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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 10/12/2008 : 03:24:26
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Stage set for NMR centenary celebrations
the two-month-long celebrations will start on Monday
organised under the aegis of the NMR Centenary Celebrations Committee here on October 13.
The Secretary of the Committee K. Gopal said that it would be flagged off at Charing Cross by the Nilgiris Collector Anandrao V. Patil. Mr. Velu will also release a book entitled ‘Heritage Express’ at a function.
It will be received by Tamil Nadu Khadi Board Minister K. Ramachandran. Cultural and drawing competitions for school students would be conducted on October 15 at the railway station.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2008 : 19:43:42
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SOUTHERN RAILWAY
PRESS RELEASE
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE, Chennai - 600 003
No.109/2008-2009 Dt.11-10-2008
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SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE – CENTENARY OF
COONOOR – UDHAGAMANDALAM METRE GAUGE HILL RAILWAY LINE
On October 15, 2008, the Coonoor – Udhagamandalam metre gauge mountain railway line completes 100 years. The 18 km long Coonoor – Udhagamandalam section is a part of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway – Asia's steepest and longest metre gauge mountain railway. As we salute this technological wonder that has carried passengers, over some of the most beautiful hill terrain for the last century, let us also look at the history of this mountain railway which is now a heritage symbol.
Though several proposals were mooted since 1854 for the construction of a rail line from the foothills of Nilgiris at Mettupalayam to the Udagamandalam peak, it took over three long decades for the Mountain Railway to become a reality. With the opening of the branch line between Podanur and Mettupalayam by the Madras Railway Company in 1873, Mettupalayam became the foothill point for anybody going to the hills.
Proposals for the mountain railway line became more feasible now, and in 1882, the Swiss inventor, M. Riggenbach's proposal for construction of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway on the 'Rigi pattern' found acceptance. The "Nilgiri Rigi Railway Company Ltd." was formed in 1885 with a capital of Rs.25 lakhs with the mandate to undertake the construction of the Mettupalayam – Coonoor Railway Line. Work on this line was inaugurated by Lord Wenlock the then Governor of Madras Presidency, in August 1891. The Mettupalayam – Coonoor section was thrown open to public traffic on June 15, 1899 but it was extended upto Udhagamandalam only in 1908 after the ownership shifted to the Indian Government in January 1903. The Coonoor – Fernhill section was opened on 15.09.1908 and the Coonoor – Ooty section was opened on 15.10.1908. The extension of the line from Coonoor to Ootacamund cost Rs. 24.4 lakhs and took 60 months for construction.
The system of operation on this Heritage Railway line is the Absolute Block System where the block instruments are of the "Neals tablet type", an instrument which is rarely seen in other sections. The Hill Railways also has lower quadrant semaphore signals. The loco shed in Coonoor is the only functioning steam loco shed on Southern Railway and came into existence in 1899. Twelve X-class steam locomotives have been procured from Switzerland and are maintained in this shed for operation on the Mettupalayam – Coonoor section.
While 'X' class steam locomotives push up the toy train on the steep incline between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, traction changes to diesel locomotives from Coonoor on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. While the ruling gradient (the steepest grade in the section) on Mettupalayam – Coonoor section is 1 in 12.28 which is the steepest gradient in Asia, it is only 1 in 23 on the Coonoor – Udhagamandalam section and hence does not need the rack and pinion or the Alternate Biting System available between Kallar and Coonoor. With regard to the 18 km long Coonoor – Udhagamandalam section, the toy train runs at a speed of 30 kmph and covers the section in 75 minutes.
This metre gauge toy train which is a very popular tourist attraction operates with 4 coaches each of which are 11.516 m in length and 2.15 m wide. The unique feature of these bogies is that each coach is provided with two separate hand brakes, one for adhesion and the other for pinion brakes. A brakesman travels in each coach and applies the hand brake to give additional braking effort which is required as the train traverses over the Mettupalayam – Coonoor section on its rack and pinion arrangement.
The Salem division of Southern Railway runs 4 pairs of trains per day on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, of which one pair runs between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam and 3 pairs of trains are operated between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. The rising passenger index on the Mountain Railway stands testimony to the popularity of this system. In the last five years, there has been a 44% increase in the number of passengers in the Coonoor – Udhagamandalam section, with a corresponding hike of 18% in earnings. Last year, Coonoor station had an annual earnings of Rs.20,15,884/- and Udhagamandalam station had an annual earnings of Rs.35,06,400/-.
Salient features of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Coonoor to Udhagamandalam
Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam
Length
18 km
46 kms
No. of curves
79
208
Bridges
115
250
Tunnels
3
16
Average Gradient
1 in 15
1 in 24.5
Steepest Gradient
1 in 23
1 in 12.28
(Kallar – Coonoor section)
No. of stations
4
6
WORLD HERITAGE STATUS FOR NILGIRI MOUNTAIN RAILWAY
At the 29th Session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting at Durban on July 15, 2005, the application submitted by the Ministry of Railways, for Inscription of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as a World Heritage Site, was accepted. The World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO accepted the proposal as an extension of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in view of the fact that "Mountain Railways of India are outstanding examples of the interchange of values on developments in technology, and the impact of innovative transportation system on the social and economic development of a multicultural region, which was to serve as a model for similar developments in many parts of the world." The Committee also added that "The Mountain Railways of India are outstanding examples of a technological ensemble, representing different phases of the development in high mountain areas."
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway have been jointly renamed by the World Heritage Committee as the "Mountain Railways of India".
( Neenu Ittyerah )
Chief Public Relations Officer
BACK
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Developed by GM System Team, Southern Railway.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2008 : 21:54:26
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Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam
Nilgiri Ratham wins black beauty contest
It rode away with the first prize of Rs. 25,000
Old is gold: The winner of the black beauty contest being crowned at the railway station in Coonoor on Saturday.
Udhagamandalam: A beauty contest with a difference marked the ongoing centenary celebrations of the Coonoor-Ooty section of the renowned Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) on Saturday. Hosted by the railway station in Coonoor four contestants figured in the unique black beauty competition which was witnessed by a good number of people including a few tourists. They were a gleaming coal fired locomotive called Nilgiri Ratham built in Switzerland in 1918, a beautiful oil fired engine called Aryabatta constructed in 1950,an attractive oil fired locomotive called Nilgiri Queen put together in 1949 and another shining coal fired engine called Bakiratha constructed in 1949.
Proving the adage ‘old is gold’ right, the Nilgiri Ratham caught the eye of the four member panel of judges comprising retired senior railway officials.
It rode away with the first prize of Rs. 25,000. Easobious Carmelus, secretary of the Southern Railway Women’s Organisation crowned the winner and congratulated its crew. Pointing out that the judges had gone by parameters like external appearance, interior decoration and hauling capacity, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, Chennai V.Carmelus said that since it was more or less a blanket finish, the other three had been given cash prizes worth rupees 10,000 each. Though normally the life of a locomotive lasts for about forty years, the Nilgiri Ratham is still chugging along the hills and valleys.
He added that before the curtain comes down on the celebrations around the end of November a number of activities would be organised. While many things about the NMR are attractive, the most charming feature is its steam engine. At present there are seven working steam locomotives on the line. Two of them have been sent for a major overhauling. Some of those who witnessed the contest told The Hind u that such an opportunity was hard to come by. Pointing out that over the years, the NMR had given them immense satisfaction, they hoped posterity will enjoy what we are privileged to enjoy.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2008 : 21:44:42
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Four new oil-fired steam locos for Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Railway Board sanctions Rs. 40 crore for their manufacture
RED LETTER DAY: The Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, V. Carmelus, flagging off container wagons at Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Tiruchi on Friday.
TIRUCHI: The Railway Board has sanctioned Rs. 40 crore for the manufacture of four oil-fired steam locomotives for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, V. Carmelus said on Friday.
The locomotives would be manufactured at the Golden Rock Railway workshop here, as it had the designs and technical know-how, he said, flagging off the 2,000th container wagon meant for the Container Corporation of India from the workshop.
The first loco would be manufactured in 18-24 months. In three years, all the locos, belonging to the ‘X’ class, would roll out. At present, seven steam locos were being operated between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, of which two were oil-fired and the rest coal-fired. The steam locos operated were imported from Switzerland and aged between 50 and 90 years.
The surplus metre gauge locomotives (MG) in the possession of the Railways were being exported to various countries.
In all, 108 MG locomotives had been exported, Mr. Carmelus said.
He complimented the workshop for delivering wagons on time and for maintaining the quality. This had enabled it to bag orders continuously from the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).
He urged the workshop personnel to strive to manufacture 1,000 wagons from this financial year, assuring all help from Southern Railway.
Chief Workshop Manager S. Rangarajan said it was a red letter day for the workshop, as it had crossed the 2,000 mark in the manufacture of container wagons through the despatch of the 45th rake of container wagons on Friday.
The workshop had completed three wagon manufacturing orders from the CONCOR. The present order for 1,125 wagons was under execution. The Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi S. Subramanyan, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Ramasubbu, and senior workshop officials were present.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 09:53:05
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Coimbatore | December 13, 2008 11:45:31 AM IST
Colourful dances and fireworks marked the centenary celebrations of the Nilgiri
Mountain railways (NMR) in Coimbatore.
Women, men and children performed folk dances and also sang songs. Hundreds of
residents witnessed the celebration.
R.K Rao, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Southern Railways, said the entire
side stretches of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway Train track needed to be
beautified by planting colourful flowers and trees to attract tourists.
The metre gauge rail-line, linking Mettupalayam in the plains and high altitude
tourist hotspot Ooty, passes through some of the most breathtaking tropical
forests of the hilly Western Ghats.
The toy train which has four bogies and a steam engine runs on a rack and pinion
system from Mettupalayam to Coonoor.
In comparison to other mountain railways, the NMR compares with Swiss Mountain
Railway System of the Alps in terms of technology and ruling gradient.
The steam engine puffs its way through 208 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges
during its 45 km journey.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2009 : 00:21:04
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Plan for trouble-free service on NMR
Southern Railway formulates two-pronged approach
CHENNAI: Southern Railway is preparing a long-term action plan to make the Nilgiris Mountain Railway a trouble-free service without major disruption.
According to a Southern Railway release, NMR has been carrying passengers over some of the most beautiful terrain of the Niligiris Mountain for over a century. The 46.61-km long metre gauge line, which connects Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam, is the steepest and longest mountain railway system in Asia. Maintaining and operating trains on this 100 year-old mountain railway system is a challenging task and failures do occur.
The release says recent past disruptions in service were due to failure of locomotives as well as problems on the track. As Southern Railway accords highest priority for the safe transportation of passengers, no compromise is made on this aspect. This, sometimes, may lead to cancellation of services, which often generate adverse comment from passengers.
It says in the event of an asset failure, immediate action is taken to restore the asset, ensure its proper functioning and then resume services. This is being done on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, too. A two-pronged approach, addressing both track and locomotive issues, has been formulated. The administration intends to complete track renewal on close to 17 km out of the total section, along with reconditioning of steel sleepers. New rack chairs, which are an integral part of the specialised track structure, are being manufactured in railway workshops, and will replace existing ones. The ballast by the side of the track will be subject to deep-screening and side drains cleared.
The release says Southern Railway has sanctioned manufacture of four new steam locomotives at the Golden Rock Workshop. The first of these will be available after a year or so.
Until such time, special efforts have been made to improve the stock of critical spares.
Two locomotives with oil-fired systems have been inducted into the circuit and are performing well. It is proposed to convert more locos.
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Few facts about NMR
