A fully overhauled metre gauge steam locomotive of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) has been dispatched from the Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Tiruchi to Mettupalayam for operation on the hilly section.
Belonging to the ‘X’ class type, the oil-fired locomotive which was sent to the workshop for periodic overhaul last year was originally planned for dispatch in March. However, the plan suffered a setback due to the lockdown . The workshop resumed functioning with full strength only in June.
The NMR locomotive which was manufactured at the workshop six years ago had run more than 25,000 km before being sent for a complete overhaul.
A 60-member technical team involved in the task dismantled the steam loco to start the work from the scratch, a senior officer said. A new generator set, a new boiler and a new cog-wheel assembly have been fitted in the loco. The loco cabin has been provided with a modified LED fitting for better illumination. The cylinder and its components were reclaimed at the workshop itself where some brass items required for the loco were also produced in-house.
A 4,500 litre capacity stainless steel water tank has been installed inside the loco replacing the one fitted earlier in order to avoid corrosion of the tank. The loco has two separate fuel tanks - one to store 2,250 litres of furnace oil and another to store 725 litres of high speed diesel.
The exterior of the locomotive have been given a fresh coat of polyurethane painting. Trial run of the loco was conducted in the presence of a senior technical personnel who had come from Coonoor. The loco was dispatched on Wednesday on a trailer lorry to Mettupalayam. Trial runs would be conducted on the NMR from Mettupalayam to Coonoor. The work had been carried out at a cost of ₹3.9 crore, the officer said, adding that overhauling of a coal-fired steam loco of the NMR would now begin at the workshop.
