Tourism – Hill Station Train Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - Dhr Riding the Toy Train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) has always remained a coveted experience to the tourists. Only few would let go such an opportunity and there is a clear reason why so. After all this Toy Train has been accorded the UNESCO World Heritage status and that's for a special reason. Operating on narrow gauge tracks since 1880s and providing an important transport link to various parts of Darjeeling hills and lower plains, the toy train is an icon of our heritage since the colonial days and an engineering marvel that was achieved in that era. It also offers a wonderful way of absorbing the Himalayan beauty as you traverse along the slopes of the hills. Where else can you find a small steam engine pulling mini coaches up the steep mountains through breathtaking landscapes and overcoming almost impossible curves and gradients using sheer engineering ingenuity and creative skills. The snail pace at which the train moves through the hilly terrain is at times so slow that you can often see the local school children hopping on and off the train on the move.
Although the diesel engines used these days are faster and more powerful, the original steam engines still operate in some sections also for joyrides. The steam loco drawn trains sometimes tend to skid in steep gradients. You can often see an attendant standing in front of the engine and sprinkling sand on the track to overcome such difficulties, particularly in monsoon time. Toy Train Joyride - Darjeeling to Ghum & Back Toy train joy rides operate from Darjeeling Railway Station. It's a 2-hour round trip from Darjeeling up to Ghum and back covering a total distance of 14kms. There are several such round trips during the day starting in the morning. Number of rides per day depends on the demand during the month or the season. The train stops for 10 minutes at the Batasia Loop. The Darjeeling Himalaya Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train", is a 2 ft (610 mm) gauge narrowgauge railway from Shiliguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways. It was built between 1879 and 1881 and is about 86 km long. The elevation level is between about 100 m at Siliguri and about 2'200 m at Darjeeling. The DHR is the very first hill railway in India, and one of the first ones in the world, the “toy train” is operating and retaining most of its original features and values until today. In the mid19th century, the British rulers built a recovery home away from home in the Himalayan city Darjeeling where the stress of colonial rule and the hot Indian climate could be put away for the summer. A sanatorium and a military depot were set up. The soft climate was not only good for recreation but also supporting extensive
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