Bernard VanCuylenburg.
My Dad was on Carolina Group, Watawala for 27 years, and
before he retired, he planted in Bandarawela for four years. Carolina was a
huge estate of 2230 acres. By a topographical twist of fate, the railway
line from Colombo to Badulla went through one of the divisions of Carolina
called Mt.Jean. In fact the Watawala railway station was located on
Mt.Jean division! Our bungalow on Kadawella division was some distance away
from the railway track, but each day around 1.30 pm. we could hear the sound of
the horn and the throbbing hum of the diesel locomotive as the
"Menike" slided on ribbons of steel on her onward journey
uphill amidst spectacular landscape on the way to Badulla. The blast
of the horn would echo through the green hills and in the solitude of an estate
bungalow it was a reassuring sound.
When the"Udarata Menike" was first
introduced in 1954 it was powered by two British diesel locomotives. Before
this, the train to Badulla was hauled by two steam engines which meant getting
flecks of coal in one's eye, when looking out of the window ! And with the
puffs of smoke blowing all over, the journey was not very pleasant. The
introduction of diesel changed all that. A new set of carriages were hitched
onto the diesel locomotives on her maiden run, and thats how it remained as
long as I remember. The icing on the cake was the gift of twelve Canadian
diesel locomotives under the Colombo Plan in the late 50's - an outright
gift from the Canadian government under the premiership of Pierre Trudeau.
These diesels were a joy to behold, and I still remember the names of some of
them, on either side of the locomotive gleaming in silver and blue. They were
"Alberta" "Montreal" "Sasketchwan"
"Prince Edward Island" "Vancouver" "Manitoba"
"Toronto" and "Ontario". Out went the British
locomotives - at least on the up-country run, and in came one Canadian
diesel to take their place. I later picked up some trivia about the Canadian
locomotives. The distances they covered in Canada were at times over a thousand
miles, and apparently the distance from Colombo to Badulla was insufficient for
such high powered diesels of 2500 horse power. So after the
"Menike" reached Badulla around 6.20 pm each evening, the locomotive
had to be kept running for some hours after that, even though the journey had
ended ! Apparently, one locomotive could provide electricity for an entire town
! After Dad went to Bandarawela, I used to travel by the "Udarata
Menike" several times whenever I came to Colombo, and the return
journey was one which I always anticipated with joy. It was not the train
per se, but the incredible journey and the terrain of the track.
In the the low country from Colombo to
Rambukkana it was a smooth run. But once the train reached Kadugannawa
the climb began, and if you sat on the right and dared to look out of the
window when the train skirted the ridge called "Sensation Rock" you
risked a nervous breakdown because a thousand feet below, you could see the
roofs of thatched village houses and expanses of paddy fields - all
in minature. There was no protective barrier along this length of track and the
train was travelling on the edge of a sheer precipice ! Once this nerve
shattering climb was negotiated, the terrain evened out to a level run upto
Nawalapitiya. It was past Nawalapitiya that the real torturous climb
began all the way to Nanuoya and from there to a spot on the track
between Ambawela and Pattipola which is the highest point on the railway. After
this it was 'downhill' all the way in the plains of Uva to the terminus at
Badulla. On one of these trips I happened to be in the compartment up front
behind the locomotive, and a very friendly guard took me into his section of the
compartment from where I could see the driver in his cabin and observe this
Canadian powerhorse in action. I was introduced to the
driver, Mr.Wadugodapitiya an old Trinitian, and a senior driver in the
Ceylon Government Railways. It was he who gave me the trivia I quoted earlier
on the Canadian diesels.
I have done many trips by train in other
countries and can tell you that the trip from Colombo to Badulla should be
classed as one of the great train journeys of the world. Apart from the
spectacular scenery through which the track goes through, specially in the hill
country, just consider the near impossible gradient which the train
traverses.......In fact there is a place called for some unknown reason,
"Soda Bottle" bend on the line between Kotagala and Great Western
which is an engineering marvel. So steep is the gradient that at a certain
point on looking out of the window if one is seated on the right side of the
train, one can see the railway track in two tiers below - a graphic
indication of the height the traveller has just passed through. And then there
is the engineering masterpiece of the Demodera loop ! Once the train
leaves Demodera station (two halts before Badulla) it goes full circle and at
one stage passes right under the station which it has just left, on its way to
Badulla ! Imagine leaving a station and then after about five minutes looking
out of the window - or rather, looking up - to find the station you just
left is right above you !! Talk about the realms of fantasy ! It is a matter of
regret that the name of the engineer who devised this
masterpiece has not been recorded for posterity. On the return trip past
Nanuoya, one gets a clear view of Adam's Peak in the distance - weather
permitting - until one reaches Talawakelle. At Nanuoya - and
this is addressed to old Anthonians in particular - there is a little
hill near the station, with a neat little bungalow on its summit. This was the
home of Freddy, Paddy, Gerry, and Merry Guneratne when their Dad Alec
Guneratne - an old Anthonian and legendary soccer star of a bygone era
- was stationed in Nanuoya during his service with the Ceylon Government
Railways. I once walked with Royston and Basil Hyde from their home on Scrubbs
Estate, Nuwaraeliya to the Guneratne home at Nanuoya - a distance of four
miles. We were entertained with cordon bleu home made delicacies by Paddy's
Mum - it is still a warm memory that never fades and sparks
nostalgia for a happy time and place...... But I digress, so I had better get
back on track........
From Ohiya station upto Haputale the track
seems to defy gravity ! It is cut on the side of a mountain and runs at the
edge of a precipice with heart stopping views of the little villages far down
below. It is a hair raising experience which I term as death defying
! You have to sit on the left of the compartment to get your hair standing on
all ends ! If you wish to play it safe, just sit on the right and all you will
see is the side of a cliff. But the scenery which greets the traveller will live
in memory forever. A panorama of deep valleys, green hills and lush countryside
where nature has run riot with her paintbrush painting the land in colours of
every hue......This kaladescope of nature's bounty penetrates your very soul to
inspire and nurture the spirit........It is a photographer's delight and an
artists paradise........and the bracing mountair air gives one a near
supernatural sense of well being. The scenery on this entire
journey is a nature lover's delight. From the lush hills on the Kadugannawa
climb right upto Nawalapitiya, and then the beautiful tea country all the way
to Nanuoya.
There were no luxury compartments. There was
1st, 2nd and 3rd class, and an excellent Restaurant Car staffed by uniformed
waiters. The catering was done by U.K.Edmund. For Rs.1.50 you could enjoy
a delicious rice and curry and the tea was the nectar of the Gods. There was no
Observation Car.
I think today the "Menike" is
powered by a German Henschel locomotive and has some Rumanian compartments. In
my humble opinion the Henschel diesel does not in any way, shape or
form look as sleek, majestic and inspiring as her Canadian
counterpart. During my last visit to Sri Lanka in 2000, I was pleased to see
some of the Canadian locomotives still riding the rails. On a trip from
Haputale to Colombo in the "Udarata Menike" we crossed the "Podi
Menike" the younger sister of the "Udarata Menike" which I
observed was hauled by a Canadian diesel locomotive, "Montreal". With
that I shall conclude this email. But the "Menike" - 'The Maid of the
Mountains' or, as I prefer to call her 'The Maid of the Mists', will
forever travel the corners of our minds in the realms of memory on a
journey that has no end...
Bernard VanCuylenburg.
Bernard turned 70 on the 25th
February.
