World heritage on Wheels: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Photo Credit

As a kid studying in Darjeeling, one image which still remains with me is the fairy tale like Toy Train of the Himalayas! Built between 1879 and 1881, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) was declared a World Heritage Site in the year 1999. It was the second railway in the world to get this recognition after the Semmering Railway of Austria, which got recognised in the year 1998.

Also known as the toy train, it has a track width (Gauge) of 2ft (610 mm), and runs a distance of 78 km (48 miles) between Siliguri in the plains at 328 ft (100 meters), and Darjeeling at a height of 7,218 ft (2,200 meters) high up in the lower Himalayas.

(The Train under the towering Mt. Khanchendzonga) Photo credit

To be nominated as World Heritage site, the particular site or property needs to fulfill a certain set of criteria, which are expressed in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The site must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria and the DHR fitted into two of these criteria as quoted below from Wikipedia:

The DHR is justified by the following criteria:

Criterion II: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is an outstanding example of the influence of an innovative transportation system on the social and economic development of a multi-cultural region, which was to serve as a model for similar developments in many parts of the world.
Criterion IV: The development of railways in the 19th century had a profound influence on social and economic developments in many parts of the world. This process is illustrated in an exceptional and seminal fashion by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

( A beautiful shot at the Batasia Loop) Photo Credit

A delight to watch, this small railway is still in operation and is a highlight for many tourists. Though a few new diesel engines operate it from Siliguri, the touristy ride from Darjeeling to Ghoom is still pulled by the British-built B Class steam locomotives and meanders through the town of Darjeeling, competing with regular traffic and a few shops!

( Oops! Brushing past a street shop, a way of life!) Photo Credit

Another aspect of this railway worth mentioning is the fact that in a distance of 78 KM's, it climbs an impossible 6,900 ft (almost 2100 mtrs)! But to make this happen the engineers had to innovate and build "loops" and "zig-zag reverses" along the steep route to ease the gradient.Some of these loops and reverses still exist and are a testimony to the spirit of the engineers who found a way to overcome any obstacle at that high altitudes.

While the loop was a circular track which would get the train onto a higher altitudes, it had to be done at a curve. But when the gradient was too steep, and momentum was lost, the train used to back-up onto a "reverse" track and go back down at full steam, so that the steep parts were negotiated. That was brilliant and this simple solution facilitated the creation of more mountain railways around the world.

(The toy train at Ghoom station just before Darjeeling. Altitude 2257.65 mtrs. (7407 ft.)) Photo Credit

---

If you like my work, please up-vote and read more at @norbu. You may also click the down-arrow next to my name (and before my reputation score) below to follow me.