THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: His descriptions may not be as multicoloured or magisterial as that of Paul Theroux - the other great chronicler of India's legendary rail network - but Ian Manning had an eye for the evasive detail that makes his evocation of less known rail routes, especially in Kerala and south India, almost kaleidoscopic. Sample this: "This Nilambur Road line was the only branch railway in all of Kerala, which is not surprising, since Kerala is a land where railways just don't fit. Of all the landscapes of India, only Kerala is truly intimate and detailed.
Its red lateritic ridges are small, abrupt, and confused; its flat valley bottoms of paddy field wind sinuously; its luxuriant vegetation shelters small compounds and houses, for the population density is high. Altogether it is a country made on too small a scale for railways," he wrote. Ian Manning, who passed away in Melbourne in the last week of November aged 82, came to India from Australia in the 1960s to teach economics at Madras Christian College in Chennai.
With acamera slung over his shoulder and a notebook in hand, he soon began spending his time in India documenting the intricate web of Indian Railways . For Manning, trains were not just a hobby; they were a gateway to understanding the soul of a country, its people, and its landscapes. His images and writings, from when steam locomotives were popular, celebrated the romance of Indian Railways.
For rail enthusiasts, he was a treasure trove of heritage. As .
