Darjeeling toy train derails

No fatalities and only minor injuries but a bit of a mess:

http://siliguritimes.com/in/darjeel...liguri-five-passengers-suffer-minor-injuries/

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Can't say I've ever heard the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway called a 'Toy Train'! Even had too check the reliable Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_Himalayan_Railway

Sad news either way though :-(

 

But it is called that in India all the time . . . . .

 

that's what surprised me more!!!

 

"Toy Railway" has a slightly different meaning as used in this context in India. Its meaning is closer to "small".

 

Many years ago, well I think it was 1984 as I was 14 that year, my family traveled extensively around India by rail. They only parts that ended up being by road was the part up to Darjeeling as it was monsoon season with lots of landslides across both the road and trackback. At Darjeeling there was a local train that was switching in the station and was about to head down the line for a short run. My dad urged me to jump on and go for a ride as they shunted, but being too scared I didn't. Stupid decision as I totally regret it.

Only steam we were pulled by in India was on the Nilligiri line with a X class rack engine. Looking at the deep drop offs I am sure glad that didn't derail.

 

Back In the day, narrow gauge railways like the Festiniog were often described as Toy Railways - various postcards of the pre-WW2 era are captioned thus, for example.