Steam on the Ooty Mountain Railway

Alexandre Gillieron found the railway working normally and very attractive in early 2006 (17th March 2006). However, it was washed out (again) in late 2006 and had still not re-opened by mid-January 2007 although a steam powered works train was in use from time to time, as reported by Jan Willem van Dorp (12th January 2007). Shortly after the railway reopened and the Southern Railway has since announced its intention (see http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200702201927.htm) to convert its steam locomotives to oil firing in view of the summer fire risk. One oil fired locomotive 37391 was shown being delivered in the 'Tamil Murasu' newspaper dated 11th March 2007:

Indian Railways do not have a glorious record in the field of oil burning and either this locomotive (or an earlier conversion) was reported to have failed ignominiously a few days later (all this 18th March 2007). Alex Jesserer was here in April 2007 (report added 29th April 2007) and confirms that this loco would never have won a Black (or Blue) beauty contest. Happily it was under repair at Coonor, being said to be not be steaming well. What a surprise! He states that on 16th April 2007 the summer season started and thereafter there are two scheduled trains running until mid-June - the normal service train 661 leaving Metupalayam at 07:10 and the Summer Special 669 at 10:00. The locomotives are reported to be in much better condition than a year ago, with the trains running to time. Normally the service train had 5 and the Summer Special 4 coaches. X 37384, 37386 and 37393 shared the duties with number 37386 the star performer with 4 clear exhaust beats and a solid thrash when she propelled up 5 fully laden coaches up the rack on 21st April 2007. X37392 was cold at Metupalayam, 37389 had running repairs at Coonoor. I have now (23rd May 2007) added a page of four recent pictures by Alex Jesserer and Harsh Vardhan.

Reports in South Indian newspapers (24th June 2005) indicate that the railway will shortly acquire World Heritage Status to join the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, it appears this was achieved in early July 2005 (25th July 2005). 

Roy Laverick was here at New Year 2004/5 (14th February 2005). Dileep Prakash has been to Ooty in April 2003 and reports it looking healthier than for a long time (7th May 2003). Previously, Heinrich Hubbert tells me (13th January 2002) that a landslide washed away a 100ft bridge at Hillgrove and service on the rack was suspended. Damage was severe but has since been cleared.

While official policy is to try to build new locos for Ooty (whatever happened to those much trumpeted tenders?), in practice the existing locos are being put through works for a thorough overhaul. The IRFCA newsgroup has reported that a second loco was complete and would be steam tested on 20th November 2000 (added 21st November 2000).   Steam continues on the rack section, Donald Bell was here in late February 2001 (13th March 2001)

ex-Indian resident Takahide Yamamoto was here in early September 1999: "After the total dieselization of the adhesion section, the rack section continues to be all steam worked. Not being in the high season, only one round trip (train No.561 and 562) was operated in rack section, even though the new Southern Railway Timetable indicates both round trips are daily. Two steam locomotives were steamed daily, one on duty, the other staying at Coonoor as reserve. The loco used on train No.562 were 37389 on Sep. 3, 37393 on Sep 4 and 5. No.37390 was plinthed in front of Coonoor station. At Mettupalayam the only loco seen was that came braking down train No.561 and it pushed train No.562 up to Coonoor on the following day. Accommodation changes of coaches are in progress. One or two coaches out of four used on one train are now modified ones, destroying nice old day looking of the entire train! The security at Coonoor depot and Kallar station was tighter than ever before. The loco foreman or the stationmaster came very soon and threw me out. If serious photographing is intended, getting written permission from the authority in Delhi is advisable. But my application has been ignored every time!"

I.S.Anand reports from his pilgrimage down south: (27th September 1999) where he  visited the Golden Rock Workshop (in Trichi on the SR RD) where he saw and photographed 3 Nilgiri rack steam locomotives being completely stripped and rebuilt with new cylinders and fittings. They will emerge as brand new locos. One such loco will be ready by December 1999. Also seen in the same naked condition was the grand old lady "The Fairy Queen". She was being revamped for the coming excursion season this winter. (Compare this with the report above..... RD)