All aboard the toy train to the foothills of the Himalayas

[TinCan782]

"Our car has a door, but it does not want to stay shut. That’s okay, because some passengers, especially young children, like to sit with their legs dangling out of the car, staring down what at times is a precipitous drop. Passengers poke their heads out the windows to feel the air against their faces and take in more of the scenery."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2016/09/23/india-toy-train-himalayan-queen/88067090/

 

[jis]

Yup, sitting at the door of the Kalka - Simla as well as the Darjeeling Himalayan (New Jalpaiguri - Darjeeling) is a lot of fun.

Trains Magazine is advertising a 14 day "Heritage Trains of India" trip covering both in February 2017 (2 - 16) and apparently they might make it an annual thing.

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

My wife and I road the Himalayan Queen during our Honeymoon, specifically for this reason. There's nothing that can compare to looking out the open door... hanging your feet out of it, or (sometimes despite your new wife's aprehension), hanging on to the outside (as long as you're not crazy and do that over a massive gorge). The train goes fairly slow (and reading the article, it sounds like it's been slowed down further since we traveled there in 2014), so it's more of a casual, relaxing atmosphere.

~ ATE

 

[jis]

The Kalka Shimla Railway is on the gentler rising Western Himalayan Foothills. In the Eastern Himalayas where it rises from the plains to world's highest peaks within 50 miles is another gem, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the first of India's Mountain Railways.

A very nice BBC video on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway



As we speak Indian Railways is in the process of constructing a Broad Gauge Line up Teesta Valley at present to Rangpo in the State of Sikkim, slated to be extended to its capital Gangtok and then onto Nathu La and the border with Tibet SAR of China. It traces the route of an old abandoned branch of DHR up Teesta Valley, but is of course built for higher speeds and will be electrified all the way, and mostly in tunnels and on viaducts.

 

[TinCan782]

The Kalka Shimla Railway is on the gentler rising Western Himalayan Foothills. In the Eastern Himalayas where it rises from the plains to world's highest peaks within 50 miles is another gem, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the first of India's Mountain Railways.

A very nice BBC video on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway



As we speak Indian Railways is in the process of constructing a Broad Gauge Line up Teesta Valley at present to Rangpo in the State of Sikkim, slated to be extended to its capital Gangtok and then onto Nathu La and the border with Tibet SAR of China. It traces the route of an old abandoned branch of DHR up Teesta Valley, but is of course built for higher speeds and will be electrified all the way, and mostly in tunnels and on viaducts.

Very interesting. I like the "automatic" sander on the point of the steam locomotive!

 

[jis]

A very nice Documentary on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Brings back many memories ....