With closure of the main line steam sheds, NMR and the celebrated Darjeeling Himalayan Railway are the only surviving steam operated routes and the Indian railway is committed to the efforts to ensure the survival of steam locos in the interest of heritage and tourism.
The NMR has mostly been dominated by the hardy 'X' class tank locos built by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterhur, Switzerland. These locos were introduced in 1914; there are 7 vintage locos in all, the youngest being almost 50 years old. The Locomotives exude regal beauty in their attractive shade of blue outlined in yellow with the divisional emblem on the side tanks besides other embellishments. But, the Railways has been facing a problem of non-availability of good quality coal for nearly 2 decades coupled with other problems such as tough manual labour involved in shoveling 4 tonnes of coal per trip and also the implications of environmental pollution, that threaten the very existence of the Steam locomotive which is a major Tourist attraction, in the Nilagiris. Foreign tourists flock the NMR just to experience the nostalgia of a bygone era of steam.
The success of the conversion to oil firing of the 'X' class loco fleet has invoked a new lease of life into the cherished heritage steam locomotives of India. As for the future of steam locos in India - the light at the end of the tunnel shines brighter than before. The oil fired system has restored the NMR back on track from the brink of extinction, all thanks to relentless & combined efforts of Golden Rock workshop of Southern Railway and TREC-STEP (Tiruchi Regional Engineering College-Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park).