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Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
[Nilgiritragus hylocrius]
These are endemic to the high altitude mountain grasslands usually at the elevation greater than 2000 meters. Hunting and poaching drastically reduced the population of these Thars and got them in to Endangered Category. It is amazing to watch the way they negotiate the mountain slopes and hang around the cliffs
Descente de la haute vallée désertique de Kali Gandaki balayée poar un vent très violent, soufflant du sud. Le chemin en corniche offre sur les villages du Mustang et les Nilgiris un coup d'oeil exceptionnel.
Seen from above the valve house of Kundah Power House V.
The TNEB colony by the lakeside appear like toy houses.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908. I met this gentleman while walking around the engine shed at Coonoor. He explained some of the features on the Nilgiri Queen steam locomotive, and how the locomotives of the railway had been converted from coal to oil fired. Unfortunately our comprehension of each other was limited so I only got the gist of what he was saying! Turned out after meeting the shed master shortly after, this engineer had actually received an award from the Prime Minister of India with respect to the work he had done in implementing the oil firing system on the steam locomotives on the Nilgiri Railway. Going back to the conversation I had with him he was clearly very proud of his award! I took the photos to send to him as hard copies.
The Nilgiri Queen:
# 37398
X Class
Built: 2013
Commissioned: 2013-Apr-11
Conversion to Oil Burner: 2013
(Per the sign in the yard)
1O7A8088
book in advance to get a seat to travel the 46 km from mettupalayam to ooty in this Nilgiri queen -Mountain rail.Ihad a waitlisted ticket to had rush to unreserved passenger queue .the first 72 passenger get to travel and I was one lucky guy to get to travel this railway line.The uniqueness of this rail line lies in it being the steepest one in Asia.This is a truly amazing journey that takes tourists from a height of 1069 feet to 7228 feet. The history of the train can be traced back to the times when it was very difficult to reach Udhagamandalam - as Ooty was called in those days. Travellers needed to ride on a horse back or carried on 'dollies' through a forested path to reach Ooty. It was this access difficulty that gave birth to an idea of constructing a rail line to connect the hilly areas of Coonoor and Ooty from plains. The first thought was kept in the year 1854, however, it took around another forty years before the actual work could begin. A Swiss inventor, Riggenback worked on it, and built up the initial line upto Coonoor by the year 1899. Later, by 1908, the track was extended upto Fernhill and then Ooty.
To cope with steepness , a unique system, ABT (Alternate Biting System) is used, which is also called the rack and pinion system. In this the method, pulling the train is quiet different from the usual one. Instead of the engine pulling the train on level lines, here there are two rack bars out of steps with each other between the rail lines. On these racks, the pinions of the train climbs in the same fashion as a person climbs a ladder. The engine, while going upwards, is on the backside to push the train from behind. On the other hand, it is on the front side on the return journey downhill so as to prevent any collision or derailing.
Nilgiri Mountain RailThe journey itself from Mettupalayam to Ooty is full of scenic beauty enroute. Starting from Mettupalayam, a small place that sits on the banks of river Bhavani, the train passes through plain areas for the first five miles or so. Thereafter, in the next 12 miles the line rises to an impressive 4363 feet, and passes through nine tunnels. The tourists are treated to outstanding views of the eastern slopes of forested Nilgiris. From here, tourists can concentrate more on their left side as it is on this side that more beautiful views can be seen. The train passes amidst tranquil and serene views of Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale to finally reach Ootacamund. It covers a total distance of 116 km and crosses 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.
Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
This monkey is only found in the hills of the Western Ghats in South India. Mainly a forest dweller, we saw several small groups in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
The Nilgiri Himal massif (high point 7,061 m /23,166 ft), Annapurna region, Nepal, from the west.
(Nikon FE2, Fulichrome Velvia 50)
Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was built by the British in 1908[1], and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies heavily on its fleet of steam locomotives.[2] The Southern Railway, with headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu which operates the NMR, incurs an annual shortfall of Rs 4 crores, (~US$1 million). NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division.
In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India."[3] after it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans.
For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section.[2]
The famous Hindi song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from the film "Dil Se" featuring Shahrukh Khan was shot on the roof top of NMR.
Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
Vast tracts of ubiquitous eucalyptus and other introduced species forests have displaced the endemic shola grasslands vegetation of the Nilgiris.
Mountain Railways of India
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway. It connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. The first section of the Nilgiri Railway up to Coonoor was completed in 1899 by the Nilgiri Railway Company and was extended to Ooty in 1903.
A stunning rare scene, which will only be seen again in 2018. Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), a threatened endemic species of the Western Ghats, India, is found here inside blossoming Neelakurinji thickets. The plant blossoms once in every 12 years. This photo was taken in Eravikulam National Park, Kerala, India, on October 2, 2006.
''Nilgiri Flycatcher (Eumyias Albicaudatus)..''
Size - 15 cm.
Range - Globally Near-Threatened But Fairly Common Endemic Breeding Resident Restricted To The Western Ghats From South Karnataka Southwards.
Habitat - Evergreen Forests And Edges Of Forests, Often Near Streams.
Location - Ooty, Tamil Nadu
Camera - Nikon D5000
Lens - Nikkor 55 - 300 mm
Exif - Focal Length - 300mm, f/7.1, 1/320, ISO 500
The Nilgiri Tahr, is an endangered mountain goat, found primarily in the Western Ghats including the Nilgiri Hills of South India. Also known as the Nilgiri Ibex, this endangered animal is severely under threat. Nilgiri Tahrs live on the slopes of the Western Ghats. The plateau area of Erivakulam National Park in Kerala, which includes Anamudi, the tallest peak in South India is the home range of the Nilgiri Tahr.