Sunday Times 2
Chugging back on a historic track
View(s):“Ceylon Railway Heritage” a book by K.A.D. Nandasena and Vinod Wickremeratne will be launched on Thursday, May 25, at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB
Towers, 479 T.B. Jaya Mawatha, Colombo commencing at 6.15 p.m. The book is a publication by the National Trust – Sri Lanka, together with the sponsors Browns Group.
“Ceylon Railway Heritage” introduces readers to the different facets of the railway. It showcases the challenges overcome by the railway engineers of the colonial period, and also the sensitivity with which they planned its execution, safeguarding the scenic beauty of Sri Lanka’s mountainous landscape.
The book will be available for sale at a pre-launch price of Rs.3,500 on the day of the launch.
K.A.D. Nandasena AIES, CMILT (UK) joined the Ceylon Government Railway in 1968 and devoted a 42 year career to the railways until his retirement in 2010. During his tenure as Bridge Engineer, he successfully upgraded many old bridges to modern requirements enabling heavier trains to travel at a higher speed. He also constructed several new bridges utilising local resources saving much foreign exchange. He worked as a consultant for the conservation of Jetavana and Abhayagiri Stupas, the world’s largest brick-built structures and continues to provide his services to the Central Cultural Fund for conservation projects.
Vinodh Wickremeratne has been associated with trains for over 50 years, travelling to all corners of passenger served lines and on many industrial lines. He is the Founder of the Model Railroad Club, the Chairman and a Convener of the Ceylon Railway Enthusiasts’ Circle and the first Editor of the Lanka Railway Digest established in 2012. He also served as a Consultant in establishing the National Railway Museum.
The book launch will be followed by the Lecture titled “The Story of Ceylon’s Railway – A Saga of Over 150 Years” which will be delivered by Ravindra Ratnapala at 6.30 p.m.
Ravindra Ratnapala is a business management professiona who along with two or three of his colleagues from the tea industry, forms a group of avid train travellers. He maintains a blog on railways at www.http://worldontrains.blogspot.com. He is also a keen philatelist and is the immediate Past President of the Philatelic Society of Sri Lanka.