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B2 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 27, 2002 ONE DAY BATHROOM MAKEOVER Train enthusiasts sought to support India's historic Darjeeling railway By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER When daydreams float 69-year-old Yvonne LeFort back to her childhood in Bihar, India, she envisions plumes of black smoke, and hears the sound of a steam engine chuffing, its wheels clickety-clacking on the track. These days, continents away from her homeland, LeFort's love for the railway has been renewed by her efforts to save India's centu ry old line, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The little old engine, which despite its size puffs mightily up the daunting mountain range, is also the focus o f an international campaign to ensure the future of the unique railway. The United Nations has designated the historic line as a world heritage site in 1999. It is the world's most famous narrow-gauge railway. LeFort is building a Canadian chapter o f the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society to add to the already 400 members divid ed among 18 countries worldwide. `Trains were a big part of our lifestyle in India. Much like the Canadian railway in its infancy united the country east to west, so did the rail way in India." Considered a feat o f Victorian engineering genius the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) rises 7,500 feet up the breathtaking mountainside, along 55 miles of looping, winding track. But seasonal monsoon damage over the years has prompted concern for the prized locomotive and its rolling stock. LeFort's interest in pre serving the DHR was piqued while she was researching her lineage on the Internet. She discovered her father was a foundry pattern maker for the railway - it was his job to ensure the parts pre cisely fit together. LeFort also discovered her grandfa ther drove trains. "The DHR has romance to it, and the journey along the spectacular landscape is full of mystery and intrigue," she said. Next year she is planning to return to her homeland LeFort left with her family when she was 14 and hasn't been back since. She plans on taking a ride on the DHR and feasting on fresh mangoes, lichees and guavas commonly sold in the train stations. "This is totally interesting for me," said LeFort of her newfound interest in recruit ing other train and DHR enthusiasts. Membership is an auto- NO DEMOLITION! · No More Regrouting · No More Mold & M ildew · No More Leaks WE GUARANTEE IT Seamless Acrylic Wall Acrylic tubs have a life expectancy of 25-30 years. More Economical than Replacing BATH FIT T E R «> S in e * AS SEEN ON TV & AT YOUR LOCAL MALL! OVER 1 MILLION SATISFIED CUSTOMERS! 1984 VIEW US AT: · Centennial Mall, Brampton · Westdale Mall, Mississauga · Georgetown Marketplace · Bronte Mall, Oakville · Meadowvale Town Centre, Mississauga Hopedale Mall, Oakville · Central Pkwy. Mall, Mississauga · Milton Mall, Milton Photo courtesy o f Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society Yvonne LeFort, inset, is recruiting railway enthusiasts to support the historic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Her father was a foundry pattern maker for the railway, and her grandfather drove trains. Shown above is the rail way's Batasia Loop, its highest point at over 7,400 ft. matic voice of support to restore and refurbish the DHR. For about $15 - $40 (whichever is the Canadian equivalent of £17.50 British currency) members receive a quarterly magazine dedicat ed to the DHR, special travel offers and access to a wealth of information about the rail way line. For more details, or to join, contact LeFort at 905844-7130. 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