Matheran Light Railway

Route: Neral - Matheran - Neral

Matheran Light Railway
Abdul Hussain, son of the business tycoon, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of Mumbai, was a regular visitor to Matheran at the turn of the century. After having obtained a reluctant consent from his father, young Abdul Hussain camped at Neral in 1900 AD to plan for a narrow gauge railway line to Matheran. The construction started in 1904 and the two feet gauge line finally opened to traffic in 1907.

Matheran toy train running through the Western Ghats.

The Zig Zag Route

Neral, the starting station of this line, falls nearly midway on the Mumbai-Pune route of the central railway. Starting from Neral, the narrow gauge two feet line runs parallel to the main broad gauge line leaving the road to the west of Hardal hill, then turning sharply east. The ascent commences and road and rail meet at the end of the third mile near Jummapatti station. They part company again to meet a mile further just beyond the steep slope of Bhekra Khud.

A narrow stretch of level ground terminates in the abrupt rise underlying Mount Barry. To avoid a reversion station, a large horseshoe embankment was constructed. Round this the line runs for a mile in the north direction till it turns back through the only tunnel on the route. 'One Kiss Tunnel' gives a couple time just sufficient for a kiss!

Then & Now

The line now lies under Mount Barry, and to negotiate the rise here, the line zigzags sharply backwards and forwards twice passing through two deep cuttings. The line pursues its may more decorously and reaches out more or less straight for panorama point after skirting it and then returns by Simpson's tank and terminates close to the Matheran Bazaar.

The railway is 12-1/2 miles long and has a gauge of only two feet. The permanent way originally consisted of rail 30 lb to a yard with a ruling gradient of 1 in 20. Speed is limited to 12 miles per hour only. Construction of line was done by local labour though occasionally help was sought from the 'Pioneer regiments'. The rails have since been replaced by heavier ones weighing 42 lb to a yard. The permanent way Inspector of Neral maintains this line.

During Monsoons

As a precautionary measure against frequent slides, the line used to close during the monsoons (July-August) till recently, but now passenger services continue even during rainy months. To commemorate the continuance of trains in the monsoon months of 1982, a M.L.R. loco N.o. 741 (O & K 1767 of 1905) has been installed at the Matheran station.

 

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Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Route: Mettupalayam - Coonor - Ooty

Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Coonoor is situated 6,000 feet above sea level at the southeast corner of the Nilgiri plateau and at the head of the principal pass from the plains. Up this Ghat runs a road 21 miles long and a rack railway 16 ¾ miles from Mettupalaiyam in Coimbatore district. The place was constituted a municipality in 1866. Coonoor remained a terminus for the Nilgiri line for eight years. The extension from Coonoor to Ootacamund was constructed by the Government of India and the line was opened up to Fernhill on September 15, 1908, and up to Ootacamund, a month later. Rack system was discarded for this extension though the ruling gradient is as severe as 1 in 23. The Ooty terminus was named Udagamandalam, the Tamil word for Ootacamund.

Operations

Functioning of the rack and pinion.

The NMR track is 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge and the railway is isolated from other metre gauge lines.
Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. On this rack section trains are operated by 'X' Class steam rack locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland. These steam locomotives can be used on any part of the line (either with or without the rack section),but the newer diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section, between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam.This signals the beginning of the process to phase out the coal-fired vintage Swiss engines that took scores of passengers on the rack and pinion track to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam, covering 41.8 km, 108 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges

The Present Scenario

Nowadays, the traveller from Ootacamund leaves Chennai central station on the evening Nilgiri Express at 9.00 p.m. and arrives at Mettupalaiyam at 7.10 am. After a 10 hour journey. There he merely crosses the platform to join the metre gauge train which leaves at 7.25 am. And reaches Udagamandalam at 11.40 a.m. in less than 15 hours. The Nilgiri Railway (NMR) is a feat of engineering unique in the east.

The line is a metre gauge, practically level for the first four and a half miles, to Kallar at the immediate foot of the hills. As soon as the train leaves Kallar, the rack rails appears and the long climb begins. In the next 12 miles to Coonoor, the line rises 4,363 feet curving almost continuously as it clings to the mountainside, crossing lofty viaducts or tunnels, the longest being 317 feet in length. The gradient posts read one in twelve and a half with monotonous consistency.

Construction expenses were heavy because in addition to the tunnels, a big bridge over the river bhawani at the foothills was necessary. Besides this large bridge, 26 other bridges smaller in size, were constructed and heavy expenditure incurred in rock-cutting and blasting.

To quote a south Indian railway spokesman in 1935: "those engineers must have been lovers of nature when they decided on the alignment."

 

The Route

 

The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train covers a distance of 26 mi (41.8 km),[2] travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels,[2] and 250 bridges.[2] The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes (4.8 hours), and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes (3.6 hours) It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%.[2]

Mettupalayam StationMettupalayam(Coimbatore) - 0 km (0 mi), 1,069 ft (325.8 m) above sea level - Junction with the 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) (Indian Gauge) line from Coimbatore city railway station. Passengers cross the platform to board the Nilagiri Passenger train (NMR). There is a small locomotive shed here and also the carriage workshops for the line.

        Leaving Mettupalayum, the line is adhesion worked and actually drops for a short distance before crossing the Bhavani River, after which it starts to climb gently.

Kallar StationKallar - 8 km (5 mi), 1,260 ft (384 m) - Closed as a passenger station, this is where the rack rail begins. As the train leaves the station, the gradient is 1 in 12 (8.33%).

Adderly StationAdderly - 13 km (8.1 mi), 2,390 ft (728.5 m) - Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop.

Hillgrove StationHillgrove - 18 km (11.2 mi), 3,580 ft (1,091.2 m) - Block post and water stop, also has refreshments for passengers.

Runneymede StationRunneymede - 21 km (13 mi), 4,612 ft (1,405.7 m) - Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop.

Kateri Road StationKateri Road - 25 km (15.5 mi), 5,070 ft (1,545.3 m) - Closed as a passenger station, trains do not stop here.

Coonoor StationCoonoor - 28 km (17.4 mi), 5,616 ft (1,711.8 m) - main intermediate station on the line at site of the locomotive workshops as well as the top end of the rack rail. Trains must reverse a short distance before continuing their climb to Ooty. It is normal for the locomotive to be changed here with diesel traction, being normal for all trains to Ooty.

Wellington StationWellington - 29 km (18 mi), 5,804 ft (1,769.1 m)

Aruvankadu StationAruvankadu - 32 km (19.9 mi), 6,144 ft (1,872.7 m)

Ketti Station
Ketti - 38 km (23.6 mi), 6,864 ft (2,092.1 m)

Lovedale Station

Lovedale - 42 km (26.1 mi), 7,000 ft (2,133.6 m)
Lovedale railway station

        From a short distance before Lovedale, the line descends into Ooty.

Udhagamandalam Station
Ooty - 46 km (28.6 mi), 7,228 ft (2,203.1 m).

Kalka-Shimla Railway

Route: Kalka - Barog - Dharampore - Taksai - Gamma - Solan - Shimla

Kalka-Shimla RailwayThe idea of a railway line to Shimla dates back to the introduction of railways in India. In the Delhi gazette, a correspondent in November 1847 sketched the route of a railway to Shimla with estimates of the traffic returns etc. in appropriate style. He wrote: "We might then see these cooler regions become the permanent seat of a government daily invigorated by a temperature adapted to refresh an European constitution and keep the mental powers in a state of health alike beneficial both to the rulers and the ruled."

HPTDC & Northern Railway Joint Package To Shimla Hills Itinerary
 
Day-1 Friday
Dep: By 2311 (Kalka Mail) at 2250 hrs from Delhi Main station in 1st AC-cum-2AC composite coach.

Day-2 Saturday
Kalka arrival at 0500 hrs. dep. from Kalka at 0600 hrs. by Rail Car/ 251UP Kalka SML Exp. Arr. Shimla at 1100 hrs. Lunch, local sight seeing at Shimla, dinner and night stay at hotel holiday home, Shimla

Day-3 Sunday
Leaving Shimla after breakfast at 0900 hrs. for sightseeing and lunch at Naldehra. Evening tea at café Lalit Chini Bungalow, Kufri. Dinner and night stay at Palace Hotel, Chail.

Day-4 Monday
Dep. Chail after breakfast at 1000 hrs. for Narkanda. Lunch, evening tea, dinner and night stay at Hotel Hatu, Narkanda.

Day-5 Tuesday
Dep. Narkanda after Breakfast at 0900 hrs. for Shimla-64 km. Arr. 1200 hrs. Lunch, evening tea at Hotel Holiday Home, Shimla.

Departure from Shimla at 1630 hrs. by rail car/252 Kalka-Shimla Exp. Arrival at Kalka 2230 hrs.

Departure from Kalka at 2330 hrs. by 2312 Kalka Mail.

Day-6 Wednesday
Arrival Delhi at 0630 hrs

Kalka Shimla Toy Train has about 07 coaches that can accommodate around 200 passengers in a single trip. The 700 horsepower B-B type diesel engines run energetically meeting the challenge of hazardous and adverse weather conditions - temperatures ranging from 0 to 45'C, heavy snowfall - average recording 2 feet during winters, and the annual rainfall of 200-250 cm, perceived by the valley. The train acquires up a moderate average speed of 25-30 km throughout its journey enabling its travelers to soak in the beauty of the picturesque valley.

Kalka-Shimla Train entering-Tunnel

 An interesting feature of the Kalka-Shimla Railway is the almost complete absence of Girder bridges. Multi arched galleries like ancient roman aqueducts being the commonest means of carrying the line over the ravines between the hills spur. There is only one 60 feet plate girder span in a Pinewood near the old engineer's bungalow at Dharampur and a steel trestle via duct, which replaced a stone gallery in 1935 in the 869 bridges representing about 3 percent of the line.

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The Kangra Valley Railway

Route: Palampur - Pathankot - Jawalamukhi - Kangra - Joginder Nagar

The Kangra Valley Railway
No one could have thought of making a finer selection of territory for building a new mountain railway in India than the Kangra valley. Few places can match this scenic region in the sub-Himalayas. One will stumble across a land that has cast its magic spell upon those who planned the railway and those who built the line. The result is there for all to see- an achievement that in every way makes one proud of the fine record that the history of Indian railways has always had.

Magic Of The Himachal Himalayas

One must remember, the Kangra valley is not one place in particular. It happens to be the name given to the entire region that lies between the Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas to the north and the ast strangling foothills to the south. So, roughly speaking, this talk is about a slim rectangular belt running 90 miles in length and 30 miles in breadth through the mountains. To the north, the peaks rear skyward: first a low chain of ridges followed by an extensive line averaging between 7,000 and 9,000 feet. Directly behind those are massifs rising from 13,000 to well over 16,000 feet. Then the snows.

The Kangra valley railway is ample proof of how railway engineers can create a work in harmony with nature. This they have done without destroying the grandeur of the mountain, and at the same time, revealing to the traveller, an enchanted fairyland.

Like the Russian émigré Roerich's paintings, the line is where a poet or an artist would have placed it. This symphony emphasises the tremendous depth of the gorges through which sparkling streams tear their impetuous way to the Great Plains of India.

Anything else would have ruined it. A different alignment, a different mode of taking the railway through the maze of hills and valleys would have spoilt its picture postcard perfectness. This unique line has just two tunnels, one of which is only 250 feet and the other 1,000 feet in length. The traveller must remember this is a total distance of 103 miles. Instead of boring his way through the mountains, the railway engineer has skillfully avoided running head first into the hillside. Instead of following dizzy curves, he has cleverly chosen to avoid the awkward corners and straighten his turning. Never does the traveller feel giddiness stealing upon him as it does sometimes on other mountain routes.

"Go easy on the curves!" could well have been the motto of the builders here. For the Kangra Valley Railway presents to the traveller, a chance to gaze as long as he likes on the ever present panorama of snow-clad ranges and the gold green fields without being swung round every few minutes on a narrow are before his eyes can greet the scenery.

Kangra Toy Train, where the passengers spend most of the time going through tunnels, the Kangra toy train- linking Pathankot and Joginder Nagar gently meanders through a maze of hills and valleys, offering the travellers enchantingly scenic views. The work on this line started in 1926. Three years later this, 163 km long route was opened to traffic.

The entire route commands glorious views of nature and unveils myriad facets of history, art and culture. The grand spectacle of Kangra Valley begins unfolding after the train enters the foothills. Hillocks rise on both sides and as the train moves over the meandering streams, the Dhauladhar begin to gain in prominence. Emerging through Daulatpur tunnel and past the ruins of the old Kangra fort, one is surprised by the change in the landscape.

The Dhauladhar rises up 13,000 feet from the valley floor. The wide Kangra Valley, with its well-watered terraces, is simply superb. As the train inches on, the passengers adore the open countryside and the shining white peaks. An unmistakable pine scent fills the air and the track is suddenly fringed on both sides by the tea gardens of the Palampur region. The stretch between Baijnath and Joginder Nagar is the steepest. Here the train moves at a snail's pace till it reaches the highest point on the track at Ahju. Not far from here are the popular para-gliding and hang-gliding sites of Bir and Billing. As the train approaches Joginder Nagar, the White Mountains, gradually begin fading away.

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The Darjeeling Railway

Route: New Jalpaiguri - Tindharia - Sukna - Rangtong - Chunbati - Ghum - Darjeeling

Making Of Hill Railway Project
The Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayIt was a crisp winter night in the year 1878. A glorious fire crackled on one side of the hall. The polished parquet floor of the planters club at Tindharia resonated with choreographed footsteps. The Sahibs (Gentlemen) and Memsahibs (Ladies) were attired in their best tails, frills and feather hats. The gaiety of the dancers was infectious. It was party-time. But Franklin Prestage was not exactly having a ball. He seemed preoccupied although he let his wife lead him through the motions on the dance floor. His feverish mind was trying to figure out how to conquer that impossible gradient where his pet Darjeeling Tramway Project had got stuck. His wife gently led the distracted Prestage to the edge of the dance floor and when they were right at the brink, she swerved deftly and led him back centre - stage. "If you can't go forward, why don't you go back darling," she is believed to have whispered in his ears.

But Franklin Prestage was not exactly having a ball. He seemed preoccupied although he let his wife lead him through the motions on the dance floor. His feverish mind was trying to figure out how to conquer that impossible gradient where his pet Darjeeling Tramway Project had got stuck. His wife gently led the distracted Prestage to the edge of the dance floor and when they were right at the brink, she swerved deftly and led him back centre - stage. "If you can't go forward, why don't you go back darling," she is believed to have whispered in his ears.

And that is precisely what Prestage did when he built the delightfully innovative Darjeeling Himalayan railway (DHR). Franklin Prestage was an official of the Darjeeling Tramway Company. His dream was to build a narrow gauge rail track along the hill cart road alignment. But he could not proceed beyond the 14th mile due to the Steepness of the gradient. Until his wife inspired him with an ingenious solution, perhaps inadvertently. Every time, the gradient got too steep, Franklin brought the tracks back a few yards and let it climb again at a slightly different point, sketching a z-shaped zigzag-not once, but six times in the 51-mile stretch from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The inspiration he drew from his wife's wisdom is now part of the Darjeeling folklore.

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