If someone told you that there is a railway line in India today which is controlled by the British, would you believe it? But it is true. Shankutla Rail Line is the only private rail track in India. This railway line is in Maharashtra. It is owned by a British private company. It was built during the British period itself. Narrow gauge vehicles ran on the 190 km long railway line. This line runs from Yavatmal to Murthyjapur.
During the British era, trains on this track were operated by the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. Railways were nationalized 5 years after independence but the line was neglected. Thus, the track is still under the Central Provinces Railway Company, a private company in Britain. Now only one train runs on it, named Shankutala Passenger. The name of the track also became famous after the name of this train.
The development of the steam engine in America and England has been almost parallel. The development of the steam engine can be called the development of the engine of greater capacity. In England, large-scale parallel boilers replaced vertical boilers to increase capacity. Other countries followed suit. The length of the engine was increased to distribute the weight of the larger boiler. Front wheels were added to carry more weight. The use of guide wheels mounted on an eccentric axis in front of the drive wheel became common for successful steering of turns. Generally, coal and water are stored in wagons attached to the engine. For convenience, the boiler is placed between the firebox and the flue. From time to time experiments were done to increase the capacity of the engines. In 1833 it largely assumed the shape of the steam engine in use today.
Talsarpi chakras were attached behind the front chakra to carry the weight of the large firebox. Steam engines are identified by their arrangement of wheels attached to the axle. That system is called the white system; Which is prevalent in England, America, Canada, and Australia. It refers to the wheels on either side of the axle as the front wheel, the driving wheel, and the rear wheel respectively. For example, an engine known as 4–6–4 has 4 front wheels, 6 driving wheels, and 4 rear wheels. A state of no cycle is plotted as zero (0). In France and Germany, the wheels are identified on one side of the axis. But in Germany, the engine cycle is drawn as A for 1, B for 2, and C for 3 according to the English notation, and in France, the cycles on one side of the engine are represented as zero. Some engines are known by special names; Like 4-6-4 is called ‘The Hudson’, 2-6-0 is called ‘The Mogul’, etc. Names of some popular steam engines and details of wheels are given in the table below.
Indian rail line ends from here
| Name of the post | Railway Knowledge |
| Post Category | Worth knowing |
| Information sources | Various news |
| Socio Education Application | Click here |
Only 1 railway station in the entire state
Mizoram is a state in the northeast of India, which has only 1 railway station. After arriving at Bairabi Railway Station in Mizoram, the journey of Indian Railways ends. Apart from passenger trains, goods are also handled from this station.
The strange story of Bairabi railway station
Bairabi railway station located in Mizoram is the only station in the state and there is no other railway station beyond it. If there is only one railway station in a state with a population of 11 lakhs, it is natural that the people will have to face difficulties. As there is no other railway station, all the people of the state reach this railway station to travel.
Railway Knowledge Bairabi Railway Station
Bairabi railway station serves the town of Bairabi in the Kolasib district of Mizoram. Its code is BHRB. The station has 3 platforms. Nairobi is one of the railways of Mizoram and is connected by a broad gauge line. The 84.25 km broad gauge railway line from Katakhal Junction to Bairabi was completed on 21 March 2016.
Mizoram, located at the eastern tip of India, is a state with only one railway station. The name of this railway station is Bairabi Railway Station. There is no railway station next to it. Apart from passengers, goods are also transported from here.
4 tracks and 3 platforms
The Bairabi railway station is simply built, lacking many modern facilities. The code of this railway station is BHRB and it is a three-platform railway station. There are four tracks to reach this railway station.
Where was the train built?
This train was built in 1921 in Manchester, UK. It was powered by an engine that was nearly 70 years old. However, the engine was replaced by a diesel engine in 1994. The work of laying the Shakuntala railway line was started in 1903. It was built to lift cotton from Amaravati to Mumbai port. After 13 years i.e. in 1916, the track was completely completed.