The entire Punalur - Shencottah section is marked as a Ghat section. Were bankers used in this entire section during steam days?

Not much change it timings between 1931 and today for the two trains 23/ 24 Express (today's 2609/ 2610) and 7/8 Mail (today's 2657/ 2658).

Yes there was. The line was closed to passenger traffic some years ago. Incidentally Royapuram - Walajah Road - Arcot was the first railway line to be opened in South India on 1st July 1856.

In 1931 too, as it is today, services ran only upto Agastiyampalli. Or was the line to Koddikarai (Point Calimere) constructed at a later date?

There is only one Express train at night time. Compare with today's traffic with innumerable halts for crossings on a single line at night. And what does D.S.Y. stand for?

Olavvakot (today's Palakkad Jn.) to Palghat Jn. (today's Palakkad Town) used to have both BG and MG services.

The MG Nilagiri Express between Mettupapaiyam and Ooty used to run till a few decades ago with number 35/ 36.

The Tarikere- NR pura tramway no more exists since the Bhadra dam submerged the rail lines. But during summer, we do occasionally get to see a railway bridge which used to cross the river.
This line was built by the British to transport teak wood from the deciduous jungles of the Muthodi range (Chickmagalur district,Karnataka).

Is this South Indian Railway official time table? Can you scan the cover as well? Thank you.

A classic! Look at the mighty Vaigai's run - an hour faster than the next fastest train. The BG Vaigai takes exactly the same time from MS to VM.