Flavours from the Narrow Gauge Rails

Experience of the Narrow Gauge on the Choranda - Miyagam Karjan - Dabhoi - Pratapnagar section between Surat and Vadodara in Gujarat.

A memorable trip by Tushar Dhake and Abhishek Bajpai from Mumbai...

Date: 2011-08-30
Owner: Gallery Administrator
Size: 45 items
IMG_5891

52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger at its 20 mins scheduled halt at Miyagam Karjan (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5895

View of Narrow Gauge 52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger at Miyagam Karjan from its Broad Gauge Platform... (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5899

52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger passing through the Desert type land surrounded with Greenery between Miyagam Karjan and Dabhoi (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5900

52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger passing through the Desert type land surrounded with Greenery between Miyagam Karjan and Dabhoi (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5901

52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger passing through the Desert type land surrounded with Greenery between Miyagam Karjan and Dabhoi (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5905

52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger passing through the Desert type land surrounded with Greenery between Miyagam Karjan and Dabhoi (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5916

The Crossing... Our Train 52027 Choranda-Dabhoi Passenger waiting at Parikha Outer as the 52024 Dabhoi-Malsar Passenger moves itself to the loop line at its scheduled halt at Parikha (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5918

Our train approaching Parikha as the 52024 Dabhoi-Malsar Passenger crosses from the loop on the opposite track. (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5923

Presenting the view of Dabhoi Junction... Dabhoi is not only the centre of the world's oldest narrow gauge railway system but had the greatest number of narrow gauge steam engines anywhere on our planet... (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5927

Unique ticket collection box at Dabhoi Junction is being used to collect the old used tickets. These are used in recycling and are reissued for next journey. (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5933

Note the loco's attached at both the ends of the rake. The front loco is the one which completed its journey from Dabhoi-Choranda-Dabhoi. The loco attached to the rear would take the evening train from Dabhoi to Miyagam Karjan... (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5937

Chances are that the ordinary rail traveller will never have heard of Dabhoi in Gujarat. The small town near Vadodara (nee Baroda) is distinguished by the tastefully ornate city gates of the Solanki Rajputs, erected in the thirteenth century. (Tushar Dhak

IMG_5938

Originally the tramway between Dabhoi and Miyagam was too light for locomotives and from 1863 to 1873 bullocks hauled the good trains at 3 miles an hour. The passenger trains went somewhat faster being hauled by "trotting bullocks". From the sho

IMG_5939

The water-tanks for the Steam Loco Shed says its History... The Dabhoi shed is characteristically the home of that classic narrow gauge engine 'ZB'. Handsome and un-fussy, this little 2-6-2 tucks the miles behind her with great eclat. (Tushar Dhake)

IMG_5946

The outer view of beautiful Dabhoi Junction station building... (Tushar Dhake)

Comments
(view all 9 comments)
Thank you all for your wonderful comments and support...!!!
Posted by Tushar Dhake on 2011 Sep 22 18:42:26 +0100
Nice album. A refreshing change from the BG generation. Felt odd to see the first pic of BG in the album, after being lost in a sea of NG. Good work!
Posted by Pawan Koppa on 2011 Sep 20 14:59:42 +0100
Excellent coverage - Tushar & Abhishek. Throughly enjoyed the album of otherwise, least explored line... Refreshing to see NG line, as though being a regular line.....
Posted by Vijay Aravamudhan on 2011 Sep 20 05:58:31 +0100