Satpura Farewell

Moving on, The Passenger from Mandla fort makes an enlightened entry at Nainpur Jn as the light dips to really dark levels and the lens is lit up by the headlight of the NG locoo (Trayambak Ojha)

We move on to the stone arch viaduct towards Mandla Fort as the clouds turn darker and the Passenger was in a mood to make up its delay. (Trayambak Ojha)

Walking on the NG stone bridge over the Chakor Nala a couple of kilometres out of Nainpur Jn. on the Mandla Fort line. The under-construction concrete BG bridge can be seen on the right. (Vivek Manvi)

The afternoon service to Mandla Fort crosses a lovely stone viaduct outside Nainpur (Rajit Kumar)

The train towards Mandal slows down as it has just climbed a gradient thereby avoiding a nearby hill. (Trayambak Ojha)

Entering Mandla Fort and the backdrop suggests the world famous, Kanha National Park is not very faraway. (Trayambak Ojha)

Reversing at Mandla Fort while the dark clouds are hanging low to pour down. (Trayambak Ojha)

After all the checks done and a quick turn around the train towards Nainpur is ready to depart from Mandla Fort Station (Trayambak Ojha)

The isolated loco is dwarfed in front of the grand nature and the couds turn darker. (Trayambak Ojha)

The Roller Coaster Ride in a Toy train over a Green Carpet. Somewhere between Mandla & Nainpur (Trayambak Ojha)

The train negotiates a sharp curve while the cattle and the flying birds are unperturbed by the evening service. (Trayambak Ojha)

A small hillock and a hamlet is perfect as a backdrop for the NG train. (Trayambak Ojha)

The Khalasi at and unmanned level crossing has to work double hard and make sure the train passes holds a green flag. (Trayambak Ojha)

We headed further towards Mandla and this really pristine Halt at Simariya- Kajarwada seems to be built on a grass carpet. (Trayambak Ojha)

Next leg of our journey is in the relatively "luxurious" First Class coach of the legendary Satpura Express which runs between Balaghat Jn. & Jabalpur Jn. The longitudinal seating makes looking out of the windows painful! (Vivek Manvi)

Crossing at Shikara (Mohan Bhuyan)

In an era where King is so loosely thrown at every train, the Satpura Express is an uncontested King of NG, as it curves out entering Padriganj mainline and will skip it. (Trayambak Ojha)

The services are so hectic there are no shunting locos available, so the loco of any incoming train is utilised for shunting. (Trayambak Ojha)

An idle rake lying at the coaching shed is made ready for the next service (Trayambak Ojha)

58839 continues to Jabalpur as I get down at Kaladehi. (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)

3BJ. 58863 Overnight between Balaghat and Jabalpur approaches Kaladehi. (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)

4JB 58864 approaches Kaladehi. (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)

58865 with 184 meets the waiting 58864 with 228 (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)

Next stop , Ghunsore. The only station which had PRS between JBP and NIR (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)

NG Trolley at Ghunsore (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)

Layout of Ghunsore in Signal Cabin. (SRIRAM SRINIVASAN)