Continued from last week: “Don’t be slovenly you fellow. It’s time we finished this work and called it a day. If you had drilled the hole on the crown, put half a charge and blast it.” Girigoris did exactly as he was ordered and they all ran for safety having ignited the charge. Two flagmen [...]
“Don’t be a fool, Girigoris” said Weerakoon, the foreman of the tunnel gang, Way and Works department, to his Minor Supervisor. They were getting down from the special service train near the tunnel No. 18, Pattipola, to unload the men, material and equipment from the train brought along with them for the purpose of carrying [...]
December 27 is a red letter day for the railway in Sri Lanka. On this day in 1964, Sri Lanka Railway celebrated its centenary. Now the railway is 144 years old. It was on this day in 1864 that the first train steamed out from Colombo to Ambepussa. The railway has come a long way [...]
I love trains. I find them infinitely preferable to buses, especially in the Third World. Unfortunately, in many countries, notably much of India, train travel, while more comfortable than buses, is something to be endured rather than enjoyed. When I came to Sri Lanka, with its short distances and cheap first-class travel, I was agreeably [...]
A Ticket To Paradise – The olden day steam engines are still used for special trips Taking a trip to the hill country or even travelling down south is always a beautiful experience in Sri Lanka. The hill country is a picturesque carpet of tea bushes with majestic bungalows and quaint villages, while in the [...]
It was 143 years ago that the railway was started in our country, which was then known as Ceylon. Although the idea of starting a railway was mooted as early as 1822 it was only in 1864 that the first trains were run. Pressure by planters who were involved in the coffee industry expedited the [...]