Darjeeling station recreated in Sylvan UK town

Prasun Sonwalkar

London, Aug 21 (PTI) Much to the joy of toy-train
enthusiasts, the romance of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
(DHR) was recreated over two days in a station in sylvan
Cornwall in west England as the train’s oldest surviving
locomotive was pressed into service for visitors.

Steam engine enthusiasts and local residents of
Launceston in Cornwall enjoyed the sights and sounds of
Darjeeling on August 19 and 20 as stalls sold Indian crafts to
the accompaniment of shehnai music on the public address
system.

DHR's locomotive No 19 is in steam for a month for the
benefit of toy train enthusiasts. It was built in 1889 and
through a series of transfers was brought to England in 2004.
It was first sold by the Indian government to the Hesston
Steam Museum in the US in 1960.

No 19 was built by Sharp Stewart & Co, and spent its
working life on DHR in India. It was imported to England from
the US in 2002 by its current owner, Adrian Shooter, Managing
Director of Chiltern Railways, and is normally based on his
private Beeches Light Railway.

"It was well worth a visit and we enjoyed ourselves.
There were a lot of happy people", Devon-based resident Don
said.

Organised by the UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Society (DHRS), the money raised during the two days of
‘Darjeeling ambience’ will be used to support the communities
in India through education and medical facilities.

"The fact that the money raised will be used to
alleviate poverty in the area is an added bonus," Managing
director Nigel Bowman said.

The Darjeeling ambience at Launceston included
‘Darjeeling’ station signs in blue, red and white, information
in English and Hindi, station staff dressed in Indian attire,
bookstall selling Indian books and a stall selling only
vegetarian food.

In earlier years, during the DHRS annual event, the
station of Sukna was recreated, but this year the society has
decided to transform Launceston into Darjeeling. PTI PS
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