One of the reasons for this trip was to travel the ghat section between Khamblighat
and Phulad, a less traveled line, but rather fascinating. We had tried to arrange for permission to footplate on
the 484 Passenger, but somehow, there was a lack of communication, and the permission did not really come through.
I was waiting for my phone to ring on the 25th evening, and that never happened. So the next morning, after a early
wake up, Mohan and I headed to Udaipur City station. We had scouted around the station the previous day to try
locate the person we were supposed to meet for the permission, only to find out that most of the railway offices
are at Ranapratapnagar, the erstwhile terminus.
It was still dark when we reached the station, and I stood in the queue to get the tickets. The clerk took his
own sweet time. The person ahead of me in the queue was getting a ticket issued against a military warrant, and
the one before him bought nine full and five half tickets. Anyway, soon, tickets in hand, we made our way to the
loco lobby, and told the person inside about our woes. He was sympathetic and agreed to talk to the drivers on
our behalf. So there were we talking to the drivers, who almost agreed to take us in, only stumbling block being
the fact that there was a minor derailment on the ghat section some days previously, which meant that inspectors
were often manning some of the stations. At that point the gentleman who was supposed to have contacted us appeared
out of nowhere. He said he had been making announcements on the station's PA system for us and we never did hear
it, as we were in the loco lobby. He did talk to the driver, but was not able to give official permission, as he
was not in a position to do so.
It was 6.10 am, and time for the train to leave. The train consisted of 10 coaches, eight SL/II and 2 SLRs. At
the head were two locos, with only the lead loco, a YDM 4 # 6629 of Phulera shed (yes the same loco that had hauled
in the Chetak the morning before) under power. The driver suggested we approach him later so we settled into the
first coach, which was quite empty. Strangely enough it was a sleeper class coach; we were expecting second-class
seating. We chugged along, enjoying the cool morning air. There was a crossing at a station along the way; a rather
long stop and we finally trundled into Mavli Jn, where the line towards Marwar branches off. This is where we got
surprise. The coach we were in was detached, along with the one behind. The lead loco (6629) took charge of these
coaches, which formed the Mavli Jn - Bari Sadri passenger. The rear loco stayed with the train and a new loco was
attached ahead of it, a blue liveried YDM4 #6338 homed at Sabarmati shed. While all this shunting was happening
we looked at the train in dismay. It had totally filled up, with almost as many people on the roof. We later learnt
that it was the last day of a mela (fair) and in spite of the fact that there were two extra trains that day and
4 coaches added to its normal formulation of 6 coaches, it was still way too crowded. We would have never managed
in that crowd, let alone do any rail-fanning. At that point the driver came to our rescue. He smiled and beckoned
for us to join him in the cab. We clambered aboard in relief. The train then took off on its journey. Luckily enough,
the loco was running short hood forward.
The entire route from Mavli to Marwar has steel ties, except for the ghat stretch, which has mostly wooden ones.
Speeds are quite low; with the section from Marwar to Khamblighat allowing 40 km/h. Its a gentle climb up all the
way, amid rolling landscape. We maintained time, watching the driver and the assistant go about their jobs. The
assistant's calls of the signals etc were very crisp and impressive.
A couple of times we even got to feel (and hear) the dynamic brakes in action when the train had to be hurriedly
slowed down. He was also from this area and waved out to almost everyone he came across by way of linesmen, gatekeepers
and station staff. Soon we were at Khamblighat, from where the steep descent begins. The line climbs down about
500 metres in a distance of about 22 kms, necessitating a speed limit of 19 km/h on this stretch. At this station
the loco behind us was powered on. It seems that was required because there was more than the normal complement
of coaches on that day. The usual train does not require any extra brake power on its descent, though banking is
always provided in the upward journey.
The caution orders issued included a couple of level crossings, which did not have gatemen. At these, the driver
was required to bring the train to a standstill, before blowing the horn and proceeding slowly over the crossing,
Also, along the way, there was an aqueduct that crossed the railway line which had a low clearance, and the driver
slowed down and checked back to ensure all the passengers on the roof were not in the way before proceeding very
cautiously beneath.
There were a few halt stations on the way, which did not have any train staff, and in these, it was the duty of
the train guard to sell tickets. Once he was done, he would inform the driver and we would proceed. At one instance,
he brought the walkie-talkie to good use by blowing the whistle into his radio, which the driver heard loud and
clear. Pretty ingenious indeed. The driver had informed us that on these lines, there are no ticketless passengers.
Even the poorest people are too proud ethical to travel without paying.
The scenery by now was decidedly alluring. Mountains all around, as we snaked our way through the gaps, the rails
squealing in protest as the loco used its brakes amid the curving lines. The driver maintained a peak of19 km/h,
totally concentrating on his job. We reached the midway station of Goramghat, which had the usual hill supplement
of monkeys!!! From then to the next station of Phulad, was a similar journey, but at one point we could look out
at the plains of Marwar down below. What a sight it was. One felt literally at the top of the world, even though
the line does not reach any great heights.
The ghat section has a couple of tunnels, neither very long. For reasons of safety, four catch sidings are provided.
We were intrigued at the way these were operated. Before departing from Khamblighat, the driver was handed a large
silver coloured key, which he would use on the catch siding locks. The turnouts are always set towards the catch
sidings. A few metres before each of these, there is a signal, which is always set at danger. The train has to
stop at that point, and the assistant detrains, uses the key provided at the interlock box. This in turn notifies
the signalman who is positioned at the catch siding turnout, who sets the track towards the main line, and sets
the signal to clear, giving the train authority to proceed, this ensures that if there is a runaway train, it would
always find its way up the catch siding.
Soon we reached Phulad, the ghat section having taken well over an hour. Here there was a longer stop. The second
loco was detached, and the main loco moved to the other end of the train as reversing is required. We got ourselves
some tea and pakoras, but unfortunately the pakoras were undercooked, probably because of the unusual rush in the
train. We were in the plains now, and it was decidedly warmer. We set out from Phulad, the loco now running long
hood forward. This meant the exhaust from the chimney often entered the cab, which is a great inconvenience. The
driver remarked that it was a cause of concern, and something needed to be done about that. The last stretch was
only about 16 kms, and the speed allowed was 50 km/h. We reached Marwar at about 3 pm, well over an hour late.
We thanked the drivers for the superb experience and made our way to the broad gauge platforms.
We found we had missed the Aravali Express to Ajmer, which we had planned to catch. The only option now was to
wait for the 9105 Ahmedabad-Delhi Mail, which was expected to come in at 1655 hours. We hung about in the dirty
station, which was fly infested. Not really venturing outside as the sun was glaring. The station announcement
reported our train was running 15 minutes late. We bade our time, chatting up a coolie who very helpfully offered
to secure seats for us. At about 1715, the train came in. It was double headed, at front a WDM2, followed by a
WDM3D, both of Abu Road shed. The second loco had an attractive livery, cobalt blue with thick white stripe, which
immediately grabbed my attention. The coolie very conveniently dumped us into the compartment, which was marked
'Disabled'. Only thing was there were no disabled people inside. It seems railway staff usurp this compartment
for themselves, and do not allow the general public access. Luckily, no one stopped us and we had a very comfortable
ride up to Ajmer.
There were a few employees of Abu Road diesel shed on board and from them I learnt that 10 WDM2s had been transferred
to their shed from Katni, as well as the new WDM3Ds that it had received.
The compartment was well spaced out, possibly to allow for wheelchairs. Even the bathroom was large and the door
was diagonal to the coach. It gave a very airy feeling and looked much larger than regular compartments.
The train ran very well, often crossing 105 km/h, and in spite a couple of stops for crossings, we made it to Ajmer
a few minutes before time. That wasn't really surprising, considering the WDM3D was alone enough juice for this
train. I was told that it was a 21-coach rake that day, but never got down to counting it. It was well past dusk
when we wearily trudged into our hotel room at Ajmer, after the customary round of bargaining with autorickshaw
drivers, and freshened up to treat ourselves to a beer and a tasty meal of chicken curry and chapatis. |
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Thats me hanging out of the YDM4
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The double headed 484 pass waiting at a crossing
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The driver notches up
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The crowds thronging to board the 484 pass at Mavli Jn.
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The Chittaurgarh - Ahmedabad Mewar Passenger crosses us on the way.
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The assistant driver keeps a vigil on the route ahead.
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View from the loco of a long bridge on the route.
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Looking out of the long hood window at the horn
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The Debari Gate, as our train approaches to pass beneath it.
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Our train emerges from a tunnel, the roof teeming with humanity.
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Looking back on the curved bridge.
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At Goramghat station, the middle of the ghat section.
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Phulad station... the end of the ghats.
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The disused steam loco shed at Khamblighat.
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One of the four catch sidings. Note the signal on the left that controls the point.
The line to the right inclines sharply upwards,
and the points are normally set for it to halt a runaway train.
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The Ahmedabad - Delhi Mail, double headed. The front loco is a WDM-2 and the rear
one is a WDM-3D, both homed at Abu Road shed.
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