After successful trials on Saturday, the railways will, for the first time in its 104-year history, allow the narrow gauge Matheran toy train to run in the monsoon. The train will also be faster and longer.
After successful trials on Saturday, the railways will, for the first time in its 104-year history, allow the narrow gauge Matheran toy train to run in the monsoon. The train will also be faster and longer.
Since the Matheran railways started in 1907, the train has never run in the monsoon and the crucial trials with advanced technology undertaken on Saturday by Central Railway’s general manager Subodh Jain and his team have now made it possible.
“The train can run this monsoon itself from Aman Lodge to Matheran. But for the complete run, we may have to wait a bit longer. On Saturday, we took trials of the climb by attaching an engine in the rear to add more speed and length to the coaches. It is technically possible and can be done with a few alterations,” Jain said.
“Earlier, having an engine at the rear and pushing the train was considered to be risky due to sharp curves, but now it is possible. A few formal permissions from the railway board and we can achieve it.”
Cameras were set at strategic locations near the joints and couplers of the narrow-gauge coaches of the train as senior officials took trials on the line to study their movement and gauge the pressure on them as the train negotiated climbs. The results of the trials were quite satisfactory.
The CR recently acquired swank coaches with transparent roofs which will make travelling by this train in the monsoon a pleasure.
The coaches, which cost Rs25 lakh each, will allow tourists to get view the green surroundings as the train climbs about 2,500 ft from Neral to Matheran.
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