Today we're on a train spotting mission. First we've got a short bus ride to the railway station at Chengalpattu from where we catch the Guruvayur Express to Tiruchirappalli (usually shortened to Trichy), a journey of about five hours. Trichy has a major railway workshops, which Fuzz, our tour leader, has arranged for us to visit - or so he thought. Through overhearing some phone conversations after we get off the train, it's quite apparent that the arrangements are not going quite as planned. We're shepherded into a nearby hotel for lunch while things are sorted out.

A little later Fuzz brings us all together for a briefing. "There's good news and bad news" he tells us. "The good news is that we're going to the workshops. The bad news is that it's the diesel maintenance workshops, not the main construction workshops." We'd been hoping for the latter because we know there are a couple of steam locos under overhaul, one from the Darjeeling Himalaya Railway, the other a rack loco from the Nilagiri railway, which we'll be visiting a week from now. Apparently it's a problem with the permit. There's been a mix up as to who should have obtained it, and even with Fuzz's contacts in the Indian railway fraternity there isn't time to get the correct permit issued today. Ho hum, never mind. Most of the ladies, including Sarah, opt for a trip to the impressive Rock Fort in the centre of town, involving a climb of 714 steps, while the rest of us head off to the diesel workshops.

On the way to the diesel workshops, Fuzz gets a phone call. It's good news and bad news. The good news is that we've been given permission to visit the construction workshops as well. The bad news is that we can't take photographs. Apparently the whole place is so secret that even the workforce have to keep their eyes closed when they're on the premises. There's also another caveat. Apparently this request has gone as high as the railways Board in Delhi. Someone has told them that we're a group of eminent mechanical engineers on a visit from Britain. We're going to have to act accordingly!

We head for the diesel depot first. Sure enough there's a welcoming party of about six senior people awaiting us, together with a video camera to record the event. In a reception room the usual pleasantries are exchanged. We realise that in fact we're in the building which houses a state-of-the-art computerised driving simulator, and we're all to have a go on it! We're shown into the training room, where a group of about eight student have their training interrupted and stand up as we enter. The chief instructor explains that in this room the students can see what's going on in the simulator via a number of computer screens and a video screen. We go into the simulator two at a time and get to have a short drive. The simulator itself is on hydraulic rams, and inside it's just like being in the cab of a real diesel with a realistic graphical representation of the line ahead. The instructor in the control room can create various hazards. In my particular case he simulates the operation of an emergency valve in the train. The feel of the train coming to a sudden halt is extremely realistic.

Once we've all been through the simulator we're treated to tea and biscuits, and now they're ready to take us round the maintenance depot. But time is getting on and Fuzz is itching to get to the construction works. So with much shaking of hands and promises of main-line cab rides should they ever find themselves in Britain, we re-board our tour bus and set off for the construction works, picking up the ladies from the Rock Fort on the way, where it seems Sarah has bought enough bangles to equip an Indian dance troupe.

By now it's gone six and getting dark. Surely we won't get into the works at this late hour? At the gate, Fuzz goes in to deal with the introductions, which take about 30 minutes. While he's in there an employee who sees us at the gate assures us that we won't get into the works tonight, if at all. Shortly afterwards Fuzz re-appears - not only have we got in, but he's obtained permission to take a limited number of photographs of the steam locos. A coup indeed! We troop in, accompanied by stern-looking security guards and, sure enough, in an annex to the main works are the two locos under major overhaul.

Our train spotting urges satisfied for one day, we re-board the bus and head for the town of Thanjavur, about a 90 minute drive east. In the hotel bar a large number of Kingfisher beers are drunk in celebration of Fuzz's achievements in overcoming the railway bureaucracy. In India, everything is impossible, and everything is possible! It's all a case of who you know, it seems.