80 y.o. Steam loco, Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu.

Day 11 (26/2) Coimbatore to Ooty (Alt 8500 ft approx)

Departed C hotel, at 05:00 hrs, in a huff 'cos they wanted me to pay for previous night's meal when we were on DBB basis, and because the promised breakfasts were not in sight. To be fair, the night watchman did catch up and hand me two tired tomato sarnies.

Met with a road closure about 10 km short of our train start point, with no signed diversions. No real surprise there. Our driver asked for and received directions for an alt route from a local farmer and we made it to the station, in the middle of nowhere just as dawn was breaking. Mozzies were just waking up as well, so much Deet was deployed, effectively.

The train is a narrow guage railway (The Nilgiri Mountain) hauled by an ancient steam locomotive, now fuelled by oil of some sort, perhaps parafin, instead of coal. Hot and steamy, none the less, and very, very oily.

The steamer takes the carriages for about ¾ of the 46 km journey up into the hills. Very steep, and requiring a form of rack & pinion drive. The last section up to Ooty is driven by a large modern(ish) Diesel loco.
Quite spectacular views, and once well up the line into tea country, the green colours are quite spectacular.

Been out with our guide this afternoon, visiting St Stephen's church and graveyard, the local botanical garden, and a bloody great mountain top in a national park.

Going to visit Charing Cross, the shopping area this evening.

Ooty is not this town's proper name. That was found to be un-pronouncable by the first Brit to command the area, so he named it Ooty, round about 1829.

G