Blowing white smoke and whistling, the toy train runs along the winding mountain paths. There is nostalgia about that toy train across the world. Who hasn't come to ride the toy train? An organisation called Friends of Toy Train has been formed in Britain. They often come to Siliguri with toy train enthusiasts from various parts of the world.
Eighty-four-year-old Seiya Sugawara, a resident of Tokyo, Japan, has been coming to Siliguri and riding the toy train for 37 consecutive years.
On Tuesday, he filmed a documentary about the toy train for the last time and took it with him, but why?
Due to doubts about whether he would ever be able to visit this country again due to the burden of age, he did not board the train that day but took photographs for the documentary with the help of his companions. When he first came to visit India in 1971, he set foot in Siliguri to see Darjeeling.
After that, he became so enchanted while going to Darjeeling on the toy train that he kept coming to Darjeeling year after year. He is old now. Due to doubts about coming again, he did not board the train that day but created a documentary with the help of his companions.
They shoot for the documentary by stopping the train at various bends of the mountains and beside waterfalls.
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According to that Japanese tourist, "I have been coming since 1971. I fell in love after boarding the toy train. Now I have aged quite a bit. Maybe I will never be able to come again. Sitting in my own country, in my own home, watching this documentary, perhaps I can satisfy the regret of not being able to ride the toy train."
Preparations had been underway from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for several days. Six Japanese citizens had rented an entire train online. Renting an entire toy train is no small matter. It is quite expensive. When Sugawara arrived with his companions that day, the railway employees seemed unable to get over their amazement. Because the passengers were not willing to board the train.
Instead of boarding the train, they started filming the documentary. After renting the entire train, the railway workers became somewhat curious when they did not board the train. Learning about Sugawara's history of love for the toy train in conversation, they became fascinated.
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Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Director Rishav Chowdhury says, "A person has been coming to Darjeeling for a long time just to ride the toy train. I have heard various stories of people's fascination with the toy train. Sugawara is like their representative. We consider ourselves blessed to be able to honour such a person."
During the filming of the documentary, the Japanese team was taken by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway to Alice Villa, the headquarters of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or DHR in Kurseong, where they were felicitated.
