Himalayan Journey

This book was published by Thacker and Co., Bombay, in the year 1944. Written by John Thomas of the British Raj's India Command, it details a journey on board the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from Siliguri. "In spite of its toy-like dimensions it handles a formidable amount of traffic, both passenger and goods, with a degree of efficiency that would be welcome on some of the large Indian railways," the author writes of the Darjeeling railway line. The 70-page document is divided into five sections: Darjeeling Mail (Section 1); Through the Terai (Section 2); The "O" and "Z" Plan (Section 3); Mountain Magic (Section 4); Tea Town (Section 5). The book highlights the construction of the Cart Road to Darjeeling in late 19th century, the arrival of the Eastern Bengal Railway to North Bengal in 1878, the distinctive speed and size of the Darjeeling 'toy' trains and features of the places it crossed on its journey.