India

[markoteal]

Just caught up on a few days post Rik as I've been under the weather (and under the duvet) - looks like you are having a great time.

You're both settled into the Indian Railway culture well - that delay of many hours would have had most people in the UK 'on fire' but you guys took it into your stride.

Its a greta record of your trip and thanks for the pics often engine shed at Shimla and the connecting lines

Fingers crossed for the DHR

[Soar Valley Light]

Hello Rik,

I'm delighted to hear it's still going well. I've missed it for a couple of days as I worked my first couple of turns on the Bluebell on Sunday and Monday. As I was working at Cricklewood on Tuesday I only came back that far on Monday night. Tuesday night was unpacking and getting sorted out so tonight is my first chance to catch up. I've been looking forward to doing so since Saturday night!

The delayed train journey sounds interesting and only slightly frustrating. At the end of the day it's all part of the experience I guess. It's nice to hear about the interaction with the local people, that must be fascinating - on both sides! Your accounts of it are every bit as interesting as the railway experiences. Your account of the agriculture (in words and picture) was really interesting.

I absolutely agree with Tingewickmax. The human race treats the natural world with a complete lack of understanding that frequently surpasses contempt. Things have to be seen in perspective, of course. A westerner who is comfortably provided for can easily say 'they' (the native population of a country) shouldn't be allowed to encroach on the habitat of the Nirdlebeast (or whatever animal is involved), but when the Nirdlebeasts are eating the crops that feed your children or demolishing your house, you have to defend your life and the lives of your family (often at great personal risk of being attacked by the Nirdlebeasts in the process). What is needed is financial support from the relatively affluent parts of the world to protect the people and the indigenous species at risk around the world. This has to be done in an appropriate fashion that supports the people and encourages them to value and care for their wildlife. One of my greatest passions is the plight of both the African and Asian elephants. We are in very real danger of seeing them become extinct, if not in our generation then in the next. It's almost unthinkable but sadly very true. Apologies for hi-jacking your thread Rik, I've only once been this passionate about something before in my entire life so I cant help myself!

It was great to hear from James, his observations were very interesting and very enlightening, I hope we shall hear more from him.

I hope the trip to Darjeeling all works out. Whatever happens next, I'm looking forward to hearing your reports of it.

All the best,

Andrew

[gregh]

Posting this on behalf of Rik who's having internet access problems

Update 6

After 31 hours, an overnight train, some slight trauma, 860km of travel distance, 6400ft of vertical travel, two spirals, eight reverse zig-zags and a 20C drop in temperature we have finally reached Darjeeling.

Wow! A lifetime's ambition achieved.

We reached the station at Varanasi an hour before our train's scheduled departure and, despite the electronic display repeatedly telling us it was about to arrive and no information as to which platform it would be coming in on, our train eventually pulled in, 5.5 hours late! Not a good start.

We were due to arrive in Siliguri (the start of the DHR) at 00:20 and the DHR train would be leaving at 08:30 and so I set my alarm for 04:00 (in case we made up some time), and settled down to sleep. By 06:00 according to Google maps, we were about 80 miles from Siliguri and making good time but then, of course, we didn't. We slowed, we stopped, we moved, we paused, we galloped, we trudged, we sped, and we hesitated. Frustratingly arrived in Siliguri at 08:45. We sprinted (well, as fast as two 60+ blokes with dodgy knees and bulging rucksacks could go), across the seemingly endless footbridge to see what appeared to be three forlorn, abandoned, little DHR coaches sitting beside what looked like an empty platform. We descended the stairs to get some photos and a ticket inspector emerged from one of the coaches with the ubiquitous Indian Railways computer print out of reservations. We pointed to our names and he pointed to two empty seats. He looked slightly surprised and a little embarrased as two unshaven, slightly dishevelled, older British gentlemen punched the air, shouted 'Yes!' and danced around the platform.

Photos to follow once I've tamed the technology.

Rik

[markoteal]

Brilliant storytelling Rik - can't wait for what happens next!

[FWLR]

31 hours…..Flipping Heck…..

[ge_rik]

So, we made it to Darjeeling, the pinnacle in many respects! Our host is wonderful -:but more of that later. For now a few photos from our trip up the DHR. I've taken nearly 100 and ran out of battery on all my devices, so here is a small selection from the most accessible bit of technology.

This is an attempt to capture a view of the incredible scenery we passed through which became increasingly impressive the higher we got

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One of the 8 zig zags. Difficult to capture from the train, but hopefully you get the gist from this image

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They sent down one of the steam locos which passed us about 2/3 of the way up and then followed us back up

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One of the many town sections. Will post some of the country sections later when I've done a bit more technology sorting

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Rik

[Soar Valley Light]

Hello Rik,

I'm so pleased you made it. What a palava!

Thanks for some more great pictures of some outstanding scenery. I think I recognise the zig zag from a Youtube clip! Somehow pictures posted by someone familiar, which they have taken themselves, seems to made these far off places so much more real. It sounds like we are in for a real treat when you upload the other pictures you've taken.

I'm even jealous of the quality of the road surface! I appreciate this is probably at the good end of an extreme range or highway standards out there but it's miles in from of a lot of A roads in this country right now!

All the best,

Andrew

[markoteal]

Loving the zigzag - and great to see the steam loco working, with a holdall attached! - didn't see that on the Roundhouse offering I saw at Peterborough last week

[daan]

Fantastic..! Now that's an adventure worth sharing. Thanks!

[bazzer42]

Any plans to Indianise Peckforton? A few water buffalo around that mill for starters....

Again, lovely pictures. I'm not convinced any amount of weathering could capture the workhorse look of that steamer.

[ge_rik]

Test

[ge_rik]

The DHR - our experiences
After boarding the train .......

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we passed through the suburbs of New Jalpaiguri (NJP), where the railway is cheek by jowl with the local community.

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We ground to a halt at a red signal about ten minutes into our journey and despite the combined efforts of an assembled committee of all the railway employees on the train, plus one who arrived on a motor bike, using varous mobile phones, we remained stationary for over an hour.

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Some of the local children used the train as an adventure playground while James and I were asked for our autographs.

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Eventually, we moved off and crossed a girder bridge on dual gauged track shared with a single track broad gauge line. Presumably, the reason for the red light.

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After chugging along the roadside for a few miles, we entered woodland and started our climb.

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The climb from thence onward was relentless. We followed the old cart road for the entire journey, crossing and recrossing it regularly with much horn-blaring.

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As we gained height, so the clouds started closing in around us. We looped back and forth across the hillsides. Here you can see the line lower down the hillside and also further up - ie where we had been and where we were heading
Rik

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As space is tight onn the hillsides, road, railway and communities are crammed together

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Very difficult to capture the magnificence and scale of the landscape through which we were travelling, but evidence of landslips were frequent, as was the ongoing reinforcement work. Here you can see where we have been - the line cuts across the centre of that landslip, and given that it looked quite recent, it was presumably the reason why the railway had been closed for around a year.

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At the half way point we stopped for fifteen minutes at Tindharia where we had some refreshments (mo mo, similar to dim sun dumplings), were treated toa visit from the Himalayan Queen and were passed by the train on its way down.

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As the rails were getting wet, out loco struggled sometimes to get a grip and so the driver had to do some running repairs on the sanding mechanism while we awaited the crossing of the downward train

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Difficult to get decent shots of the reverse zig-zags and spirals from onboard the train, but they were fascinating to experience

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Meanwhile, we climbed ever higher and the cloud pressed in.

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At Kurseong, they decided to reassemble the train presumably because the wiring on the empty coach adjacent to the loco as faulty. We were asked to detrain while they did a bit of shunting and when we reboarded, the lighting came on.

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The cloud grew thicker and darkness fell as we climbed up through Ghoom to Darjeeling and we shared the narrow street between the houses with the traffic. Because the cload is so thick, I completely missed Batasia Loop, the third spiral, as we descended from Ghoom to Darjeeling.

It took us a while to locate our Airbnb, which is on the back of the ridge from the main town (and hence quite quiet). But more of that later.

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[ge_rik]

Can't get the images to upload!

[IanC]

It's Friday 13th. I'm having the same problem on another forum. I've given up trying for today.

Ian

[daan]

Nevertheless, with your story I can sort of "taste the atmosphere" and that already provides sort of "pictures" in my mind..

[Lonsdaler]

It's like having our very own roving correspondent. Brilliant stuff Rik!

[FWLR]

It seems has your exploits are making you famous Rik in India…asking for your autographs….your’e both celebrities now

[ge_rik]

Test

Whilst in Darjeeling (pronounced Darjling or even Darzling), I had real problems posting and trying to attach images was very hit and miss. Now in Kolkata, so hopefully broadband here will be a bit more stable.

Rik

[ge_rik]

Update 7
Our last night in India. We're now in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). The journey down from Darjeeling was great - sunshine most of the way, unlike the ascent where we were in cloud and darkness for the final 1/3.

We travelled first class sleeper from NJP to Kolkata, sharing our 'couchette' with an elderly couple - his English consisted of gravelly grunts - but somehow we communicated. Arrival in Kolkata at dawn was truly memorable and are now in a really swish Airbnb for our final night - feels like 5 star. We even went to a top class restaurant for our final meal this evening and had a bottle of sparkling Indian wine to celebrate.

5.30 start tomorrow. Home by Monday evening.

I'm really sorry I've not managed to post more photos, but the technology has defeated me repeatedly. I've managed to extract the photos from my camera, two phones and tablet, which required various shinnanigans in uploading them to Google Drive and then downloading again onto my tablet. However, when trying to resize them for upload to the forum, everything I tried failed. An online tool insisted the resized images had downloaded to my tablet, but they hadn't, and the photo compress and editing apps I've used previously with great success on my tablet outputted images which the forum won't accept.

Very disappointed, sorry.

Looks like I'll have to do it all retrospectively on my laptop when I get home. Not quite the same as a live commentary but I hope you'll understand.

Rik

[tom_tom_go]

We are all grateful Rik for what you have provided on your tour.

Safe trip home.

Tom