The tale of travel in India for most Indians begins with a train journey. It is the beginning of an adventure, of a romantic escapade or return to grandma’s home after a year’s wait. Like blood vessels, Indian rails criss-cross across the nation carrying people, post and parcels from point A to B. But it would be a sheer understatement to call the railways just mode of transport in this country. For many the train journey is as important as the destination itself sometimes even more.

The Indian Railways has many variations. There are the express trains that connect cities and also the mountain rails travelling on their serpentine tracks. There are the locals that make life easier for big city dwellers and also the passenger trains that have more stops that the compulsory pauses between the words of a telegraph message. All in all the distinct services cover the needs of the entire nation and make train travel an adventure in itself.

Here is a peak into the many adventures that might be revealed in some of the Indian train journeys.

The Locals

The Local trains and metros running in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the public domains where people greet strangers everyday on their way to work and share each other’s life history. For some it is that sacred part of the day when they are compelled to do nothing better than read a book, glance through the newspaper, say their prayers or contemplate in advance the day’s proceedings. The hubbub surrounding them dispels like the white noise giving precious moments of introspection in a hurried life.

For some multitasking working women the local train is also time to shell peas, cut okras or snap the beans for the evening meal. It is a social gathering where the lady sitting next to you does not need to be requested to help you with the peas or hold your daughter’s torn school uniform while you get busy mending the damage.

The local train journeys have their share of drama and action too. Irrespective of class, gender or age people consider it their fundamental right to grab an empty seat as soon as it is available. And this action not just requires physical agility but also verbal ability to nullify other’s claim to the prized seat through various gestures and high decibel utterances. For the mute spectators, some sitting some standing, it is a ritualistic event that changes faces but entertains every day.

The Express

These are the leading actors of the Indian railways. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Maharashtra to Nagaland the countrywide network of express trains is magnanimous. And considering they have to carry the weight of the second most populated country in the world, it is only just to have the world’s second largest railway network for the masses.

Most Indian households make quite elaborate plans when they have to board one of the express trains for a journey. There is the meticulous packing and the detailed food preparation. It is just to say that food is one of the reasons why Indians like traveling in trains so much. It gives an opportunity to munch on the local specialties at every stop via the station food and also relish the packed up meals made lovingly by your wife or mom at home. Some families even have specific journey meals that are especially prepared every time there is a train travel.

Your social skills are put to practice best in these trains. Many Indians believe that the reason why you are sharing your compartment with various other strangers who are travelling to the same destination is because somewhere you are connected and this connection can be sealed best by sharing meals and conversations. The moment you board a train and identify your seat, there will be people staring at you blatantly and asking the first of the series of questions to come, “Till where you are going?” The answer will help them understand many things instantly. Whether you will be a good company till the city they are also travelling to. Whether you will ask them to exchange their lower birth seat with them or whether they can propose the same thing to you. Whether you will make a good friend and be in touch even after the end of the journey. Whether your wife would share the secret of her glowing skin with their wife and much such contemplation.

Many a business deals, public debates, spiritualistic revelations and chance romantic rendezvous have been staged during these train journeys and continue to be the heart and soul of these travels every day. When your co-passenger opens the bundles of home-made goodies for you or when you exchange business cards with a man who was a stranger not an hour ago, you know that the infectious Indian rail travel bug has bitten you too.

The Luxury

Luxury trains are few plying on the Indian tracks but what lacks in quantity surely compensates with quality. The pride of Indian Luxury trains is unquestionably The Palace on Wheels that travels mostly through royal Rajasthan and promises a week long journey that is equally lavish. The Deccan Odyssey, Golden Chariot, Royal Orient are few others that pamper you in style while travelling amidst the beautiful Indian landscape, sometimes through deserts, sometimes through ravine or sometimes past the scenic sea.

Local presence is somewhat less in luxury trains because of the very reason that they are luxury coaches, reserved for the elite and the ones who can afford the royal pampering. But the journey is a good experience for those who want to experience the Indian railways minus the crowd.

Whether it is the luxury trains, the locals or the multi destination choo-chooing express trains, the train journeys in India will always leave you with an experience that you can fathom in India alone.

Image Credit

Flickr creativecommons by James Cridland, Ben Sutherland and Christian Haugen

ZigZag Railway, near Lithgow, NSW

Although the trains of the ZigZag Railway, in Australia’s Blue Mountains will fascinate an enthusiast, even someone who has no interest in the machinery would admire the engineering skill that went into a line designed to overcome a serious obstacle.

The whole purpose of a railway is to reduce the friction of the wheels, to enable a heavier load to be carried for the same amount of power. That lack of friction works against the train if it has a steep slope to climb or descend. The usual way is to tunnel through the hill, avoiding the slope altogether.

'City of Lithgow' at Clarence

This, though, is very expensive, and, when they built the railway westward from Sydney in the 1860s, Engineer-in-Chief John Whitton did not have the money available to him. So, he decided to climb and descend the mountains by way of zig zags.

If you’ve ever tried to climb a hill on foot, on a bicycle or in a car, you’ll know that the easiest way up or down isn’t a direct route. It’s best to approach at an angle, and you’ll probably need to reverse direction at least once. You may have noticed that many mountain paths and roads form zig zags, usually, with a tight turn to be made at each angle.

So, when the railway reached the mountains in 1866, it needed to climb to a height of over 3000 feet. They did this by means of the Lapstone Zig Zag. This needed very little work, apart from laying the trackbed and the rails, and has now completely disappeared. But, to descend the mountains on the other side, at Clarence, much more work had to be done.

Over the next three years, the Lithgow Zig Zag was built, but, instead of just laying the track, as they had at Lapstone, they had to build bridges and short tunnels as well as the zig zag arrangement.

Clarence Station

Trains would descend down a gentle diagonal slope to a station called Top Points, where the engine would be unhitched. It would ‘run around’ to the front of the train, couple up again, then set the points to proceed further down the slope, but in the opposite direction, to Bottom Points Station. Here, the engine would ‘run around’ again, before proceeding on its way to Lithgow.

By 1907, however, traffic on the railway had increased so much that the laborious procedure on the two zigzags was causing unacceptable delays, so tunnels through the mountains were proposed to replace it. The ‘Ten Tunnels’, as they’re known, were completed in 1910; Clarence was by-passed and the Zig Zag Railway fell into disuse. The trackbed was used as a walking trail for the next 65 years.

It wasn’t until 1975 that a group of enthusiasts thought that such a fine feat of engineering ought to be preserved, and used for the purpose for which it was intended. So, it was decided to rebuild the railway, using largely volunteer labour. But, probably for reasons of economy, they laid the track to the 3’6″ (‘Country Railway’) gauge, rather than the original ‘Standard’ 4’8½”. Since this gauge was rarely, if ever, used in New South Wales, it meant that locomotives and carriages had to come from Queensland and South Australia, where it was more common.

Even now, the railway is run by the ZigZag Railway Co-operative. This, with the exception of a very few salaried employees, is a consortium of volunteer enthusiasts dedicated to the preservation of this historic formation, and the skills associated with the operation of steam trains and other veteran carriages and wagons on it.

Diesel Railcar at Clarence

On week-days, or on days of serious fire risk, they usually use a diesel railcar for the trip. It’s an old train; a vintage, metallic-finished diesel, but, on a Wednesday, or a week-end or holiday, there’s usually a steam engine running.

The coaches came from the Queensland Railway, although there are older coaches from the South Australian Railway in a siding. One of the engines is a beautifully preserved, ex-Queensland Railways unit built by Walker’s Limited, of Maryborough, Qld., in 1956.

'City of Lithgow' at Top Points Station

The round trip takes about 45 minutes, and if it’s a steam train, the engine will ‘run around’ at the Top Points and Bottom Points stations; passengers are welcome to leave the train at these times for photography, or just to stretch their legs. If you’re lucky, and can come when two trains are running, you can photograph the other train, too … preferably, as it toils up the hill. A diesel, however, doesn’t have to ‘run around’ when it changes direction; the driver merely takes up his position at the other end of the train.

At the Bottom Points Station, it’s only a short walk to the platform of the Sydney-Lithgow railway. If you’re going back to Sydney, the line will pass through the tunnels which replaced the ZigZag Railway.

If you’re going the other way, the line goes beyond Lithgow … and will, eventually, on its way to distant Perth, reach the Nullarbor Plain, and the longest stretch of straight railway track in the world. Truly, a complete contrast to the zigzags!

Vintage Carriage

Gloucester Docks and Oliver Cromwell

It’s a pity the Oliver Cromwell will sail no more, for she’s one of the few paddle-wheelers on British waters. She wasn’t originally built as a paddle-boat, but converted from a Dutch barge in 1990, for multi-day river cruises up the Severn from Gloucester.

Now, England isn’t exactly the first country that comes to mind when taking about river cruising The Severn is only about 220 miles long, and only navigable by larger vessels as far as Stourport, in Worcestershire. It can’t really be claimed as the longest river in England, as much of it is in Wales. But, it can safely be claimed as the longest river in Britain.

Sadly, some years ago, it was found that the cost of the inspections required to renew the Oliver Cromwell’s passenger licenses made the cruising business unprofitable so she remains moored at Alexandra Quay in Gloucester Docks as a floating hotel and restaurant.

Her owners, English Holiday Cruises, replaced her in 2000 with the Edward Elgar, an 80-tonne vessel with a length of 88 feet, which was purpose-built for cruising on the Severn. She can accommodate 22 passengers, and is the largest inland cruise boat which can provide overnight accommodation in the United Kingdom.

Edward Elgar

I recently took a short cruise on her along the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. Since the Severn Estuary is tidal, and therefore not always available to larger shipping, it was by-passed by the canal. Ships would sail into it through the Sharpness Lock, to be man-hauled up to Gloucester.

They did, eventually, use draught horses for this task, but only after considerable opposition from the haulage gangs who had to seek work elsewhere.

Since the Gloucester and Sharpness was a ship canal, it’s much wider than the usual English narrow-boat canal, and therefore presents no obstacle to the 18-foot-wide Edward Elgar. Neither are there any locks, except at either end of the canal. There are swing bridges, but these are operated by professional bridge-keepers. Indeed, each bridge has a notice threatening dire penalties for unauthorised people attempting to operate it.

Ruddy Duck at Slimbridge

Close to the canal is the world-famous Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s reserve at Slimbridge, founded by the well-known naturalist Sir Peter Scott, the son of the polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott. Here, a vast variety of waterbirds can be seen. Some of them are permanent residents of the reserve; others are migrants, free to come and go as they please.

But, however far they travel, they usually come back to the Severn Estuary and Slimbridge, for they realise that, to preserve the birds, they must also preserve the wetland habitat in which they thrive.

We spent the evening moored at Purton, a short distance from the canal’s terminus at Sharpness. The Severn runs really close to the canal at this point, and erosion of the river bank threatened the integrity of the canal. So, as a preventative measure, the authorities built a sea-wall … but not from traditional building materials. They beached several redundant ships and barges which, gradually, got encroached upon by the bank itself. But, the ships aren’t forgotten; they’re still recognisable as boats, and a plaque records the name of each of them. Several individuals and businesses in the area sponsor some of them, too.

Early in the morning, I got off the boat to photograph it at its moorings. But, I forgot to take my key, and no-one else was awake yet, to let me back on board. So, to fill in the time, I took a short walk around the hulks. I’m glad I did, for nothing encapsulates the history of the canal more than the boats which sailed on it.

Aboard the Edward Elgar

Disclosure: I cruised on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal as the guest of English Holiday Cruises (www.englishholidaycruises.co.uk). However, any opinions expressed are mine.

Temple Carvings, Abydos.

The afternoon Egyptian sun is hot. A few people splash languidly in the swimming-pool on the upper deck as the boat glides placidly up the Nile. One or two passengers lie sunbathing, but the majority sit reading, or talking quietly under the shade of the canvas awning.

At four o’clock precisely, a white-jacketed steward sounds a discreet chime on a gong, and everyone starts stirring. It’s been nearly fifty years since the British left Egypt, but they left a legacy of their occupation … the strict observance of the ritual of Afternoon Tea.

It sounds relaxed and lazy, and so it should be with the shade temperature in the ‘Hundreds’. Any contemplated activity should be done in the early morning or the evening. That’s the way the operators of Nile cruises plan it.

The appointment of the boats varies according to the price paid, but the layout is fairly standard. The usual pattern is a wide, multi-decked, shallow-draught craft slightly reminiscent of a Mississippi river-boat.

Our cruise started from Luxor. First, we were driven down-river to the Temple of Hathor at Dendara and the Osiris temple, at Abydos. These were the oldest temples to be visited, so it was thought logical to start from there. Our boat sailed from Luxor to meet us, and returned us there to see its sights on our second day.

Dawn at Luxor

Back in Luxor, we visited the Luxor and Karnak temples, then drove across the river to see the Valley of the Kings and the Hatchepsut temple. This isn’t the hassle it used to be. There’s a new bridge, the West Bank can now be reached by coach rather than a crowded ferry.

On the third day, we left Luxor feeling that we’d learnt more about temples than we really wished. But, there’ll be no more temples until the boat has passed the Esna Barrage. There’s only one lock … another was under construction … so boats usually have to wait at Esna for some time. It’s a pity that Esna is a rather shabby remnant of what appears once to have been a rather grand esplanade. There’s a temple, but it’s unremarkable, and few of the tour companies bother with it.

Karnak Temple

After Esna, the next call was the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best-preserved temple found so far. A photo-call by the statue of the hawk-god Horus (which, in truth, looks more like a gigantic canary!) by the entrance is almost obligatory for visitors. The guides usually arrange a transfer from the boat by horse-drawn calèche … an experience to be tried at least once!

At the next stop, Kom Ombo, the boat moored almost in the shadow of the temple, which can be reached by a short walk. This one’s different. It’s really two temples combined; one dedicated to Horus, and the other to Sobek, the crocodile god.

Finally, the boat arrived in Aswan. It could go no further, for the massive Aswan dams bar the way. We sailed across the river in a lateen-sailed felucca, then hiked up the hill to the Aga Khan Mausoleum, on the West Bank.

In Aswan itself, there was the market. Egyptian markets are a treat for eyes, ears and nose. Carpets, leather goods, clothing, spices … all are on offer, and the price is often negotiable! And, even if you don’t want to buy anything there’s the reminder that Egypt, in spite of all its remembrances of a bygone age, is still colourful, busy and alive.

Avenue of Sphinxes, Karnak.

In ancient times, the civilised world ended at Aswan. Then, however, the civilised world consisted of a long, narrow strip of territory on the banks of the Nile. In places, a keen hiker could have walked across the civilised world in a day!

The barrier was a set of rapids, the first of many encountered in the river as you proceed southwards. With appealing simplicity and unarguable logic, it was called the First Cataract.

You can’t see it today. It’s submerged beneath Lake Aswan, created when the Old Dam was completed in 1902, and Lake Nasser, held back by the more modern High Dam.

Up until 1994, those dams presented as formidable a barrier to the southbound passage of the Nile cruise-boats as the cataracts did to the boatmen of old. The tour operators solved the problem in exactly the same way as the old Egyptian navigators did; they built more boats above the obstacle. But, that’s another cruise!

One of Aswan’s most popular sights is the Temple of Isis. Now high and dry in its new location on Aghilikia Island, it’s easily visited by boat. In one of the best Sound and Light shows in Egypt, Isis herself tells of the original construction of her temple, and of the coming of dams and lakes, and the temple’s relocation and rebuilding.

In Aswan, I visited the Old Cataract Hotel, where they’ve attempted to preserve the art-deco ambience of the golden age of travelling. They showed me the desk upon which Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile … I’ll bet they say that about all their desks. And, at the appointed hour, they served afternoon tea!

Achensee, Austrian Tyrol

Whoever built that hut meant it to last. Four-square and stolid, it stood on the mountain, defying anything the elements might throw at it. This was a real chalet, a world away from the tacky ‘shally’ of the holiday camp.

It was still used for its rightful purpose, too. From within came a lowing, and the dull ‘tong’ of cattle bells. In former times, there’d have been accommodation on an upper story for the herder and maybe his family, for it’s a long, hard climb from the village. But, today, if he doesn’t ride up on a quad bike or something, he can always use the cable car. That’s how I got here.

The cable car

I make no excuse. I know of no rule that says that, to breathe mountain air, you must slog every foot of the way up a rather tedious zig-zag path. Nor have I ever found anything that says that you must toil all the way to the summit.

There is, of course, a downside to such a philosophy. As I aimed my camera to take a picture of the cattle-shed, a figure appeared in my view-finder. An almost completely spherical figure, dressed from head to foot in shocking pink, delicately balanced on ski-poles was heading towards the hut to see the cows. Luckily, the cows had left plenty of evidence of their passing, and the lady, apparently unwilling to gather that evidence on her pretty pink trainers, had retreated to the safety of the path, squealing in disgust!

I was almost 6000 feet up, in the Rofan Mountains in the Austrian Tirol. I’d ‘jumped ship’ from a package tour, rather than trudge around a succession of museums and souvenir shops, and took a walk. The Inn Valley provides plenty of walks like this one, and you don’t have to be a committed Alpinist to enjoy them.

The top station of the Rofan Seilbahn, as the cable car is called, lies at the lip of a corrie 2800 feet (880 metres) above the valley floor. The surrounding peaks rise about 1500 feet (470m) above that. But, the grassy corrie itself can provide an easy but substantial walk, with very little gain or loss of height.

And, you don’t have to carry lots of food with you, or wait until you’ve returned to Maurach village, far below, for refreshment. There are several bars, cafés and restaurants around the top station. Here you can sit with a Weissbier (wheat beer) and a bowl of Speckknodelsuppe (clear soup with a bacon dumpling!) and watch the hang-gliders and paragliders launching themselves off the mountain, to land on the banks of the Achensee, far below.

The rack railway from Jenbach to Achensee

Apart from the fact that it’s L-shaped, it’s tempting to compare Achensee with our own Windermere. Like Windermere, you can approach it on a steam train, the 110-year old Achenseebahn, from Jenbach down in the main valley.

Because of the steepness of the line, there’s a rack between Jenbach and Eben, at the highest point, where the rack ends, and the railway becomes a conventional one.

If you’d prefer to walk, there’s a footpath from Jenbach, from which you can still have a frequent glimpse of the little train clattering fussily up the rack, with the guard clinging to the outside of the carriages, as he proceeds along them inspecting tickets.

The line terminates at Seespitze, on the southern end of the lake, although there are tentative plans to extend it further. At present, you transfer to a boat, and sail to the main town, Pertisau, and beyond.

The road from Seespitz only goes as far as Pertisau, before leaving the lake shore. To the north of the village, a lakeside road isn’t really possible, because the Karwendel hills roll steeply right down to the shore. But, there is a footpath!

So, you can stay on the boat until Scolastika, at the head of the lake. From here, a short walk will take you to Achenkirche, overlooked by its onion-spired church on a grassy knoll above the village. From there, you could head off down the western shore of the lake towards Gaisalm.

Gaisalm, says the guidebook, is the only mountain pasture which is only accessible by boat or on foot. Here, there’s another chalet … and this one’s been converted to a restaurant. Here, I tried another Tirolean dish, Tiroler Gröstl, which is a hash of potatoes and pork, sautéed together with chives, herbs and onions. It sounds disgusting, and tastes delicious, but I really don’t recommend it unless you’re about to do some walking to burn those calories off.

Pertisau

At a guess, I’d say a walk from Pertisau to the restaurant at Gaisalm is a popular thing to do. On the gently undulating path I exchanged the obligatory ‘Grüss Gott!’ with so many people coming in the opposite direction that, by the time I got to Pertisau, my pronunciation was almost perfect!

A word of caution, though. Although, on a summer afternoon, the path is short and gentle, there are clues that it isn’t always so. It crosses quite a few streams, all flowing through seriously eroded gullies out of all proportion to their size. So, I’d suggest that quite a quantity of water comes off those mountains after heavy rain, and the path might be best avoided at such times … the boats call at Gaisalm if you need an alternative way back to Pertisau.

Pertisau is Alpine-pretty, but a bit too touristy for me. I stayed only long enough to buy an ice-cream and top up my water bottle … incidentally, if your way takes you through any town or village, there’s almost always a public fountain dispensing potable water. Instead of catching the boat, I walked back to the railway station, along a track through the woods above the road.

That track is also the local trimmbahn. Every so often there’s a piece of gymnastic apparatus made from logs from the wood, or a sign telling which exercise you must do. But, being a person who hates regimentation, I did star-jumps where it said to do press-ups, and so on!

When I got to the station, I was told the last train back to Jenbach had been cancelled, for some reason. What was I going to do? My map showed a pleasant path through the woods, by which Jenbach was only an hour’s walk away … and all downhill!

Pertisau

'Douglas' at Talyllyn

The original purpose of the narrow-gauge Talyllyn Railway, on the mid-Wales coast, was to carry slate from the Bryn Eglws quarry near Abergynolwyn down to the railway station at Tywyn..

It was also the first such railway which, when its operational life was over, attracted the attention of a Preservation Society. There was no period of disuse. The line has operated continuously since 1865. Even in its days as a slate railway, the line also carried passengers. Visitors liked to ride the railway from Tywyn to its terminus then walk in the hills for a while.

All the steam locomotives belonging to the Talyllyn Railway have an interesting history. One has been with the railway since it opened; another, over 120 years old, has spent all of its working life here. One came from the Corris Tramway, and another was designed and built by volunteers from the Society in its sheds at Pendre as recently as 1991.

But the most travelled locomotive is probably a Barclay Class E well-tank engine, which carries the number 6 and the name Douglas. It’s had a long and eventful career; half of its working life so far has been spent in the service of … the Royal Air Force!

In 1918, Douglas rolled out of the factory of Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co. in Kilmarnock, Scotland. It was one of six locomotives ordered by the Admiralty Air Service Construction Corps for transporting contractors’ materials at various Royal Naval Air Service airfields being built around the country. Naval custom of the day was that ships were the only inanimate objects to have names, so it was simply known as Locomotive 1431.

Temporary railways for carrying materials around airfield construction were used in many places, including Manston, in Kent, where L1431 was assigned. When the building work was completed, the tracks were taken up, and the engines placed in store at the Air Ministry Works & Buildings Department’s depot at West Drayton.

By this time, the Royal Air Force had been formed, and ‘inherited’ the engines from the Navy. Work was soon found for some of them.

Calshot Castle

In 1913, the RNAS had established a flying-boat and sea-plane base on Southampton Water, at Calshot Spit. Since this site was almost inaccessible by road, the contractor building the facility brought his materials from Southampton by barge. They would then be transported along the Spit by means of a temporary two-foot gauge railway to the domestic site, which was situated almost two miles away from the technical site, and the flying-boat slipway.

Because of the spread-out nature of the base, it was decided to retain the railway as a permanent fixture. It would be operated by AMW&B staff, and would be used for internal movement of personnel and stores.

In1921, 1431 was brought from West Drayton to work on the line. The rolling stock consisted of open wagons for coal and stores, one closed wagon and several passenger carriages. Most of the carriages had open sides, and were intended for use by the sergeants. There were two carriages with closed sides for the officers; the airmen marched to work behind the Station band!

Last surviving Sunderland flying boat on the slip at Calshot

The end came on 15th August 1945 – VJ Night. The sergeants lit a celebratory bonfire outside their Mess, and when the fire died down, it was suggested that some of the wagons on the nearby railway might be used for fuel. Some of the wagons had already been overturned when reason prevailed, and the proposed arson was abandoned! But, when the workmen arrived on the following morning to right the wagons, their undersides were found to be so rotted and corroded as to be dangerous.

The Station Commander ordered that the train was to run no more. The drivers were told to prepare the engines for storage and disposal and the workmen were to finish the job on the rolling stock started by the Sergeants’ Mess on VJ Night.

The two locomotives, however, were still serviceable, and came up for auction in 1949. A Birmingham engineering firm, Abelson & Co. Ltd. bought them for £60 each, intending to refurbish them before selling them on to a copper mine in India. Unfortunately, they failed to meet Indian Government specifications. So, upon hearing of the recent formation of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, Abelsons’ decided to present 1431 to them.

Douglas, as 1431 had been named, after one of Abelson’s directors, started work at Talyllyn in the Spring of 1954, and continued right through until 1992, when it was withdrawn for a major overhaul, including replacement of its original boiler. Returning to service in May 1995, Douglas was ‘recalled to the colours’ over the winter of that year. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the end of WW2, it was painted in its original AMW&B livery, and placed on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon.

The nameplate, and the original manufacturer's plate

After a short appearance at Calshot, Douglas was returned to Talyllyn, where it continues to give pleasure to thousands of holidaymakers … probably for at least the next 90 years!

Public transportation in Austin is kind of a mixed bag, as I’ve discovered from riding some of their buses. While it’s certainly affordable, with prices per ride currently set at a mere 75 cents (though rates are being hiked up 25 cents to $1/ride as of January 18) and free rides for all students (with valid school ID), service can occasionally be a spotty, particularly when heading north or south to some of the “outlying” areas—like where I happen to live.

"Fancy new STOP button on Capitol Metro bus" by Flickr user mlovitt

Still, having come from Montreal—where fares seemed to go up every other month, and the last price-per-ride I paid with the STM was a whopping $2.75—Austin’s service is amazing. Express buses are great for avoiding the headaches of commuting by car during the week, offering convenient rush-hour service straight to the downtown core from either north or south of the city. Additionally, all express buses offer riders free wifi! I’ve been able to post Twitter updates, check my email, and find out when my favorite bands will be in town all thanks to CapMetro’s wifi, accessible on my iPod Touch. It’s definitely nice to be able to stay in touch with the worldwide web, even when you haven’t got a cell phone to surf on.

The only downside is that without the express bus service (which, btw, currently costs $1.50 per ride and is going up to $2.50) that takes me straight from the steps of my northern apartment to the front door of my downtown job, it’s a bit harder to get around the city. Instead of a 20-minute ride, I’m instead stuck with hopping from one local bus to another and an hour-long commute. Since there’s no subway in Austin, things can quickly become complicated as you navigate the system of express vs. local vs. limited/flyer vs. special vs. crosstown vs. feeder buses. Which ones go where? How do you know which ones will go where you want to go?

Working on Sundays, I wasn’t initially aware that my express bus route didn’t run on the weekends, so I was afraid I’d be stuck with an insane cab bill home and back that would negate any money I actually made that day. Luckily, however, there’s a Google trip planner available online, offering exact directions from one address to another and preventing newcomers from getting totally lost. The planner lets you choose which times of day and days of the week you want to travel, and then plots out the best way to get wherever you want to go, kind of like GPS for public transit. Sweet!

Screenshot of CapMetro's trip planner

Another interesting feature of the CapMetro trip planner is the fact that you can have it also plot nearby bike routes. If you’ve got a bike you’d like to ride around the city, this will give you some suggested routes and help keep you off main thoroughfares like Guadalupe (where there are bike lanes that seem to drop out intermittently, leaving bikers competing with cars for space.)

CapMetro has also been planning a passenger rail connection for Leander from downtown for quite some time, with area residents still wondering what the hold-up is all about. The train is supposed to use existing freight tracks, so it will only run during the day on weekdays in order to avoid freight trains. Last we heard (as of December 9, 2009, via Statesman columnist Ben Wear), the contract with its original service provider, Veolia, was terminated, new contractor Herzog was taking over, and trains still weren’t running except in “test” mode. When will passengers actually be able to grab a train to work? That’s perhaps the biggest mystery of 2010.

All in all, I’d give CapMetro a passing grade, though I could certainly stand having express buses that run on the weekends to take me downtown and back. Given the fact that Texas is a bit backward when it comes to public transit, since Texans love their oil and their cars, it’s definitely harder to get around the city via bus than it ought to be, but for those looking to take the stress out of their commutes, it’s definitely worth it to invest in a bus pass ($36 for 31 days of unlimited service).

A Land Train at Ayia Marina

A friend in Greece told me she’d heard of the building of a ‘tramway’ in Iraklion, on the island of Crete. At that time, I thought they would have to knock down a lot of houses in order to build an effective one, for it was some time since I’d last visited the town, and I remembered narrow streets and close-packed houses.

But, the mystery was solved when I revisited recently. These trams, or rather, trains, don’t run on tracks. They’re road trains. They’re not just novelty trains for children that ply along the sea-front. You can take a tour on them, for an afternoon or a whole day.

If you ever take a coach tour, have you noticed there’s always someone who, as soon as the bus has come to a halt, gets up and starts fiddling with his belongings, blocking the aisle so that nobody can get off for five minutes! The extra door in the middle of the coach is useful on such occasions, but, even then, sometimes, you might wish for extra doors, like there used to be on older trains.

The trains not only operate out of Iraklion, but from the several holiday resorts along the northern coast. If you like ‘night life’ and ‘action’, you should stay somewhere at the eastern end of the island. As you move westward, the quieter the resorts become. We were staying at Ayia Marina, near Xania, which lies on the west side of the island.

Lorraine on the Little Red Train

One day, I walked the Samaria Gorge. That’s the longest gorge in Europe; 18 kilometres of rather rocky going. There’s no way out, either, except on your own two feet or, in extreme emergency, on the back of the ranger’s donkey.

My wife took one look at the pictures of the gorge, and decided it was too difficult for her, and chose an easier option. She would take the road train on a tour to another gorge, the Therissos Gorge. Afterwards, she reported that, while the gorge wasn’t quite as spectacular as Samaria, it was still quite an experience … and could be viewed from the comfort of the train, which, unlike Samaria, was able to drive all the way. And, she came back clutching a large bag of oranges she’d bought at a stall along the way for the price of a couple of oranges in the UK.

I didn’t feel much like walking the following day, so we took a train ride instead. We chose the Galatas Country Tour on the ‘Little Red Train’ from Platanias, near our hotel outside Xania. Its owner claimed it was the first ever of the trains, and that his trains, of Italian manufacture, were superior to the French-built ones of his competitors

.They are much more convenient, we were told, because, unlike coaches, the operator doesn’t have to keep a fleet of different-sized buses. He just hitches on an extra ‘carriage’ or trailer, when times are busy, or takes one off when demand is light. And, it’s easy to get on and off; there is a door for each row of seats! The open-sided carriages are a big plus for photographers; they make the train an ideal ‘camera platform’

The train passing through Pantelari

The route took us through the orange groves in the valleys to the south of the main road, which runs along the northern coast of the island. They missed a trick, I thought .. why didn’t he call this tour ‘The Orange Blossom Special’? Of course, we took the tour in Spring, when the blossom was out. It isn’t always. We stopped at Ayia Lake; snow on mountains reflected in a beautiful artificial lake made us think we were anywhere but Greece! And, on the way out, we halted at a roadside stall for fresh orange juice, and to buy more oranges.

Then, the route took us to the Allied War Memorial, on top of a hill. This commemorated the soldiers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand who unsuccessfully defended the island against a German parachute invasion in the Second World War. Being situated on a hill, the views of the groves of olive and orange, and the vineyards are magnificent.

The Allied War Memorial

Galatas

Our last stop was at a village called Galatas, where we parked in front of the church, which those who wished to could visit. Most passengers, however, made their way to a small museum, mainly of artefacts from the War. It’s rather a slight affair, which might not be worth making a special trip to see, but it is important to the villagers

At the end of the tour, we found another advantage to the train having no tracks. It can go almost anywhere, and, if your hotel is nearby, it will pick you up or drop you there, if you ask nicely!

Keith with the train:Ayia Lake

If seeing royalty and their affluent lifestyles makes you wish to be a king or Queen, you can do just that, in India, in the Palace on Wheels. This super luxury train has been conceptualized keeping in mind the ardent wish of many tourists who are attracted to the rich cultural treasure of India and also the opulent life of the Maharajas who once ruled the country.

The Palace on Wheels plies from Delhi via Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, and Agra then back to Delhi. While all these places encompass a wide variety of natural, historical and ethnic attractions, the journey on the train itself, is something of a majestic treat. Because once on board, you are no more a person of the 21st century, but an honorary guest who deserves to be treated like any other King of the bygone era.

Welcome! courtesy Bahadur Singh, Indien from Flickr

Luxurious entourage

The train begins its journey every Wednesday of the week from Delhi. After a day’s visit to various attraction of the National capital, the guests enter the train with much fanfare and a royal welcome. The luxurious cabins are in stark contrast to the other passenger trains of India and easily remind one of a typical Indian palace setting. And the best thing is, although the look is historical the amenities provided to the guest are at par with any modern facilities around the world.

Coaches

There are 14 coaches of the Palace on Wheels and each coach has been named after a former Rajput state, with even the interiors, the décor, matching that of the royal past and suiting the aesthetics of the state. Each saloon has a mini pantry and a lounge to ensure availability of hot and cold beverage, refreshments and a place to relax and get together.

The rooms are lavishly done and make one forget that you are indeed sitting in a train. Wall-to wall carpeting, custom made furniture, music, intercom, the chambers have a distinct aura of regality.

Lavish Interiors. Courtesy Bahadur Singh, Indien from Flickr

Restaurant

The train has two lavish restaurants “The Maharaja” and “The Maharani” with a Rajasthani ambience serving palate tickling Continental, Chinese, Indian and Rajasthani cuisines. For those new to the Indian way of dining, the 8 day journey is also a good way to appreciate the varied delicacies of this part of the world.

There is also a bar offering the choicest of spirits and a library with varied collection of books.

The Itinerary

Day 1 begins in Delhi and by late afternoon after a tour of the city and lunch, guest board the train.

Day 2 is for Jaipur, the pink city with its magnificent palaces and thrilling shopping experience. The folk dancers only add to the typical Rajasthan feel of the journey.

Day 3 is a favorite with nature-lovers as it is on this day when the train halts at Sawai-madhopur. Here there is the Ranthambore tiger reserve; the den for tigers and also 24 other species of mammals and 300 species of birds.  With a fort in the background, some beautiful lakes in the foreground and a forest in between, you can’t ask for more for some amazing photo opportunities here.

Day 3 is also reserved for Chittorgarh, which has one of the largest forts of India built in the 5^th -8^th century.

Day 4 into the journey takes you to Udaipur, the lake city which enchants with the city palace and the dream-like palace on lake seemingly floating on the blue water.

Palace on Lake, courtesy Geoff McGrath from Flickr

Day 5 has sun, sand and sensational architectural marvels in the form of the fort of Jaisalmer. The city is the western most desert city with a prominent place in history as the passage to Persia, Africa and other trading countries. Must-see here: the sand dunes, Must-do: the camel ride.

Day 6 takes you to Jodhpur where stands the omnipresent Mehrangarh Fort. It is also home to Umaid Bhavan Palace a grand historical monument that still breathes regality anywhere you see. This palace has 347 rooms and partly still serves as the Royal residence of the Maharaja.

Day 7 you are in Bharatpur where stands the Lohargarh, or Iron Fort. This is the only fort in the state to have bastions of mud, which proved meritorious because they simply swallowed up the cannon shells not allowing them to impact.
The Ghana National Park one of the finest bird sanctuary in the world is also a treat, with over three hundred species of birds, many of them migrant that come from parts as distant as Siberia and China.

Day 7 also takes you to Agra, where stands the most beautiful mausoleum of love known to man: the Taj Mahal. It is as grand as it has been made to sound and as beautiful. The more you see this white structure the more you are convinced that angels must have come to earth to create this mammoth beauty.

Taj Mahal. courtesy Anmol Bhalla from Flickr

Day 8 you arrive back to Delhi with a long cherished dream to lead an aristocratic life fulfilled on the Palace on wheels.

To know more about this royal treat visit,

 http://www.palaceonwheels.net/new/home.htm

‘This is a land of fairies and giants’ says the commentary on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, and, as the little train clatters up into the mountain mists, you can well believe it. It doesn’t take much imagination to conjure up a vision of either a good witch or a malevolent troll hiding in the murk beyond the tumbling crags.

The carriages on the train are a good age; the diesel locomotives which push them up the mountain are about 25 years old, and most of the steam locomotives, which are still running, and share the duty, are over 100 years old. So, the whole thing looks old-fashioned, quaint and … I won’t say ramshackle … Tolkien-ish! There’s no exact English word for it, but the Germans have an excellent one … Tinkelbahn !!

The slopes to be negotiated are too steep for a conventional railway. This is a rack-and-pinion railway, on which toothed cog-wheels on the engine engage on the ‘rack’, between the lines. It works on almost exactly the same principle as a roller-coaster, except the cog wheels remain engaged on the rack to act as a brake on the way down, as well.

The system used at Snowdon is the Abt Rack, designed by Dr. Roman Abt, in which horizontal cog wheels are used; the other system most used on rack railways is the Riggenbach rack, in which vertical cog wheels engage in a so-called ‘ladder rack’.

The railway was the brain-child of the grandly-named George William Duff-Assheton-Smith who, in the late 19th Century, owned most of the valley and most of the northern slope of Snowdon, at 3,500 feet, the highest mountain in Wales. Although the main business of Llanberis, where the railway starts, was slate quarrying, ‘trippers’ were arriving as well. Many of these visitors wanted to climb to the summit of Snowdon, and many of them did, either on foot or on the back of a mule or a donkey.

The train changed all that. The railway, and the locomotives and carriages were commissioned from the Swiss Locomotive & Manufacturing Co. of Winterhur, Switzerland … the Swiss, having many similar railways, are rather good at this.

Now, anyone, regardless of fitness, could take the train to within 60 feet of the summit, and see for themselves if it was possible, on a clear day, to see all the countries of the United Kingdom.

I can tell you, from previous experience, it is possible. But, not today … the low cloud and rain saw to that. But, shortly after we set off, a spectacular waterfall came fleetingly into view. ‘If you look to the left,’ said the mechanical voice, ‘you can see …’ … a rain-lashed window, swirling mist and craggy rocks, which hid … what, or who? Fairies and giants, maybe?

There’s another mountain, not far from here, where it’s said if you spend the night alone on the summit, you will be either mad or a great poet in the morning. And, in this mist, it’s not hard to believe. At an intermediate station, a shadowy figure emerged from a shed; he could be anything you imagined, if it wasn’t for the reflective jacket he was wearing.

I wasn’t here to admire the view, anyway. I was going to inspect the new Hafod Eryri restaurant, station and Visitor Centre on the summit, which replaced the ugly eyesore which preceded it. Surprising, because the building was originally designed by the noted architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. But. His original design didn’t survive the first winter up there, and it had to be modified to something more functional, rather than decorative.

But, with modern technology, the new centre is both aesthetically pleasing and practical, and offers a very easy way up to it … if you book in advance at busy periods.

Find out much more about the Snowdon Mountain Railway and the new Visitor Centre at http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk