RAIL TRAIL

New Delhi, October 22 Nilgiri Mountain Railway: A Century and counting
Although the Nilgiri Mountain Railway completes hundred years in October 2008, a railway line to Ooty (Udagamandalam) was first proposed in 1854. Due to the challenges posed by the steep mountainous terrain that lay in between, work only started in full earnest in 1891. When built, the 46-km long metre gauge line connected the town of Mettupalayam in the plains with the hill station of Ooty in the Nilgiris, in the process ascending almost two thousand metres. Apart from climbing to great heights through some spectacular scenery, the Nilgiri Railway is unique and is the only railway in India to feature rack and pinion operation. Between Kallar (the first station out of Mettupalayam) and Coonoor, the average gradient on the line is 1 in 24.5 (one foot rise every 24.5 feet forward) with a maximum of 1 in 12. The Alternate Biting System or ABT entails a special toothed-rack rail mounted on the sleepers between the running rails. The train is fitted with cog wheels that mesh with the rack rail.The operation involves a locomotive pushing the train rather than pulling it up the steep incline. As a result, the best seats in the house are to be found in the first class coach up front. 208 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges ensure that one is glued to the window at all times. The section between Coonoor and Ooty is no less beautiful, only less severe in terms of incline and hence, the rack system does not exist there. Today, diesel locomotives operate this section of the line but the rack and pinion portion is still used for the ‘X’ class steam locomotives, some dating back to 1914, all built at the Swiss Locomotive Works, Winterthur. The Nilgiri Railway was made famous through cinema first in 1984 with David Lean’s A Passage to India and more recently in 1998 in the movie Dil Se, where a complete song (Chaiyya Chaiyya) was shot on the train. In 2005, UNESCO awarded the railway World Heritage status. The National Rail Museum in New Delhi has, among its vast collection, two exhibits from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway — a vintage third class carriage and an X class steam locomotive.
— Bharat vohra, Rail enthusiast

Lord Dalhousie and the introduction of Railways in India
Imperialist, expansionist, the epitome of British rule in India. These are perhaps the most apt adjectives for Lord Dalhousie, appointed Governor General of India in 1848. In his eight years at the helm, James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, better known as Lord Dalhousie, was all that and more. He expanded Britain’s empire in India by fair means and foul and held total sway over the vast realm. He was known for his overbearing self-confidence, centralising activity and reckless annexations.

However, history has also attributed far-reaching reforms to Dalhousie. Among his major reforms were those in the fields of education, public works, post and telegraph. Above all, he will always be remembered for introducing the railways in India. It was during his tenure as Governor General that on April 16, 1853, at 3.35pm, the first train in India left Bombay for Thane. Trains were started the next year in the Calcutta area and work began on the Madras-Arcot line in the South. Lord Dalhousie's famous Railway Minute of April 20, 1853 laid down the policy that private enterprise would be allowed to build railways in India but that their operation would be closely supervised by the government. He was also responsible for introducing the 5' 6" gauge for railways in India and the initial lines all used this gauge. Lord Dalhousie favoured 6' and 5'-6' was the compromise agreed to. It was only after the departure of Lord Dalhousie that other gauges were also introduced in the country.
— J L Singh, retired railway official

Did you know?
* Dapoorie viaduct is India’s first railway bridge
* The Naini bridge on river Yamuna near Allahabad was opened for traffic on August 15, 1865
* The only steel arch railway bridge in India is the Reond bridge near Kangra
* The longest railway bridge at the time of Independence, with a total length of 10,052 feet, was Upper Sone bridge. It was opened by Lord Elgin in 1863
* The Rajghat Narora bridge is the oldest bridge on the Ganga
* The first bridge on the Brahmapurta is Saraighat bridge
* Northern Railway has the largest number of bridges
— Vikas Singh, rail enthusiast