Just before Gauge Conversion closed services on the Satpura Narrow Gauge Railway, a diverse team of railfans travelled the length and breadth of the system to document it for posterity.
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)