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→History: 'Ewing System Monorail' link added
==History==
'''Monorail (1902–1908)'''
<blockquote>Kundala Valley Railway Monorail was built in 1902 and operated between [[Munnar]] and Top Station in the Kannan Devan Hills of Kerala . This railway was built to transport tea and other goods. Initially a cart road was cut in 1902, then later replaced by a monorail goods carriage system along the road leading from [[Munnar]] to Top Station for the purpose of transporting tea and other products from Munnar and Madupatty to Top Station. This monorail was based on the [[Ewing System Monorail|Ewing System]] and had a small wheel placed on the track while a larger wheel rested on the road to balance the monorail. This was similar to the Patiala State Monorail Trainways. The monorail was pulled by bullocks. Top Station was a transs-hipment point for delivery of tea from Munnar to Bodinayakkanur. Tea chests arriving at Top Station from the Kundala Valley were then transported by an aerial ropeway from Top Station 3 miles(5 km) down hill to the south to Kottagudi, Tamil Nadu, which popularly became known as "Bottom Station". The tea was shipped 9 miles(15 km) by cart to Bodinayakkanur, then by rail to other places in India and by ship to England.</blockquote>
<blockquote>The report in 1903 only one year into its 6-year use <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundala_Valley_Railway Wikipedia “Kundala Light Railway” ]; Retrieved 1 Mar 2017</ref> was not very complementary. The construction of the road was along the Kundale Road a distance of 22 miles(35.5Km) from Madupatty (Mattupetti) to Top Station; with a stop at Palaar which was the rest point for the bullocks overnight. 'They pulled at 2 miles an hour up a twisting 1 in 40 incline with a maximum gradient of 1 in 30. The weight of the trucks was 12 cwt carrying one ton. Whilst the track was easy to lay they used a lot of the 13 feet(4 meter) roadway, the road weaves its way around the hills and when the out rigger is on the road side make passing nearly impossible, passing places are then required or reversing stations to keep the out rigger on the outside of the road. The roadway for the out rigger must be kept smooth or the wheel will shake its self apart. On sharp curves the flanges tend to grind and extra power is needed to pull them around the bend. If the bend is too sharp and the cart travelling to fast it will come of the track so it is much better suited for straight and more level lines' <ref> British Library IOR/ L/MIL/7/14846 Memorandum 11114 1903 </ref> The monorail lasted 8 years before being replaced with a narrow-gauge railway.</blockquote>
