At long last we reached the waterfall at Patalpani and thankfully found a street vendor selling drinks and snacks of which we were in dire need. While recovering the signal dropped to clear and we heard the distant rumble of a YDM4....the Akola train alre

Finally at 0954 our long wait was over as 52975 slowly descended the ghats with dynamic brakes howling. Once again the damned 6576 was leading!

Easing across ravine viaduct number 2.

Ravine Viaduct #2 and the meter gauge train are dwarfed by the vast unspoiled Choral Valley.

The train exits the viaduct and eases towards the brake check halt.

52975 makes a quick brake test halt before proceeding into tunnel #3 and on south to Khandwa.

Though 52992 are scheduled to cross at Patalpani it is far likelier that 52992 will have racked up some delay on its trip from Mhow versus 52975 which is only a few miles out of the originating station. Such was the case today and 52992 is running an hour

Banker 6717 shoves hard on the rear of 52992 as it crosses Ravine Viaduct #2.

A closer view of the train crossing the immaculately painted 140 year old ravine viaduct #1

After walking down the hill to Choral Bridge #1 we arrived in time to get 6717 descending the hill to push the next train up the Ghats.

After photographing the banker I started climbing the hills near the bridge in search of a good vantage point. My climbing paid off and I photographed the over an hour late Akola-Mhow 52988 slowly crosses Choral Bridge #1 at 11:50

Wider view of 52988 crossing Choral Bridge #1

The familiar 6717 comes into view bringing up the end of the all maroon train. The bright red paint on most of these units has quickly weathered into a shade similar to the passenger coaches.

The train is visible through the trees behind the small village as the locos throttle up for the stiff 2.5 segment ahead.

From my high vantage point I could see and hear the train ascend the ghats before it disappeared out of view after crossing Ravine viaduct #1. The fertile farm fields below are a sharp contrast to the arid mountains above.