The Times of India (Kolkata and Pune editions) published the following story about this site and its creator  in their Sunday Times dated 31st. March 2002. This news item may interest some IRFCA-ites.

Click to enlarge

 

Over the years , Many people from around the globe have signed my Guest Book.

These are some of the e-mails and guest book entries which inspired me much.

Wednesday 02/14/2001 11:40:07am
Name: Brian Paul Bach
E-Mail: bachb@eburg.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: USA
Comments:

Mrinal,

your site is excellent! It is fascinating to see all the material you have assembled on this under-known subject! I am particularly interested in Howrah Station and associated buildings. My book, 'Calcutta's Edifice: The Buildings of a Great City' is currently in production at HarperCollins India. My previous book was 'The Grand Trunk Road From The Front Seat'. I have devoted much space to Howrah Station in my book. Halsey Ricardo's fine station is my all-time favourite. I have never seen pictures of the old Howrah station, though. As of yet, I have not seen the rare pictures of Howrah, Sealdah etc. stations which you mention. Where are they located? Also, do you have any information / pictures of South Station in Calcutta (next to Sealdah), otherwise known as Mutla or Matla Stn, with branch line to Port Canning? Any pictures of the Port Canning terminus? Please keep up the good work!
Sincerely, Brian

 
Tuesday 02/19/2002 6:15:20pm
Name: Sandipan Chakraborty
E-Mail:
sandipan5@yahoo.com, sandipanchakraborty@indiatimes.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location:
Comments:

Hello!
Quite impressed.
I am Sandipan from The Times of India, Kolkata and would like to do a story on you and your nice project which we get to see on the Net.

please send your contact number and your convenient place to meet over my e-mail at the earnest.

looking forward to your feedback.
Thanks.

Friday 05/03/2002 0:29:59am
Name: Jaladhar Mullick
E-Mail: mullickjolu@rediffmail.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Los Angeles


Comments:
Simply superb.I have used your info.in writing my articles on IR for favour of its publication in internet-magazines and Cal.news papers.Like to regidter my gratitude to you. Thanks, J.MULLICK

 
Thursday 10/26/2000 3:38:32am
Name: T.K.Sengupta
E-Mail: tksen2k@hotmail.com
Referred By: Net Search
Location: Calcutta,presently from Mumbai

Comments:
While searching railway time table for eastern railway sector,I found this page. It is wonderful. It will be more informative if you can introduce the time table of all trains in all zones.
Happy Deewali.

 
Wednesday 09/11/2002 11:04:34am
Name: lakshmi
E-Mail: lakshmivishy@yahoo.com
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location: peru


Comments:
i was looking for information regarding railways as i was asked to write an essay about "the most widely used transport in ur country".immediately i choose railways bcoz of its largest network.the site maintained by u was so useful in collecting information regarding railways.
thanks a ton.my work was minimised since all the information i needed was there.i did not refer any other sites or books.once again i thank u for the information.
best wishes & regards
lakshmi.
Sunday 07/14/2002 1:08:02am
Name: Regina Rau
E-Mail: Rau773@AOL.com
Homepage Title: Dancing colors - poems paintings stories
Homepage URL: http://www.regina-rau.de/
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Germany (South) - Bavarian Forest

Comments:
While looking for the indian train-routes I felt very much like visiting this beautiful and huge country again. I have been to India once in 1991-92. I like the easy and happy way, you designed this site. There is one question left: I could hardly find my routes i.e. Bombay-Madras - Madras-Coimbattore or else. How do I manage? And how can I find the fares/cost for the routes? I would be glad to hear from you. Feels good to be in contact with India!
Yours sincerely Regina
Friday 04/19/2002 12:14:32am
Name: Mira
E-Mail: mira@axis-deer.com
Homepage Title: www.axis-deer.com
Homepage URL: http://www.axis-deer.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Buena Park, California
 

Comments:
Superior website! Very appealing.

Saturday 12/07/2002 1:11:48am
Name: Mathew
E-Mail: mathewtosapas@yahoo.com
Homepage Title:
Homepage URL:
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location: Saudi Arabia

 

Comments:
It was very much fun to back to the past and remeber the days when we used to travel by train, especially the steam engine ones, with all the smoke blowing and the stations with chaiwallahs and their mud cups. The site has been painstackingly prepared and gives a good insight to the Indian railways. This site is a tribute to the Indian Railways which is the bloodline of our country. Big salute to the creator of this site.
Jai Hind.

 

Monday 03/25/2002 8:27:46pm
Name: Kishore Adhikari
E-Mail: kadhikari@hotmail.com
Homepage Title:
Homepage URL:
Referred By: Search Engine
Location:

 

Comments:
The site is quite informative but i feel some fine tuning canm be done.Of course the Webmaster is the best judge.If you need my suggestions plz feel free to email me.Good Luck and Well Done

Wednesday 03/06/2002 9:50:14pm
Name: Brian Longstaff
E-Mail: brian@vegsoc.org
Homepage Title:
Homepage URL:
Referred By: Search Engine
Location:


Comments:
A very nice site, with enough to interest both fans of old and modern railways.
One or two of the pictures have not loaded fully, but that's probably due to our server being slow.
Thursday 02/07/2002 0:38:42am
Name: Benno
E-Mail:
Homepage Title: Benno's treinen Site
Homepage URL: http://communities.msn.nl/BennosModelbaan
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location: Almelo - the Netherlands

Comments:
 Verry nice site!
look also on my site (only in Dutch)
i have pictures of Dutch trains, you will find them under "Afbeeldingen"

Greetings from Holland!
Wednesday 12/05/2001 12:38:40am
Name: Bivas Ghosh
E-Mail: bivasg@vsnl.net
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location: Pune
 

Comments:
It was a great sight to look into. Became very nostalgic as my father was working in Liluah Workshop for last 39 years. Should put in some more pictures of Liluah Workshop from the recent years. Should also talk about Apprentices Association of Eastern Railways.

Tuesday 09/25/2001 8:05:44pm
Name: Sandipan Chakraborty
E-Mail: sandipan5@yahoo.com
Homepage Title:
Homepage URL:
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location:

Comments:
Fantastic! A laudable effort. It would be more desirable if you can put the train timings and fares on this site.

Thanks.
Friday 08/17/2001 1:36:19am
Name: Aravind
E-Mail: aravind_siva@yahoo.com
Homepage Title:
Homepage URL:
Referred By: Web Ring
Location:
Comments:

 
Monday 06/04/2001 10:30:43pm
Name: S.Shankar
E-Mail: frontier_mail@yahoo.com
Homepage Title: indian railways-a kaleidoscope
Homepage URL:  http://www.geocities.com/shankaronline/
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location: dubai

Comments:

Hello Mrinalda,
A terrific site: I surfed at leisure, and enjoyed every moment of it. I think I ought to take a course of javascript from you. The effects are terrific.
Keep up the good work. Only bit of criticism: you should provide a link back to your home page from your pages dealing with the divisions and workshops.
Good show, and all the best.

 

Monday 04/23/2001 9:13:10pm
Name: kale K S
E-Mail: response.kale@usa.net
Homepage Title:
Homepage URL:
Referred By: Search Engine
Location:

 

Comments:
congratulations : a very good platform you have created. You can make it useful

 

Sunday 04/08/2001 5:59:40pm
Name: K.Harlalka
E-Mail: kharlalka@yahoo.co.uk
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Kolkata

 

Comments:

I am pleasently surprised to see the tremendous effort put in by you. The site has come out very well.

Can you guide me whom to contact for getting permission from the railway authorities for taking my young son on avisit to some railway workshops around Kolkata? i would like him to get a chance to admire the beauty of IR.

Regards and best wishes,
K.Harlalka

 

Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2002 14:40:28 +0100
From: simon@deefholts.com
Subject: EIR Gallery

Many thanks for your work in compiling such an interesting site, which of great interest to me since many of my ancestors worked on the EBR and EIR during the 19th and early 20th centuries. I have taken up your offer to borrow an image from your site, posting on www.deefholts.com.

Regards

Simon Deefholts

 



 

Sunday 12/31/2000 1:47:57am
Name: Sourav
E-Mail:
Referred By: Search Engine
Location:

 

Comments:
Nice page. Great effort! Keep it up!


 

Thursday 05/09/2002 1:29:10am
Name: Mitali Chaudhuri
E-Mail: a.peabody@rocketmail.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: USA

 

Comments:
Loved your page! All the place names and the pictures brought back great memories of my train trips from Delhi to Calcutta when I was young. Thank you.

 

From: "S Sarkar" <ssarkar@gail.co.in>
Subject:
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 16:47:51 +0530

Dear Mr Das,
By your India's rail page creation, I find you to be a lovable person who strongly feels for his land and country. I congratulate you for the fine portal page.
-Dr S Sarkar
From: "Adrian Roy" <adrianroy@hotmail.com>
Subject: Adrian from Nagercoil,TamilNadu
Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 11:33:53 +0530

Dear Friend,

I'm Adrian from Nagercoil, TamilNadu. I'm a die-hard fan of the Indian Railways. Time-table simulation is my favourite hobby. I am very happy to know that a group pertaining to railway interests exists.

I am computer engineering graduate, working in Chennai. I would like to know more about you.

Regards,

Adrian
From: "Bob Wickline" <wicklineb@hotmail.com>
Subject: Thanks
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 21:26:22 -0400



Thanks for the time and effort you must have put into this site. It is wonderful.

I was on your site because of a genealogy quest that I have. My great grandfather and great great grandfather were British Civil Engineers on the East Indian Railway. This would have been in the late 1800's. My great grandfather was William Drysdale married to Jane Carfrae with daughter Jane Carfrae Drysdale. Are there any records that are available to search?

 
From: "georgeharris" <georgeharris@thsrc.com.tw>
Subject: Eastern Indian Railways Website
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 19:06:12 +0800


I found you through Trainweb.com. I do not have time now, but I intend  to come back and get better acquainted with your site later.
Beautiful introduction, and fairly easy to go around in. I will spend time on your schedule pages, but as yet do not begin to know enough about the system.
About all I know is that the Indian Railway system is the largest in the world in terms of passenger volume, and exceeds all of Europe in that respect.

I am mainly dropping a note to you for encouragement in your efforts.

brief intro: I am a southern US origin Civil Engineer working on the Taiwan High Speed Rail system. I have spent 10 years in this part of the world, but have never been to India.

George
 
Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 06:31:36 +0530 (IST)
From: "Pramod Watekar" <pramod@phy.iitkgp.ernet.in> 
Subject: Fantastic

Hello Sir
Your site is very nice and today I got a lot of information. Thanks.
It is really helpful for searching the trains and time table.

Pramod

 
Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 02:53:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Mayank Verma" <mayank_verma4@yahoo.com>
Subject: I want to more about IR.

Hi Mrinal. I am Mayank. I am also an ardent fan of IR.
Your website was very informative and I liked it very
much. Your display of IR stamps was very nice. Can you
tell me how can I get them? Also, can you guide me to
some official website of IR from where I can get
information and postal addresses of offices of
institutions of IR and Railway Ministry, Govt. of
India? Can you provide me with a concise journal or
mini-encyclopedia (full of colored and technical
diagrams, photographs,etc) stating not only the
history of IR but also of the simultaneous development
of the railways all over the world. Mrinal, I am also
a documentist and would like to collect old
photographs and documents of IR and other such
valuable archives.That's why I want to know about IR
offices and institutions. Till now I have only seen
the IR Staff College at Lalbaugh,Baroda. But still I
am as inquisite about IR as you are.Guide me. It would
be a great help. Take down my email address for
further contact:mayank_verma4@yahoo.com.
Thanks Mrinal.

=====
MV

From: "chandan mukherjee" <chandan@istm.nic.in> |
Subject: Your website
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 13:58:18 +0530

Dear Mr. Das,

Thanks for your excellent effort. However, I was looking for the local time table of Eastern Railway, e.g., trainins from DANKUNI (DKAE) to SEALDAH(SDAH). If these were also available then it would have been a great priviledge. I hope, you can also make it happen.

Thanks
Thursday 05/09/2002 1:39:28am
Name: fernando nuñez-mora
E-Mail: fernumo@prodigy.net.mx
Referred By: Web Ring
Location:
 

Comments:
I´ll wait for my e-mail petition about selling train from Mexico.
thank you

From: "Nilesh Sinha" <nikusi007@yahoo.com>
Subject: Great job ( http://railindia.tripod.com) !!!
 

Dear Mr. Mrinal Das,

Today i visited yr website http://railindia.tripod.com/.
At the out set, i wish to extend my congratulation for your great work.

I am working with Korean firm who is in the business of manufacturing EMU's & other rly wagons . I am handling the logistics of Rail cars from Korea to New Delhi for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

I will be greatful if you can send some more information and photograph on the handling of LHB coaches at Calcutta port.

You can contact me at 9811667341 (Delhi). Pls provide your contact details. If you are based in Clacutta, i will try to see you in my next visit to calcutta.

Please note, it is not a official request and i need this favour from you on personal ground. Evenif u could not arrange any information required by me, pls provide yr contact detail as i am very much impressed with such a good database and collection of photograph.

Best Regards,

Nilesh Sinha

 

Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 15:46:41 -0300
From: "Heitor Aquino Ferreira" <hferr@attglobal.net>
Subject: A question from Brazil

Dear Sir
Could you please tell me something about  this "circular wheel of wet straw" that I found reading the biography Churchill by Roy Jenkins, quoting My Early Lifeby Sir Winston himself? 
On page 31:

He went to the Bangalore railway station and asked for a ticket to Nowshera, which was the railhead for the Malakand expedition, but which sounded like a more than passable imitation of ‘nowhere’.

Then, in his own words:

"I had the curiosity to ask how far it was. The polite Indian
[booking clerk] consulted a railway time table and impassively  answered, 2,028 miles ....
This meant a five days’ journey in the worst of the heat.
I was alone; but with plenty of books, the time passed not unpleasantly.
Those large leather-lined Indian railway carriages, deeply shuttered  and blinded from the blistering sun and kept fairly cool by a circular wheel of wet straw which one turned from time to time, were well adapted to the local conditions. I spent five days in a dark padded moving cell, reading mostly by lamplight or by some jealously admitted ray of glare."

Thank you.
H.Ferreira
from Teresopolis, Brazil

Hi!
I am interested in the history of the development of the railway township at Kharagpur. I have met an 87 year old Anglo Indian gentleman who worked in the Railway Workshop of the town and whose father too served the
railways in Kgp. I am trying to compile a narrative/history of these people. Particularly interesting is the BNR/SER's teams of Rugby, Hockey and Football which brought glory to the country.
Can you help me in this regard?
Yours,

Dr.Shyamal Chakrabarti
C1/136, IIT, Kharagpur
721 302
(03222)777781

 

Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2002 12:33:29 +0300
From: "Fairclough, Steve X" <steve.fairclough@aramco.com>
Subject: Station master
To: mreenaldas@yahoo.co.in


DEAR SIR.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD HELP ME. MY FATHER TOLD ME THAT MY GRANDFATHER WAS THE STATION MASTER FOR CALCUTTA. HE WAS IN INDIA DURING THE DEMONSTRATIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE, AROUND 1947. YOU MUST EXCUSE MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING INDIAN HERITAGE. BEING AN ENGLISHMAN, I HAVE A VERY BIASED VIEW!! HIS LAST NAME WAS "FAIRCLOUGH" AND THE STORY GOES THAT IN ORDER NOT TO BE ATTACKED HE ACTED LIKE HE WAS CRAZY AND SO THE PEOPLE LEFT HIM ALONE!!
I WOULD BE GREATFUL IF YOU IN ANY WAY HAVE SOME RECORDS OF HIS PRESENCE IN INDIA, OR CAN CONFIRM ANYTHING ABOUT HIM.



MOST GREATFULLY YOURS

STEVEN FAIRCLOUGH

 

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 00:34:37 +0200
From: "Dilip Sengupta" <Sengupta.Dilip@t-online.de>
Subject: Home


Hello Mrinal,
After a very long time I was very much delighted to read something about Kolkata Tram.
I will definitely " surf " in Internet very often and inform myself about kolkata and other Indian countries.
Regards,
Dilip Sengupta

 
From: "B N Gupta" <bn_gupta@vsnl.net>
Subject: Your Railway Website.
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 12:48:05 +0530


I was casually searching for my place 'LILUAH' in google
and got your site.  This is really a good informative site.

Keep it up.
B N GUPTA
 
Saturday 12/07/2002 1:11:48am
Name: 
 Mathew   mathewtosapas@yahoo.com

Just Surfed In

Saudi Arabia

Comments:
It was very much fun to back to the past and remember the days when we used to travel by train, especially the steam engine ones, with all the smoke blowing and the stations with chaiwallahs and their mud cups. The site has been painstakingly prepared and gives a good insight to the Indian railways. This site is a tribute to the Indian Railways which is the bloodline of our country. Big salute to the creator of this site.
Jai Hind.
Friday 09/12/2003 7:40:39pm
Name: Sushil Prasad
E-Mail: sushil_prasad@indiatimes.com

Referred By:
Search Engine
Location: Hyderabad
 

Comments:
I was surfing the net searching for information on Jamalpur, the place I was born and came across your site. Thanks for building a beautiful and informative site.
 

Thursday 10/16/2003 8:46:27am
Name: Anirban Das Gupta
E-Mail: anirbandg1970@hotmail.com
Referred By: Just Surfed In
Location: Mumbai
Comments:

Hello,
Heartiest Bijoya Greetings ! I loved the site on ER as it was a long necessity.It would be delightful to have full screen slides of WAM 1,2 and 3 electrics which are perhaps no more in sevice.

Love and Regards

Anirban
 
Wednesday 04/28/2004 7:02:13am
Name: Ken
E-Mail: clipperstea@hotmail.com
Homepage Title: kentheteaman.com
Homepage URL: http://kentheteaman.com/gallery/
Referred By: Web Ring
Location: Europe
Comments:

Hi Merrenal,
a delightful site to view. So much information and nostalgia. You have obviously put in great effort to start and maintain this beautiful site. You deserve an applause. Well done.
Regards,

ken.

 
Monday 06/28/2004 10:34:50pm
Name: K.Prudhvi Ram
E-Mail: prudhvi_ram2004@yahoo.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Bangalore
Comments:

A very good and informatic site.It helped me a lot in doing my school project on RAILWAYS IN INDIA.An excellent site to visit.

 
Sunday 08/08/2004 4:28:37pm
Name: Nick
E-Mail : rybackraider@yahoo.com
Referred By:Search Engine
Location: Canada
Comments:

Hey Mrinal,

I'm a die hard railfan and really liked your site. I stayed in Cal for a long time and travelled quite a lot, mostly SER and ER, thats why your site interests me. Keep up the good work!
 
Wednesday 10/20/2004 10:28:24pm
Name: Ravin Mangtani
E-Mail: entry_to_all@yahoo.co.uk

Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Ahmedabad
Comments:

A fantastic site really. It is really comprehensive and chronologically brilliant. I love travelling by rail in India and a big indiarail fan. haven't seen a better site than this.
Keep it up mate. Cheers

 
Thursday 07/21/2005 8:46:18pm
Name: Noel Joseph
E-Mail: noelj53@hotmail.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: California, USA
Comments:

Interesting!
Tuesday 08/16/2005 1:35:48am
Name: Arijeet Vardhan
E-Mail: arijeetv@yahoo.com
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Bhagalpur( 1 hr journey from Jamalpur),India

Comments:

Hello Mr.Mrinal,

From childhood onwards I've been facsinated by the world of railways and this site provides a lot of information on it. Its a commendable work from your part. Can you please tell me the method to get passes for entering railway workshops?
Keep this spirit up !!!


 


Tuesday 08/01/2006 7:51:55am
Name: Paul Scallon
E-Mail: nil
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Coventry,England
Comments:

thankyou, for your wealth of information and hard work.my grandfather worked from sealdah in the 40's and 50's he was a driver.

 
Thursday 03/02/2006 12:37:40am
Name: Ravi Shankar Rajhans
E-Mail: rajhans@haldock.wb.nic.in
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Haldia , West Bengal, India
Comments:

I am a traffic man working in the port sector but my area of work is Railway movement. My relationship with Indian railways fourteen years old. People say that 'Tor Payer Talay Sarse'. This has been possible only because of Railways. I have seen almost the whole of your site. Solved your puzzle, played the quiz,downloaded the history. Thanks for your taste. I am delighted.

Ravi Shankar Rajhans.
 
Sunday 02/12/2006 11:45:57pm
Name: Wilson Samuel
E-Mail: wilson_samuel@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage Title: IRFCA
Homepage URL: http://irfca.org
Referred By: Search Engine
Location: Pune, India

Comments:

Hi,

I have been also a Railfan from NWR Territory, and on the Mailing List for quite some time now, however I'm really sorry to say that I have never heard about you on the forum (IRFCA).

However I must extend my appreciation and thanks to you for the outstanding creation of the website called RAIL INDIA.

You have not only done an excellent job but also a great contribution to the all the IRFANs like me in whom its not BLOOD but the IR flows.

Jai Hind!