What is better for a retaining wall, timber sleepers or blocks?

Treated timber is approved for in ground use and has a reasonable service life, however block retaining walls and concrete sleeper retaining walls are more durable having a greater life expectancy. This is based on suitable footings & good drainage. Both Blocks and concrete sleepers come in a wide range of colours, sizes and styles to create a more aesthetic landscape. Common styles of retainers walls to consider are timber sleep retaining walls, link wall or link block retaining walls and concrete sleeper walls

Should I pave or concrete?

While concrete certainly has its benefits, pavers give a more aesthetic finish to a landscape area. Pavers area available in range of colours, texture, styles and sizes. Larger format, 400mm and 500mm pavers have become increasingly popular with modern and contemporary landscape designs. Pavers are also commonly used for garden borders and edges for their straight line finish which is widely desired in modern landscape construction.

How do I maintain artificial grass?

Very little maintenance is required. Just sweep off any leaves or gently use a leaf blower. You can hose off any spills or pet messes. For pet solids, you just scoop up in the traditional way. You can hose or wipe down with cold water if required. To lift the fibres just use a broom to sweep in the opposite direction to your view point.

Do I need landscape design plans before I get a construction quote?

Yes. A landscape design will allow us to discuss the project with enough detail to allow for an accurate price estimate. This design process will also determine whether council approvals are required, which can impact cost and timing.

Gardener Edmondson Park

Need a gardener in Edmondson Park? All Green Gardening and Landscaping is your go-to for gardening and landscaping solutions. We provide mulching, weeding, lawn care, turfing, and rubbish removal. With our five-star rated services in your local area, we stand as one of the best gardening contractors near you.

Our garden services are executed by seasoned experts. We always prioritise keen attention to detail and excel in our gardening services.

Call 0410 196 069

Image describes garderner Sydney and gardener near you

Best Gardening Services Edmondson Park Wide

Expect no surprises; we provide clear quotes for gardening in Edmondson Park before any work starts. Inspecting the garden first aids us in giving a more precise estimate. By assessing the garden’s current condition, we can better understand your requirements and advise accordingly.

Whether you’re hesitant or your garden’s in chaos, we’ll restore order with a comprehensive plan. No call-out charges are involved, and you pay only when you’re delighted with our work! You’ll be invoiced only for actual work hours, no unnecessary time added to meet the quote.

Our Edmondson Park team, fully trained and ready, offers expert guidance on all aspects of garden care. Your garden is always in capable hands with the All Green Gardening and Landscaping team, who are well-informed and ready to assist as necessary.

image presents Gardener Edmondson Park

Looking for a Gardener Near Me in Edmondson Park?

Need a dependable local gardener? Explore top-notch lawn care, maintenance, and landscaping services online. Enjoy a broad service spectrum and flexible bookings, we tackle all garden scales. For garden sprucing or lawn rejuvenation of any scale, we’re your team. From garden neatening to lawn resuscitation, trust in us.

Tired of garden chores eating your free time? Contact All Green Gardening and Landscaping. We thrive on keeping both commercial and personal gardens vibrant. For us, there’s a delight in maintaining gardens to be green and immaculate!

Professional Gardener Services in Edmondson Park

When designing a garden, it’s useful to know what plants will enjoy the soil and climate conditions, what width and height they will grow to, what water and nutrient needs they have, how much sun they will need, what pests will show up and how to deal with them if/when they do, bird and insect attraction, etc.

Our expertise lies in creating gardens perfectly matched to your vision. We want to grasp your desired garden outcome and your dedication to it. Our design detail promises you can trust every gardening service we offer. Many clients trust us year after year due to our extensive experience. For all garden care needs in Edmondson Park, give us a ring or drop a message.

Garden Care Edmondson Park

Hours of tender care make gardens truly flourish and captivate. For that impeccable appearance, regular care is indispensable. For the best garden output, actions from weeding to fertilising are crucial. It‘s a dominant challenge for numerous homeowners today. While a manicured garden is desired, finding time for it is tough.

What starts out as a labor of love turns into an obligation that you just don’t have time to fill. And the longer you postpone taking care of a garden or lawn, the more time you will have to spend fixing it up. This is a situation where people fail to make the most of their outdoor space. Years of expertise equip our Edmondson Park gardening team with industry insights. From creating splendid gardens to pest combat, All Green Gardening and Landscaping approaches with a smile. Our experience spans landscape design, soil health, and lawn care.

Garden Maintenance Edmondson Park

Upholding a garden’s charm requires dedication. It’s a task that calls for effort, regular care, and time some don’t have. Every garden is special, so we carry out a bespoke gardening service for every single one of our clients. We utilise your garden’s natural strengths, keeping our services reasonably priced. All our technicians are fully prepared with the necessary equipment for the task.

Our skilled team knows the care for Edmondson Park, NSW 2174 grass varieties. Leveraging expert knowledge and premium mowers, we cover commercial and acreage lawn services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find the reticulation connection to the water mains. You will find a solenoid valve that has isolated the system from the mains. The valve has failed internally and is not opening fully. For any bore-related concerns, trust only expert solutions.

While timber is ground-friendly, concrete and block walls are notably durable. Blocks and concrete sleepers enhance landscapes with their myriad styles and colours. Among retaining walls, timber sleep, link block, and concrete sleeper are often chosen.

Although concrete is practical, pavers add a visual charm.

You won’t need to put in much effort; just sweep or use a leaf blower to remove leaves. Dealing with spills or pet mess? Swiftly hose off or scoop in the usual manner. Enhance fiber height by sweeping against your viewpoint with a broom.

Yes. A landscape design will allow us to discuss the project with enough detail to allow for an accurate price estimate. Our design procedure also involves evaluating the need for council approvals, which could influence both cost and schedule.

Current Job Postings

Interested in joining the All Green Gardening & Landscaping Team? Let us know your Job Interest via email. We have immediate openings for local landscapers and gardeners in Sydney.

jobs@allgreen-gardening-landscaping.com.au

Westway Theater - Edmondson Avenue 5300 - Baltimore - June 1, 2024
53879745004_eb8b15fcec_b

St. Bernardine Chuch - Edmondson Avevue and Mt. Holly Street - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (2)
53871491945_07ea307581_b

St. William of York Church - Edmondson Avenue and Cooks Lane - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (3)
53871490570_a7b0c4637d_b

St. William of York Church - Edmondson Avenue and Cooks Lane - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (4)
53871082131_0f84269a73_b

The Blue Feather 1917
Throughout his long career, Edmondson stubbornly resisted modernist styles and proudly proclaimed himself a traditionalist. He felt that artists should paint what they see, and once declared, "When painting a portrait, I do not indulge in this ‘painting of the soul’ stuff. When some artists fail to get a likeness of a person they say they have not tried to paint him, but have painted his soul." The sitter in The Blue Feather was Edmondson's student, Caroline Mytinger, who often modeled for him. Later a portraitist in her own right, she traveled to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to record its indigenous people. America, Ohio, Cleveland oil on canvas Framed: 107.3 x 112.4 x 5.8 cm (42 1/4 x 44 1/4 x 2 5/16 in.); Unframed: 70.5 x 75.6 cm (27 3/4 x 29 3/4 in.) Gift of Morris Glauber clevelandart.org/art/1917.400

Edmondson Village Shopping Center - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (5)
53855218108_3b7768eeb5_b

Edmondson Village Shopping Center - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (4)
53854071412_753fa7ea23_b

Edmondson Village Shopping Center - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (6)
53854071372_6c158932c5_b

Rachel Edmondson-Enhanced-Color-Restored
53850835912_bf8beb30f4_b

Edmondson Avenue and Wildwood Parkway - Baltimore - June 1, 2024
53848196009_643d141212_b

Edmondson Avevue 3900 Block - Baltimore - June 1, 2024 (1)
53846949422_57ec745cb8_b

India - Tamil Nadu - Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway - 12bb
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India." After it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans. For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section. OPERATION The NMR track is 1000 mm metre gauge and the railway is isolated from other metre gauge lines. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. On this rack section trains are operated by 'X' Class steam rack locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland. These steam locomotives can be used on any part of the line (either with or without the rack section), but the newer diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section, between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam. This signals the beginning of the process to phase out the coal-fired vintage Swiss engines that took scores of passengers on the rack and pinion track to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam, covering 41.8 kilometres, 108 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges. Hence, the Southern Railway decided to replace the coal-fired locomotives. The work was entrusted to Golden Rock Workshop of Southern Railway at Tiruchirapalli. Each of the new engines weighs a little over 50 tonnes and cost Rs.10 crore. The new engine has been provided with pilot and primary burners with separate tanks to hold about 850 litres of diesel and 2,250 litres of furnace oil. The hauling capacity of this new engine is 97.6 tonnes and it can run at a speed of 30 kilometres per hour in plains and at 15 kilometres an hour on a gradient. Officials hoped to put the engine to use by Sunday on the Mettuppalayam–Coonoor section. The arrival of the new engines raises hopes of eliminating the disruption in service that occurred frequently over the last two years. For long, the X Class locomotives manufactured by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland lent that distinct charm to NMR. These locomotives are six to eight decades old, railway officials said The steam locomotives are always marshalled at the downhill (Mettupalayam) end of the train. The average gradient in this rack section is 1 in 24.5 (4.08%), with a maximum of 1 in 12 (8.33%). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam the train is operated by a YDM4 diesel locomotive using conventional rail adhesion principles. On this section the locomotive is always at the Coonoor end of the train as although the line is not steep enough to need a rack rail, the ruling gradient out of Coonoor is still very steep at 1 in 25 (4%). As of 2007, there is one train a day over the rack section, which starts from Mettupalayam at 07:10 and reaches Ooty at noon. The return train starts from Ooty at 14:00, and reaches Mettupalayam at 17:35. The train is scheduled to connect to the Nilgiri Express, which travels from Mettupalayam to Chennai via Coimbatore. A summer special service is also run during the months of April and May, starting from Mettupalayam at 09:30 (AM) and from Ooty at 12:15 (PM). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam, there are four daily trains each way. Even though the NMR stations have networked computerised ticketing systems for onward journeys, it still issues Edmondson style manual tickets for the Ooty-Mettupalayam journey to preserve the 'World Heritage Site' status of the railway. However, ticket booking is similar to other conventional trains and can also be done via the Indian Railways' website. It is advisable to book tickets for this railway well in advance, especially during peak season. The majority of repairs to the locomotives are carried out at the Coonoor shed but many of the steam locomotives have been rebuilt at the Golden Rock Workshops. Carriages are repaired at Mettupalayam but, like the locomotives, are taken to one of the big railway workshops for major work. Due to its popularity, a number of passengers using the NMR have requested that the Southern Railways convert the section from Coonoor to Udagamandalam to steam locomotive, extending the present steam traction between Mettupalayam and Coonoor. ROUTE The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train covers a distance of 26 km, travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and across 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes, and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes. It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%. METTUPALAYAM STATION Station with the 1676 mm (Indian Gauge) line from Coimbatore Junction. Passengers cross the platform to board the Nilagiri Passenger train (NMR). There is a small locomotive shed here and also the carriage workshops for the line. Leaving Mettupalayam, the line is adhesion worked and actually drops for a short distance before crossing the Bhavani River, after which it starts to climb gently. KALLAR STATION Closed as a passenger station, this is where the rack rail begins. As the train leaves the station, the gradient is 1 in 12 (8.33%). ADDERLY STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. HILLGROVE STATION Block post and water stop, also has refreshments for passengers. RUNNEYMEDE STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. KATERI ROAD STATION Closed as a passenger station, trains do not stop here. COONOOR STATION Main intermediate station on the line at site of the locomotive workshops as well as the top end of the rack rail. Trains must reverse a short distance before continuing their climb to Ooty. It is normal for the locomotive to be changed here with diesel traction, being normal for all trains to Ooty. LOVEDALE STATION From a short distance before Lovedale, the line descends into Ooty. IN POPULAR CULTURE In the UK, the BBC made a series of three documentaries dealing with Indian Hill Railways, with the NMR being featured in the second programme shown in February 2010. (The first film covers the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway and the third the Kalka-Shimla Railway). The films were directed by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly, and produced by Gerry Troyna. The series won the UK Royal Television Society Award in June 2010. Coonoor station was one of two used as locations in David Lean's film A Passage to India. You can also see Coonoor station and its heritage locomotive in many of the Indian films. Wellington station always finds a place in most of the films casting the Indian army or army training storyline mainly due to the MRC Indian Army Regiment, Defence Services Staff College, the Cantonment and the Cordite Factory. Ketti station was used as the location in a Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem Lovedale station is very picturesque and has featured in many popular films including the famous Tamil hit, Moonram Pirai. The famous Hindi song Chaiyya Chaiyya from the film "Dil Se" featuring Shahrukh Khan was shot on the roof top of NMR. Ooty station has featured in many of the Tamil and other South Indian language films. It is also prominently featured in some of the Bollywood films. WIKIPEDIA

India - Tamil Nadu - Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway - 66bb
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India." After it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans. For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section. OPERATION The NMR track is 1000 mm metre gauge and the railway is isolated from other metre gauge lines. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. On this rack section trains are operated by 'X' Class steam rack locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland. These steam locomotives can be used on any part of the line (either with or without the rack section), but the newer diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section, between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam. This signals the beginning of the process to phase out the coal-fired vintage Swiss engines that took scores of passengers on the rack and pinion track to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam, covering 41.8 kilometres, 108 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges. Hence, the Southern Railway decided to replace the coal-fired locomotives. The work was entrusted to Golden Rock Workshop of Southern Railway at Tiruchirapalli. Each of the new engines weighs a little over 50 tonnes and cost Rs.10 crore. The new engine has been provided with pilot and primary burners with separate tanks to hold about 850 litres of diesel and 2,250 litres of furnace oil. The hauling capacity of this new engine is 97.6 tonnes and it can run at a speed of 30 kilometres per hour in plains and at 15 kilometres an hour on a gradient. Officials hoped to put the engine to use by Sunday on the Mettuppalayam–Coonoor section. The arrival of the new engines raises hopes of eliminating the disruption in service that occurred frequently over the last two years. For long, the X Class locomotives manufactured by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland lent that distinct charm to NMR. These locomotives are six to eight decades old, railway officials said The steam locomotives are always marshalled at the downhill (Mettupalayam) end of the train. The average gradient in this rack section is 1 in 24.5 (4.08%), with a maximum of 1 in 12 (8.33%). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam the train is operated by a YDM4 diesel locomotive using conventional rail adhesion principles. On this section the locomotive is always at the Coonoor end of the train as although the line is not steep enough to need a rack rail, the ruling gradient out of Coonoor is still very steep at 1 in 25 (4%). As of 2007, there is one train a day over the rack section, which starts from Mettupalayam at 07:10 and reaches Ooty at noon. The return train starts from Ooty at 14:00, and reaches Mettupalayam at 17:35. The train is scheduled to connect to the Nilgiri Express, which travels from Mettupalayam to Chennai via Coimbatore. A summer special service is also run during the months of April and May, starting from Mettupalayam at 09:30 (AM) and from Ooty at 12:15 (PM). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam, there are four daily trains each way. Even though the NMR stations have networked computerised ticketing systems for onward journeys, it still issues Edmondson style manual tickets for the Ooty-Mettupalayam journey to preserve the 'World Heritage Site' status of the railway. However, ticket booking is similar to other conventional trains and can also be done via the Indian Railways' website. It is advisable to book tickets for this railway well in advance, especially during peak season. The majority of repairs to the locomotives are carried out at the Coonoor shed but many of the steam locomotives have been rebuilt at the Golden Rock Workshops. Carriages are repaired at Mettupalayam but, like the locomotives, are taken to one of the big railway workshops for major work. Due to its popularity, a number of passengers using the NMR have requested that the Southern Railways convert the section from Coonoor to Udagamandalam to steam locomotive, extending the present steam traction between Mettupalayam and Coonoor. ROUTE The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train covers a distance of 26 km, travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and across 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes, and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes. It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%. METTUPALAYAM STATION Station with the 1676 mm (Indian Gauge) line from Coimbatore Junction. Passengers cross the platform to board the Nilagiri Passenger train (NMR). There is a small locomotive shed here and also the carriage workshops for the line. Leaving Mettupalayam, the line is adhesion worked and actually drops for a short distance before crossing the Bhavani River, after which it starts to climb gently. KALLAR STATION Closed as a passenger station, this is where the rack rail begins. As the train leaves the station, the gradient is 1 in 12 (8.33%). ADDERLY STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. HILLGROVE STATION Block post and water stop, also has refreshments for passengers. RUNNEYMEDE STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. KATERI ROAD STATION Closed as a passenger station, trains do not stop here. COONOOR STATION Main intermediate station on the line at site of the locomotive workshops as well as the top end of the rack rail. Trains must reverse a short distance before continuing their climb to Ooty. It is normal for the locomotive to be changed here with diesel traction, being normal for all trains to Ooty. LOVEDALE STATION From a short distance before Lovedale, the line descends into Ooty. IN POPULAR CULTURE In the UK, the BBC made a series of three documentaries dealing with Indian Hill Railways, with the NMR being featured in the second programme shown in February 2010. (The first film covers the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway and the third the Kalka-Shimla Railway). The films were directed by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly, and produced by Gerry Troyna. The series won the UK Royal Television Society Award in June 2010. Coonoor station was one of two used as locations in David Lean's film A Passage to India. You can also see Coonoor station and its heritage locomotive in many of the Indian films. Wellington station always finds a place in most of the films casting the Indian army or army training storyline mainly due to the MRC Indian Army Regiment, Defence Services Staff College, the Cantonment and the Cordite Factory. Ketti station was used as the location in a Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem Lovedale station is very picturesque and has featured in many popular films including the famous Tamil hit, Moonram Pirai. The famous Hindi song Chaiyya Chaiyya from the film "Dil Se" featuring Shahrukh Khan was shot on the roof top of NMR. Ooty station has featured in many of the Tamil and other South Indian language films. It is also prominently featured in some of the Bollywood films. WIKIPEDIA

India - Tamil Nadu - Coonoor - Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway - 61cc
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India." After it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans. For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section. OPERATION The NMR track is 1000 mm metre gauge and the railway is isolated from other metre gauge lines. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. On this rack section trains are operated by 'X' Class steam rack locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland. These steam locomotives can be used on any part of the line (either with or without the rack section), but the newer diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section, between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam. This signals the beginning of the process to phase out the coal-fired vintage Swiss engines that took scores of passengers on the rack and pinion track to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam, covering 41.8 kilometres, 108 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges. Hence, the Southern Railway decided to replace the coal-fired locomotives. The work was entrusted to Golden Rock Workshop of Southern Railway at Tiruchirapalli. Each of the new engines weighs a little over 50 tonnes and cost Rs.10 crore. The new engine has been provided with pilot and primary burners with separate tanks to hold about 850 litres of diesel and 2,250 litres of furnace oil. The hauling capacity of this new engine is 97.6 tonnes and it can run at a speed of 30 kilometres per hour in plains and at 15 kilometres an hour on a gradient. Officials hoped to put the engine to use by Sunday on the Mettuppalayam–Coonoor section. The arrival of the new engines raises hopes of eliminating the disruption in service that occurred frequently over the last two years. For long, the X Class locomotives manufactured by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland lent that distinct charm to NMR. These locomotives are six to eight decades old, railway officials said The steam locomotives are always marshalled at the downhill (Mettupalayam) end of the train. The average gradient in this rack section is 1 in 24.5 (4.08%), with a maximum of 1 in 12 (8.33%). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam the train is operated by a YDM4 diesel locomotive using conventional rail adhesion principles. On this section the locomotive is always at the Coonoor end of the train as although the line is not steep enough to need a rack rail, the ruling gradient out of Coonoor is still very steep at 1 in 25 (4%). As of 2007, there is one train a day over the rack section, which starts from Mettupalayam at 07:10 and reaches Ooty at noon. The return train starts from Ooty at 14:00, and reaches Mettupalayam at 17:35. The train is scheduled to connect to the Nilgiri Express, which travels from Mettupalayam to Chennai via Coimbatore. A summer special service is also run during the months of April and May, starting from Mettupalayam at 09:30 (AM) and from Ooty at 12:15 (PM). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam, there are four daily trains each way. Even though the NMR stations have networked computerised ticketing systems for onward journeys, it still issues Edmondson style manual tickets for the Ooty-Mettupalayam journey to preserve the 'World Heritage Site' status of the railway. However, ticket booking is similar to other conventional trains and can also be done via the Indian Railways' website. It is advisable to book tickets for this railway well in advance, especially during peak season. The majority of repairs to the locomotives are carried out at the Coonoor shed but many of the steam locomotives have been rebuilt at the Golden Rock Workshops. Carriages are repaired at Mettupalayam but, like the locomotives, are taken to one of the big railway workshops for major work. Due to its popularity, a number of passengers using the NMR have requested that the Southern Railways convert the section from Coonoor to Udagamandalam to steam locomotive, extending the present steam traction between Mettupalayam and Coonoor. ROUTE The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train covers a distance of 26 km, travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and across 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes, and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes. It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%. METTUPALAYAM STATION Station with the 1676 mm (Indian Gauge) line from Coimbatore Junction. Passengers cross the platform to board the Nilagiri Passenger train (NMR). There is a small locomotive shed here and also the carriage workshops for the line. Leaving Mettupalayam, the line is adhesion worked and actually drops for a short distance before crossing the Bhavani River, after which it starts to climb gently. KALLAR STATION Closed as a passenger station, this is where the rack rail begins. As the train leaves the station, the gradient is 1 in 12 (8.33%). ADDERLY STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. HILLGROVE STATION Block post and water stop, also has refreshments for passengers. RUNNEYMEDE STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. KATERI ROAD STATION Closed as a passenger station, trains do not stop here. COONOOR STATION Main intermediate station on the line at site of the locomotive workshops as well as the top end of the rack rail. Trains must reverse a short distance before continuing their climb to Ooty. It is normal for the locomotive to be changed here with diesel traction, being normal for all trains to Ooty. LOVEDALE STATION From a short distance before Lovedale, the line descends into Ooty. IN POPULAR CULTURE In the UK, the BBC made a series of three documentaries dealing with Indian Hill Railways, with the NMR being featured in the second programme shown in February 2010. (The first film covers the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway and the third the Kalka-Shimla Railway). The films were directed by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly, and produced by Gerry Troyna. The series won the UK Royal Television Society Award in June 2010. Coonoor station was one of two used as locations in David Lean's film A Passage to India. You can also see Coonoor station and its heritage locomotive in many of the Indian films. Wellington station always finds a place in most of the films casting the Indian army or army training storyline mainly due to the MRC Indian Army Regiment, Defence Services Staff College, the Cantonment and the Cordite Factory. Ketti station was used as the location in a Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem Lovedale station is very picturesque and has featured in many popular films including the famous Tamil hit, Moonram Pirai. The famous Hindi song Chaiyya Chaiyya from the film "Dil Se" featuring Shahrukh Khan was shot on the roof top of NMR. Ooty station has featured in many of the Tamil and other South Indian language films. It is also prominently featured in some of the Bollywood films. WIKIPEDIA

India - Tamil Nadu - Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway - 14cc
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India." After it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans. For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section. OPERATION The NMR track is 1000 mm metre gauge and the railway is isolated from other metre gauge lines. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. On this rack section trains are operated by 'X' Class steam rack locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland. These steam locomotives can be used on any part of the line (either with or without the rack section), but the newer diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section, between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam. This signals the beginning of the process to phase out the coal-fired vintage Swiss engines that took scores of passengers on the rack and pinion track to Coonoor and Udhagamandalam, covering 41.8 kilometres, 108 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges. Hence, the Southern Railway decided to replace the coal-fired locomotives. The work was entrusted to Golden Rock Workshop of Southern Railway at Tiruchirapalli. Each of the new engines weighs a little over 50 tonnes and cost Rs.10 crore. The new engine has been provided with pilot and primary burners with separate tanks to hold about 850 litres of diesel and 2,250 litres of furnace oil. The hauling capacity of this new engine is 97.6 tonnes and it can run at a speed of 30 kilometres per hour in plains and at 15 kilometres an hour on a gradient. Officials hoped to put the engine to use by Sunday on the Mettuppalayam–Coonoor section. The arrival of the new engines raises hopes of eliminating the disruption in service that occurred frequently over the last two years. For long, the X Class locomotives manufactured by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland lent that distinct charm to NMR. These locomotives are six to eight decades old, railway officials said The steam locomotives are always marshalled at the downhill (Mettupalayam) end of the train. The average gradient in this rack section is 1 in 24.5 (4.08%), with a maximum of 1 in 12 (8.33%). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam the train is operated by a YDM4 diesel locomotive using conventional rail adhesion principles. On this section the locomotive is always at the Coonoor end of the train as although the line is not steep enough to need a rack rail, the ruling gradient out of Coonoor is still very steep at 1 in 25 (4%). As of 2007, there is one train a day over the rack section, which starts from Mettupalayam at 07:10 and reaches Ooty at noon. The return train starts from Ooty at 14:00, and reaches Mettupalayam at 17:35. The train is scheduled to connect to the Nilgiri Express, which travels from Mettupalayam to Chennai via Coimbatore. A summer special service is also run during the months of April and May, starting from Mettupalayam at 09:30 (AM) and from Ooty at 12:15 (PM). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam, there are four daily trains each way. Even though the NMR stations have networked computerised ticketing systems for onward journeys, it still issues Edmondson style manual tickets for the Ooty-Mettupalayam journey to preserve the 'World Heritage Site' status of the railway. However, ticket booking is similar to other conventional trains and can also be done via the Indian Railways' website. It is advisable to book tickets for this railway well in advance, especially during peak season. The majority of repairs to the locomotives are carried out at the Coonoor shed but many of the steam locomotives have been rebuilt at the Golden Rock Workshops. Carriages are repaired at Mettupalayam but, like the locomotives, are taken to one of the big railway workshops for major work. Due to its popularity, a number of passengers using the NMR have requested that the Southern Railways convert the section from Coonoor to Udagamandalam to steam locomotive, extending the present steam traction between Mettupalayam and Coonoor. ROUTE The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train covers a distance of 26 km, travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and across 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes, and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes. It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%. METTUPALAYAM STATION Station with the 1676 mm (Indian Gauge) line from Coimbatore Junction. Passengers cross the platform to board the Nilagiri Passenger train (NMR). There is a small locomotive shed here and also the carriage workshops for the line. Leaving Mettupalayam, the line is adhesion worked and actually drops for a short distance before crossing the Bhavani River, after which it starts to climb gently. KALLAR STATION Closed as a passenger station, this is where the rack rail begins. As the train leaves the station, the gradient is 1 in 12 (8.33%). ADDERLY STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. HILLGROVE STATION Block post and water stop, also has refreshments for passengers. RUNNEYMEDE STATION Closed as a passenger station but is still a water stop. KATERI ROAD STATION Closed as a passenger station, trains do not stop here. COONOOR STATION Main intermediate station on the line at site of the locomotive workshops as well as the top end of the rack rail. Trains must reverse a short distance before continuing their climb to Ooty. It is normal for the locomotive to be changed here with diesel traction, being normal for all trains to Ooty. LOVEDALE STATION From a short distance before Lovedale, the line descends into Ooty. IN POPULAR CULTURE In the UK, the BBC made a series of three documentaries dealing with Indian Hill Railways, with the NMR being featured in the second programme shown in February 2010. (The first film covers the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway and the third the Kalka-Shimla Railway). The films were directed by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly, and produced by Gerry Troyna. The series won the UK Royal Television Society Award in June 2010. Coonoor station was one of two used as locations in David Lean's film A Passage to India. You can also see Coonoor station and its heritage locomotive in many of the Indian films. Wellington station always finds a place in most of the films casting the Indian army or army training storyline mainly due to the MRC Indian Army Regiment, Defence Services Staff College, the Cantonment and the Cordite Factory. Ketti station was used as the location in a Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem Lovedale station is very picturesque and has featured in many popular films including the famous Tamil hit, Moonram Pirai. The famous Hindi song Chaiyya Chaiyya from the film "Dil Se" featuring Shahrukh Khan was shot on the roof top of NMR. Ooty station has featured in many of the Tamil and other South Indian language films. It is also prominently featured in some of the Bollywood films. WIKIPEDIA