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The Laying-Down Of India's Smallest Train Track
The astounding journey through 103 tunnels by toy train from Kalka to
Shimla is an
unforgettable affair. So is the story of the laying down of the track and
its unique communication system. It is said that the Englishmen who
engineered this track sought the help of a commoner in laying down the
track. This track was surveyed half a century earlier before it was
actually Okayed for running trains.
The Kalka-Shimla railway is often termed as a scientific fiction.
Covering a distance of 95-km through 103 tunnels and 869 bridges, it has
919 curves (68-km) 20 railway station and 5 level crossings on the route.
This track is one of the most unique railway tracks of the world. It has
also been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as India's
smallest railway line.
Railway chronicles show it as the most surveyed project. It is said that
a correspondent of the Delhi Gazette had first sketched this railway line
sometime in November 1847, almost half a century before it was actually
constructed. The project was revived again in 1885 but nothing came of it.
Another project report prepared during 1887 also failed to commence the
construction of the route. Finally, a survey of the terrain in 1895 paved
the way for singing the construction contract on June 29, 1898.
The Story
The story goes that the Englishman, while constructing this track and the
bridges in particular sought the help of Bhalkhu Baba, a commoner who
hailed from Jhajha hamlet near Chail in Solan district. It is said that
some evil spirits did not let the engineers perform their duty and the
Baba, according to the legend, possessed spiritual powers and helped
pacify the evil spirits. Bhalkhu Baba, who was showered the honour of
Jamindar by the British, also finds a place in the Shimla Gazette. Baba's
family still possesses a turban and a medal, which were presented to him
by the then Viceroy of India.
Though the construction of the Kalka-Shimla route was completed on
November 2, 1903, it was opened for the general public only on January 1,
1906. It is a living tribute to the engineers who dared to bore 107
tunnels out of which 103 are still in use. The longest tunnel at Barog,
traversed in 3 minutes by the toy train, also has an interesting story
behind it. This station is named after Engineer Barog who sacrificed his
life here.
An Old Tunnel And A Grave
Just 1-km from the station lies a forlorn tunnel and the grave of this
engineer who tried to construct this tunnel but failed to align both
sides. The wastage of a vast amount of public money forced him to embrace
death. If the tunnel had been aligned properly, it would have been the
longest railway tunnel in the world and the track would have not been
running through solan and salogra.
Age-Old Communication System
A part from the Barog tunnel, three other big tunnels on this route are
Koti, Taradevi and tunnel no. 103. Another important aspect of this track
is its age-old communication system, which is still in vogue. Northern
Railway still uses Niels Token Block instruments, which is a unique system
to communicate between stations. The telephones being used by the stations
on this route are block phones and the control phone systems. While the
block phones only establish links between two stations, using the control
phone system links other important stations. Since, manufacturing of these
is not done today, only overhauling is done at
Ghaziabad
. The lanterns, which stopped and gave the green signal to the trains
during the British regime, are still in vogue.
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