Steam to Colombo Fort

The last day of the tour saw us travel seventy-six miles from Kandy to Colombo Fort on a busy public holiday. Across the country celebrations were taking place to mark the 70th anniversary of Sri Lankan independence, something we had seen for ourselves in the morning as marching bands started to make their way into the city centre. It wasn’t entirely clear if any extra trains would be running but most of the services we saw looked as packed as ever.

On arrival at Kandy station at we found our two steam locomotives sat outside the shed and not attached to the stock. AS all the trains seemed to be running late it was no surprise to hear that our departure had been pushed back an hour to 2.30pm. At least it gave us another opportunity to photograph the beautiful signal gantry at Kandy. Inevitably the best light fell on the service trains, but it was a marked improvement on the murky conditions that had greeted us some days earlier.

Steam under the gantries of Kandy

A walk down the track to a position just beyond the gantry gave us a great vantage point to admire the variety of locomotive classes in action today, including an S12 diesel multiple unit, two classes of diesel electric locomotives (M5C and M6), two classes of diesel-hydraulic locomotive (W2A and W3) and a class Y Hunslet shunter. Most of us were looking pretty clean and refreshed after a morning chilling or taking in the city but many a white shirt proved a good litmus test for the speed at which dirt gets sprayed around on these trips!

After taking a photograph of a false departure we boarded our train and set off at 2.45pm. The plan was as simple as it could be – we would run as fast as the pathing would let us be, apart from a scheduled photostop at the Lion’s Mouth. In reality the complexities of our train’s appearance on the network were amply demonstrated by the many stops needed to allow the service trains to overtake us. Luckily, we were able to take advantage of a couple of these to squeeze in extra runpasts at Kadugannawa (4.15pm) and Rambukkana (5.32pm) on the way to Colombo Fort (8.05pm).

Most of all, the run in to Colombo Fort gave us a chance to soak up the atmosphere and absorb the detail of the stations, signals and even the wonderful weigh bridges along the route. Our speed was pretty limited for a long stretch, dictated by the speed restriction signs enforcing a limit of 25km/h due to weak rails and sleepers, but once we got clear of this section we were able to pick up speed and got up to 65 km/h where we had an uninterrupted run.

One of the many warning signs along the first part of our route

In the cab for today’s run there was one driver and three firemen (one past fireman and two trainees) so they could keep at it all the time. Although inexperienced (with only two previous trips behind them) they seemed to be doing a good job, improvising where they needed to and giving us a superb run into Colombo Fort. It was pretty splendid to be riding west into the setting sun, towards the Indian Ocean, with cinders flying past the windows and locals crowded at the lineside. The air thick with smoke as we thundered towards Colombo.

At Polgahawela we could see photographers in tuk-tuks chasing the train, which seemed a rather uneven battle, whilst at another stretch workers packed into an open truck cheered and waved as we passed. Somewhere else a family of three perched precariously on a motorbike waved as they rode in parallel.

More often than not it looked as though ordinary folk had heard about the train whistling in the distance and come to the lineside to see it pass. It certainly seemed to add something to the celebratory vibe of the day. In all these snapshots of lives intersecting with our train, as seen from the carriage windows, we were reminded of the final line from Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic poem about the views from a railway carriage ‘Each a glimpse and gone forever!’

A quickly arranged run past between service trains at Kadugannawa

Even when the colourful skies gave way to darkness there were still many marvelous sights to enjoy on the approach to Colombo, from the fishermen in the wetlands using lamps to illuminate their spots to the sight of the Lotus Tower specially illuminated for national day. However, it was just enough to sit in the dark carriage illuminated only by the streaks of light from passing trains and stations, along with the constant spark show.

It has been a very enjoyable tour in good company, even if one of our number did voice the opinion that it would make a great psycho-pathology field trip! The weather might have been less than kind at times, but it did at least clear the skies, giving us bursts of brilliant blue rather than the haze that apparently dogged the previous tour here. Bernd thought that we should also thank the Chinese engineers – for it was their railcar breaking down that gave us such brilliant photo opportunities when we had to push back rather than forward a few days ago!

A considerable degree of effort has gone in to making this tour possible, from the way that the railway staff across the network have found ways to make things work for us (often at short notice) to the supreme efforts of the crew handling the locomotives with limited experience and equipment. Most of all though, it is Bernd’s years of effort and incredible organisational skills that have delivered the most astonishing photographic opportunities to us. I for one am very appreciative of everything that has contributed to making this such a wonderful trip and look forward to my next FarRail adventure!

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Runpast at Rambukkana

The leisurely start we enjoyed yesterday was long forgotten as we rose in the early morning to prepare for a 4.30am departure from Colombo on our two tour buses. In truth most of us had enjoyed little sleep on account of an all night disco somewhere in the neighbourhood and the hotel maintenance team’s unfathomable conclusion that 12.30am was a good time to start some drilling.

It might well have been an early start for us but the traffic on the road suggested that it was a part of the daily routine for many commuters trying to avoid the traffic hell of rush hour in Colombo. The service buses on their way in to the city centre already looked full to standing. In the meantime we had a cardboard-boxed breakfast from the hotel to enjoy – what delights might be in store? The groans from around the bus suggested that I might not like the answer. I was somehow still surprised to see that the hotel had outdone themselves by serving up cold chips and a pot of mayonnaise!

A run past the water tower at Rambukkana

If our early start had left us bleary eyed then we ought to have spared a thought for the crews who left the shed with our empty coaching stock at 1.30am so that we could make an early start from Rambukkana, where the main line towards Badulla really begins its climb. I’d like to say that we were brimming with confidence for the day ahead, but after seeing the loco struggle on a first run past the signalbox (at 7.40am) we wondered how on earth it would cope with the gradients ahead…

A short walk up the line brought us to the next photo spot with a lovely view of palm trees and traditional telegraph poles, but we were not the first to reach the location. A friendly cow had been tethered in farmland adjacent to the line and the rope allowed it just enough scope to reach the perfect spot for the shot. You couldn’t turn your back without suddenly discovering that you were the next source of his/her curiosity! It was no fan of steam and didn’t stick around for the run past.

B1d class steam locomotive no. 340 passes the signals outside Kadigamuwa Station

After another burst of photography we headed up the line at 9.25, reaching the next stop at Kadigamuwa fifteen minutes later. Our train had to wait here for service trains to cross but there was time enough first for a couple of runpasts at a signal just beyond the station. The conditions were beautiful – blue skies, sun and lovely semapahore signals. Once the line was clear we continued on to Ihala Kotte.

Once again a service train needed to overtake us, so we walked back on ourselves to the exit from tunnel 5a and waited for it to pass before attempting a run past. Attempt is the operative word here – as the loco emerged from the tunnel the carriages decoupled and ended up standing stationery immediately in front of us! This didn’t matter too much to the stills photographers but was less enthusiastically received by those among us recording video. After a more successful repeat we returned to Ihala Kotte and crossed with a mixed freight headed towards Colombo (11.35) before continuing on our way (11.38).

The morning really brought home the organisational challenge of arranging opportunities for photography here. The runpasts have to be deftly interwoven with the schedule and this gets an awful lot more complicated when train delays are factored in. I’m sure that we are make life incredibly difficult for everyone on the line today so I’m incredibly appreciative for what we have been able to do. In many places they wouldn’t even consider attempting this!

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