0:00:02 > 0:00:06From the Himalayas in the north to the Nilgiris in the south.
0:00:06 > 0:00:13For a century little trains have climbed through the clouds into the world of the Indian hill railways.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43This is one of the last coal-powered steam railways in the world.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Every day the Nilgiri mountain railway carries passengers
0:00:47 > 0:00:49into the Blue Hills of s=South India.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58This is its centenary year.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00This line is powered not just by steam,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03but by love and devotion as well.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10Despite huge losses, coal shortages and monsoon landslides,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14this little railway struggles on.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Fondly known as the toy train, it plays a huge part in many lives.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30This is the story of the Nilgiri mountain railway.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42The British built this hill railway and others in North India
0:02:42 > 0:02:46to escape the dust and the heat and the responsibilities of empire.
0:02:54 > 0:03:00The Nilgiri mountain railway goes to Udagamandalam in South India,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02more commonly known as Ooty.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Today, the 26-mile journey takes five hours,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19but the line took 17 hard years to build.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26India's hill railways are engineering marvels,
0:03:26 > 0:03:32now recognised by UNESCO as world heritage railways.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39These tracks are the steepest in all Asia
0:03:39 > 0:03:42with a gradient of one in twelve.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48This train crosses 250 bridges and runs through 16 tunnels,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53taking tourists, from India and across the globe, to another world.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Ivan Baxter is today's guard.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05And he's found his perfect job here in the hills.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Our job is interesting.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11We love our job. It is so thrilling.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Passengers are all happy. People come all over the world.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Ivan is one of a shrinking number of mixed-race Anglo-Indians
0:04:21 > 0:04:23whom the British favoured to operate their railways.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28And working the railway is still a privilege and a way of life for Ivan.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Senior loco driver Hassan Sharif grew up watching this line.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21He's a third generation Nilgiri railwayman.
0:06:02 > 0:06:09As it's so steep, this railway has a dedicated, mountain climbing, third rail.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Pinion wheels under the steam loco and carriages
0:06:12 > 0:06:17bite into the notched rack rail and stop the train from slipping back.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20With 5,000 gallons of water
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and five tonnes of coal needed daily to make the steam,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27these engines are expensive to run.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29But no diesel is light enough
0:06:29 > 0:06:34or strong enough to beat steam power on this jungle climb.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Diesel is used for the final run into Ooty,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07but this stretch of track is just too steep.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Before the coming of the railway, this jungle was pristine.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18And as this section sees just two trains a day,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22local animals have not been driven away.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33With wildlife and the railway protected by the state, animals feel safe here.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39Even exploiting railway facilities to their own advantage.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Wild elephants need about 20 gallons of water a day to stay healthy.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The train takes on 1,000 gallons at each and every station.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Hillgrove is the main jungle halt
0:08:11 > 0:08:19and twice a day the train, passengers and the animals can find refreshment.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Local Bonnet Macaque monkeys have long familiarised themselves with the timetable.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36They know the train only stops here for eight minutes,
0:08:36 > 0:08:41so they waste no time filling up on tourist generosity.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52WHISTLE PEEPS
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Hillgrove won't see another train for eight hours.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Until then, the jungle rediscovers a tranquillity
0:09:14 > 0:09:19that's rare in a country of a billion people.
0:09:24 > 0:09:30The line's so steep that Hassan's train covers just three miles
0:09:30 > 0:09:34in the course of the next hour then the loco has to fill up again.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Runneymede is now just a water halt,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52but it used to be a station serving tea pickers.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Local entrepreneur K Natarajan wants it re-opened.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Steam trains are his passion.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05Natarjan runs the station buffet in Ooty, where only diesel trains are used.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09So he regularly comes to Runnymede for a steam fix
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and to get away from it all.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Natarajan wants Runneymede re-opened
0:10:47 > 0:10:51to share the joy he finds here with some of the two million tourists
0:10:51 > 0:10:54who holiday in the Nilgiris each year.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00But his dream is his beloved steam trains running right to the top of the line...
0:11:00 > 0:11:03To Ooty.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34For the last 15 years, the steam train has only run up to the next stop, Coonoor,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39where romantic steam gives way to more prosaic diesel,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43and where jungle peace gives way to the bustle of modern India.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46CAR HORNS BLARE
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Coonoor is the mid-point
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and the heart of the Nilgiri mountain railway.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12The Coonoor loco shed is home.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18Here these vintage engines are rested, refuelled and lovingly maintained.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27And this yard is also home to modern diesel engines that run the rest of the way up to Ooty.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35Most of the railway's 387 employees live here.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Home is the Coonoor railway colony.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Its terraces line the hill above the station.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The Nilgiris are a romance destination,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56ever more popular with honeymooning couples.
0:12:56 > 0:13:0328 years ago, guard Ivan Baxter and his wife Monica were among them.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08So Ivan was delighted to get a second honeymoon when he was transferred to Coonoor
0:13:08 > 0:13:12five years ago from the baking hot plains below.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18These temperate hills are where Ivan and Monica worked out
0:13:18 > 0:13:21the requirements for a lifetime of wedded bliss.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25You have to sacrifice. Married life...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28If you want to get married you should learn to suffer.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33So if you want something you must lose something. You can't have both.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37That is the Four Ts. What a lady needs from a husband.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39The Four Ts.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Trust. Touch. You have to touch her.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Talk to her, plenty talking.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46And time. Spend time with her.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48They say marriages are made in heaven.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52So, it's God who combined us both.
0:13:57 > 0:14:03Ivan's four Ts of happy marriage quickly produced a daughter, Diana, who lives on the plains.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07And she is now expecting a baby. Ivan's first grandchild.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Coffee, Ivan?
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I'm washing my face.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18But as a responsible train guard, Ivan cares as much for his train as his own family.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26- And like all railwaymen, he lives in fear of running late.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Bye. OK, I'll take leave, bye. God bless.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51His might be the last generation of Anglo-Indian railwaymen,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56but Ivan's happily continuing a tradition of absolute devotion to his job.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15# If you're happy and you know it stamp your feet
0:15:15 > 0:15:18#If you're happy and you know it stamp your feet
0:15:18 > 0:15:23# If you're happy and you know it And you really want to show it
0:15:23 > 0:15:26# If you're happy and you know it stamp your feet. #
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Why are you coming here, man?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30He wants to come to Ooty!
0:15:35 > 0:15:40For the section up to Ooty, driver Hassan switches to diesel power.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45These diesel trains are faster than the pre-war steam locos.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Steam maybe glorious, but it's not cheap.
0:15:49 > 0:15:55The second class fare is set at ten pence, so this railway loses £1 million a year.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33An hour up from Coonoor is the final approach to the hill station
0:16:33 > 0:16:36that was once Ootacamund,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40is now Udagamandalam and will always be known as Ooty.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Ooty is the end of the line.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59It lies over 2,200 metres above sea level.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Trains have arrived here from Coonoor and the plains below for exactly 100 years,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17bringing visitors to the hill station of their dreams.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24This is a town designed by the Raj
0:17:24 > 0:17:29to fulfil their longing for a home half a world away.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Colonial Brits adored Ooty,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39making it a Home County in the hills.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46They built institutions that reminded them of home,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49making it feel a little English, even today.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07For a privileged few, the games of empire are still played out here.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12The billiard room at the Ooty Club is hallowed.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17On this table the rules of snooker were first laid down
0:18:17 > 0:18:21and this gentleman's club is the heart of what was known as
0:18:21 > 0:18:26"Snooty Ooty", holiday destination for India's colonial elite.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Former president Victor Dey is club historian.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Being Snooty Ooty, right,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37it was at one time only the very affluent
0:18:37 > 0:18:41who could come and afford and to enjoy Ooty
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and all that it had to offer.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48They could get away from the natives and be themselves.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54We still zealously guard all the old values and traditions
0:18:54 > 0:18:58because after all, there's history in these walls.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03It is now in everybody's grasp to come and holiday up here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06You've got these little lodges and hotels which have mushroomed
0:19:06 > 0:19:10all over the place and have spoiled the whole ambiance of Ooty.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I yearn for something that was and can't be any more,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17but Ooty was a very, very, beautiful town at one time.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Victor's Ooty hasn't entirely disappeared.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27The Ooty hunt may be the last in Asia,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but it flourishes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36Even though, like their British counterparts, Indians are banned from actually hunting.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43You've got some good weather this time at least. We always do.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47But it doesn't stop the club from riding out in full fig,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50every month, to enjoy the hills.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Elsewhere, today's Ooty has outgrown its colonial origins.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07Indians have re-claimed it, enjoying their new found economic freedom.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13And the Indian lovers drawn here in their millions
0:20:13 > 0:20:19are inspired by a very Indian institution, romantic cinema.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Camera, action.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Ooty is the location for some of India's best-loved movies.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36For this Bollywood blockbuster,
0:20:36 > 0:20:42the art department has built an entire town on a windswept hillside,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48but no-one can re-create the hill railway.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59So the railway takes the opportunity to claw back a little of its losses by renting out their trains.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13With Ooty and its toy train immortalised in so many films,
0:21:13 > 0:21:19any traveller can fulfil their cinematic dreams.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38At Ooty station, steam lover Natarajan
0:21:38 > 0:21:42sees diesel trains come and go from his restaurant window.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47He dreams only of steam trains returning to Ooty.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55He's so determined his dream will become reality,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59he paid for a water crane to be installed here, just in case.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05But for now, the only steam train in Ooty is Natrajan's good luck charm.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Jenny Grigory was posted here 18 months ago.
0:22:33 > 0:22:40And with protective arms like Ivan's around him, he's now part of the hill railway family.
0:22:42 > 0:22:48Employed as a ticket examiner, Jenny includes tourist information for free.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07But Jenny's a long way from his home village on India's south-west coast and he stills misses it.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18However, he's adapting well to life in the hills.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21There's something intoxicating about this mountain air.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58At Coonoor, there's a lunch break, and Jenny has time to nip home.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Jenny's still a bachelor.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10Although he's been given a colony house big enough for a family, he lives alone.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Away from home, surrounded by railway families in the colony
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and honeymooning couples on the train,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Jenny can sometimes feel isolated.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- Hello, sir.- Hello, come, come, come!
0:24:59 > 0:25:00How are you?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Sit down, man. What would you like? Some coffee?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Just plain water, plain water.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Jenny's always welcome in Ivan and Monica's home.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Over the past year, they've become friends.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16On their morning walks to work,
0:25:16 > 0:25:21Ivan often teases Jenny about his solitary life and extols the joys of marriage.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59Just down from the colony and station is the loco shed,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03where a hundred skilled workers keep the old engines going.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08New parts are forged, turned and fitted with precision
0:26:08 > 0:26:12and skills that are disappearing in the modern world.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17But here those skills are being passed down to a new generation of Indian workers.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Shivani was posted here by the railways just six months ago.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27She's a trained diesel technician.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Now she's learning to work with steam locos, too.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56But although this is a highly valued job,
0:26:56 > 0:27:02and Shivani's the first female diesel technician they've ever had here, it's a hardship posting.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07Shivani is alone, 300 miles from her home and her baby.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25Shivani's husband and his mother look after the baby while she's in Coonoor.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Shivani can only get home to her baby once a fortnight.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Her sacrifice and commitment is typical.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17The railway demands it of their workers, and they demand it of themselves.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04Up and down the Nilgiri Mountain Railway,
0:29:04 > 0:29:09dedicated workers check every nut, bolt and rail daily to keep the line safe and secure.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Section engineer Sanjay Kumar
0:29:12 > 0:29:18makes use of a special inspection trolley to reach the remoter stretches of track.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16On top of a century of wear and tear, the track is regularly
0:30:16 > 0:30:20battered by falling rocks and landslides caused by heavy rain.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22So Sanjay is busy round the clock.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Just seven years ago a 200m section was washed away overnight.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40It took three months to rebuild.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Cyclonic rain is forecast for tonight,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13so the railway is on red alert.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32ROLLING THUNDER
0:31:35 > 0:31:40The Nilgiris are always greener, more lush and much wetter than the plains.
0:31:40 > 0:31:46But this year, the winter cyclones are early, and they're bringing the heaviest rain for years.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15It rains for more than a week.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19So far, the trains and the tourists are still getting through.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23But this morning there's a problem.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27A boulder is blocking the line.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31It's engineer Sanjay's responsibility to deal with it.
0:32:31 > 0:32:37The solution - a bag full of dynamite from the stores.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30It's the engineer's job to maintain the line.
0:33:30 > 0:33:37Delaying a train can cost a railway employee his job, and that means house and pension, too.
0:33:56 > 0:34:02As Sanjay's men bore a hole for the explosives, it's a race against time.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29We are doing blasting, first blasting. They are doing first blasting.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32If blasting is successful, we shall pass that train.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34How much time it will take?
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Nothing!
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Finished.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50TRAIN'S WHISTLE
0:35:28 > 0:35:33Bad weather won't stop Jenny the ticket examiner playing the happy host.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38In his big house, he needs company, friends to keep loneliness at bay.
0:35:51 > 0:35:57And like all-male parties can do, it gets a little bawdy as the night wears on.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Jenny enjoys his parties,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25but especially on a cold and wet Coonoor morning,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28he misses Kerala and his old life by the sea.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32And though he hasn't told his friend, Ivan,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36he secretly hopes his days as a bachelor are numbered.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52Rain continues to lash the hills until the Nilgiris are soaked through.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04At times like this, the fabric of the line is in danger,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07as well as the trains and their passengers.
0:37:12 > 0:37:13Coonoor!
0:37:13 > 0:37:15And is there any news?
0:37:20 > 0:37:25The situation is so dangerous Sanjay wants the line to be closed.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Closing the line on any Indian railway is a big decision,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05but as things stand, with more rain expected,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Sanjay thinks it's the safest option.
0:38:17 > 0:38:24Sanjay and his men, and women, now have three days to make the line safe.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Just down from Coonoor, under a bend on the national highway,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33is one of the reasons Sanjay's taken such drastic action.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36A felled tree lies right over the track.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Below it, a massive boulder.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47It fell as part of a landslip that's undercut the road.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52The boulder's got to go,
0:38:52 > 0:38:56but any disturbance could bring the traffic down on Sanjay's men.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09Using dynamite might cause a further landslip and damage the precious track.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Eventually, with help from Coonoor fire brigade,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27the boulder is rolled away.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48The forecast is improving,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52but to dry out the land and make safe the line,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54the only traffic for three days is pedestrian.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Dry weather and good drainage off the hills
0:40:44 > 0:40:48sees the line reopen on time after just 72 hours.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53HE SINGS
0:40:56 > 0:40:58And with trains running again,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Ivan can share his happiness with the passengers, even on his day off.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14But there's an unexpected halt near Hillgrove Station.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26TRAIN'S WHISTLE
0:41:28 > 0:41:33The two big beasts of this jungle face one another down.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35It's not moving!
0:41:42 > 0:41:48Eventually, the old bull elephant lets the train pass without a fuss.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Age before beauty.
0:41:56 > 0:42:02This year, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is celebrating an unbroken century of service.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12The high point of the centenary is the Black Beauty competition,
0:42:12 > 0:42:16when experienced judges will pick the finest engine on the line.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Hassan, who's a stickler for detail,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23has been supervising the preparation of his Nilgiri Ratham loco.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Shivani's been part of the team working flat out
0:42:45 > 0:42:48to make Hassan's engine look its best.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It's not just the look of the engine.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05It's the skill of the driver that the judges are scrutinising.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20For Hassan, victory is sweet.
0:44:20 > 0:44:26Being the driver of India's best steam loco is everything he ever wanted.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Shivani was in Hassan's winning team.
0:45:08 > 0:45:13But instead of celebrating, all she wants to do is get home to her baby.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21The express from Metupallyam is packed.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Everyone is travelling for the annual Diwali holiday.
0:45:24 > 0:45:31It's the Hindu new year and Shivani is in no mood for pushy men.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41This is the longest Shivani's ever been away from her baby,
0:45:41 > 0:45:46and Diwali is THE time for families to be together.
0:46:38 > 0:46:44Shivani's husband always comes to meet her from the train, day or night.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47But with his wife away, holding down a full-time job
0:46:47 > 0:46:51and looking after their baby is a very stressful life.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25Shivani will have to work at Coonoor for at least three years
0:47:25 > 0:47:29until she's eligible for a transfer closer to her family.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28Jenny wants this to be his last Diwali alone.
0:48:28 > 0:48:35Even though he hasn't told anyone in Coonoor, he's ready to marry and start a family.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13# And with Jesus in my heart
0:49:13 > 0:49:16# What have I to fear?
0:49:16 > 0:49:19# What have I to fear...? #
0:49:19 > 0:49:23That girl dresses up. She's looking nice, no? That girl dresses up.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25She's looking nice.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27# In my heart he is near. #
0:49:29 > 0:49:33Ivan's daughter, Diana, is here for the holidays
0:49:33 > 0:49:35and she's heavily pregnant.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40She won't be able to come to the hills again before the birth.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45This is the last time Ivan and Monica will see her before they become grandparents.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57They can't be with their daughter for the birth,
0:49:57 > 0:50:02so they want the priest's blessing before she returns home to the plains.
0:50:27 > 0:50:33You just let me know when your baby is going to be born, which date and all.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36I am so sad that you're leaving us and going...
0:50:43 > 0:50:45I am really sad.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Duty always comes first for Ivan.
0:50:54 > 0:50:59He manages to snatch a brief goodbye as Diana's train prepares to leave.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Bye. Bye.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09But Monica just couldn't bear to say goodbye,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12so she's accompanying Diana on the Nilgiri Railway
0:51:12 > 0:51:14to the bottom of the line.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48350 miles away, in Kerala, Jenny is in his home village.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52Church is the only place he's allowed to see his sweetheart, Teena,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55without their families' permission.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Separation is the norm here.
0:52:11 > 0:52:18Unmarried men and women are never allowed to be alone together.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33Jenny and Teena must remain apart until their families agree a match.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39But after 14 years of love,
0:52:39 > 0:52:43they know they want to be together for ever.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47They've asked the priest to see them today to help them.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16With their priest's and the church's blessing,
0:53:16 > 0:53:21Jenny and Teena hope that no-one will stand in the way of their engagement.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28And sure enough, that evening, Teena's birthday,
0:53:28 > 0:53:35their match is approved and they can go out alone for the first time.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Jenny and Teena plan to marry in six months.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14By next Diwali,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18they hope to be together in his railway house in Coonoor.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Ah. Good evening, Diana.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36'Ah. Good evening, Daddy.'
0:54:36 > 0:54:38How are you?
0:54:38 > 0:54:40- 'Fine, Daddy. How are you?' - I'm fine, fine, fine.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42How is your health and all?
0:54:42 > 0:54:45- 'Now fine, ta.'- Very good, good. Here, talk to Mummy one minute.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Hello, Diana.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51- 'Good evening, Mum.'- Good evening. You have a safe delivery.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53Have good health. Eat nicely.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56We'll come for Christmas.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59We'll come to see the...
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- Diana...- 'Yes?'
0:55:04 > 0:55:07We want to become grandparents soon. We are very anxious.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- 'Bring me a carriage for my baby!' - OK, bye. Take care. God bless.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Be happy.
0:55:12 > 0:55:17I am going to become a grandfather. That is another big promotion.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20The biggest promotion in my life, is it not?
0:55:20 > 0:55:23She is going to become a grandma. I'm going to be a grandfather.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25Something wonderful.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37By special dispensation,
0:55:37 > 0:55:41Hassan's winning steam engine is to run up to Ooty
0:55:41 > 0:55:46to celebrate 100 years since a steam engine first did this run.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Natrajan has been dreaming of this moment for years.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24The train's arrival in Ooty will signal the fulfilment of another love affair.
0:56:24 > 0:56:29It's unconventional, but steam trains are Natrajan's true love.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52With the centenary train comes news.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56Indian railways will pay over £5 million
0:56:56 > 0:57:01for four brand new Indian-built engines to replace these vintage locos.
0:57:01 > 0:57:06They'll be steam-powered, but fuelled by oil, not coal.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28At 90 years old, this prize-winning loco
0:57:28 > 0:57:32has more than done its bit in service to India.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34And with retirement imminent,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38Natrajan is savouring its presence for one last time.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00But even as the old locos are readied to retire,
0:58:00 > 0:58:02new blood is coming to the line.
0:58:02 > 0:58:07Ivan has already introduced his granddaughter to the old steam train.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12And Jenny and Teena are now happily married
0:58:12 > 0:58:16and are living together in the Coonoor railway colony.
0:58:16 > 0:58:22For a century, the Nilgiri mountain railway has been driven by steam
0:58:22 > 0:58:25and sustained by love and dedication.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27And as long as this train runs to Ooty,
0:58:27 > 0:58:31it will continue to win the hearts of all who ride it.
0:58:38 > 0:58:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:41 > 0:58:45E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk