The Kalka-Shimla Toy Train: A Quirky Journey Through Time (and Slanted Stops)
People often say that the journey matters more than the destination. That might sound cheesy until you actually sit on the Kalka-Shimla toy train and realise this isn’t just a train ride—it’s a peculiar little time machine chugging through a trail full of stories, silent surprises, and stops that might make you question whether you’re in 2025 or 1925.
This isn’t another blog about the same old “beautiful views” and “heritage sites.” I’m not here to tell you that the train takes you through 102 tunnels and crosses over 800 bridges. You can Google that. What I will tell you are the little things people forget to notice—the eccentricities, the delightful weirdness, and why you should take this route at least once in your life without your headphones plugged in.
In this Blog
When the Train Thinks It’s a Snake
The first thing you’ll notice on the Shimla toy train journey is how it moves like it’s had a long night at a local bar. It slithers, sways, and sighs. No dramatic chugging like in the movies. It behaves more like a curious tourist than a disciplined train.
There’s a point just after Dharampur where the track loops so sharply, you can literally see the front of your train staring back at you, like a dog chasing its own tail. The passengers wave at each other from opposite ends of the same train. It’s oddly comforting. Like a family reunion with strangers.
A Tunnel That Locals Say is Haunted (But Sweetly So)
You’ll pass through Tunnel No. 33, which has a reputation for being haunted. But not in the typical horror-film way. Locals say the ghost is a British engineer named Colonel Barog who messed up the alignment of the tunnel in 1898. Heartbroken and humiliated, he took his own life. Since then, people claim to have felt his presence—but here’s the twist: he’s apparently polite. Friendly even.
No headless spectres or flying furniture. Just a ghost who might walk along the tunnel with you, curious about how the rail line finally got completed. In a strange way, it adds personality to the route. You almost want to thank him for trying.
The Station Where Time Stands Still (and So Might the Train)
Barog Station is where the train often stops for longer than scheduled. Not because it has to, but because it can. This is where the drivers stretch their legs, the chai vendors don’t rush, and nobody seems to remember there’s such a thing as a timetable.
There’s a tiny post office at Barog, where time has been ignoring deadlines for decades. It’s one of those places where the paint is peeling, the bench outside creaks under the weight of gossip, and the station master still uses a stamp pad that looks older than the train.
Want to do something different? Send yourself a postcard from there. Future you will be confused and amused.
Shimla Isn’t Just the End, It’s the Mood
Once you reach Shimla, resist the temptation to head straight to Mall Road with everyone else. Walk in the other direction. Literally.
There are parts of Shimla that seem forgotten by tourism brochures. Try Summer Hill, for instance, where you’ll find spots untouched by photo filters and human noise. It’s also a great place to find a villa in Shimla that isn’t surrounded by honking traffic or the smell of popcorn.
A friend once stayed in a villa in Shimla near Summer Hill that had a crooked bookshelf, tea served in chipped mugs, and an old caretaker who swore he’d once served tea to Jawaharlal Nehru. That’s the kind of Shimla you want to remember.
Don’t Book the Shatabdi Just Yet
A lot of people take the Shatabdi from Delhi to Kalka and then hop on the toy train from there. Sounds efficient, but it misses the point.
The joy starts even before you board the Kalka-Shimla toy train. Arrive in Kalka the night before. Stay in a homestay or a villa in Kalka (harder to find, but worth the effort). Wander around the sleepy town that seems stuck in 1974. The local sweet shop still wraps things in newspaper. You might even find a mechanic fixing a scooter using a spoon.
Kalka station at dawn is cinematic in a way even Bollywood doesn’t attempt anymore. Steam, sleepy tea stalls, and pigeons who think they own the platform.
Don’t Forget to Eavesdrop
The Shimla toy train journey isn’t just about watching trees go by. It’s about the co-passenger who thinks you need to hear his entire life story, the kids who argue over window seats, and the couple having a silent fight with their eyes.
One time, I overheard a retired army officer explaining to a child why the British built narrow-gauge lines: “Because they were cheap and they never planned to stay forever.” The child nodded, clearly not understanding, but appreciating the drama.
Tips No One Tells You (But Should)
- Book the Rail Motor Car if You Can: It looks like a bus but runs on tracks. Fewer people, more fun. It also has a strange charm—like your grandad’s garage project that somehow works perfectly.
- Ignore the Fancy Seats: Sit near a door (open it slightly if you can do so safely) and let the wind mess your hair.
- Stop at Kandaghat: Most people don’t bother. You should. There’s a bakery there that makes milk cake so fresh it might emotionally move you.
- Pack Like You’re Visiting Grandma: Homemade snacks, books, and no rush. That’s the vibe. Not selfie sticks and loud Bluetooth speakers.
- Visit Shimla Off-Centre: Don’t stay in the town centre. A quiet villa in Shimla will give you far better stories than a hotel next to a Domino’s.
A Journey With No Urgency
The thing about the Kalka-Shimla toy train is that it reminds you to slow down. In a world that’s constantly speeding up, here’s a journey that dares to be slow. Deliberately. Lovingly.
And if you’re lucky, it might also rain midway. Not the kind that ruins plans, but the one that smells like old books and makes the windows fog up just enough to write your name on them.
That’s not nostalgia. That’s real-time happiness.
Most travel blogs will tell you how to do this right. I’m telling you to do it wrong. Miss your first train. Board the second one. Sit next to strangers. Get off at an unscheduled stop. Talk to chai vendors. Take a longer route back. Choose a villa in Shimla that has stories in its walls, not just stars in its ratings.
Because the Shimla toy train journey isn’t about checking something off a list. It’s about laughing when the train squeals, listening when a tunnel echoes, and noticing when silence says more than your guidebook.
Go slow. Go weird. Go again.
Image Credits lensnmatter via Flickr
