The sharp whistle of a steam engine pierces the air as passengers wait for the train. It halts at the station briefly, allowing its engine to rest a bit. Loaded with passengers, the train chugs slowly, gains momentum, and whizzes its way in a matter of seconds. The speed gradually drops at a level-crossing, as it waits for the signal to turn green. It reaches its destination and continues its onward journey. All the action is happening on the terrace of Sundaram Parthasarathi’s residence at Prithvi Avenue, RA Puram, where he has been meticulously building railway models at his workshop for the past 32 years.

What’s common among Tom Hanks, Frank Sinatra, and Sundaram Parthasarathi — railway modelling, a popular hobby among railway enthusiasts in Europe and the US. Sundaram developed a fascination for the railways from his grandfather KR Ramanujam, who, was the first Indian General Manager of Southern Railways. “I grew up in a railway colony and my father (Parthasarathi) was a railway controller of stores. So, it was always there in my blood,” laughs Sundaram, who retired from Ashok Leyland as Special Director.

Sundaram first started assembling models out of cardboards in 1987. Despite hailing from an affluent family, he couldn’t afford the money he needed to build railway models back then. A mechanical engineer by profession, Sundaram wasn’t serious about his “expensive hobby” until his company sent him to the UK on work. “I visited quite a few stores there, where it was a big thing then. And that’s how I picked up this hobby,” he says, adding, “When I began reading about railway models, I was fascinated by their world. So much so that I spent hours researching.”

Artist at work

From devising the overall layout to physically assembling the individual parts, every step is a tedious process, agrees Sundaram. For, every minuscule object in his railway models is from — from pieces of wood, cardboard, plastic and so on — except the railway tracks and rolling stocks. For example, he has used the body of an old refill, carefully moulding it into a street light. Likewise, he has chosen a wire mesh to build the sides of a foot over bridge. “For buildings, I downloaded images from the Internet and pasted them on cardboards,” he explains, pointing at the insides of his model.

A cluster of LED lights is laid beneath the railway tracks so that every time the train changes its track, the light glows, providing a visual effect. About the core idea, Sundaram admits that he was inspired by a South African. The trains, according to Sundaram, can be operated in three modes — manual, where you pass electricity and it drives the engine; digital controller, in which the decoder converts the analogue signal into digital output, and the third is by a computer.

When he switches on the controller, the sound decoder digitises the pulses and sends it to the train, so that you hear the hum of the diesel engine, followed by the idling sound. Like a typical train, it starts with a speed of 30 kmph and can go up 75 kmph. The movements are taken care of by a mobile decoder, that Sundaram programmed. Any miscalculation in programming would result in a reverse-domino effect, he says, “Digitrax, an America-based company, teaches you how to make the hardware and software. They give you the main syntax, but you can alter the code to suit your requirements. For example, you can increase or decrease the speed depending on the railway signals.”

What would you buy when you visit a foreign country? Chocolates? Electronic appliances? Perfumes? But Sundaram always brings back engines, decoders, and circuits instead. He would also check out on other collectables required for his treasure trove since most of these materials are not available in India. He shows me a point motor — the one responsible for shifting the tracks — that he bought for $12.

“Over the years I’ve been trying to expand my models. Now, I have my own workshop because I can’t afford to send the parts abroad, if something needs replacement,” he says, adding, “There have been days when I spent 16 hours to do the patch-up work.”

What’s in store?

Though a niche hobby, railway modelling has numerous clubs in the US; Sundaram is part of one. He has been actively involved in conversation with its members and exchanges notes with them if need be. Does he intend to showcase his models in an exhibition? The answer is a resounding no.

Elaborating, he says, “The main issue is transportation. As of now, my railway model is the main attraction during the navaratri season,” he smiles, adding, “If anything, I want school children to come and have a look at it.” Sundaram is currently working on expanding the marshalling yard, which, he says, will be functional soon. He also has plans of creating a replica of Chennai Metrorail.

Sundaram Parthasarathi can be contacted at sundram.26@gmail.com or 9841291293.