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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:20 pm Posts: 338 Location: Six and a half inches from destiny
OK here's a few fairly random shots for your delectation ya bastards.
Coaling B class tank at Darjeeling for the tourist train. They still do it the hard way.
A few adjustments to the eccentric rod. They pulled the gudgeon pin as well while I was wandering round the shed, left it in the dirt while they closed the brasses and then shoved it back in dirt and all! Those locos run in spite of the maintenance they get.
Taking water and cleaning the fire. The bloke in the bunker is the "fireman" and his job is to break the coal for the real fireman on the footplate. So you have the driver, stoker, fireman and two sand wallahs on a 2' gauge 0-4-0. And I thought it was a tight fit on an NA!
Another water stop. I sigh for the days when we thought nothing of walking along a roof! It's quite practical for them as there is a rock wall one side and a busy road the other side of the train.
Walking the kids to school. The railway is fully integrated with the community as you will see in a few of the subsequent shots.
The track gang at work.
Railway street scene. When the train comes through everything magically moves aside for it. The market is set up on the track, and trading ceases temporarily as each train passes.
The delectable station master at Sukna.
Level crossing. There are dozens and dozens, some in the middle of switchbacks, and the drivers just blaze through them.
Jungle scene. Beware of tigers!
Switchback
The points wallah in his humpy
Passengers are the same all over the world, eh!
Another water stop
Road signs for the education of the motorists. These are classic, classic, classic! with their special Indian spelling. FUck it here's a couple more just for the hell of it...
Now for the money shot. I'm very proud of this one specially because it wasn't posed:
I nearly caused an international incident bowling over kids and little old ladies to get this photo, as I was on top of the bridge when I heard the following loco coming up behind us. I don't know what safeworking they use, but it must be a lot like the one they use on dodgem cars.
The whole crew cram into the cab when the loco is running downhill.
Local kids probably collecting water
Weaver at work in three road
The track gang's trolley
And the delectable stationmaster, Sukna. Cannot resist!
_________________ Sig? Ahh fuckit I'll think of one later. OK?
_________________ Here's to Daddy Claxton May his name forever stand And always be remembered in the courts throughout the land. His earthly race is over, and the curtains 'round him fall They'll carry him home to Dixie on the Wabash Cannonball.
Great shots - wish I had paid that much attention to detail.
As far as safeworking is concerned I think it is pretty limited. Going back to my 1978 visit we were on the passneger heading for Darjeeling when we stalled on a sharp curve and couldn't restart.
As chance would have it, there was freight following fairly close behind and rather than couple up gently and give us a push, it just attacked the rear of our train at around 8km/h and got us going again.
We tried riding on the roof of the train at Siliguri, but were ordered down almost at gunpoint by the railway police. Further up in the hills it wasn;t such a problem.
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