Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Loop, 1890 Photo
Old 1890 photo of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Loop. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways had many Loops and Zigzags or Z- reverses, because of the steepness of the mountains. These Loops and Zigzags helped greatly avoid digging tunnels or excavating paths which would have otherwise necessitated considerable expenditure. Franklin Prestage, the then agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway Company goes the credit for preparing the scheme and for completing the construction in 1880.
The line consists of 82 km of a two feet wide track. Zig-zagging over deep ravines, taking sharp curves, and rising over steep inclines. It reaches a height of 7,000 feet in 65 km. The need for tunnels was circumvented by means of ‘loops’ and ‘reverses’. In the ‘loop’ the railway track circles around and passes over a gradient by a bridge thereby quickly attaining a higher elevation. This is as visible in this photograph.
Another method adopted on the route to Darjeeling is reversing or zig-zag movement to gain additional height. The engine originally employed was very small even for a two-foot track and was only capable of pulling 7 tons. Later replaced by a standard type pulling a load of 32 tons. The train passes through different climatic zones representing striking differences in foliage and a variety of scenic effects not viewed in any other part of the world. Click on the photo for better view.
See post Ooty Steam Loco Train Halt Over Bridge – Old Photo 1909.
Did you know- the Darjeeling Himalayan train also called the toy train, is a Unesco heritage site.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894., Queen Victoria Empress Of India, 2 Old Photos 1860s., Electric Trams For The City of Madras, Old Print 1973
