Khandala Tunnel Tops – Revisited!

We climb to the top of the Khandala plateau – this time using the relatively more verdant catch siding on the left of the Up track (on the left while going towards Mumbai). The track is unique from the other two in having small culverts for the monsoon

This catch siding is in a better condition than the other two – the track is shorter but steeper than the other two catch sidings. This siding has a clearly visible end – unlike the other two, which just disappear into the ground.

Khandala Tunnel Tops ! To start the auspicious day’s railfanning, we spot the 2124 Up Deccan Queen as it descends the Bhore ghats out of tunnel 25 on the mid line.

A look at the WCAM 3# 21948 heading the 2124 Up Deccan Queen as it head to cross the Tata bridge.

The Deccan Queen rake makes an interesting shape.

A view of the area from 2007. Visible are the double lined tunnel 24 and the single line 24C. The 24C was built only during the 1980s, thus only the Tunnel 24 is visible in the map from 1929 –...

The view of catch siding from 2007. This is visible in the map from 1929 as the track running over the tunnels 24 and 3 to be parallel to the reversing station. The end of the line can be seen near...

A detailed view of the catch siding reveals the stone embankment on the top needed to maintain the desired slope on the hill. The white dots are the anchors for the recently laid rock net to prevent landslides. One can also see the net on close observati

A view further away looks at the are seen in this pictureas the yard beyond the catch siding ending in the water tank in the distance. The hill has been drastically cut to make way for the roads.

Downhill bound, triple WCG 2 hauled freighter carrying steel coils arrives at the scene.

The steel coil train is crawling due to the gradient and also to stay under the speed limit that allows a train to pass without stopping at Monkey Hill, which is around 2 kms ahead.

The 2127 down does not stay in open air for very long. The entry to the Tunnel 25C is right below where we stand. The tunnel ends only in the Khandala yard, over 2 Kms away.

While the 2127 down disappears into the dark depths of the Tunnel 25C, the last of the steel coil train is passing us now – there is no brake van ! The last flat wagon carries the LV mark on it.

We move to the next trip objective – finding the perennial waterfall ! As we pause for a breather, the 1024 Up Sahyadri Express peeks from the portals of the Tunnel 25.

More 1024 Up pics.

The short, hardy shrubs on the edge of the mountain obstruct the vision of the track very effectively – so we have to find vantage points free from the vegetation for taking pictures.

Yet more 1024 Up pics.

The water from the Walvan dam is led from Lonavala to Khandala in an open canal. The canal terminates in a “Forebay” facility near the top of the catch sidings. From this point, three huge pipes carry the water down the slope to the powerhouse in Khop

Getting rid of this water is a safe way, has practical difficulties to overcome – the edge of the mountain, over which the water is supposed to flow, has a rising gradient. Thus the water stream is channeled through a tunnel cut through solid rock to ma

Finally the stream emerges in a perennial waterfall, running even in the hottest summer season. This water serves the villages in the valley. As mentioned earlier, the edge of the mountain has a rising gradient; hence the mouth of the waterfall is some di

A general view of the area shot from the top of the portal of the Tunnel 25 – looking towards Khandala. The well heeled have fabulous houses in this area – the one in the picture is built right on top of Tunnel 25C ! One can see the well protecting th

Triple WCG 2 bankers exit the 900 meter long Tunnel 26.

Apart from the fun we had in slip sliding down the mountain slope, we would also have to find a way to cross these newly laid retaining walls – there is none ! The lofty walls are too tall to jump from – we walked gingerly on the vertigo inducing top

More bankers descending the ghat – as seen from the portal of the Tunnel 25.

One more view of the area as we crawl down the slope – the pipe line in the picture also carries the water from the water stream mentioned earlier to a far away place like Karjat for drinking.

Why did we want to come down to the railway line ? To do the Tunnel 25C of course. We used the service tunnel which is located near the entrance of Tunnel 25 visible in the earlier picture to enter the 25C. The service tunnel now has a concrete floor and

Just past the junction of the service tunnel and the railway line is the enigmatic ventilation shaft. The harsh effect of the flash has killed the beauty of the moment – at this instant Ashish stands bathed in a pillar of ethereal blue light being led f