Model of a toy train at the exhibition in Siliguri. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Aug. 23: “Little canvas-sheltered cars that skimmed along within a foot of the ground and seemed to be going fifty miles an hour when they were really making about twenty.” That was how Mark Twain had described the toy train in 1896.

More than a century later, Twain’s description along with illustrations of his exploits in the Darjeeling hills found place at a weeklong exhibition that is being held to commemorate the 128 years of the toy train, a Unesco heritage property.

Hung alongside is a photograph of Mother Teresa as a novitiate at Loreto Convent in Darjeeling. The caption reads “one of the famous travellers of the toy-train”. The toy train service in the hills completed 128 years today.

“It has brought back memories of my childhood when we used to travel from Sukna to Darjeeling on the toy train. I remember how the train would get lost in the thick forest and emerge out again. The experience is still refreshing,” said S. Dasgupta, a visitor at the exhibition at the North Bengal Science Centre here.

Pictures of colossal damage to the track in the “great storm” of 1899 have also found space at the exhibition. “The objective of the exhibition is to get the future generation interested in the world heritage property. Students in Siliguri have little knowledge of the toy train’s heritage…” said Subrata Nath, the DHR director, when asked why the exhibition was being held here.

Celebrations though muted were also held at the DHR headquarters in Kurseong today. “As the track from NJP to Kurseong is closed because of damage caused by recent rain, we decided to celebrate the anniversary on a small scale,” said Nath.