Sukna DHR station at Fairbourne UK

Sukna station of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is set to get a third reincarnation in the UK, but this time with a twist.

The locomotives coming out of the new Sukna station will be half the size of the toy trains chugging up the hills here.

The UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS) has decided to recreate Sukna at Fairbourne station of Fairbourne Railway, a miniature railway in Wales with tracks laid on a gauge of approximately 1ft.

The DHR runs on narrow gauge, which is 2ft wide. Most locomotives of the Fairbourne Railway are half-scale replicas of engines running on existing narrow gauge lines.

“Over the two days of the August Bank Holiday (August 26 and 27), DHRS will be bringing a touch of spice to the Fairbourne Railway,” Society chairman David Barrie told The Telegraph in an email.

Fairbourne has been chosen as the venue for a reason, said Barrie. “It was in 1997, when I was admiring Fairbourne Railway’s ‘Sherpa’, the half-scale replica of DHR steam locomotives, that I was inspired to start the DHRS. I am pleased we could be part of the worldwide movement to save the DHR and the event is our way of saying thanks to Fairbourne,” he said.

The celebrations are timed to take place just after the 127th anniversary of the DHR, which is on August 23. Plus, India has just celebrated 60 years of independence.

“India is hot topic at the moment,” Barrie said. “We’re an event that neatly encapsulates the colour and vibrancy of the country.”

The transformation of Fairbourne will be complete with a bazaar selling all sorts of Indian goodies, from shawls to bric-a-brac, even advice on how to get to Darjeeling! There will be Indian signs (more than 50 in Hindi and English), hundreds of prayer flags, DHRS members in Indian costumes, chai sellers, and much else.

A Curry and Film Show has been lined up on Sunday evening. “A special train will take people down to a point where there will be a curry meal and dessert accompanied by a slide show on the DHR,” Barrie said.

Earlier, DHRS recreated Sukna at Ffestiniog Railway’s Minfford station and Leighton Buzzard Railway’s Berdfordshire. So why Sukna again and again?

“It’s the only station signs we have,” joked Barrie.

Source: The Telegraph