The Romantic Days of Indian Railways – Then & Now
Many a Parsi Engine driver operated these engines for their livelihood, and most times they excelled in their work with dedication and excellence. We have recorded examples of many a famous personality being engaged in conversation with the drivers en-route to New Delhi & Jhansi drivers were driving the trains Minoo Mirza was driving a similar engine when Dr. Rajendra Prasad, free India’s First President was travelling to Delhi, the train was running late & the President was anxious to be in Delhi, so Minoo used his skills and ensured the President reached Delhi on time. The grateful president personally came and thanked him on the engine.
Similarly Dali Pestonji was on engine when Shree (Mr.) Morarjee Desai, then Prime Minister of India, travelling from Agra to Delhi, came to the engine and our Dali Uncle offered to have the Prime Minister come on engine for the trip, which as the PM later recounted to him was a hugely memorable experience. Incidentally Dali uncle also secured an interview with the Prime Minister for later on and requested his intervention in getting our family home, then a local post office released, so he could retire and use it. Incidentally that house is where our Pesi Uncle resides now
My uncles Cawas, Dali, Kaku, Darab & Dosu & lots of other Jhansi Parsis earned their living driving these engines up and down from Jhansi. Most runs were up to Delhi & Itarsi on the male passenger’s trains, like Punjab Mail. Jhansi drivers would change over, rest, and return back on another train run back to Jhansi.
As children we used to watch in awe our uncles open their huge metal trunks (luggage) which were like modern safes with compartments for books, pens, clothes, torch, etc and if we were lucky and uncle was in a good generous mood we would get some novelty to us like a gooseberry, dry nuts or special Delhi halwa, etc or the seasonal fruit. Both my Sara Kakis (Aunts), very loving & very caring women who looked after their husbands & children.
Family life revolved around the males a lot, depending on their “line” runs & quiet had to be maintained when an engine driver returned back from a run, so he could catch up on his lost sleep.
Jhansi Engine Drivers
Jimmy used to drive these and later the diesel and Electric engines also. Most train runs for the Jhansi drivers would originate from Jhansi, train runs going up to Delhi, to the north & Itarsi to the south. These are the Romantic steam engines, operated on huge coal fired boilers & if the driver wanted more steam, more coal had to be shovelled by the assistants speedily. The coal particles used to smear ones clothing and so you see all three engine operators wearing head bandannas.
Drivers were expected to maintain speed limits on the tracks, obey the signals and directions given, keep records, maintain logs, liaise with the guard, maintain signal communications with the passing by railway station masters on the lines, by means of signal flags & nonverbal communications, keep the engine working to best optimum, keep a watchful eye on all gauges, record readings on instruments, maintain safety and other issues. All at the same time & ensure the engine stayed on track.
On the Indian railway tracks a lot of rural animals, scavenging birds & even people were killed by the roaring trains passing by. Skilled drivers on off duty and sitting on the train can actually even tell you when a bird or animal has been killed by the engine, listening by the sound change on the tracks.
The Engine Drivers’ assistants were called Firemen as their primary task in these engines was to shovel coal into the boiler firebox & the term still refers to them although the engines are now run on electricity and no naked fires are there. Modern engine lingo calls them Assistant engine operators.
This is a true story from Indian Railways.
Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this letter to the Sahibganj divisional railway office in 1909.
It is on display at the Railway Museum in New Delhi.
It was also reproduced under the caption “Travelers’ Tales” in the Far Eastern Economic Review
Okhil Babu’s letter to the Railway Department:
“I am arriving by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly are too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore going to the privy.
Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with ‘lotah’ in one hand and ‘dhoti’ in the next when I fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on the platform.
I am got left at Ahmedpur station.
This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him.
I am therefore pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report! to papers.”
Any guesses why this letter was of historic value?
It apparently led to the introduction of toilets on trains
Engine Driver Jimmy Bhagat
These photos show Jimmy Bhagat and his firemen’s assistants on the Railway engine. Jimmy used to drive these and later the diesel and Electric engines also. Most train runs for the Jhansi drivers would originate from Jhansi, the train runs going up to Delhi, to the north & Itarsi to the south. These are the Romantic steam engines, operated on huge coal-fired boilers & if the driver wanted more steam, more coal had to be shoveled by the assistants speedily. The coal particles used to smear one’s clothing and so you see all three engine operators wearing head bandannas.
Drivers were expected to maintain speed limits on the tracks, obey the signals and directions given, keep records, maintain logs, liaise with the guard, maintain signal communications with the passing by railway station masters on the lines, by means of signal flags & nonverbal communications, keep the engine working to best optimum, keep a watchful eye on all gauges, record readings on instruments, maintain safety and other issues.
All at the same time & ensure the engine stayed on track. On the Indian railway tracks a lot of rural animals, scavenging birds & even people were killed by the roaring trains passing by. Skilled drivers on off duty and sitting on the train can actually even tell you when a bird or animal has been killed by the engine, listening by the sound change on the tracks.
The Engine Drivers’ assistants were called Firemen as their primary task in these engines was to shovel coal into the boiler firebox & the term still refers to them although the engines are now run on electricity and no naked fires are there. Modern engine lingo calls them Assistant engine operators.
The above right side railway station is Morena, from where a lot of the Jhansi Parsi s was connected. The Boyce family came from here, and as did a lot of Railway engine drivers and guards of Jhansi who were transferred to and from this place. The photo was taken in August 2007
Signal cabins like these were very crucial communication centers for Engine drivers, especially when they were passing by a station and not halting. Signalmen manning these would be signaling with colored green or red flags, to the driver to give them a go-ahead, signal clearance, much like the Control tower operator does for airplanes. If signals were wrongly given major accidents could take place. Most cabin men also physically operated lines changing with huge mechanical levers to guide the oncoming train onto the correct track line. With modern technology, things have changed though.
Modern day Engine Driver Rony Dick
Many a Parsi Engine driver operated these engines for their livelihood, and most times they excelled in their work with dedication and excellence.
Rony Jehangir Dick, like his father, grandfather and elder brother was an Engine driver. After an illustrious service of over 40 years he was presented with a Railway medal and certificate.
As with most drivers, he started at the bottom of the ladder and rose to be a senior driver. He is also President of the Jhansi Anjuman and has done a lot of good work in bringing Jhansi into the limelight amongst the other Anjuman’s and the Federation
Diesel Engine & Me
Diesel powered engines like this one, were fundamentally the prime movers, between the older coal fired boiler engines that our grandfather and later Uncles drove and the electric engines of modern India.
From around the 1970s to the late 90s these engines were instrumental in providing the prime mover for trains in northern India, replaced by the Electric engines now.
More powerful and cleaner than coal-fired boiler engines, however less romantic and nostalgic, then steam power, ones, but very fuel-efficient.
Most of our cousins like Jimmy Bhagat, the brothers Rony & Jimmy Dick & many other Jhansi drivers in the last 2 decades retired on these types of engines.
Annoo Pestonji and Her Scooter
Anoo daughter of Sera & Cawas Pestonji & sister of Dara, poses next to her scooter. The Jhansi girls for their time were pretty modern, fashionably dressed, Anglo influenced & excelled in sports also. Anno is married to Yezdi Edelbehram and lives in Dadar Mumbai. She has a daughter Natasha married to Adil living in Andheri. Note the smart fashion of the day.
Railway Officer’s Bungalow – Railway Colony
Shanty towns at Powder Bunder. (Express photo by Vasant Prabhu) 
