Essays in Railroading by Udaya Peeligama (Published by Darshana Marketing Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.)
What is it about Sri Lankan Railways that inspires non-railwaymen to write books about the railways here?
There have been several books published in the past 30 years looking at various aspects of the railways. Hemasiri Fernando, the rail enthusiast behind the introduction of The Viceroy Special, has written three. The National Trust of Sri Lanka recently produced a fine coffee table book “Ceylon Railway Heritage”. I myself am the author of three rail books: “Sri Lanka By Rail” published in the UK and the tourist booklet “Seeing Sri Lanka By Train” (both 1994) and “Sri Lanka Railways 150 Years of Service” (2014).
Now along comes “Essays in Railroading” written by a Sri Lankan who lives in Australia and, although he is a Mechanical Engineer, his connection with rail is that of a fan, not a professional. That, however, does not deter Udaya Peeligama as his enthusiasm for railways in Sri Lanka (and elsewhere) has driven him to record his reflections in this slim (132 pages) paperback.
The book’s cover is enticing as it features the steam locomotive B213 (built in 1922 and restored to haul the Viceroy Special) passing under the overhang rock at Kadugannawa known as The Lion’s Mouth. This is an example of why one should not judge a book by its cover as most of the essays are on diesel, not steam, rail travel.
Peeligama caught the gricer (rail fan) bug early. He recalls even before he was a teenager riding from Kandy to Matale in the cab of B4 141 steam loco. Although he became an engineer and wanted to join the railways, his career took another track leading to him settling in Australia. This book consists of short articles he began writing in 2009, many of which have been published in “Lanka Railway Digest” or the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, newsletter.
In a definitive chapter recalling Garratt, the steam era king of the upcountry line, the author comments, “To train buffs and passengers of an earlier vintage, the term ‘Garratt Locomotive’ conjures up images of mountainous track, winding curves, thunderous exhaust and mighty steam engines.” He proceeds to describe the fascinating history of this magnificent locomotive and its yeoman service in Sri Lanka. He also includes a short chapter acknowledging the importance of the Class B1 steam locomotive as “the workhorse of Sri Lankan steam.”
“Essays in Railroading” is a satisfying blend of enthusiasm, technical knowledge and memoir to make it a book of interest to everyone, from the kid who wants to be an engine driver to the passenger intrigued by trains and the pensioner recalling railway’s heritage.
To answer the question I asked at the beginning of this review, it seems to me that the urge to write about trains is inspired by nostalgia for a time when train travel was an adventure and fun, not an unpleasant commute.
