Journey from the Past - From Delhi to Calcutta

Delhi Muttra-Kanpur-Allahabad-Sasaram-Chandauli-Aurangabad-Asnsol-Calcutta

We take you back in time, with touring stories written over half a century ago by some pioneering
motorists who drove across India when the road routes were relatively uncharted. Here is an
opportunity to get into their shoes and stir up memories of a bygone era. Memories of a young India
that had just got its Independence.

This articles featured here are reproductions from old periodicals and even the old colonial names have
been retained From Delhi to Calcutta.
We left Delhi on the morning of 28-3-1950. The complement consisted of Mr. A. brok, Service Engineer
of Leylands, Mr. Amit Kumar of the West Bengal Government, a driver from the Bengal State

Transport and myself. Brok had had experience of such a trip, having previously driven the same bus
from Bombay to Delhi. As a result of this experience, we obtained several items of necessary equipment
before starting our trip, such as an axe, a pair of long, strong & bamboo poles with which we could raise
telephone wires, some tinned food and lemonades and we had made for the platform entrance to the
bus a doorway of hesian which would serve to keep out a certain amount of dust.

Our first day was uneventful. We were unable to take the Grand Trunk Road as the clearance the Jumna
Bridge at Delhi afforded was much too low. We, therefore, headed for Muttra from where we would cut
across to the Grand Trunk Road. The road from Delhi to Muttra is lined with trees on either side, many
of which have low spreading branches. This necessitated long spells of very slow and careful driving to
avoid damage being caused by these branches to the bus. Brok managed to avoid mostly of these
branches on his own, but, on several occasions, one or other of us had to get out of the bus to guide him
through and sometimes to lift branches, and also telephone wires, with poles. The trees were slightly
less troublesome as we neared Muttra where we decided to spend the night.

The next morning we set out for Hatras crossing the Jumna here at Muttra. The bridge across the river is
a narrow road/rail bridge. When we arrived at the bridge we found two bullock carts, one of which had
broken a wheel, jammed in the middle. These had to be moved to one side before we could cross. Even
then there was not much room, Brok only having a bare foot on either side clearance between the bus,
bridge and bullock carts. However, the crossing, which was necessarily slow, was completed, the bus
being led over the bridge by a herd of goats and a few donkeys.

The road to Hatras, which had quite a good surface, provided much trouble from trees and our Progress
was very slow. It took us just on two hours to cover the twenty odd miles between Muttra and Hatras.
From Hatras we took a short cut to the Grand Trunk Road which had the advantage of cutting out
Aligarh. We gained the Grand Trunk Road at a point about 20 miles on the Delhi side of Etah. The next
hundred odd miles of the road were in a very bad state of repair and again our speed was slow.
However, we met a good surface and few low trees for the last 70 odd miles to Cawnpore and were able
to increase our average.

It was dark when we reached 1Cawnpore. We asked for the Station or a Dak Bungalow, but were mis-
directed and in the dark missed both these destinations. About four miles outside Cawnpore we came
across some barracks occupied by the Armed Constabulary. We received permission to park the bus on
their ground for the night and they, very kindly, provided transport for us to go to the Station for a meal.
We slept that night in the bus.

After some tea and toast in the Police Lines the next morning, we set off on our third day's run. We met
little trouble from trees to begin with and completed the first 44 miles to Fatehpur in two hours. We
then had hopes of reaching Benares by evening. However, from Fatehpur to Allahabad we started
running into low trees once more. But in spite of them, we covered the 70 odd miles to Allahabad in just
under four hours. The Grand Trunk Road runs right through Allahabad city and it was here that we met p
with our first disappointment. In the middle of the city there is a Gateway; the Kushon Bagh Gate,
through which we could not go. The Gateway actually offered - just enough clearance and the bus
entered. The road on the far side of "the Gateway, however, rose steeply and as a result of this the bus
could not clear the far side of the Gateway. The only thing to do was to back out and try another way.
We were given another route through Allahabad which would cut out this Gateway. On trying this route
we ran into another obstacle, this time a low railway bridge under which we could not pass. We again
turned on our tracks and by this time we had given up all, hopes of reaching Benares that evening. We
accordingly made for the Civil Lines and parked the-bus in the grounds of the Royal Hotel, where we
spent the night. By the time we reached Allahabad the bus was beginning to show signs of body
damage. The ventilators on the roof had gone, one window pane in the top deck had been smashed;
completely and another was cracked. The roof itself was showing small dent marks on the front, soft
panel, where she had been buffetted by trees. The damage, however, was only superficial and the fact
that there was not more is a tribute to the care and the skill with which Brok drove the bus.

The next day, Friday, was the most tiring and exacting we had met with so far. We found quite an easy
route out of Allahabad from the Civil Lines and crossed the Ganges Bridge without any trouble. Once
across the bridge we ran into the worst tree trouble of the whole trip. Again, Brok, who remained at the
wheel throughout the whole trip, drove with the utmost care and skill. He had to drive with one eye on
the load and the other in the air all the time. We had to stop on three occasions to chop down branches
which would have caused damage to the but, had they not been removed. Apart from tree trouble, two
branches of this load, each about two miles in length, were under repair and we had to leave the road
and take to the diversions, which were pure and simple cart tracks running alongside the road.

We, eventually, arrived at Benares where we had to cross the Ganges once more. To our dismay the
road bridge over the railway bridge was under repair and was completely closed to traffic and we had to
make for the pontoon bridge. We were refused permission to cross via this bridge as the maximum load
allowed on it was 51 tons. We were 2 tons over-weight. Crossing a pontoon bridge in a double-decker
bus is a dangerous occupation at the best of times, as, if the bus starts to sway, she is more or less
finished. Brok, who admitted that he did not like the idea of making the crossing, felt, however, that he
could do it and Amit Kumar and myself left to see the District Magistrate to obtain special permission for
the crossing, as this was our only way of getting to Calcutta. On the way to see the District Magistrate
we investigated the possibility of taking the bus across the rail bridge by rail wagon. This would have
been impossible as the entrance to the bridge did not afford nearly enough clearance for the bus when
loaded on the wagon. There were then two possibilities, open to us. We could ask the District
Magistrate to place sleepers on the Road Bridge which was under repair so that we could cross there,
failing which we would have to get special permission to cross the pontoon bridge. The District
Magistrate lived on the other side of Benares about six miles from the pontoon bridge and we began to
doubt whether we should get permission ill time to make the crossing before dark. We explained our
case to the District Magistrate, pointing out that it was a Government vehicle we had. He said it was
definitely impossible for us to cross the Road Bridge and that he could not help us over the pontoon
bridge. We assured him that Brok was a most experienced driver who would not take the risk of such a
crossing unless he felt he could do it. We also pointed out that it is a very expensive bus and that we had
no wish to lose it in the Ganges. He, eventually, said that, if his executive engineer agreed, it would be all
right with him. Thereupon we proceeded to see the executive engineer and placed our case before him.
After a lot of talk he agreed to let us go provided we gave him an assurance in writing that we were
taking the bus over at our own risk and that we would be responsible for any damage to either bridge or
bus and loss of life. This was given by Amit Kumar. The Executive Engineer then issued instructions for
the bridge to be cleared and just as it was getting slightly dark the bus started its crossing. Brok had
unloaded his spare tyre and all the tins of diesel fuel which we were carrying. I went out to the middle of
the river by boat to obtain some photographs. Everything went well until the bus reached the joints in
the middle of the bridge although the pontoons were sinking quite a bit as the bus passed over them. As
the bus passed the joint in the middle of the bridge, the pontoon carrying the joint rose sharply and
caught the rear of the bus a blow. The back end was pulled out slightly, only very little damage is done.
The rest of the crossing was carried out successfully to the huge relief of everyone concerned. Our fuel
and spare tire then followed us over in bullock carts. By this time it was quite dark, but Mogul Sarai was
only 8 miles distant and we set off for there where we could certainly get food at the station. When we
reached Mogul Sarai we found it was very difficult to get the bus to the station, in the dark, so we
decided to carry on until we came to a Dak Bungalow. We passed two Dak Bungalows where there were
no feeding arrangements and we carried on until 9 p.m. when we came to a little roadside village,
Chandauli by name. We parked here for the night. The villagers were most helpful. They practically fell
over themselves to give us food. In return, of course, they were allowed to look over the bus. We slept
in the bus that night, or rather tried to sleep. Mosquitoes were very plentiful and also the news of our
arrival had spread very rapidly and people were arriving right up to 4 o'clock in the morning to see this
wonderful new vehicle. They clamoured outside the bus and we had no alternative but to get up out of
bed and let them in to have a look.

Next day, soon after leaving Chandauli we crossed the border into Bihar and were stopped for the first
time for checking up documents by the State Police. We had a good run from then on to Dehrion-Sone.
Here we were kept waiting for some hours for the arrival of the T.X.R. who could give us permission to
cross the Sone. On arrival of the T.X.R. we had a disappointment as he would not give us permission to
cross the Sone by rail as the height of the bus infringed the railway regulations. He informed us that we
could cross the Sone by going via Arrah and Patna as there was a road-rail bridge over the Sane on that
road. He informed us that the height of the bridge was 23'6" which would afford us plenty of clearance.
Accordingly we returned to Sasaram on our way to Arrah. We stayed for the night in the dak bungalow
at Sasaram, which must be about the filthiest in India. It certainly looked as though it had not been
cleaned for a couple of years. Sleeping there was also very difficult on account of the large number of
mosquitoes.

On Sunday we set off for Arrah.

The road from Sasaram to Arrah was very bad, being very narrow and having only a kutcha surface for
most of the way. There were also a number of bridges over which we had to pass, on which a load of
more than 6 tons was not allowed and one, where the load allowed was a maximum of 1 ton. We were
held up for 50 minutes having to chop down a thick branch of a tree which was completely obstructing
our passage. We passed through the very narrow streets of Arrah and had to be particularly careful in
the centre of the town where there was a large Peepul tree. It had long, low, spreading branches which
stretched right across the street, which we had to push up with our poles before the bus could safely
pass without damaging the tree. It was the only occasion we experienced where damage to a tree had
to be considered equally with damage to the bus.
Leaving Arrah behind us we soon arrived at Koilwar where the rail-road bridge crossed the Sone, the
road carrying on to Patna. We discovered that the bridge only allowed a clearance of 13'6" and not 23'6"
as we had been informed and it was, therefore, impossible for us to get through. After investigating to
see if there were any other possible ways of crossing the Sone, we decided to return to Arrah and to try
and obtain permission from there for a Rail crossing. On arrival back at Arrah, Choudhury and myself
boarded the first train to Dinapur where we explained our position to the Traffic Superintendent. He
proved most eager to help and said that he would telephone Calcutta next morning, Monday, to obtain
permission from the C.O.P.S. to transport us. We returned to Arrahfor the night and went to see the S.T.
again on Monday morning. When we returned to Arrah in the afternoon we took with use one of the
engineers detailed by the S.T. to measure all the overhead obstructions on the line between Arrah and
Dinapur.

The next morning, Tuesday, the M.T.I. arrived from Dinapur and informed us that all the overhead wires
etc. between Arrah and Dinapur would give us enough clearance and we pointed out to him the
necessity of building a loading ramp.

After a long discussion with the Railway Authorities, who pointed out to us the bad state of the roads
from Patna onwards, it was decided that we would cross the Sone at Dehri where we would be able to
continue on the Grand Trunk Road as soon as we had crossed. Accordingly, next morning we set off
once more for Dehri. We made very good time considering the bad road and arrived in Dehri in the early
afternoon. That evening we loaded the bus on the rail wagon ready to cross the next morning.

Dinapur had issued very clear instructions to the Authorities at Dehri for our crossing and everything
went through very smoothly and everyone concerned was most obliging and helpful. As soon as we had
crossed, we set off down the Grand Trunk Road. We had no tree trouble and had an excellent day's run,
arriving at Asansol that evening. About 25 miles from Asansol, we came across a railway bridge which
was too low for us and we had to make a diversion of about 3 miles to miss it. It was unfortunate that it
was too dark when we made this diversion to take photographs as our way lay through a small village of
mud huts through which ran a very-narrow bullock track. The bus towered above the mud huts.

On Saturday we left Asansol V for Calcutta. We had a first class run and made very good time again
experiencing no trouble from trees. On arrival in Calcutta we parked our vehicle in Leyland's Depot.

So ended a trip which, to me was quite an experience and an education in itself. I was most surprised at
the performance of the bus. There was never at any time the slightest trace of mechanical trouble. What
really amazed me was the fact that never at any time on the trip did we have to add water to the
radiator or to add any engine oil.

Everywhere we went we saw nothing but amazement showing on the faces of the villagers. They had
never seen such a vehicle before. Everywhere we stopped we were surrounded by crowds of people
wanting to see that bus. Every town and village we visited we were met with three stock questions
"Where have you come from?", "Where are you going?" and "How much does the bus cost?". Certainly
our trip gave the people something to talk about.
When we arrived at Calcutta, we had been on the road for 12 days. They were 12 days of hard work and
hard living.

85 gallons of fuel were consumed in the 1,086 miles covered in the journey from Delhi to Calcutta giving
an average fuel consumption of 12.7 miles per gallon. Only 2 pints of engine oil were consumed during
the whole journey-a remarkable performance.

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