Two new oil-fired steam locos for Nilgiri Mountain Railway to be made in Tiruchi

Two new steam locomotives fitted with High Speed Diesel (HSD) firing systems are to be manufactured in Tiruchi to run in the hilly and scenic Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) section. The Railway Board, New Delhi, has entrusted the task of manufacturing the two new HSD fired metre gauge steam locos with the British-built Golden Rock Railway Workshop at Ponmalai in Tiruchi as it has the necessary technical expertise.The new steam locos will belong to the ‘X’ class with the manufacture of the first loco all set to commence next month, said the workshop authorities. The over 90-year-old workshop has been involved in a myriad of activities which includes carrying out periodic overhaul (POH) of existing steam locos operating in the NMR section and manufacturing new ones. It is engaged in the POH of broad gauge diesel locomotives and passenger coaches.The workshop is carrying out POH of a ‘X’ class NMR steam locomotive which is expected to be completed by this month. Once the POH is completed, the workshop will take up the manufacture of the new HSD fired steam loco, the authorities said.The components and all other items required for the manufacture of the two steam locos including boilers, rack cylinders, and underframes would be procured from the trade by floating an open tender. The manufacture of the first loco will take one year for completion after which the second one would be taken up, said the authorities.The workshop had manufactured for the first time an ‘X’ class steam loco with HSD firing system for operation in the NMR section in September 2022. The steam locomotives hauling in the NMR section had coal-fired systems for a long time after which it was replaced with a furnace oil system. The efficiency was found to be better in the HSD firing system as compared to the furnace oil system, the authorities further said. The railway line on the NMR section from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam is a little over 45 km with several tunnels, majestic bridges, and curves enroute attracting rail enthusiasts and tourists from various parts of the country. Published - September 07, 2026 08:56 pm IST