Oh wow!! nice shot!

Posted by Adithya V on 2012 Feb 16 08:19:35 +0000

Could this be between Tilak Bridge and Pragati Maidan, looking north i.e.?

Posted by Bharat Vohra on 2012 Feb 16 18:01:26 +0000

Looks like Tilak Bridge side to me too. More importantly, Delhi had MACL signals back in '72?

Posted by Shashanka Nanda on 2012 Feb 17 03:06:20 +0000

Blast from the past...

Posted by Chitrarth Parghi on 2012 Feb 17 03:49:58 +0000

To me this looks like Delhi Safdarjung (then called Vinay Nagar) with the Chanakyapuri - Moti Bagh ROB in the background. The NRM is located just behind the ROB but I think that the NRM was established later in 1975 or 1977.

Posted by S. Srinivas on 2012 Feb 17 06:09:13 +0000

@Srini - Can't be Vinay Nagar / DSJ for the following reasons. There are no tracks in the DSJ yard that join so sharply from the left (if we're looking North as you suggest). Secondly, the tracks after crossing the Moti Bagh flyover go straight rather than turn right as you can see in the distance. This can also be the Lajpat Nagar triangle between Okhla and NZM.

Posted by Shashanka Nanda on 2012 Feb 17 06:50:43 +0000

The clue is in the background!
Also note that there is a perpective distortion and distances are compressed in the image as it is taken with a telephoto lens.

Posted by Harsh Vardhan on 2012 Feb 17 15:17:11 +0000

What are the places that are likely to have quadruple tracks way back in 72? Also, the photo itself seem to be taken from an overbridge. Also, note the faint building in the background towards right. Also there are no MG tracks. Does anybody know if Ashram bridge existed way back in 72? It has to be somewhere along NDLS - NZM - TKD line.

Posted by Aseem Johri on 2012 Feb 18 23:54:39 +0000

There you have it Aseem! It is the Agra mixed passenger hauled by an Agra Cantt. WG 8838 arriving at Okhla station. The faint building you see in the background is Oberoi New Delhi Hotel which was built in 1965.
The picture itself is taken from Okhla North Cabin which does not exist anymore.

Posted by Harsh Vardhan on 2012 Feb 19 04:07:05 +0000

@ Aseem, as far as I know, Ashram bridge was not there in 1972. I doubt if even Indrapastha (ITO) bridge was there in 1972. In May 1978, people were still talking about ITO bridge as being something new, and there was not much from ITO upto Dabur factory, then Mohan-nagar, on way to Hindon/Ghaziabad.

Posted by Shirish Paranjape on 2012 Feb 21 07:17:54 +0000

@Shirish.. if Ashram bridge was not there in 1972, then which bridge is this? Could this be the one between NZM and Ashram intersection? Also, if ITO bridge was not there at that time, then how did people cross Yamuna? Was the Old Yamuna Bridge the only option then? I can clearly recollect ITO bridge at least as far back as 1978/9.

Posted by Aseem Johri on 2012 Feb 21 21:46:59 +0000

Here is a link to the picture around inauguration of Tilak Bridge on 1975.04.14. New Yamuna railway bridge was built at the same time and line from Sahibabad to New Delhi was electrified on 1977.01.07. In the picture the bridge in the background is on the Ring Road between Srinivas Puri and Ashram Chowk. Both this and Mathura Road bridge on the triangular trackage in the area existed in 1970 (as did the Sarai Rohilla bridge) as seen on a map with me.

Before New Yamuna railway bridge near ITO was constructed, all eastbound trains including those that originated from New Delhi used to go through Delhi Jn.

Posted by Harsh Vardhan on 2012 Mar 02 04:54:29 +0000