Roni's India Trip Pt - 8: Pune

Monkey Hill: The next downhill train stopped for a brake test in front of the cabin. In the background to the left spectacular Duke's Nose peeked out, in front to the right Monkey Hill, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: KJM WDP-4B #40066 with 11014 Coimbatore - Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai) Express entered the tunnel below us, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Once you turned left the viaduct which we had seen from the side in the morning came into view.
The quota maintenance vehicle - pushed by WAG-7 #27289 and #27102, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: WAG-5 #23547 and #23490 rolled downhill, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Regular passenger trains took a lunch break, but we still encountered plenty of action: WAG-5 #23809 pulled a freight plus class WDG-4 uphill, the latter would take over on diesel lines from Pune, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: A panoramic view of this spectacular landscape. Next to the tree on the summit in front you can spot an object which the Pune railfans already had noticed on century-old images. Once they had climbed up, and it turned out to be a marker indic

Monkey Hill: The long snake of freightcars was pushed by our old acquaintances WAG-5 #23206 and #23418, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Freight train towards the midday sun, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: A closer view at the catch sidings: partly they still comprised Great Indian Peninsular Railway rails dating from down to 1911. Apurva told me that there had been 4 occasions within the last century when the catch sidings had to be used, 2012

Monkey Hill: The next downhill units from a steep rail perspective, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Now the sun had moved so we could position ourselves for uphill trains, 06512 Jaipur - Yesvantpur Garib Rath Special came by, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: With Hubli freight loco WDG-4 #12052 I promise that this will be the last "backside" of a GM loco for the rest of the trip, and there still are a few EMDs to come, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Pushed by a well-known trio with speed and sparks flying, uphill there was no reason to stop here. Some did not seem to be very moved by the tempo, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Along came one of the very sparse local trains of the Ghat section - only one by day - , 51318 Pune - Karjat passenger, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Guntakal WDM-3A #18906R in my favourite Indian livery passed industrious track workers, busy since we had arrived, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: A youthful loco crew entering the tunnel, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Once more friendly passengers, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: The good old pair was back soon afterwards taking the third line, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: High visibility vest! - And a commuter who did not want to take his shoppings from Lonavla home on a crammed passenger train, or had missed it... 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Still King of the Hill! 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: A freight actually hauled by three WAG-7s followed, a rarity, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Triple headed freight, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: From the other direction 16339 Mumbai CST - Nagercoil Express thundered upwards at the same time, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: Erode WDM-3D #11222 rushing past. Some of the details you could capture while it was passing by: for example the speedometer needle at just above 50 kph, or the fact the it had been built in November 2007 by Diesel Loco Works at Varanasi, 201

Monkey Hill: Some were less impressed by the express, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: WAG-5 #23547 and #23490 banking, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)

Monkey Hill: WAG-5 #23490 at speed, 2012-02-15 (Roni Kappel)