Toy Train of Darjeeling

It brings in mind, of a fairy land, covered with picturesque hills, where the clouds play hide and seek with snow clad mountains. It was like listening to the fairy tale in the form of Toy Train, where the coaches of the train were like match box and tiny engine used to drag the coaches on narrow track at very slow speed that, even a bicycle rider could easily overtake a running train. It was enigmatic to hear that the fun seekers even used to board in or exit from a running train. Since childhood, I used to see the toy train in my dream, moving up to the land of happiness in a dazzling Sunny day, through the lush green forests. The passion began to witness the toy train since childhood.
My first encounter with the sweetheart of my childhood, when I saw, the toy train was on its way getting disappeared in the thick cover of fog, is still fresh in my memory.

Toy Train engine at Darjeeling

When it was observed from close, I found the presence of history everywhere. The Railway stations, in the coaches that used to carry passengers, in steam engines, in the car sheds or in the unique environment of the nest of the toy train i.e. Darjeeling where the history, the legacies of the past could be felt. The dream child of the then rulers of India brought revolution through its wheels in the history of transportation system.

monument at Sukna

The toy train began its first phase of journey to the Darjeeling hills on the 23-rd August 1880. Sukna, the place 11-kms away from the Siliguri happened to be most important rail station, in the golden days of the Darjeeling Toy Train. In this part, first Indian Toy Train service was introduced, that subsequently resulted establishment of new localities and brought development in those areas. The idea of laying a railway line through the terrain of the Darjeeling hills materialized transportation in a big scale. On its journey, a person used to stand in front of the steam engine, and sprinkle sands on the rail tracks, to ensure a solid grip of the wheels on the track. The toy train in its heyday used to run to and fro with passengers and cargo between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The rail tracks or the narrow gauge of the toy train were initially laid through the heart of Siliguri town and in 1962 that was diverted and extended through a different way. The rail tracks on which the Toy train began its journey have been buried under the asphalted Hill Cart Road in Siliguri town. Toy train or the Darjeeling Himalayan railway came under the North East frontier railway in 1958 with the motto of “Service before Self”.

Darjeeling Rail Station

The easy going days lasted no more, as speed was slowly getting introduced in life and the motorable road to Darjeeling started to become popular because of fast and time saving journey, the toy train remained a mere attraction for the joy ride.

Toy train in a new look,Darjeeling

New diesel engines were introduced, to add pace in the wheels of the toy train. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first Indian Toy Train service to be awarded with the title of World Heritage Site of the UNESCO. It could be seen, different states of India, where toy trains earn good revenue with modern infrastructure. We the lovers of Toy Train of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway love to see it again to be running fast, reminding of the memory lanes to the hills of peace and tranquility, loaded with passengers and steaming off all the worries, the tiny wheels will revolve again to run, playing hide and seek through the mountain ranges.