Footloose at Daundaj

While our 1609A passenger left Pune on time, the first impediment is its smooth progress is met only a few kilometers from the home. Here a very late running 1018 Up Chalukya Express arrives behind the Guntakal WDM 2 # 17775 at Ghorpadi, delaying us for a

At Daundaj (DNJ), Ashish and I get off for some time in this paradise, while the younger IRFCA members continue towards Adarki. Our special guest of the day is Sandeep Sharma of the NDLS chapter, he is sitting inside the first coach. The other members of

The Pune WDG 3A # 13039 starts the 1609A passenger in style. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

Pulling the puny 10-coach rake is no challenge for the young, 3100 HP heart with high-adhesion feet (The loco is built in Aug 2003). Our IRFCA buddies continue to wave at us from the first coach – In the emergency window, next to Kharad is Subodh (who i

Having cleared the starter signal (on the left) the 13039 curves to meet the advanced starter (on the right). Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

We should have listened to our soul and never left the railway line, but the greed of ‘getting there faster’ possessed us. Hence we cross-countried through fields, over hills, through knee deep water streams and slithered on slippery dirt tracks, arri

The 17872 is a Jumbo ! Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

This loco probably has banked a freight train through the graded section from Ghorpadi to Wathar and is returning home for another spell of duty. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

Light locos have a red flag to mark the rear end. The outer home semaphore admits the Jumbo into the Daundaj limits. 2006-08-15.

Chastised by having almost missed seeing the earlier train, we hurry along the railway line. Almost near the end of the loop, from across the glistening plantations, we hear the familiar, friendly rumbling sounds of twin WDG 3A hauling a freighter. Daund

The best things in life are free – the round Pune-Daundaj-Pune trip cost Rs. 28 for the train fare… Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

In our excitement of having only just made it to the railway line, as a train arrived, we forgot to note the road number of the second Pune shed WDG 3A. The lead loco is # 14816. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

The locos are holding the moderate grade of the loop with dynamic brakes. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

The tail of the BCN is alive too ! Meet the Pune WDM 2 # 17966. Coincidentally, last year on this very day, this loco hauled our 1610 Up from Adarki to Pune - http://www.irfca.org/gallery/Trips/Adarki-Aug2005/PA17966_AKI_15aug2005.jpg Daundaj, 2006-08-15

Watching the 17966 at the rear of the BCN is not Clark Kent, but our local superman Ashish Kuvelkar. Pune gang owes many successes to his indefatigable energy and incessant, almost an obsessive drive to do “something railways”. In the background, the

We climb a small hill conveniently overlooking the DDJ loop and battle gusty winds with sheets of cold rain. Here permanent way workers haul away worn rails from the side of the tracks to a somewhat safer location next to a nearby level crossing. We spent

Disappointed by the lack of trains during this period, we descend on the road seen in the picture, only to scurry back on the double on hearing the throaty horn of an approaching train. This is the beginning of the sequence showing the dramatic DDJ loop i

The BCN is hauled by the WDG 4 # 12072. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

Ashish and I climb on different parts of the same hill and have slightly different perspectives to the same event. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

Using a photo-editing software, I have highlighted the Pune end yellow station board of the Daundaj station in this picture. The board can be seen as a lemon yellow dot vertically above the loco’s cab, at the base of the mountains in the background. Tha

More progress, more familiar sites – the weathered top of the flat hillock from the last Daundaj trip can be seen on the right. The whole loop can be spotted by following the white concrete sleeper that are lying by the side of the track. Daundaj, 2006-

Enjoy… Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

The loco opens up notches to pull the rake through the Daundaj loop. 2006-08-15.

Miracle of an ample monsoon. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

The capable loco visibly accelerating the long BCN rake out of the loop. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.

Daundaj beckons….2006-08-15.

Almost at the end of the loop – the train would still turn an additional 90 degrees to the left at this stage to enter the station yard area. Daundaj, 2006-08-15.