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| From out of the window |
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| Darjeeling from a distance |
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| The Steam engine starting off |
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| Hard labour on the streets of Darjeeling |
The Toy Train is a narrow gauge
railroad built in 1880. It cut the time to reach Darjeeling from 4
days to 12 hours. The train is still in operation between Darjeeling
and Jalpaiguri about 80 km away. We took a small joy ride to Ghoom,
10km down the line. There is a small museum about the railway and
then we returned. The train shares the right of way with a road and
crosses the road on several occasions. The track is within 1 meter
of doors and shops. At one point I could have easily grabbed a bag
of chips from a roadside stand. Being on a mountainside the views
are impressive but the photography is poor due to poles and wires
everywhere. The train stopped for photos on the Bautista loop for 10
mins. This is where the train does a loop around to gain height.
The train is UNESCO heritage site and certified Guinness book of
records for the oldest working steam engine.
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