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India_above_Adderley Southern Railway MG 0-8-2RT X 37389 (SLM 3000/1925) climbs away from Adderley on the rack section of the Mettuppalaiyam - Ootacamund railway, in the Nilgiri Mountains; 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Adderley_Viaduct Southern Railway MG 0-8-2T X 37389 (SLM 3000/1925) propels its work train over Adderley Viaduct, just beyond which there was a landslide which the workers were going to clear. The Bhawani River was in full spate after much rain but some workers are content to hang on the outside of the work coach, at least 30 metres above the raging torrent - no Health & Safety considerations were in force! 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Coonor_shed_X_37392 Heavy repair work at Coonor engine shed was done outdoors in what in winter, would be unpleasant weather conditions, but to the staff it was "all in a day's work". 0-8-2RT X 37392 (SLM 4070 1952) is receiving a lot of attention. 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Coonor_shed_X_37394 Also under repair with its dome cover removed, is 0-8-2RT X 37394 (SLM 4072 1952). The picture allows a comparison of what is seen everywhere in India - all available space taken up with housing of some kind. Those in view vary from something approaching solid construction, to the very primitive. 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Mettupalaiyam_MG_station Standing at the MG platform at Mettupalaiyam is a works train for taking a track repair crew to clear a landslide blocking the track beoynd Adderley. The crew and various others watch members of the tour group taking many pictures of 0-8-2RT X 37389 (SLM 3000 1925); 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Coonor_engine_shed The MG rack railway's main depot is at Coonor, accessed through this delightful entrance; 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Coonor_shed Cooner engine shed was equipped with lifting machinery capable of allowing quite heavy repairs to the fleet of Swiss-built rack tanks, but they would also be sent to Perambur Works in Madras for any special repair work; 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Coonor_shed_children Wherever one went in India, within seconds of a camera coming into sight, there would be a collection of children - a pleasant hazard of trying to photograph Indian trains! It is sobering to think that this typical quartet, giggling and staring beside Coonor engine shed are all now in their early fifties! 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Coonor_shed_staff_models During the visit to Coonor engine shed some of the staff proudly showed the tour group the static locomotive models they had scratch-built from scrap wood and surperbly painted. Excellent representations of a WP Pacific and a local rack tank; 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Mettupalaiyam_MG_shed Mettupalaiyam MG engine shed served the start of the rack railway to Ootacamund. The building remains in use today; 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Mettupalaiyam_BG_station_pilot The broad gauge meets the metre gauge at Mettupalaiyam, the lower level starting point of the rack railway to Coonor. BG station pilot was World War 2 emergency-supplied 2-8-0 AWC 22618 (Baldwin 70393 1944) 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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India_Mettupalaiyam_BG_station_WP1_7090 The Southern Railway's BG Train Number 5, the "Niligiri Express" was steam-hauled from Coimbatore to Mettupalaiyam. In typical Southern Railway clean condition, 4-6-2 WP1 7090 (Chittaranjan 1963) has arrived at Mettupalaiyam with the "Niligiri Express"; 26.11.1979. Roger Griffiths roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Siemens/Duewag NF6D No. 1874 on route 2B is stopping at Brzezna, Lodz, Poland, 07.07.2023. Photo by Michal Kozicki (michalmarekkozicki@gmail.com)