Being in the coach next to the puffing steam engine and looking out from the window ensured that by end of the joy ride, I had sizeable quantity of fine coal particles on my head as well as jacket. The last time I recollect the coal particles was when in school, we would travel every summer by Howrah mail to my grandparents' place in Vidarbha. The ride on the toy train at Darjeeling brought back memories of our childhood trips in trains, which were invariably pulled by steam locomotives.

Everything about the toy train at Darjeeling is charming to say the least. The railway stations, the fantastic steam engines which are maintained at the loco shed at Darjeeling, the coaches, the Batasia loop, each one of these exude the charm of the bygone era. This is true and living heritage, to be experienced live. The best thing about the joy ride between Darjeeling and Ghoom, is that it criss crosses the street and runs in the thick of the already heavy traffic on the road. While doing so, it runs close to so many houses and shops, but then DHR (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway) is an integral part of this region and would be a matter of pride for the people here. I am sure that DHR would be a boon to the economy of this region especially after DHR received the coveted UNESCO world heritage site status.