Being a part of historic Mysore State Railway, the Shimoga-Talaguppa section was laid way back in the year 1930 to provide access to Jog Falls. Another purpose was to transport wooden logs from the forests of the Malnad region to make wooden sleepers and also to be used as a fuel in the furnaces of the Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Limited at Bhadravathi. In 1951, the section got merged with Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway to form the Southern Railway

This MG railbus was made by BEML in the year 1930 and was put on to service in the year 1939 by Mysore State Railway. With a max speed of 25 Kmph this railbus used to operate from Shimoga Town (SMET) to Talaguppa (TLGP) covering a distance of almost 97 km with a total travel time of 4 hr 25 mins with a total capacity of 52 passengers on each trailer coach & 49 passengers on the motor coach. At both ends turn-table was used to change the direction of the motor coach.