Ratlam Weekender - Vivek Manvi.
A collection of pictures from a weekend trip to Vadodara and Ratlam by Vivek Manvi & Sachin Balwatkar - Oct 2005
On board the 2009 Ahmedabad Shatabdi. The occupancy was nearly 80% as it was just before the start of the Diwali holidays.
Palindrome! A dual headed BCNA freight led by BL WAG-5H #24442 emerges out of a siding at Valsad as the 2009 ADI Shatabdi passes at 100kmph.
The Chennai bound Navajeevan Express led by ED WAP-4 #22390 crosses our Shatabdi just after Kim.
Ratlam WDM-2A #16820 in a striking new livery waits in a siding with a BCNA rake. Surat - Bharuch section
LDH WAG-7 #27656 hauls in a Conraj freight on its way to the JNPT port in Navi Mumbai. Vadodara Jn
A rickety WAG-5A #23092 brings in the BCT-NZM Holiday Special. This rake was really interesting with coaches from seven different railway zones! Vadodara Jn.
SRC WAP-4 #22537 brings in the Ahmedabad-Howrah Express. Vadodara Jn.
BRC WAP-4E #22345 awaits the signal to go back to its home shed. Note the modified roof-mounted DBRs on this loco, which are noticeably larger than normal. Vadodara Jn.
The Emperor: Modified TKD WAG-7 #27455 "Samrat" at the head of a Conraj freight bound for the Inland Container Depot - Tughlakabad. Note the myriad array of lights that this beast sports! Vadodara Jn.
WCAM-1 #21830 brings in the ADI-JAT Sarvodaya Express into Vadodara. The train reverses here on its way to Jammu Tawi. Its suprising to see a WCAM-1 doing duty on this 24-coach monster train in AC territory.
The Sarvodaya now gets a BRC WAP-4E #22344 for the next leg of its journey. Note the additional horn trumpets on the loco. The driver made good use of these during our journey to Ratlam.
Mangled coaches and twisted rails bear testimony to the gruesome Sabarmati Express accident - Samlaya Jn.
A young member of the Pantry Car staff smiles as he gets on with his daily routine of preparing evening snacks for the passengers of the Sarvodaya Express in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees! Note the menu which doesn't seem to have changed for the past
Raising a cloud of dust, the WAP-4 negotiates a sweeping right curve at top speed in the picturesque Godhra-Dahod section.
Surprise of the day! The Madgaon bound Goa Sampark Kranti Express crosses us; headed by WAP-5 #30006!! Bamnia - Bhairongarh
Its 19:36 according to the station clock and the station gets ready for a string of arrivals and departures. The portion on the right houses metre guage platforms whereas the on on the left houses broad guage platforms.
2952 Mumbai Rajdhani arrives at Vadodara - three hours late! You can see dawn breaking in the background. We were in coach #AS-1 and the loud roar of the Generator Car kept us constant company.
Gotcha! IRFCAn Bharath Moro appears to be a blur as the 2952 Mumbai Rajdhani blasts past Atul station at over 110kmph.
This was a quick snapshot taken from inside a WR EMU. This is a modified Cab CR EMU #76596. Both the cabs of this EMU sported large windscreens, marker lamps & twin beam headlamps.