 | This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject.(October 2021) |
Franklin Prestage | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 February 1830 |
| Died | 18 November 1897 |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | railway engineer |
Franklin Prestage (1830-1897) was a British-Indian railway engineer who made major contributions to the construction of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
He was born in London, but lived the major part of his life in British India. [1] He was born in 1830 to Thomas Prestage and Augusta Wilson. [1] He was married to Eliza Cary and had eight children. [1] He died in 1897. [1]
He trained as an engineer. [2]
He was an agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway. [3] He also served as a member of the Legislative Council of Bengal. [3]
In 1878, Franklin Prestage proposed the construction of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. [4] He played a major role in its subsequent completion and realization. [4]
Darjeeling is a city in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of 2,045 metres (6,709 ft). To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, to the east the Kingdom of Bhutan, to the north the Indian state of Sikkim, and farther north the Tibet Autonomous Region region of China. Bangladesh lies to the south and southeast, and most of the state of West Bengal lies to the south and southwest, connected to the Darjeeling region by a narrow tract. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, rises to the north and is prominently visible on clear days.
Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of 1,250 metres (4,101 ft). The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration which is an autonomous governing body within the state of West Bengal. The Indian Army's 27 Mountain Division is located on the outskirts of the city.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a 610 mm gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km (55 mi) long. It climbs from about 100 m (330 ft) above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,200 ft) at Darjeeling, using six zig zags and five loops to gain altitude. Ghum station is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). Six diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled service, with daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghum – India's highest railway station – and the steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. Steam-enthusiast specials are hauled by vintage British-built B-Class steam locomotives. The railway's headquarters are at Kurseong.
Siliguri is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighbouring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the "Gateway of Northeast India", Siliguri is popular for three Ts: tea, timber and tourism. It is located on the banks of the Mahananda River and the Teesta River at the foothills of the Himalayas. Siliguri is the third largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal, after Kolkata and Asansol.
New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station established in 1960, is an A1 category broad gauge and narrow-gauge railway station under Katihar railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone. It is the largest as well as the busiest railway junction of Northeast India. This junction is largest among the railway stations which serves the city of Siliguri, the largest metropolis of the North Bengal. The other stations are- Siliguri Junction, Gulma, Bagdogra, Matigara, Rangapani and Siliguri Town. New Jalpaiguri junction ranked 10th cleanest railway station in India in 2016 survey and came among the top 100 booking stations of Indian railway. New Jalpaiguri, as a railway station serves as the entry point to North Bengal, Sikkim, other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the seven northeastern states. New Jalpaiguri Junction acts as a connecting base for the Northeastern states to the Indian mainland.
The Mountain railways of India are the railway lines that were built in the mountainous regions of India. The term mainly includes the narrow-gauge and metre-gauge railways in these regions but may also include some broad-gauge railways.
Lawrence Samuel Durrell was a British engineer, best remembered as the father of novelist Lawrence Durrell and naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell.
Singalila National Park is a National park of India located on the Singalila Ridge at an elevation of more than 2300 metres above sea level, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it.
Kurseong is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Kurseong subdivision.
Ghum is a small hilly neighbourhood in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region of West Bengal, India. It comes under ward number one of the Darjeeling Municipality. Ghum railway station of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the highest railway station in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). The place is the home of the Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop, a bend of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Transport in Darjeeling consists of the intra-city transport and the communication between the city and other locations in Darjeeling district. Darjeeling is a hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal and it is the headquarters of Darjeeling district situated in the Mahabharat Range at an average elevation of 2,134 m above sea level.
Tindharia or Tindharay is a village in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Sevoke is a small town near Siliguri in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal state of India near the border with Sikkim state. Situated in Dooars, Sevoke lies on the bank of River Teesta and has two bridges − namely Coronation Bridge and Sevoke Railway Bridge over it. Indian Army and Border Security Force camps are located in the area. The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in this area. National Highway NH10 passes through the town and connects Sevoke town to Gangtok and Siliguri. National Highway 17 originates from Sevoke near Coronation Bridge and terminates in Guwahati.
The Batasia Loop is a spiral railway created to lower the gradient of ascent of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. At this point, the track spirals around over itself through a tunnel and over a hilltop. It was commissioned in 1919.
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous state. The state capital is Kolkata. The state encompasses two broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north. The tourism in West Bengal is maintained by WBTDCL, a state government owned enterprise.
Siliguri Junction is one of the major and second largest railway station that serve the city of Siliguri located in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Station has two types of gauges visible i.e. 1,676 mm broad gauge, & 610 mm narrow-gauge tracks for Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. It was opened in 1949. It formerly had the distinction of having three gauges visible but the metre-gauge line from Aluabari Road to Siliguri Junction was converted later into broad gauge few years ago the trains used to run between Siliguri Junction to Naksalbari by the metre-gauge line. Siliguri Junction lies on three railway lines New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line, Katihar–Siliguri line and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Line. This railway station also has its own locomotive shed i.e Diesel Loco Shed, Siliguri
Cawnpore–Barabanki Railway (C–B) (1943-1953) (earlier called Cawnpore–Burhwal Railway was a railway in northern India. It was managed as part of the East Indian Railway, and was worked by the Bengal and North Western Railway and the Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway.
The India-Nepal border is an open international boundary running between the republics of India and Nepal. The 1,770 km (1,099.83 mi) long border includes the Himalayan territories as well as Indo-Gangetic Plain of the subcontinent. The current border was delimited after the Sugauli treaty of 1816 between Nepal and the British Raj. Following Indian independence, the prevailing border was recognised as the international border between the Kingdom of Nepal and the Dominion of India.
Sivok-Rangpo Railway Line is a line currently under construction to connect the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim. It branches out from New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line at Sivok railway station, Sevoke Town near Siliguri in Darjeeling district and runs through villages and towns of Kalimpong district of West Bengal and terminates in Rangpo Railway Station in Rangpo, Pakyong District of Sikkim. In the second phase of construction, this line will be extended till Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, and later to the Nathu La pass, along the border with Tibet. This railway line lies under Northeast Frontier Railway zone Alipurduar railway division. The total length of this railway line is 44.96 Kilometres.