Toy Train in the Nilgiri Hills

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The Toy Train in the Nilgiri hills is also called as the Nilgiri Mountain train. It is one of the major tourist attractions in the nilgiri hills. This really amazing journey takes the tourists from the heights of 1069 feet to 7228 feet. The Nilgiri train is one of the oldest mountain railways in the country. UNESCO added the Nilgiri mountain railway to the world heritage site.

The history of the toy train can be dated back to the olden days when travelers had to ride a horse or be carried on Dollies through a forest. This difficulty in accessing the place gave rise to a need for construction of a rail line. The first idea of this mountain rail was put forth in the year 1854. It took forty years to get the idea implemented. Riggenback, a Swiss inventor worked on the first rail line up to Coonoor in 1899. Later the track was extended until Fernhill and Ooty in 1908. The line was maintained by the Madras Railway company in the initial days. At present, the Southern railways operate the toy train. The railway is a steam locomotive one of the few remaining in the world.

This rail line is unique, being the steepest one in Asia. To cope up with this a unique Alternate Biting System is used that helps. It is also called as the Rack and Pinion system. This system is different from the normal method of pulling the train. In this method, the engine pulling the train on level lines there are two rack bars out of steps with each other between the rail lines. The pions of the train climb as the person climbs the ladder. The engine is located at the back of the train as we normally see the engine at the front. The engine pushes the train from backwards while it goes upwards. The engine is at the front side on the return journey downhill to prevent any collision or derailing. The maximum speed of the train is 33kmph.

The journey from the Mettupalayam to Ooty is full of scenic beauty enroute. Mettupalayam is a small place on the banks of the river Bhavani. The toy train passes through the plains at first five miles and then rises above. The next ten miles the rail lines rise to an impressive 4363 feet and passes through nine tunnels. There are outstanding views of the eastern slopes of the Nilgiri forests. The train passes through the tranquil and serene views of Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale and to Ootacamund. The total distance covered is of 116 kms across 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.

You will have to book tickets of the train in advance, especially during the peak tourist period. The tickets are issued the Edmondson Style manual tickets for Ooty Mettupalayam journey. This is done to preserve the world heritage structure of the train. The ticket booking is similar to the other conventional trains.