MG Trips, summer of 1973
by Mani Vijay
2025-07-09
My romance with the metre gauge system in IR started in a rather unexpected fashion, way back in summer of 1973. It was on a passenger train that was a last-minute replacement. In order to attend my maternal uncle’s wedding in Madras, we had to be ferried on a through coach that would get attached to three different ‘carrier’ trains on its way from Varanasi to Madras Central.
The first of these was the Varanasi-Dadar Exp. As luck would have it, it was rescheduled to originate from Allahabad on our day of travel, due to some agitation. And so, we had to quickly resort to a plan to get from Varanasi to Allahabad in the wee hours of the morning. Our mode of transport turned to be the Samastipur passenger that chugged into a non-platform line at Varanasi. What I remember most about that trip was the track sounds playing to an entirely different rhythm than the broad gauge sounds I was so used to. Moreover, there was a more pronounced swaying of the coaches. And that is how I was introduced to the world of MG.
A week later, I was reunited with the metre gauge network, this time inside Tamilnadu. We had boarded an AC bus from Madras bound for Karaikkal. My grandfather revealed to me that this region boasted of the only electrified MG section in all of IR. I could hardly contain my excitement when I spotted the single electrified track at some distance. The masts and catenary looked very similar to what I had experienced in the Mughalsarai-Allahabad section. And, lo and behold, I saw a train hauled by a rather cute-looking locomotive. Its profile resembled that of the WAM2 but the pantograph was oriented inward and stretched a lot more. I was very elated about this discovery. Little did I know that I would be traveling on this very same section, a few weeks later.
After settling in my uncle’s place in Karaikkal, my father and I decided to explore the surroundings. We walked up to this level crossing right next to Karaikkovilpathu station with a lone platform (this was part of the now defunct Karaikkal-Peralam section). Within half an hour, a steam-hauled train emerged in the distance and crossed us to end up at the station. I was very intrigued by the look-and-feel of the locomotive as well as the three coaches that made up the train. I also noted that the coupling was very different from the BG coaches – instead of two buffers at end, there was just the one in the center.
We made a few trips to Thirunallaru, Peralam and Mayavaram Junction, which allowed me to enjoy the rather unhurried pace of train journeys on branch lines. One of these trips was on the Thiruthuraipoondi passenger. When the train came to a halt at Peralam, I was face-to-face with the real deal – an MG First Class coach!! Its contours (and windows) resembled that of the BG ICF coaches except for the flatter roof. A very sleek look, I must add. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling in it till Mayavaram; simply loved the interiors and the privacy it offered. My romance with SR MG had truly begun!!
Mayavaram used to be a mecca for MG railfanning, servicing a mixture of passenger and express trains. Not only was it a four-way junction but it also boasted of a vast yard. It happened to be the boarding point for some of our longer trips. I still remember the thrill of traveling in my first MG express train – the Rockfort Express to Tiruchi – where the speed was appreciably faster than my previous journeys. I can vividly recall the steam loco that pulled the glistening coaches of the train into Mayavaram. Its cowcatcher proudly displayed “Rockfort Express”. It was evident to me that this train was a source of pride for both the passengers and staff alike.
My first overnight MG trip was from Tiruchi to Palani on a through coach that switched trains at Dindigul. Both were passenger trains, hence, a few crossings were in the offing after we departed from Tiruchi. The first of these happened a few stations from Tiruchi where the other train simply thundered past us and left me in awe. A long layover in Dingidul meant that we departed towards Palani at dawn. By the time we reached Oddanchatram, it was daylight and I remember peeking out of the door to study the steam loco taking a breather. Soon, we were at Palani and my first and only journey on the Dindigul-Palani section was over, just like that.
Our final MG trip, that year, was from Mavayaram to Madras Egmore on the Rockfort Express. Unfortunately, I had contracted measles and was in no position to really enjoy the journey (a shame, considering that this was my first trip on the electrified Villupuram- Egmore section). I still managed to savor the rhythmic motion and track sounds with occasional peeks at the passing scenery outside. And I saw a few YAM-1s in action post Villupuram. The SR MG Gods were certainly kind to me because, a year later, I was back in Madras to enjoy some memorable trips.