Himachal Trains.docx

AT KANDA DETAILED PRJECT REPORT ON RAILWAY’S IN HIMACHAL PRADESH UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF SH. ANIL REWAL (HOD APP. PHYSICS ) ER. SHUSHIL DAROCH (LECT. CIVIL ENGG. , CLASS INCHARGE ) SUBMITTED BY GROUP 1ST (160610903001-3009)

Himachal Trains (also called Toy Trains) : Himachal Pradesh has two narrow gauge Rail tracks i.e. Kalka to Shimla and Pathankot to Jogindernagar. On both these lines run the mini trains, popularly called 'Toy Trains' by the tourists. Travelling on these trains is a thrilling experience as the lines, trains and the landscape of charming hills, tunnels and bridges and valleys, which one encounters on the way leaves a lasting impression of ecstasy and joy. Do not miss this experience. The Guinness Book of 'Rail Facts and Feats' records Kalka-Shimla Railways as 'The greatest narrow gauge engineering feat in India.

Kalka to Shimla Trains: Kalka to Shimla

The 96 km. journey by train from Kalka to Shimla offers an unforgettable experience. The Kalka-Shimla railway is often termed as a scientific fiction. Covering the distance through 103 tunnels and 969 bridges, it has 919 curves ( 68 km. ), 20 railway stations and 5 level crossings on the route. This is one of the most unique railway tracks of the world. It is said that a correspondent of the Delhi Gazette had first sketched this railway line sometime in November, 1847, almost half a century before it was actually constructed. The project report prepared during 1887 also failed to commence the construction of the route. Finally, a survey of the train in 1895 paved way for signing the construction contract on June 29, 1898. Though the work on the Kalka-Shimla route was completed on November 2, 1903 yet it was opened for the general public only on January 1, 1906.

It is a living tribute to the Engineers who dared to bore 107 tunnels, of which 103 are still in use. The longest tunnel at Barog traversed in 3 minutes by the toy trains, also has an interesting story behind it. This station is named after Engineer Barog who sacrificed his life here. Just 1 km. off the station, lies a forlorn tunnel and the grave of this Engineer, who tried to construct this tunnel but failed to align both sides. The wastage of a huge amount of public money forced him to embrace death. Had the tunnel been aligned properly, it would have been the longest railway tunnel in the world and would have not been running through Solan and Salogra. Besides the Barog Tunnel, other three big tunnels on this route are Koti ( 2,276 feet ), Taradevi ( 1,615 feet ) and Tunnel no. 103 ( 1,135 feet ).

Pathankot to Jogindernagar Trains : Unlike the Shimla-Kalka train, where the passengers spend most of the time going through tunnels, the Kangra toy train linking Pathankot and Joginder Nagar gently meanders through a maze of hills and valleys, offering the travellers enchantingly scenic view. The work on this line started in 1926. Three years later this, 163 km. long route was opened to traffic. The entire route commands glorious views of nature and unveils myriad facets of history, art and culture. The grand spectacle of Kangra Valley begins unfolding after the train enters the foothills. Hillocks rise on both sides and as the train moves over the meandering streams, the Dhauladhar begin to gain in prominence. Emerging through Daulatpur tunnel and past the ruins of the old Kangra fort, one is surprised by the change in the landscape. The Dhauladhar rises up 13,000 feet from the valley floor. The wide Kangra Valley, with its well-watered terraces, is simply superb. As the train inches on, the passengers adore the open countryside and the shining white peaks. An unmistakable pine scent fills the air and the track is suddenly fringed on both sides by the tea gardens of the Palampur region. The stretch between Baijnath and Joginder Nagar is the steepest. Here the train moves at a snail's pace till it reaches the highest point on the track at Ahju. Not far from here are the popular paragliding and hang-gliding sites of Bir and Billing. As the train approaches Joginder Nagar, the white mountains, gradually begin fading away.

Pathankot to Jogindernagar

Himachal: Indian Railways to start four projects for expansion of rail network Indian Railways would undertake four projects for the expansion of the rail network in Himachal Pradesh. This was informed by Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain in the Lok Sabha on a query by Member of Parliament from Shimla Virender Kashyap. He said that Indian Railways has taken up 63.1 km long BhanupalliBilaspur-Beri railway line at an estimated cost of Rs 6769 crore, 50 km long Una-Hamirpur railway line at a cost of Rs 3044.10 crore, 33.23 km long Chandigarh-Baddi railway line at a cost of Rs 1540 crore, and 112.9 km long Nangal Dam-Talwara railway line at a cost of Rs 2528.49 crore for the expansion of railway network in the state.

He said that Una-Hamirpur been included in the budget.

railway

line

expansion

project has

Gohain told Kashyap in the Lok Sabha that the Indian Railways has carried two surveys to connect famous Sikh religious place Paonta Sahib with the railway network. The survey for new BG line from Ghanoli to Dehradun via Baddi, Nalgarh, Jagadhari, Surajpur, Kala Amb, and Paonta Sahib (216 km) was completed in the year 2011. As per the survey report, the cost of the proposed new BG line was assessed as Rs 3746 crore with ROR (Rate of Return) of -0.40 per cent. The project could not be taken forward due to low ROR, poor traffic, and financial projections. He further stated that one more survey from Pehowa to Paonta Sahib via Jagadhri, Yamuna Nagar was completed in the year 2013-14. As per the survey report, the cost of 145 km project is Rs 1954 crore with -3.90 per cent ROR. The survey report has been taken up by railway authorities for viability to set up new railway line to connect famous Sikh religious place.

Andaura-Daulatpur Chowk train trial run a success The Railways Safety Board has conducted successful trial for running trains on the 16-km broad gauge section from Amb-Andaura to Daulatpur Chowk in Una district. Divisional Railways Manager from the Ambala Division Dinesh Kumar confirmed on Monday that the trial run on the track, conducted two days ago by the Chief Commissioner of Ralways Safety Board, Shailesh Kumar, were successful and the certificate of safety to run the passenger trains on the route will be received soon. Daulatpur Chowk is the last station in Himachal Pradesh on the 83.7km-long Nangal to Talwara broad gauge line, work on which is still in

progress. The foundation stone for the rail line was laid in 1974 at Amb by then Railways Minister Lalit Narayan Mishra. However, 44 years later, trains, which were earlier terminating at Nangal, are now reaching 59 km into Himachal Pradesh at Amb-Andaura via Una. The next 16-km-long Amb- Andaura to the Daulatpur Chowk rail section, which was recently completed, includes 15 small and 10 major bridges and a rail station at Kuneran village, which has been named Chintpurni Marg Station where passengers traveling to and from Chintpurni temple will be able to get the nearest train services. When the green signal to run trains till Daulatpur Chowk is received, the Railways Traffic Board will extend the Himachal Express and two passenger trains up to Daulatpur Chowk. The trains are at present terminating at Amb Andaura, said the Divisional Railways Manager. Major portion of the pending 8-km track from Daulatpur Chowk to Talwara lies in Punjab.

Bilaspur–Manali–Leh line Bilaspur(Himachal Pradesh) –Manali–Leh line is a proposed high-elevation allweather 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway track that is planned to connect Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state of India.[1][2] It would link to the Indian railway network via an extension of the Kangra Valley Railway to Mandi, which would be converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.[3][4] The total expected length of Bilaspur(Himachal Pradesh) –Manali–Leh line is 498 km (309 miles). It would become the highest railway track in the world, overtaking the current record of the Qinghai– Tibet Railway.[5] The Railway Budget 2011-2012 announced that the project would be taken up in the next year's budget.[6] The next year's Railway Budget announced that the project was sent to the Planning Commission for appraisal.[7][8] As of September 2016, Northern Railways has begun the process of acquiring land for setting up office in Leh.[9]

Contents





 1History 2Strategic importance  3Challenges  4Progress 5Taglang La railway station  6See also  7References  8External links

History[edit] The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh asked the Government of India to extend railway connectivity from Bilaspur to Lehthrough Mandi, Manali and Keylong. This would increase tourism in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh and facilitate quicker movement of troops and equipment.[1][2] Following an examination of the feasibility report for the proposed Bilaspur–Manali– Leh line, the Union Railway Ministry of India forwarded the recommendation to the Planning Commission of India for its approval.[8] The survey for the project had been done and presently it is seeking approval of the planning commission of India and while railway minister assured about early clearance of this project.

Strategic importance[edit] Once this railway line is completed, Leh will be directly connected to Himachal Pradesh and the rest of India by railway. The distance between Bilaspur and Leh will be about 500 km (310 mi). When the railway lines to Bilaspur and then to Leh are completed, the time taken to reach Leh from Delhi will be reduced to less than two days compared to about four days by the existing highway from Manali. Personnel and equipment will be transported more easily to Leh, a strategic military base. This is one of the four important railway connectivity along China border identified by the Defense Ministry.[10]

Challenges[edit] Indian Railways has estimated that the entire project is estimate to cost INR 22,318 Crore.[9] The railways are short of funds to the extent of more than four hundred billion rupees for the existing projects in hand as of 2013. The Bhanupalli (Punjab) to Bilaspur rail link is currently under construction but almost no progress was made as of 2013. There has been a demand to lay the railway line to Bilaspur from Kalka railhead instead of laying it from Bhanupalli. Therefore, the alignment and the fate of the proposed railway line to Leh is very uncertain. After Jammu–Baramulla line, Bilaspur–Manali–Leh line will be the most challenging railway project in Indian Railways due to high mountains, a large number of tunnels and high bridges and severe cold weather.[original research?] According to the survey report, cost of construction of this 498 km (309 mi) long all weather broad gauge railway line has been calculated at Rs 83,360 crore with a negative rate of return of 4.46%.[11]

Progress[edit] The 498 km (309 mi) Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail project has been expedited and the Final Location Survey for this is been undertaken at a cost of Rs 345 crore. The railway had requested the LAHDC to provide adequate land for setting up a camp office, and the required

infrastructure.[12] In April 2017, Government said that the Final location Survey (FSL) for these will be completed by the October 2020.[13] In June 2017, foundation stone was laid for final location survey by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.[14]

Taglang La railway station[edit]

Taglang La

Taglang La railway station at Taglang La is expected to become the highest railway station in the world at 5,359 m (17,582 ft) above the sea level overtaking the current record of Tanggula Railway Station in Qinghai, China at 5,086 m (16,686 ft).

See also[edit] 

Railways in India portal





Jammu–Baramulla line  Jammu–Poonch line  Northern Railway zone List of highest railway stations in the world

References[edit] 1.

^ Jump up to:a b "Himachal: Railways Awards Bhanupali-Bilaspur Railway Line Project". Nvonews.com. 19 September 2009. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. 2. ^ Jump up to:a b "Rail link to Leh: Centre seeks Plan panel nod". visitladakh.com. Archived from the originalon 12 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. 3. ^ Rail link to Leh: Centre seeks Plan panel nod 4. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-train-journey-worth-making/article4870304.ece 5. ^ "When men defies his limits: Living in the altitude". SummitPost. Retrieved 2012-04-02. 6. ^ http://www.india.gov.in/images/railbudget11-12.pdf 7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012. 8. ^ Jump up to:a b "'Manali–Leh railway line project report with Planning Commission". Himvani.com. 2010-12-26. Retrieved 2012-04-02. 9. ^ Jump up to:a b "Railways seeks land at Leh to expedite rail link project". Retrieved 2016-09-04. 10. ^ "Four places along China border identified for rail connectivity: Government". The Economic Times. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014. 11. ^ http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/oct/18/railways-seeks-central-funding-for-bilaspurleh-project-on-india-china-border-1886857.html

12. ^ Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line on fast track 13. ^ Centre announces final location survey of three railway lines in Arunachal Pradesh 14. ^ http://www.india.com/business/train-to-leh-ladakh-suresh-prabhu-lays-foundation-stone-for-bilaspurmandi-leh-rail-line-to-be-built-at-a-cost-of-rs-157-cr-2275054/

Work on Chandigarh-Baddi railway line to start soon

With the land acquisition in final stages, the work on the Chandigarh to Baddi Railway line will be started soon.

Shimla Member of Parliament Virender Kashyap on Sunday said that the railways will soon start the construction work on this prestigious rail line, once the land acquisition process is completed. He said that the railway authorities have completed the final location survey of 33.5-km long Chandigarh to Baddi railway line and alignment fixed on ground. He disclosed that the Northern Railways General Manager VishweshChaube has in a written communiqué intimate him that Rs 1,540 crore cost Chandigarh-Baddi railways line to be laid on 345 bighas land is passing through Haryana and Himachal Pradesh (27.5 hectares in HP and 52.5 Hectares in Haryana). “The land processing process is in progress in both the states. The negotiations in Himachal Pradesh have been completed and rates sent to Himachal Pradesh government for approval. Haryana government has started the process of transfer of

government land to railways and negotiations will private land owners will start soon,” he said. The physical execution of railway line will be started immediately after land acquisitions proceedings are completed in both state, he added. With nearly 2,000 industrial units located in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area, the rail link is a dire necessity and its significance has enhanced after the Container Corporation of India had set up an inland freight station, said he. VirenderKashyap further said the railway authorities had also informed him that the Dehradun via Nalagarh-Baddi-Barotiwala- Kala Amb-Paonta Sahib preliminary Engineering cum Traffic survey has been completed and survey report is submitted with railways board for final approval. Kashyap requested the railways authorities to expedite the work on pending railways projects in Shimla Region which has great potential of expansions due to increasing demand of railways services mainly during tourist season. He also demanded playing of luxury coaches on Kalka Shimla railways line during tourist season to attract high end tourist and provide quality transport services to both domestic and international tourists. At present there are three rail motor cars available for operations at World Heritage Kalka Shimla railways line out of which one rail motor car is being utilized at present as passenger service and other rail motor cars are utilized during peak seasons to meet the growing demand of services mainly during tourist seasons.

Railway network Maps of Different distt. Of himachal pradesh .

Detailed Project Report on kalka – shimla railway line Introduction :The Kalka–Shimla railway is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway in North India which traverses a mostly-mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for dramatic views of the hills and surrounding villages. The railway was built under the direction of Herbert Septimus Harington between 1898 and 1903 to connect Shimla, the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the rest of the Indian rail system. Its early locomotives were manufactured by Sharp, Stewart and Company. Larger locomotives were introduced, which were manufactured by the Hunslet Engine Company. Diesel and dieselhydraulic locomotives began operation in 1955 and 1970, respectively. On 8 July 2008, UNESCO added the Kalka–Shimla railway to the mountain railways of India World Heritage Site

Contents  1 History  2 Technical details  3 Operators  4 Route o 4.1 Stations o 4.2 Bridges and viaducts o 4.3 Tunnels  5 Rolling stock o 5.1Trains  6 Television  7 References  8 Further reading  9 External links

History Shimla (then spelt Simla), which was settled by the British shortly after the first Anglo-Gurkha war, is located at 7,116 feet (2,169 m) in the foothills of the Himalayas. The idea of connecting Shimla by rail was first raised by a correspondent to the Delhi gazette in November 1847.[2][3] Shimla became the summer capital of British India in 1864, and was the headquarters of the Indian army. This meant that twice a year it was necessary to transfer the entire government between Calcutta and Shimla by horse and ox drawn carts.[2][4] In 1891 the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad-gauge Delhi–Kalka line opened, which made the construction of a branch line up to Shimla feasible.[5][2] The earliest survey was made in 1884 followed by another survey in 1885. Based on these two surveys, a project report was submitted in 1887 to the government of British India.[3] Fresh surveys were made in 1892, and 1893 which lead to four alternate schemes being suggested - two adhesion lines 67.25 mi (108.23 km) and 69.75 mi (112.25 km) long and two rack lines.[3] Fresh surveys were again made in 1895 from Kalka to Solan with a view to determine whether a 1 in 12 rack or 1 in 25 adhesion line should be chosen. After much debate an adhesion line was chosen in preference to a rack system.[3]

Construction of the Kalka–Shimla railway on 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge tracks was begun by the privately funded Delhi-Ambala-Kalka Railway Company following the signing of a contract between the secretary of state and the company on 29 June 1898.[4][3] The contract specified that the line would be built without any financial aid or guarantee from the government. The government however provided the land free of charge to the company. The estimated cost of 8,678,500 rupees doubled by the time the line was opened.[3] The Chief Engineer of the project was H.S. Herlington.[3] The 95.68 km (59.45 mi) line opened for traffic on 9 November 1903[4] and was dedicated by Viceroy Lord Curzon.[6] This line was further extended from Shimla to Shimla Goods (which had once housed the bullock cart office) on 27 June, 1909 making it 96.60 km (60.02 mi).[7] The Indian Army were sceptical about the two feet gauge chosen for the line and requested that a wider standard gauge be used for mountain and light strategic railways. Eventually the government agreed that the gauge was too narrow for was essentially a capital city and for military purposes.[2] As a result the contract with the railway company was revised on 15 November 1901 and the line gauge changed to 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) with the track built to date being regauged.[3][8] Some sources however state the regauging wasn't undertaken until 1905.[9] In 1905 the company took delivery of a 10 ton Cowans Sheldon travelling crane to assist with lifting rolling stock back onto the tracks after accidents and for general track maintenance. Due to the high capital and maintenance costs and difficult working conditions, the railway was allowed to charge higher fares than on other lines. Nevertheless, the company had spent 16,525,000 rupees by 1904 with no sign of the line becoming profitable, which lead to it being purchased by the government on 1 January 1906 for 17,107,748 rupees.[3] Once it came under the control of the government the line was originally managed as an independent unit from the North West Railway office in Lahore until 1926, when it was transferred to Delhi Division. Since July 1987, the line has been managed by the Ambala Division from Ambala Cantt.[7] In 2007, the Himachal Pradesh government declared the railway a heritage property.[10] For about a week, beginning on 11 September 2007, a UNESCO team visited the railway to inspect it for possible selection as a World Heritage Site. On 8 July 2008, it became part of the mountain railways of India World Heritage Site[11] with the Darjeeling Himalayan and Nilgiri Mountain Railways.[12] On 7 July 2011 Indian Railways opened the Baba Bhalku Rail Museum in Shimla to document the history of the railway line and to display related artefacts.[13]

Technical details The track has 20 picturesque stations, 103 tunnels, 912 curves, 969 bridges and 3% slope (1:33 gradient). The 1,143.61 m Bagot tunnel at Barog immediately before the Barog station is longest, a 60 ft (18.29m) bridge is the longest and the sharpest curve has a 123 ft (38 m) radius of curvature. The train has an average speed of 25–30 km/hr but the railcar is almost 50–60 km/hr.

Both the train and railcar are equipped with vistadomes. The temperature range and annual rainfall are 0–45 C and 200–250 cm respectively.[14]

Operators The KSR and its assets, including the stations, line and vehicles, belong to the government of India under the Ministry of Railways. The Northern Railway handles day-to-day maintenance and management, and several programs, divisions and departments of Indian Railways are responsible for repairs.

Route The route winds from a height of 656 metres (2,152 ft) at Kalka in the Himalayan Shivalik Hills foothills, past Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Taradevi, Barog, Salogra, Totu (Jutogh) and Summerhill, to Shimla at an altitude of 2,075 metres (6,808 ft).[8] The difference in height between the two ends of line is 1,419 metres (4,656 ft). The railway line originally used 42 lb/yd (20.8 kg/m) rail, which was later replaced with 60 lb/yd (29.8 kg/m) rail.[4]

Kalka–Shimla railway Legend

0 km

Kalka

5.69 km

Taksal

10.41 km

Gumman

16.23 km

Koti

26 km

Sonwara

32.14 Dharampur km 39 km

Kumarhatti

42.14 km

Barog

46.10 km

Solan

52.70 km

Salogra

58.24 Kandaghat km 69.42 km

Kanoh

72.23 Kathleeghat km 77.81 km

Shoghi

84.64 km

Taradevi

89.41 km

Jutogh

92.93 km

Summer Hill

96.60 km

Shimla

Stations The stations are as follows: 

Kalka (0 km, 656 m above MSL). It derived its name from Kali Mata temple located at the Shimla end of the town. It is home to a diesel shed as well as a workshop to service the narrow gauge engines and carriages of the Kalka-Shimla line.[15]   

Taksal (5.69 km, 806 m above MSL).[15]

Gumman (10.41 km, 940 m above MSL). An isolated station, situated in Kasauli hills. [15]

Koti (16.23 km, 1,098 m above MSL). The station is often visited by wild animals. The second longest tunnel (No. 10) with a length of 693.72m is situated near this station. [15] In August, 2007 a heavy downpour washed away part of the station building and track.



Sonwara (26 km, 1,334 m above MSL). This services the nearby residential Sanawar School. The longest bridge (No.226) on the line with an overall length of 97.40 m and height of 19.31 m is situated near this station.[15]



Dharampur (32.14 km, 1,469 m above MSL):- This services the Kasauli hill station which is 13 km away. The Engineer’s Bungalow (33 km) which was the official residence of the engineer in charge of this section of the line until the late 1960s was converted into the Northern Railway Safety Institute.[15]



Kumarhati Dagshai (39 km, 1,579 m above MSL):- This isolated station serviced the Dagshai military cantonment.[15]



Barog (42.14 km, 1,531 m above MSL), The station is named after Colonel S Barog, who was the in charge of construction of the first unsuccessful tunnel built on the line. The longest tunnel (No.33) with a length of 1,143.61m is situated close to the Kalka side of the station.[15] 

Solan (46.10 km, 1,429 m above MSL). The National Institute of Research on Mushroom Farming and Solan Agriculture University is situated nearby.[15] 





Kandaghat (58.24 km, 1,433 m above MSL). Arch bridge No. 493 with a length of 32m is situated here.[15]

Kanoh (69.42 km, 1,647 m above MSL). The highest arch gallery bridge (No.541) with a height of 23m and length 54.8m is situated here.[15] 

Kathleeghat (72.23 km, 1,701 m above MSL).[15] 



Shoghi (77.81 km, 1,832 m above MSL).[15]

Taradevi (84.64 km, 1,936 m above MSL). The name derives from Mata Tara Devi. The Sankat Mochan and Tara Devi temples are situated near this station. The third longest tunnel (No.91) at 992 m is situated on the Shimla end of this station.[15] 



Salogra (52.70 km, 1,509 m above MSL).[15]

Jutogh (89.41 km, 1,958 m above MSL). This suburb station of Shimla, once served as the transit point for Jutogh Military Cantonment.[15] Summer Hill (92.93 km, 2,042 m above MSL). This suburb station of Shimla originally serviced the Viceregal Lodge. The Himachal Pradesh University is situated near the station.[15] 

Shimla (95.60 km, 2,075 m above MSL).[15][8] 

A narrow gauge train standing at the Shimla Railway Station



Barog



Solan



Shimla

Bridges and viaducts The railway has 988 bridges and viaducts[8] and a ruling gradient of 1 in 33, or three percent. It has 917 curves,[8] and the sharpest is 48 degrees (a radius of 122.93 feet or 37.47 m). The most architecturally complex bridge is No. 226 which spans a deep valley which required that it had to be constructed in five stages with each level having its own stone arched tier. 

Crossing a bridge



Tunnel near Solan



Tunnel near Jutogh

Tunnels One hundred seven tunnels were originally built, but as a result of landslides only 102 remain in use.[8] The construction of tunnel 33 was entrusted to Colonel S. Barog.[16] He decided to dig it from both ends but got his calculations wrong and the ends failed to meet each other in the middle. He was fined a symbolic Rs 1 for wasting government money. Unable to bear the humiliation the already distraught Barog committed suicide near the tunnel. Some reports say he shot his dog before he shot himself. He is buried near the entrance to his failed tunnel.[16] A new tunnel 33 was constructed by the line's Chief Engineer H. S. Harington with the help of local ascetic Bhalku, who came from the village of Jhajja near Chail. Bhalku used a long and solid wooden staff to hit the ground and divine the correct alignment.[16] At 1,143 metre long it is the longest tunnel on the railway line. It is called the Barog tunnel even though it is completely different from the failed tunnel of Colonel Barog. The small town of Barog owes its name to the late Colonel.[16] Bhalku despite the lack of a formal education also helped with the alignment of several other tunnels on the line and was awarded a medal and turban by the British Viceroy.[17]

Rolling stock

Steam locomotive 520

The first locomotives were two class-B 0-4-0STs from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. These were built as 2 ft (610 mm)-gauge engines, but were converted to 2 ft 6 in (762 mm)-gauge in 1901. They were not large enough (they were sold in 1908), and were followed in 1902 by 10 slightly-larger engines with a 0-4-2T wheel arrangement. The locomotives weighed 21.5 long tons (21.8 t; 24.1 short tons) each, and had 30 in (762 mm) driving wheels and 12 in × 16 in (304.8 mm × 406.4 mm) cylinders. Later classified as B-class by the North Western State Railway, they were manufactured by the British Sharp, Stewart and Company.[18] Thirty larger 2-6-2T locomotives, with slight variations, were introduced between 1904 and 1910. Built by the Hunslet Engine and North British Locomotive Companies, they weighed about 35 long tons (36 t; 39 short tons) and had 30 in (762 mm) drivers and 14 in × 16 in (355.6 mm × 406.4 mm) cylinders. Later classed K and K2 by the North Western State Railway, they handled most of the rail traffic during the steam era. A pair of Kitson-Meyer 2-6-2+2-6-2 articulated locomotives, classed TD, were supplied in 1928. However, they quickly fell into disfavour because it often took all day for enough freight to be assembled to justify operating a goods train hauled by one of these locomotives. Shippers looking for faster service began turning to road transport. These 68-long-ton (69.09 t; 76.16-short-ton) locomotives were soon transferred to the Kangra Valley Railway, and were converted to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge in Pakistan.[18] Regular steam-locomotive operation ended in 1971.

Diesel locomotive 148

The railway's first diesel locomotives, class ZDM-1 manufactured by Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik (articulated with two prime movers), began operating in 1955; they were regauged, reclassified as NDM-1 and used on the Matheran Hill Railway during the 1970s. In the 1960s, class ZDM-2 locomotives from Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) was introduced; they were later transferred to other lines.

The KSR currently operates with class ZDM-3 diesel-hydraulic locomotives (522 kW or 700 hp, 50 km/h or 31 mph), built between 1970 and 1982 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works with a singlecab road-switcher body.[19] Six locomotives of that class were built in 2008 and 2009 by the Central Railway Loco Workshop in Parel, with updated components and a dual-cab body providing better track vision.[20]

KSR railcar

The railway opened with conventional four-wheel and bogie coaches. Their tare weight meant that only four bogie coaches could be hauled by the 2-6-2T locomotives. In a 1908 effort to increase capacity, the coach stock was rebuilt as 33-by-7-foot (10.1 by 2.1 m) bogie coaches with steelframes and bodies. To further save weight, the roofs were made of aluminium. The weight savings meant that the locomotives could now haul six of the larger coaches. This was an early example of the use of aluminium in coach construction to reduce tare weight.[4] Goods rolling stock was constructed on a common 30-by-7-foot (9.1 by 2.1 m) pressed-steel underframe. Open and covered wagons were provided, with the open wagons having a capacity of 19 long tons (19.30 t; 21.28 short tons) and the covered wagons 17.5 long tons (17.8 t; 19.6 short tons).[4] During the winter months snow cutters are attached to the engine to clear the snow from the track.[7]

Trains  Shivalik Deluxe Express: Ten coaches, with chair cars and meal service  Kalka Shimla Express: First and second class and unreserved seating 



Himalayan Queen: Connects at Kalka with the express mail of the same name and the Kalka Shatabdi Express to Delhi.  Kalka Shimla Passenger: First and second class and unreserved seating  Rail Motor: First-class railbus with a glass roof and a front view Shivalik Queen: Ten-carriage luxury fleet. Each carriage accommodates up to eight people and has two toilets, wall-to-wall carpeting and large windows. Available through IRCTC's Chandigarh office.

Television

BBC Four televised Indian Hill Railways, a series of three programmes[21] which featured the KSR in its third episode, in February 2010; the first two episodes covered the Darjeeling Himalayan and Nilgiri Mountain Railways. The episodes, directed by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly respectively, were produced by Gerry Troyna. Indian Hill Railways won a Royal Television Society award in June 2010.[22] The KSR also featured in the Punjab episode of CNN's Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. In 2018, the KSR was featured in an episode of the BBC Two programme Great Indian Railway Journeys.[23]

References

1. ^ "Mountain Railways of India". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2006-04-30. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Wolmer, Christian (2017). Railways & the Raj. London: Atlantic Books. p. 114 to 115. ISBN 978-0-85789-064-1. 3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Priya, R. "The Development Of Mountain Railways In India A Study: Kalka Shimla Railway" (PDF). University of Madras. p. 116 to 143. Retrieved November 26,2018. 4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f "Engineer" journal article, circa 1915, reprinted in Narrow Gauge & Industrial Railway Modelling Review, no. 75, July 2008 5. ^ "IR History: Early Days II (1870-1899)". IRFCA. Retrieved 26 January 2014. 6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March2014. 7. ^ Jump up to:a b c "World Heritage Site - Kalka Shimla Railway: An Introduction" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved December 5, 2018. 8. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f "Kalka Shimla Railway (India) No 944 ter". UNESCO. Retrieved November 29,2018. 9. ^ "IR History: Part - III (1900 - 1947)". Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved November 26,2018. 10. ^ "HP declares Kalka–Shimla railway as 'heritage' property". The Hindu. 2007-08-13. Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 2007-08-13. 11. ^ "Kalka–Shimla railway makes it to Unesco's World Heritage list". The Hindu Business Line. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2008. 12. ^ "Kalka-Shimla Railway is now a World Heritage Site". Outlook India. July 8, 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2018. 13. ^ "Baba Bhalku Rail Museum/Shimla" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved December 5,2018. 14. ^ A.S. Ahluwalia, 2012, Airborne to Chairborne: Memoirs of a War Veteran Aviator-Lawyer of the India Air Force. 15. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Railway Stations of Kalka Shimla Section & its Attractions" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved November 29, 2018. 16. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Singh, Jagmeet (June 15, 2002). "Man behind Barog tunnel lies forgotten". Tribune India. Retrieved November 29, 2018. 17. ^ Joshi, Deepan (December 14, 2014). "The forgotten legend of Bhalku Ram". Times of India. Retrieved December 5, 2018. 18. ^ Jump up to:a b Hughes, Hugh 1994 Indian Locomotives Pt. 3, Narrow Gauge 1863–1940. Continental Railway Circle. 19. ^ Description of narrow-gauge diesel locomotives by IRFCA 20. ^ Central Railway: NG Loco for Kalka Simla, NR 21. ^ "Indian Hill Railways". BBC. Retrieved 28 February 2010. 2.

22. ^ "Documentary on Hill railways of India bags UK award". Express India. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2010. 23. ^