Antique and Modern Trains

 

Antique and Modern Trains

            In early part of 1980s when I had just opened my eyes into the world of photography in B/W era, and working as freelance photojournalist for different locale newspapers as well as some national magazines I shot a picture of a train which was plying from Patna Jn. To Gaya Jn. Famously called Gaya line although that was the common scene of an overcrowded train in which a couple was precariously settled into the battery chamber of a bogey, lot of cans hanging from the windows of the train and that picture got a good place into the local newspaper. The picture itself says the story of the condition of the train as well as the people just in a single frame.

            As the time passed now in 2004 after 40 years the latest model of semi high speed train named Vande Bharat is introduced on 28^th June 2023 firstly on the same track Patna to Ranchi of which I am the witness as I travelled on its inaugural journey and enjoyed its latest technologies, hospitalities of the train staff, luxury, comfort as well as its speed which was more than 100Kms/hr which was a great thrill and made me happy like a child.

 Although I had so many opportunities of travelling in Indian premium trains so many times, but if I compare the trains of some of the Asian countries then Japan comes 1^st as it has introduced Bullet train commonly known as Shinkansen train which runs between Tokyo and Osaka at the speed of 350 Kms/hr on October 1^st 1964, just 60 years before. This famous train is the brainchild of a Japanese born and educated mechanical engineer Hideo Shima who 1stly introduced this train. In our country Bullet train is also on the way which has many advantages of time, environment friendly, decreasing crowed on the road, uplifting of economy, comfort and security.

Instead of all the comfort and luxury of modern trains, but some of the train’s runs with old technologies is still the favor of the people.

1.     Darjeeling Himalaya Toy meter gauge train which runs through Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal, about 88 Kms also grabbed the eye balls of some of the film makers and got chance in films like Aradhana, Jab Pyar Kisi se hota hai and many others.

2.     Nilgiri Mountain Railway,

3.     Shimla Kalka Railway

Toy train is also introduced in a park called Putani in Bangluru which is very popular among the denizens.

            At the same time some of the luxury trains are also introduced by the Indian railway purely for tourism purpose, which tickets are beyond the pockets of common people such as-

1.     Maharaja Express

2.     Palace on wheels

3.     Fairy Queen Express,

4.     Golden Chariot Express

5.     Mahaparinirva Express

These trains generally runs by the old steam engines among them ‘Maharaj Express’ is the most luxury train run by IRCTC it has 23 carriage and different kind of luxury suits.

            Some funny idioms is also made from steam are still in use such as ‘Don’t lose your steam’, blow off steam, run out of steam, steamed off, under one’s own steam etc.

Text and Photos by- Ashok Karan,

Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,

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