rik ans enjoying the food details. Much less excitement here on the tube other than two drunk middle aged women who had been told to change at Earls Court and then started chatting up a group of lads. Presumably they ended up at Wimbledon as they didn't follow us onto the platform.

[ge_rik]

Update 3
Now in Jaipur. The journey from Shimla, via the Kalka Mail sleeper to Delhi and then a train from Delhi to Jaipur went as planned. I didn't sleep much on the sleeper. I was too worried about missing Delhi - the train went on to Kolkata after Delhi. There are no announcements on board and no station master at each station yelling the name of the station. As it turned out, one chap in our compartment was also going to Delhi and woke up in a panic yelling 'Delhi, Delhi, Delhi' when we reached a station on the outskirts and a family with a couple of loud and precocious kids in the next sleeping bay who clearly wanted to demonstrate their mastery of English, were equally voluble.

As we were in two tier 2AC (ie second class air conditioned with lower and upper bunks), we were provided with pillows, clean sheets and a blanket. Some passengers made up their beds properly and seemed to sleep soundly for the entire journey. We slept in our clothes with no covers.

The train from Delhi to Jaipur was also a sleeper and the bunks could have been folded up into seats. However, we kept those in our 'compartment' as bunks which delighted a young couple who climbed up above us and spent the entire journey giggling. Didn't want to see what they were giggling about, but probably entirely innocent fun. We were joined about half way through the journey by three young / middle aged blokes who spent the journey playing Ludo on one of their phones. They really enjoyed the game, getting quite excited when one player sent one of his opponents pieces back to the start.

Really plush accommodation in the home of an interior designer who clearly wants to showcase his combinatiob of Indian traditional and European tastes.

Rik

[DG]

Rik

sounds like you are having quite the adventure. The trains seem to be more social places than ours.

thanks for the update.

Dave

[FWLR]

Wow that is some climb ups to the “shed” Rik…

There is no sign of anyone in uniforms….how do they know who’s who…..

[GTB]

The diesel railcar. Not got any info on this (anyone?)

Looks and sounds like you are enjoying yourself.....

The old KSR had a thing for railcars and that one is a Drewry, one of four built in the late '20s, so about 90 years old. Originally petrol engined, so probably the railcar equivalent of Grandpa's axe by now.

They were originally used to run 'fast' passenger services and were 1st class only.

Regards,
Graeme