Geared to overcome Asia's steepest climbs
Designed for the mountains, these locomotives and their specially-designed coaches work the traffic on the World Heritage Site-designated Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
By National Rail Museum
National Rail Museum
The X 37385 of the Nilgiri Mountain RailwayNational Rail Museum
Tackling Asia's steepest climbs
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway at times has gradients of up to 1-in-12.5 (i.e. one foot climb after forward travel of just twelve-and-a-half-feet), the steepest in Asia. To tackle these, the X-37385 locomotive with rack-and-pinion system was imported in 1921 from Switzerland. Set in meter gauge, it was manufactured by the Winterthur Swiss Loco Co, and was engaged in the South Indian Railway (later Southern Railway) to work all traffic on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
At 48.9 tonnes, the X-37385 has a wheel arrangement of 0-8-2, which signifies the number of pilot wheels-driving wheels-trailing wheels respectively. It has the unique distinction of being a compound locomotive i.e. four cylinders instead of the conventional two.
In this compound locomotive, the main cylinders used high-pressure steam to drive the wheels, whereas the smaller cylinders (situated immediately above the high pressure cylinders) used low pressure steam to drive the rack/gear system in the centre of the track.
The X 37385 of the Nilgiri Mountain RailwayNational Rail Museum
Twelve of these engines are housed at Coonnoor shed of Southern Railway. One was converted for burning furnace oil/reclaimed oil and is the forerunner in the next series of oil-burning steam locomotives.
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Due of the steep gradient of the Nilgiris, even today, only steam locomotives like this one work on NMR.
Take a virtual walk around this beautifully engineered locomotive, stationed today at the National Rail Museum.
The Nilgiri Coach
A meter gauge composite coach, it had both First Class (8 passengers) and Third Class (44 passengers) compartments. Manufactured in 1919, by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co., U.K, with a frame supplied by Leeds Forge Co. Ltd., U.K, it is fitted with a double pinion on one axle to run the steep gradients of the Nilgiri mountains.
The Nilgiri Railway Passenger CarNational Rail Museum
This wooden coach also had a special G3 compartment, which was ladies-only, a facility quite unique in its time.
The Nilgiri Railway Passenger CarNational Rail Museum
The main differences between the first class and third class were the availability of overhead fans and cushioned seats in the former.
Canvas curtains were provided for all classes, to protect passengers from the elements.
The Nilgiri Railway Passenger CarNational Rail Museum
The rack of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway has an alternate biting teeth arrangement.
The Nilgiri Railway Passenger CarNational Rail Museum
The teeth of the pinion wheel match with this rack placed in the centre of the track. It increases adhesion, to tackle the steep gradients of the Nilgiris.
The Nilgiri Railway Passenger CarNational Rail Museum
Coaches on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway till today have mechanical brakes, which need to be applied manually. One railways personnel (usually called a Brake Man) is assigned per coach for this purpose.
Notice the dual brake levels and their red handles.
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Take a virtual tour around the century-old coach at the National Rail Museum, and zoom in on the design details of the track and the compartments.
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