Udhagamandalam: The new original coal grilled locomotive was taken to the Mettupalayam train station from the Golden Rock Railway workshop in Trichy on Sunday.
After the trial between Mettupalayam and coonor, the locomotive will be operated on the coonor-ooty stretch immediately.
With this new addition, the Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR) section is now proud of two coal meter gauges.
The other is the Loco class X Swiss century century, which has not used more than a decade but still under running conditions.
At present, the engine oil is operated on the stretch of mettupalayam-coonor and diesel engine on the stretch of ooty-coonor.
The previous train board has given RS9 crore sanctions to the Golden Rock train workshop in Trichy for the manufacture of coal-fueled locomotives.
The location of the X-Class steam with a shelf and pinion system is intended exclusively for the NMR line.
This is the first of Loco types to be produced in the Trichy workshop, according to Salem Division train officials.
Weighing about 50 tons, the locomotive has undergone a trial in the workshop with a rack bar setting for about 100 meters.
“Coal grilled engine will have enough trials in the NMR part between Mettupalayam and Coonoor.
This will be operated in regular ooty-coonor parts after the machine meets the technical and feasibility norms on the NMR line with a rack and pinion system,” the official source said.
K Natarajan, managing a safe guardian, the heritage of Steam Chariot Trust, said coal grilled machinery will attract more tourists, especially foreigners, to the NMR section.