Himalayan steam railway

gardengirl

Hello,
Could somebody please confirm or correct..

1. The diesel toy train goes from New Jaipaluri daily to Darjeeling.
The Darjeeling Himalayan steam railway only goes from Kurseong- Darjeeling ONCE a day leaving Kurseong @ 0600hrs.
(Why so early I wonder....??)

2. As the steam train is my interest, I'll be staying at Kurseong in order to catch it!
Lonely planet says there are lovely walks, tea estates and a gompa run by Buddhist nuns. .Any comment about Kurseong?Any recommendations about where to stay?

I had to smile..it all sounded so lovely, a quieter and less commercial version of Darjeeling, that I was going to ask for a reality check, then when I logged on to Darjeeling to post it, the first thing I saw was Darjeeling shutdown, political unrest.....reality check received within 30secs!! That's India, that's life!
Thanks, Gardengirl

Midnight Oil

Hi Garden Girl,

Welcome to Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Sikkim,

I may have few answers to your questions...

The train has a legacy to transport the students from Kurseong to Darjeeling going for college. However, now a days students don’t travel by train. People's Day in Darjeeling start with the whistle of the Train. Therefore, the train is just maintaining the Legacy.

I would recommend you stay in Kurseong Tourist Lodge, which gives you a scenic beauty. Its within the town but away from the crowd. Option for you would be Hotel Mohpal, Hotel Amarjeet, Hotel Batloi, All these Hotels are located in H.C. Road locally known as Tenzing Norgary Road. If you want to stay in a homely environment I would suggest you Oli's Den... its just below Kurseong Tourist Lodge. You will feel at home.

Regarding the shutdowns in Darjeeling... be assured that you will enjoy Darjeeling if there is shut down.. Everyone says so... jokes apart.. The people of Darjeeling are welcoming.. and they know how to respect the tourist. One can guarantee that there wont be any problem.

Infact, the shutdowns has vanished.. Everything is fine

if you need more info.. please write..

Britishraj

Hi Garden Girl
In my 'salad days' I was one of the privileged to go to Goethals Memorial School Kurseong. The 150 yr. old toy train was reserved for the students as Midnight Oil rightly stated. In fact we are the only school in the world that had its own Siding/ Stn. The early start from Kurseong to Darj. is because it takes 4hrs. Midnight Oil has given you excellent advice re: hotel choice. Kurseong is a very laid back, kind of 'one horse town' The train runs thro' the middle of the town. There are plenty of places to explore in them thar hills! Incidently, the toy train excursions from Darj. are a 10am nd 3pm. You could make a visit to Ghoom which is the highest point.
I will be back in Darj. in Nov. at which time the people will be talking in smoke signals!

Enjoy the Toy Train

__________________
Elvis Has Left The Building

gardengirl

Hello Midnight Oil and Britishraj,
Thank you for your responses.I hadn't looked at the site for a while so I've only just found them.
Thanks for the recommendation of the Kurseong tourist lodge.
I was looking at that, or the Makaibari tea estate homestay, both of which sounded good, but decided on the kurseong lodge because of the ease of access to the railway which is what really interests me.
If I can't get in there, I'll try Oli's Den. That's really helpful, thanks.
Thanks for your reassurances too.
Like you, Britishraj, I've had connection with a miniature steam train and have good memories.Different train though.We lived in a village in the Lake District in England when my son was born and had his early years, and the only public transport was a little steam train that went down to the coast. We were often on that train or watching it go past, and it will be lovely to see another one after all these years. Happy memories for me; I hope your memories are good too.
I'm SO looking forward to it all now.....
All the best to you,
gardengirl