Chugging into Coonoor

The train from Mettupalayam negotiates a bend at the end of the steep rack-section of the meter gauge Nilgiri Mountain Railway, near the level crossing barrier at Coonoor.

The vintage Swiss built engine 37386-X de-links the rack mechanism and proceeds at full steam as the brakesmen in the carriages wave the green flags on sighting the "all-clear" home signal at Coonoor station. This system of signalling exists only on the Nilgiri Railway, among the five mountain rail lines in India, as the leading passenger car faces the track, and the engine is positioned at the rear end on the uphill run; the driver therefore being blind to obstacles ahead on the curvy track. On the downhill run, the engine leads the train.

At Coonoor, the steam engine is detached and a bio-diesel powered YDM-4 locomotive takes over for the onward journey to Ooty (or Udhagamandalam) on a easy gradient of 1 in 23 maximum; which is 1 foot gain/loss for every 23 feet of travel.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Coonoor
• Nilgiri
• Rack-railway
• Ooty
• meter-gauge

[avinashi07]

amazing smoking by steam engine - black and white !! definitely one of my favourite videos !

[XxBec3509]

very nice railway ,, i seen this on the television in England ,,great railway great video thanks for sharing ..and greetings from England