10 December 2024

The story of TCK 6685

Once upon a time, amid the verdant highlands of Sri Lanka, there was a heartfelt wish among the tea planters for a railway that could weave through the mountains, bringing both people and the bountiful harvests of tea to far reaches.


By 1890, this dream had taken form as a narrow-gauge railway from Nanu Oya to Udapussellawa, charmingly ending its journey in Ragala. Known affectionately as the “toy train,” it traversed steep slopes and hugged tight curves, offering passengers not just a journey, but an adventure with panoramic views of emerald tea fields and pristine forests.

Though the whistle of the train has long since fallen silent, with its service ceasing in the mid-20th century, its spirit endures. The tracks may have faded, but memories linger—of children racing alongside the chugging train, of guards offering joyrides, and of planters who heard the engine’s playful chant as it ascended the tea-clad hills.


Today, the legacy of this picturesque journey is lovingly preserved at the Heritance Tea Factory in Kandapola. Here, nestled among the same hills once traversed by the railway, a delightful replica of the toy train has been transformed into a fine dining experience.

Guests are invited to step aboard and dine in a setting that recaptures the romance of those bygone days, complete with the train’s cheerful whistle and the guard’s hearty cry of “All aboard!” It’s more than a meal; it’s a moment captured in time, a nostalgic embrace of the past, served up with the same warmth and hospitality that characterizes the spirit of Sri Lanka.