Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - Revision history

Jyoti at 17:38, 6 September 2021

2021-09-06T17:38:04Z

Pdewan at 23:03, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T23:03:04Z

Pdewan: /* History */

2017-08-06T22:42:28Z

‎History

Pdewan: /* History */

2017-08-06T22:30:00Z

‎History

Pdewan at 22:20, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T22:20:05Z

Pdewan at 21:35, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T21:35:52Z

Pdewan at 21:35, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T21:35:17Z

Pdewan at 21:20, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T21:20:54Z

Pdewan at 21:15, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T21:15:27Z

Pdewan at 21:14, 6 August 2017

2017-08-06T21:14:09Z

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 [[File:darj2.jpg|Darjeeling Himalayan Railway |frame|500px]]
-[[Category:India |D]]
-[[Category: Places |D]]
-[[Category: Economy-Industry-Resources |D]]
 =History=
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 '' (GM Kapur is convener of the West Bengal chapter of Intach) ''

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:03, 6 August 2017
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−	[[File: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway ~~2005a~~.jpg\| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in '' Parineeta '' (2005)\|frame\|500px]]	+	[[File: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 2005A.jpg\| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in '' Parineeta '' (2005)\|frame\|500px]]

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 [http://darjeeling.gov.in/dhr.html Darjeeling.gov]  <> [http://dhr.indianrailways.gov.in/ DHR]
 The settlement at Darjeeling really began in 1828 with British interest. By 1835, it was separated from Sikkim for establishing a Sanatorium for the invalid servants of the East India Company. It then consisted of a monastery on observatory hill clustered with about 20 huts and a population of about 100 people. Planning began in 1839, to lay out the Darjeeling Town and construct a hill road connecting Siliguri, Pankhabari, Kurseong and Darjeeling. At the same time, evolution of hotels began, the first being The Darjeeling Family Hotel's, followed by other hotels. By 1840, Darjeeling Town had about 30 buildings and a few respectable houses. Tea bushes were brought in by the British from China and Tea plantations began spreading rapidly from 1857. To meet the expanding requirements, a new road fit for carts was planned in 1861. Subsequently, in 1879, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was constructed on the same hill cart road.
 The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the first, and still the most outstanding example of a hill passenger Railway. Open in 1881, it applied bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing and effect rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. It is still fully operational and retains most of its original features intact. While Darjeeling was growing, Rowland Macdonald Stephenson was crusading his battle for railway extension in India. In 1849, he was able to extract favourable conditions including a guarantee of return on the capital. He promoted East Indian Railway Co. (EIR).

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 =History=
-[http://darjeeling.gov.in/dhr.html Darjeeling.gov]  <> [dhr.indianrailways.gov.in DHR]
+[http://darjeeling.gov.in/dhr.html Darjeeling.gov]  <> [http://dhr.indianrailways.gov.in/ DHR]
 [[File:darj.jpg|Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Courtesy: [http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r007.html  Mikes Rail History] |frame|left|500px]]
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 The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the first, and still the most outstanding example of a hill passenger Railway. Open in 1881, it applied bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing and effect rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. It is still fully operational and retains most of its original features intact. While Darjeeling was growing, Rowland Macdonald Stephenson was crusading his battle for railway extension in India. In 1849, he was able to extract favourable conditions including a guarantee of return on the capital. He promoted East Indian Railway Co. (EIR).
 In 1858, Eastern Bengal Railway (EBR), a private company got concession for construction and management of Railway lines commencing from the left bank of Hooghly towards the Eastern and Northern part of Bengal, including a line to Darjeeling, but the directors were not willing to invest money in extensions including the one to Darjeeling as that might not be profitable. However, NBR(Northern Bengal State Railway) had no plan to take the rails to the hills, mainly because the hills were considered a formidable sphere. Where EBR and NBR failed as corporate organizations, Prestage succeeded, as an individual entrepreneur.
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 The Darjeeling line was built to a gauge of 2 feet (600mm) to enable the line to traverse the tightly twisting route through the hills. In 1886, though, the well tanks and under cylinder wings were retained, a narrow saddle tank was inserted between the dome and the chimney, partly to get increased water capacity and partly to get better balance between the axle loads with the pull on the draw bar. Regarding the Official opening date of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) are, from Siliguri to Kurseong is 23-08-1880, from Kurseong to Sonada 01-08-1881, Sonada to Jorebunglow 05-04-1881, Jorebunglow to Darjeeling 04-07-1881 and from Darjeeling to Darjeeling Bazar is 16-06-1886. Usually the construction stage, light engines are worked on the section much before the official date of opening.
 The Ghoom Station is the highest point reached by the railway (7,407ft), and from here there is a descent for four miles down a spur to Darjeeling Station (6,812ft). Loops are the speciality of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway it helps in gaining height for the rail line skiting along the mountain with the radius of curve as minimum as possible. Loop No. 3 at Chunbhati km 23/14 between Rangtong and Chunbhati station is popularly known as Loop No.2 and technically it is the first loop now. This loop is double circle. Loop at Agony Point km.32 was between Tindharia and Gayabari stations existed and is popularly known as Loop no.3, though it is the second loop. The last loop near Batasia, popularly known as “Batasia Loop” is km.75/1. This loop is the most beautiful loop out of the existing loops. There are 132 unmanned level crossings in the route.

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 [[Category: Economy-Industry-Resources |D]]
 =Imaarat:A toot from the past=
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 ''' Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is an engineering marvel that tackled mountainous terrain with ingenious solutions '''
-[[File:darj.jpg|Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Courtesy: [http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r007.html  Mikes Rail History] |frame|left|500px]]
 The sensation was pleasurable — intensely so; it was sudden and immense exaltation, a mixed ecstasy of deadly fright and unimaginable joy. I believe that this combination made the perfection of human delight. This is the most enjoyable day I have spent on the ea¬rth. It has no fault, no bl¬emish, no lack, except that there are only 35 miles of it instead of 500” —thus de¬scribed Mark Twain after being on the Darjeeling Him¬al¬ayan Railway (DHR) mo¬re than a 100 years ago.
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 Great ingenuity was shown in three ways: 1) zig-zagging and criss-crossing across the hill cart road; 2) running a loop where the train describes a full circle to finish at a similar spot some 20 feet higher; 3) reversing on a Z-shaped layout where the train runs forward, reverses up the slope, then proceeds forwards parallel to the approach line but at a higher altitude.
 This made the construction of the DHR one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. That it is still fully operational in the 21st century is an industrial heritage wonder of the world and now a Unesco designated heritage site since 1999.
 '' (GM Kapur is convener of the West Bengal chapter of Intach) ''

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 DHR has its origins in the latter part of the 19th century. Darjeeling (or Dorje-Ling, place of Lama Dorje, as is was originally called) had been developed by the British who had initially leased a strip to the south of the Himalayas from the rulers of the erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim, for a sanatorium for British troops as the climate was found to be salubrious.
-[[File: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 1969.jpg| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in '' Aradhna '' (1969)|frame|500px]]
+[[File: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 1969a.jpg| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in '' Aradhna '' (1969)|frame|500px]]
 Later this tract, including Darjeeling was annexed to the British Empire resulting in rapid progress to the region. By 1878, Calcutta, the capital of British India, was linked to Siliguri by rail. Till then, the only link between Siliguri and Darjeeling was a hill cart road used by either horse drawn carriages or bullock carts. As a result, the journey took almost five to six days. Tea cultivation had also developed and the need for suitable transportation was felt (as the existing horse drawn carriages and bullock carts were proving to be inadequate).

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:35, 6 August 2017
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	DHR has its origins in the latter part of the 19th century. Darjeeling (or Dorje-Ling, place of Lama Dorje, as is was originally called) had been developed by the British who had initially leased a strip to the south of the Himalayas from the rulers of the erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim, for a sanatorium for British troops as the climate was found to be salubrious.		DHR has its origins in the latter part of the 19th century. Darjeeling (or Dorje-Ling, place of Lama Dorje, as is was originally called) had been developed by the British who had initially leased a strip to the south of the Himalayas from the rulers of the erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim, for a sanatorium for British troops as the climate was found to be salubrious.
		+
		+	[[File: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 1969.jpg\| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in '' Aradhna '' (1969)\|frame\|500px]]

	Later this tract, including Darjeeling was annexed to the British Empire resulting in rapid progress to the region. By 1878, Calcutta, the capital of British India, was linked to Siliguri by rail. Till then, the only link between Siliguri and Darjeeling was a hill cart road used by either horse drawn carriages or bullock carts. As a result, the journey took almost five to six days. Tea cultivation had also developed and the need for suitable transportation was felt (as the existing horse drawn carriages and bullock carts were proving to be inadequate).		Later this tract, including Darjeeling was annexed to the British Empire resulting in rapid progress to the region. By 1878, Calcutta, the capital of British India, was linked to Siliguri by rail. Till then, the only link between Siliguri and Darjeeling was a hill cart road used by either horse drawn carriages or bullock carts. As a result, the journey took almost five to six days. Tea cultivation had also developed and the need for suitable transportation was felt (as the existing horse drawn carriages and bullock carts were proving to be inadequate).

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 See [[examples]] and a tutorial.</div>
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-[[File:darj.jpg|Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Courtesy: [http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r007.html  Mikes Rail History] |frame|left|500px]]
 [[File:darj2.jpg|Darjeeling Himalayan Railway |frame|500px]]