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| The mountains outside the train |
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| Steam Engine having its fill at the unmarked station of Adderly |
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| The train entering a tunnel |
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| Hungry eyes at Hillgrove |
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| The picteresque station of Runnymede |
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Train hopping
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is not for those who are in a hurry. It
does 46 kms in just under five hours for the uphill journey. Yet, it is
difficult to find a place in the reserved coaches, particularly on the
weekends. Even the unreserved coach, of which there is only one and
seats just 30, is sought after and the queue for the precious tickets
starts at the unearthly hour of 3.30 am for the train which leaves only
at 7.10 am. In other words, if you do a road trip to Ooty, you can do it
almost four times in the same duration. However, as a billboard on the
highway says, there are some things worth waiting for and the train ride
to Ooty is definitely one of those. So the last weekend, after securing
my seat in the unreserved coach after an almost commando like
operation, I eagerly awaited the start of the journey. Initially, its
difficult to realise what is the fuss about. The first four odd
kilometers are the mundane typical Indian Rail journey. Its only after
Kallar that the things pick up speed even as the train loses its speed
to just about 6 km for the first hour. It is one of the steepest climbs
for any train in the world with a gradient of 1 in 12. The views on
offer through the large glass windows of the coach are mesmerizing.
There is the dense tropical rainforest, interspersed with the scariest
of bridges, culverts and tortuous dark tunnels. Even in the winter some
of the waterfalls are spectacular and the train offers an unmatched
vantage point. The steam engine is really working hard. The one word
which keeps coming to the mind is: Tenacity. It does feel sometimes that
the engine would just give at the moment and the train would start
sliding back but it doesn't. After much chugging we reach the scenic
water stop of Hillgrove. There is no human habitation here, the station
just serves water to the engine and some snacks to the passengers. It
has lots of monkeys who are eager to have their share of the snacks and
it does turn unruly once in a while. I had been wondering about the lack
of the familiar smell of burnt coal. I ask the train engine driver and
he reveals that these are "Oil fired" steam engines and not the coal
fired ones! I feel a bit disappointed. But perhaps it makes more
economic (or even environmental) sense to have the oil fired steam
engines rather than the coal fired ones. In spite of that minor
intricacy, the engines look spectacular and are being photographed from
every angle. The train moves ahead of Hillgrove with a relatively faster
speed to have another water fill at Runnymede that does show signs of
human habitation with endless picture postcard like tea gardens. The
steam engine takes the train to as far as Coonoor which is a yet another
overly commercialised hill station in South India. The crowded bazaars,
traffic and the super built up constructions right to the top of the
hills are the hallmark of Coonoor. The station is very picturesque
though and you can sight three or four of the steam engines here. Also
on display are the metre gauge diesel engines that will push the train
to Ooty from now on.
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