First published: 08/07/08.

Anonymous

Mountain Railways Of India

Mountain Railways of India (Inscribed)

Mountain Railways of India by Els Slots

Nice site. I too had the occasion to travel on the 2' gauge DHR from Darjeeling to Ghoom [8km]in the diesel-loco [NDM-6 #602] hauled train going to New Jalpaiguri, in May 2008. However, a steam-engine hauled train was also there, but it was fully booked, being Tourist Special from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back. I have taken a video of this in heavy rain, balancing a camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other!

This video, as also the videos of the other WHS railway in India - the 46km metre gauge rack and pinion Nilgiri Mountain Railway (inscribed as WHS on July 5, 2005 at the UNESCO meeting at Durban) can be seen at this site: www.youtube.com/arvindkrishnan

On the Nilgiri Railway, the vintage Swiss built steam engines continue to run on the steep rack section between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, after which a bio-diesel powered YDM-4 mainline diesel engine brought from the plains runs for the remainder of the route upto Ooty, being a normal adhesion line.

Three of the 1952-vintage steam engines have been successfully converted from coal firing to oil firing mode at the Railways workshop in Tiruchirappalli, and these are also in operation. Two of these can be seen in my videos - Engine Nos. 37395-X and 37391-X.

By the way, a 3rd WHS railway has been added on Jul 7, 2008 at the UNESCO meeting in Quebec - this is the 96km narrow gauge Kalka to Simla railway, operating on a gauge of 2'6".

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