tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12469152189635430172024-03-14T00:51:37.477+05:30Bombay Railway & History GroupA feast of old findings and artefacts for global railway heritage buffs of railway archaeology in Bombay - Mumbai India.
Rajendra B. Aklekar, Mumbai (rajendraa (@) gmail.com)Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-64577722708497145992022-05-17T13:40:00.001+05:302022-05-18T10:45:13.914+05:30Tape recorded music, phone booths onboard train-- Rajdhani Golden Jubilee evokes nostalgia<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
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</i></div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><i style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; white-space: normal;">• Arrangements for playing tape recorded music through the public address system.</i><i style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: normal; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 18.4px; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">• News in Hindi and English from All India Radio, free
newspapers to every passenger free of cost.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Comfort and luxury of passengers looked after by the train
superintendent assisted by a steward.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">• In a first there was even a STD PCO in the pantry car in
the train in 1990s after a tie-up with VSNL</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" /></span></span></i><br /></span></span><div><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">This is what the article in the brochure of the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express read in the 1970s after it was introduced. In what has been an epitome of comfort, speed and high-class travel, the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express that completes half a century on Tuesday and will run amid fanfare
celebrations with a special postal cover and a VIP album being released on the occasion.</span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The second among the 25th Rajdhani Express trains that ply today, the Mumbai Central-New Delhi Rajdhani Express—India’s premier passenger train—will flagged off on May 17, 1972. “The service started just three years after the first Rajdhani—India’s first fully air-conditioned train—began
between New Delhi and Howrah (Kolkata). The train has constantly been upgraded over the last 50 years to maintain its premier position.</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3kjm1Lv_-wo/YoNX85X-lMI/AAAAAAAA9H0/0mOQGx1ZB3MZXzQlRNJJ9LwNKbquKv9yQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1652774886966701-2.png" width="400" />
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">When the train started, it used to take 19 hours and 5 minutes and the journey has now been shortened to 15 hours and 50 minutes between Mumbai and Delhi. Till 1988, Rajdhani, with a maximum speed of 120 kmph, was the fastest in Indian Railways.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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</div>On introduction, the Bombay Delhi train ran with a single diesel locomotive of WDM–2 class, later by 1993 on electrification in phases a dual current electric locomotive was used as Mumbai was still under the old direct current traction. Now, with seamless AC traction, a hi-speed WAP class
loco is used. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
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<img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zPCUfQnu-Es/YoNX3goi7TI/AAAAAAAA9Hs/GHzkxXQDj-cKOs3PrvuELqFLH3mYCUB8gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1652774867791195-4.png" width="400" />
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The original train was diesel hauled and after electrification in the early 1990s, the train was hauled by electric locomotives. In 2003, the train was upgraded with new Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB)
class coaches designed for a higher speed and improved safety. Now, the train
runs with smart Tejas class coaches with automatic door closing facility.</span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
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</div>The train’s length increased to 18
coaches from October 02, 1981. The very next year, 1982, saw Mumbai Rajdhani
operating four days a week based on the continuously increasing demand. There
was no stopping the Rajdhani as the four-days-aweek affair became six days in
1989. The train was also renumbered from 151Dn/152Up to 2951 Up/2952 Dn.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">To cater to the increasing demand of
passengers along the route, the presentday 12953/12954 August Kranti Rajdhani
was introduced on July 01, 1991. It came as an excellent alternative for
passengers between the two cities who were finding it tough to get
accommodation in the Mumbai Rajdhani. It was in May 15, 1992, when the Rajdhani
first began operating with Three-tier AC coaches. And it took just around eight
more years for the train to begin running daily from October 02, 2000. On July
19, 2021, Indian Railways inducted the Tejas rake, which has smart coaches with
ultra- modern features. Those amenities make the journey all the more comfortable
for passengers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ruEGKtTYoYI/YoNXyJOrO9I/AAAAAAAA9Hk/h8qH_SX1Mu8MxtsJVgmbPrrHz9lFh7QQQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1652774842254774-6.png" width="400" />
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b>Red & White Train</b></span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;"><b><br /></b><i>
Superintendent recalls memories</i></span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">NK Chawla was the train superintendent of the prestigious Mumbai Delhi Rajdhani Express for over 12 years and now retired calls his memories from the iconic train as Red and White, matching the train’s
traditional colour shade.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-goVfo60AK0M/YoNXugJScAI/AAAAAAAA9Hg/H4Q3jyZFh4MTxG3A-JHkJ8ap0bR4O69JQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1652774835898475-7.png" width="400" />
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</div><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">“I joined the Indian railways in 1980 and retired in 2015. I was posted on the Rajdhani Express between 1998 and 2010. I call it the Red and White train. If I think 35 years backwards, I can still see and feel freshly in my memory, the red and white world of Indian Railways,” Chawla, who always used
to greet passengers with Jai Mata Di onboard recalls.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Known for his unique dressing style with a spotless white uniform, Chawla said, “As a sign of purity and innocence, I was known for my unique dressing style, as I would embellish myself with white attire and shoes and graciously greet people “Jai Mata Di”. </span></span><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">“As most of you already know, Rajdhani Express was and is exotic, elite and special passenger train that connected the financial capital with the country’s capital and travelled the best in it. I recall it has a STD PCO booth in the pantry car,” he said. Chawla remembers accompanying the country’s most important celebrities onboard the iconic train including Dream Girl Hema Malini, Ajitabh Bachchan, Vijayendra Ghatge etc. It was also a
privilege to escort India’s deputy prime minister Dr Lal Krishna Advani onboard the train. </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">“My job profile was to inspect the train before each trip, assisting passengers with directions, luggage, enforcing rules, doing ticket accounting, studying train orders and physical characteristics of the railroad, ready for emergencies or flag exchanges keeping track of work hours,” he added.
</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><b>Key dates:|<br /></b><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">17/5/72 : 151Dn/152Up Rajdhani exp introduced on Mumbai-Delhi
Route</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">2/10/81 : Number of coaches increased to 18, hauled by two\ engines called as Double headed Rajdhani</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">19/11/82 : Rajdhani exp started running four days a week</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1/11/89 : Made six days a week and renumbered as 2951/2952</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1/07/91 : August Kranti Rajdhani exp introduced between Mumbai and Delhi*</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">15/05/92 : 3AC coaches introduced in Rajdhani</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">2/10/2000 : Rajdhani started running as daily train</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">15/12/2003 : LHB coaches introduced in Rajdhani Exp</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">19/07/2021 : Tejas Type Sleeper coaches(First on Indian Railways) introduced in 12951/52 Mumbai - New Delhi Rajdhani Exp</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: none; mso-special-character: line-break; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-15984445632163405572019-11-19T23:16:00.001+05:302019-11-19T23:19:04.305+05:30Found & Lost-- Old bridge relics at Khar Road station<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In 2019, on the birthday of Indian Railways that is April 16, while some heritage hunting at Khar Road station on Mumbai division of Western Railway, I had found these relics of the old Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI Railway)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ8NJ9lbBo4/XdQlVYUeUBI/AAAAAAAAhjE/rRPh_z-8pk4ulP1yEnTe7yvMqG0WizLTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/D4RWVdiWAAAY63x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ8NJ9lbBo4/XdQlVYUeUBI/AAAAAAAAhjE/rRPh_z-8pk4ulP1yEnTe7yvMqG0WizLTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/D4RWVdiWAAAY63x.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
As per records available, Khar station was set up around July 1924 when the Bombay Development Directorate was promoting suburbs in a big way to decongest the island city. The Khar scheme was to be sold to potential buyers and a railway station was a great selling point. After a delay of about a year, the station opened in the monsoon of 1924.<br />
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The finding that one sees in the adjacent photograph is that of a few remains of the old iron bridge that was originally in place. This platform is today used by harbour line trains. The bridge had to go as the station expanded to more platforms and the layout of the station changed. (<a href="https://twitter.com/rajtoday/status/1118113564085104640" target="_blank">Original Tweet</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RdXGTPkbl3c/XdQo3r4QylI/AAAAAAAAhjQ/9_CXq6vzUOYWpZh_S-xQH4edTENBeeGhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_20191114_170306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RdXGTPkbl3c/XdQo3r4QylI/AAAAAAAAhjQ/9_CXq6vzUOYWpZh_S-xQH4edTENBeeGhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_20191114_170306.jpg" width="400" /></a>On November 14, 2019, I found these relics gone for ever as they had made way for a new staircase. The adjacent photographs are of the same site.<br />
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Practically, it was not possible to save them in situ given the crowd at the station and the pressure to build new bridges to offer easy connectivity. The best thing was to document them going and so here are their final pictures.<br />
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The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI) was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing a railway line between Bombay and Vadodara in India. BB&CI completed the work in 1864. -- (Pics & text Rajendra B. Aklekar, Mumbai.)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAA-980KsfQ/XdQqLcFTseI/AAAAAAAAhjc/z-ldOyTRBXEzw3mZL5rRYYbQR_Du_FjVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_20191114_165857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAA-980KsfQ/XdQqLcFTseI/AAAAAAAAhjc/z-ldOyTRBXEzw3mZL5rRYYbQR_Du_FjVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_20191114_165857.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-23904392592681103852019-11-09T20:17:00.004+05:302019-11-09T20:17:52.537+05:30Striking similarities! AH Wheeler stall - Howrah & Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 23px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Striking similarities! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 23px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 23px; white-space: pre-wrap;">East and West India. The AH Wheeler's railway book stall at Howrah (above) and Mumbai Central (below).</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI77e30wEMk/XcbRdAUaJfI/AAAAAAAAhPM/AX-8F_d-tO40QYPelSaEtwFW3r33UhEDACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/EHuEXEMXUAAZTfJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="636" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI77e30wEMk/XcbRdAUaJfI/AAAAAAAAhPM/AX-8F_d-tO40QYPelSaEtwFW3r33UhEDACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/EHuEXEMXUAAZTfJ.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-44518318544329154222019-07-18T20:17:00.002+05:302019-07-18T20:17:19.797+05:30A common connect, historically<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqJsKq3k8rE/XTCGWBlDd7I/AAAAAAAAd-Q/45C6EWNyDe05X8iMGteqRLauCE74S45HgCLcBGAs/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="1160" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqJsKq3k8rE/XTCGWBlDd7I/AAAAAAAAd-Q/45C6EWNyDe05X8iMGteqRLauCE74S45HgCLcBGAs/s640/download.jpg" width="481" /></a></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-65844414194240444282019-06-01T21:40:00.003+05:302019-06-01T21:40:54.267+05:30New book!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span data-offset-key="4m6mv-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">FIRST LOOK! Announcing my third book with </span></span><span blockkey="4m6mv" class="_247o" contentstate="c { "entityMap": [object Object], "blockMap": OrderedMap { "4m6mv": c { "key": "4m6mv", "type": "unstyled", "text": "FIRST LOOK! Announcing my third book with Rupa Publications The book weaves together anecdotes from 1830s to 2019, taking the reader on a thrilling ride of over two centuries on an 'express' time machine. Enjoy!!! 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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-35434812614461440662019-04-26T11:06:00.002+05:302019-04-26T11:06:56.294+05:30Slow death of original British design at rail stations on first line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The slow death of all the exquisite features of the original British design on India's first railway line. The new standard roof design does not have such finesse.</span><br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-51364823051097052882019-04-26T11:04:00.002+05:302019-04-26T11:04:58.240+05:30Wildlife sanctuary at World Heritage Site Railway station<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Capturing the wildlife sanctuary in stone on the World Heritage site of Mumbai CSMT, formerly Bombay Victoria Terminus, India.</span><br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-43490241476268439382019-04-17T00:43:00.002+05:302019-04-17T00:43:25.058+05:30Discoveries on Indian Railways' birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">On the birthday of Indian Railways, some heritage hunting at the Khar railway station today led to stunning discoveries. Formerly Bombay, Baroda & Central India, now Western Railway.</span><br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-68503435180079976702019-01-31T15:36:00.000+05:302019-01-31T20:27:02.305+05:30Restoration of India's WCG2 class Direct Current Locomotive at heritage gallery in Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FINALLY!!! One of India's last Direct Current locomotives -the WCG2 class - has now been saved at the heritage gallery at Mumbai CSMT by </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Central Railway<span style="background: white;"> Had been personally trying for this for quite some time time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: white;">My report in </span>MiD DAY<span style="background: white;"> today. Click <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/articles/last-howler-loco-goes-quiet-at-central-railway-museum/406504" target="_blank">HERE</a> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqFcDrWE4tk/XFLHERrOE0I/AAAAAAAAcpI/Xk4x2t5d8KwvN6XQCtuKJCq6lcf6n6UzQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20190130_185707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqFcDrWE4tk/XFLHERrOE0I/AAAAAAAAcpI/Xk4x2t5d8KwvN6XQCtuKJCq6lcf6n6UzQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20190130_185707.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">--<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Rajendra B. Aklekar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ6j2oCBFNA/XFLHEPNKJHI/AAAAAAAAcpE/0CmfSHxi6Ms3esI-Jq-AiXS0jxTFS9cfwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20190130_185837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ6j2oCBFNA/XFLHEPNKJHI/AAAAAAAAcpE/0CmfSHxi6Ms3esI-Jq-AiXS0jxTFS9cfwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20190130_185837.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">One of the most versatile and common locomotives on the Ghat mountain ranges of Mumbai-Pune and Igatpuri inclines, one of the last of the Direct Current (DC) powered electric engines from the WCG-2 class, fondly called as Howlers for the noise they made, is back at Mumbai CSMT, this time as an exhibit on permanent display to the place where it started all. The other mixed class WCM-1 served till the end of the DC era.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The engine, formally withdrawn from service on 2010, arrived on a trailer truck by road all the way from Kalyan Electric Loco Shed on Wednesday. In its last days, it also hauled a few local trains in Mumbai during the motormen's strike<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilVaS7teswI/XFLHEKbH_lI/AAAAAAAAcpA/N8hKkIOvj9kfSb2YCZ3JWgUCKx8OLqF6QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20190130_185930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilVaS7teswI/XFLHEKbH_lI/AAAAAAAAcpA/N8hKkIOvj9kfSb2YCZ3JWgUCKx8OLqF6QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20190130_185930.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Used mostly to haul freights, do banking duties on the Bhor and Tull ghats (push climbing trains from behind) and </span>rarely<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> haul express trains, the once-common loco with its blue and cream livery with little red stripes was first manufactured in the 1970s," a Mumbai division official said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Officials</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> said they were the heaviest engines (132 tonne), and powerful ones when launched. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They were </span>manufactured<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) and all the 57 that were built were assigned to Kalyan shed of Mumbai division of Central Railway.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"As of today all these Howler locomotives have been scrapped except one (20158) which had been originally earmarked for preservation at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But since Central Railway Mumbai now has its own gallery, the loco has been brought here in the heritage gallery," Central Railway chief public relations officer Sunil Udasi said</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h4Q6RpNooQE/XFLHFOmYjZI/AAAAAAAAcpQ/tDOAc7M6j7AcvZkzJkgdLJOThjp4F7UPACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20190130_190043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h4Q6RpNooQE/XFLHFOmYjZI/AAAAAAAAcpQ/tDOAc7M6j7AcvZkzJkgdLJOThjp4F7UPACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20190130_190043.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is the second electric loco to arrive at the CSMT heritage gallery after India's first electric locomotive </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sir Leslie Wilson was brought here, besides other steam engine from Barsi Light Railway and a few old wagons.</span></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-21088587069382410592018-11-28T14:34:00.001+05:302018-11-28T14:35:10.740+05:30Narrow Gauge Barsi Light Railway loco in Mumbai<p dir="ltr">A 1928 vintage Narrow Gauge steam locomotive that once used to run on the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Barsi Light Railway (Miraj-Latur) arrived at Mumbai CSMT heritage gully near platform 18 on Tuesday. It has been manufactured by Nasmyth Wilson & Co, Patricroft, Manchester, UK. This is the second engine to arrive at the site, the first one being the first series of electric engine Sir Leslie Wilson that was brought from Kalyan here, besides other artefacts.</p>
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It was an honour and privilege to accompany Richard Campbell Jackson around the Churchgate heritage gallery and the WR GM bungalow 'Bombarci' as he was nostalgic about his birth city. </div>
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Richard is the grandson of Sir Ernest Jackson, the Agent or the General Manager of Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway, now Western Railway, back in 1925-1932 and founder of the Jackson Co-op Bank used by railwaymen today. </div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w4dkV9kfxac/W_BUsNGMeHI/AAAAAAAAcUs/J2srK8I3cNEibaZ9Af_oV8H3DY-7Rpi9wCHMYCw/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w4dkV9kfxac/W_BUsNGMeHI/AAAAAAAAcUs/J2srK8I3cNEibaZ9Af_oV8H3DY-7Rpi9wCHMYCw/s400/IMG_0080.JPG" width="400" /></a>Sir Ernest was the one who started the Frontier Mail train to give tough competition to the GIP Railway's Punjab Limited. It was during Sir Jackson's time that the Colaba station was shut and Mumbai Central station was built as it stands today. Also the time when the railway was first electrified.</div>
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His grandson Richard, born in the city is today 81, was about 9 years' old when he left Mumbai in 1947. My article on him and some pics.<br />
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Click <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/articles/grandson-of-the-man-behind-mumbai-central-station-visits-city/19978186" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read complete text of his visit.<br />
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CAN I see the garden in the backyard? I know there is one," smiled a nostalgic Englishman visiting the spacious bungalow of Mumbai's Western Railway General Manager.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ngqLbqqHHL8/W_Q4PAX_ChI/AAAAAAAAcWA/Su3WcBb1UpIc0jtFCK4yiFLrs1TwOFfNwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20181115_194345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1210" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ngqLbqqHHL8/W_Q4PAX_ChI/AAAAAAAAcWA/Su3WcBb1UpIc0jtFCK4yiFLrs1TwOFfNwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20181115_194345.jpg" width="241" /></a>Richard Campbell-Jackson, grandson of Sir Ernest Jackson, who built the then Bombay Central station as the General Manager of the Western Railway, was visiting the city with his wife. "The road in the front was much farther then," the 81-year-old (born in 1937), exclaimed as he took an emotional tour of the bungalow that he lived in decades ago. Named Bombarci, after the old name of Western Railway - Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI) - the spacious bungalow located on Altamount Road, was built in 1925. Sir Ernest Jackson was the General Manager for Western Railway between 1925 and 1932, when he got the (now) Mumbai Central station built along with starting the iconic Frontier Mail train, playing a crucial role in electrification of railways and founding the railway co-operative credit society.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJFkL-ITcyk/W_Q4PJxOEII/AAAAAAAAcV8/UX-ajj2ssoUfGtjEoFvqoodUNclh1ls0gCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20181115_194406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1122" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJFkL-ITcyk/W_Q4PJxOEII/AAAAAAAAcV8/UX-ajj2ssoUfGtjEoFvqoodUNclh1ls0gCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20181115_194406.jpg" width="224" /></a>Calling himself a Bombay boy, Richard Jackson, in his first visit to the city since he left it at the age of nine, said that he has vivid memories of the place. "I was born at Malabar Hill and have pleasant memories of the city. I remember the road in front of the bungalow was much farther ahead. It looks so closer now. I also remember the sprawling backyard garden. This has been such a vibrant city and I see that it still remains so," he said. His wife Alison was equally excited. "It's so magical to come here. Richard always wanted to be back in the city he was born in," she told mid-day. Earlier in the day, the two also visited Churchgate and met General Manager Western Railway A K Gupta who showed him old photographs of his grandfather in the railway journals. After looking at the steam engine exhibit in the heritage gallery, Jackson expressed delight. "It is good to know that India is reviving steam engines. It is a very strong movement in England," he said.</div>
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"It is a huge honour for me to revisit [the place] where my grandfather was building the BBCI [now Mumbai Central] and to meet Mr Gupta and his staff. A truly outstanding visit and a unique experience," Jackson wrote in the visitor's book.</div>
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Sir Ernest Jackson (also known as Edward) was born in 1876 and arrived in India in 1900 with a posting on the East India Railway and later the Calcutta Port Trust. In 1911, he took the post of Chief Auditor on the Bombay, Baroda and Central India (BB&CI) Railway that is today's Western Railway and later went on a tour of America and Canada as member of Railway Accounts Commission until 1925 when he was appointed as the Agent (now called General Manager) of the Western Railway.</div>
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That was a crucial time when the railway was seeing radical changes like getting electrified and quadrupled. The line was cut down from Colaba to Churchgate and a new station building was built at Mumbai Central. Sir Ernest Jackson oversaw all this, but he is more famously known for a bank in his name, the Jackson Co-op Bank at Grant Road that is popular among the railway employees.</div>
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He was also instrumental in the rebuilding of the Vasai creek bridge and the iconic Frontier Mail train in 1928. It was started to give a healthy competition to the Punjab Limited run by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (now CR) playing between then Bombay Victoria Terminus and Peshawar. The Frontier Mail was faster at 72 hours and on its return to Churchgate, the station building was lit to welcome it, again an idea of Jackson.</div>
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Jackson’s great granddaughter, Polyandra Stokoe and Richard's second cousin, had visited Churchgate in January 2018. "We were happy to welcome the descendents of Sir Jackson, which evoked much nostalgia. We took them around the heritage gallery and the general manager's bungalow and they were overawed by the legacy," Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar said.</div>
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rajendraa (@) gmail.com</div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-33637417802175649852018-06-28T06:56:00.001+05:302018-06-28T06:57:25.676+05:30Old British design at Mumbai railway stations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 27px; letter-spacing: 0.27px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Design features of old British railway stations can still be found at a number of Mumbai stations. </span><br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-35736260986674554352018-04-20T01:49:00.003+05:302018-04-20T02:09:04.738+05:30Sir Leslie Wilson arrives at Mumbai CSMT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What a day
today! They say life comes a full circle and was a witness to the momentous
event today when the Sir Leslie Wilson or EF/1, India’s first electric freight locomotive
class that was introduced in 1928 returned home at Mumbai CSMT or formerly
Bombay Victoria Terminus station.</span></div>
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I say home because the engine was in active service till 1992 and had spent its
lifetime here and after retirement shifted to Kalyan electric loco shed. The
engine has now been brought here to be a part of the ‘Heritage Alley’ on World
Heritage Day 2018 and will be on permanent display. Sir Leslie Orme Wilson was
the Governor of Bombay in 1928 who inaugurated the loco and hence named after
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It was transported by road, splitting it into three parts that were later assembled
here. It features the original livery of India’s first railway company, the
Great Indian Peninsula Railway, now Central Railway. EF/1 20067 is one of the
two remaining of the class, the other one being at National Rail Museum in New
Delhi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-72857664298638495292018-04-18T00:59:00.000+05:302018-04-18T01:01:10.172+05:30Run-up to World Heritage Day 2018 at Mumbai CSMT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Preparations of #worldheritageday at Mumbai CSMT on @Central_Railway A steam crane, a stone crusher, an antique printing machine and the country's first electric loco. The heritage alley will be open for permanent display from the evening of April 18, 2018.<br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-85350324478044074822018-04-16T00:11:00.000+05:302018-04-16T00:12:08.757+05:30Happy Birthday, Indian Railways. 165 years of glorious service from 1853-2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-56471778735921403592018-04-12T13:17:00.001+05:302018-04-12T13:23:10.935+05:30Oldest rail platforms at Mumbai CSMT demolished<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rajendra B. Aklekar</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-baDTAmqPFdM/Ws8OEpDQMKI/AAAAAAAAa54/1bf5lXaOwPQlZisLfgBq_DfPMI5z_4Z8QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180409_175141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-baDTAmqPFdM/Ws8OEpDQMKI/AAAAAAAAa54/1bf5lXaOwPQlZisLfgBq_DfPMI5z_4Z8QCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_20180409_175141.jpg" width="400" /></a>It has been an end of an era. One of the oldest existing station platforms in the Mumbai CSMT station, formerly Bombay Victoria Terminus, precincts -all with cobblestone flooring, cast iron pillars, teak wood doors and interiors, belonging to the time of India’s first railway company -- the Great Indian Peninsula Railway—was finally in the process of being brought down for newer railway projects.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Railway authorities promised to shelve whatever they could from this old station and make it a part of the heritage gallery and proposed alley.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jWBD5anVWjQ/Ws8OP3U2VzI/AAAAAAAAa6E/Mt-8TFeUaksUNOoZntHhI1qyRZHDYxjxACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180409_175211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jWBD5anVWjQ/Ws8OP3U2VzI/AAAAAAAAa6E/Mt-8TFeUaksUNOoZntHhI1qyRZHDYxjxACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_20180409_175211.jpg" width="400" /></a>Known as Carnac Bunder siding, the station had been virtually untouched by railway authorities for decades but still standing sturdy.<br />
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The entire station platform building with a steam crane at one end had been almost stuck in a time warp.<br />
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The railways have now repainted and reviving the steam crane to be a part of a heritage museum, but the old station is being lost. Sources said it was all in active use till the 1950s.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-uMeU4pfxs/Ws8OSFM7bUI/AAAAAAAAa6Q/67R8kssm21cxJi60UdiNRU_NZTf4zorZgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180409_175652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-uMeU4pfxs/Ws8OSFM7bUI/AAAAAAAAa6Q/67R8kssm21cxJi60UdiNRU_NZTf4zorZgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_20180409_175652.jpg" width="400" /></a>If old and new maps of the area are juxtaposed, these sheds are roughly located on the same site where the goods sheds of the old original Bori Bunder station had been built, before the majestic world heritage Mumbai CSMT building came up.<br />
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The site of the goods sheds has remained the same though bigger sheds and platforms were built in the 1890s after the construction of the Victoria Terminus. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_d7uEJzF-B0/Ws8OPjx9KoI/AAAAAAAAa58/6PiyACJD3442KnW6nBmzXq-MRmM_-kpYACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20180409_175527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_d7uEJzF-B0/Ws8OPjx9KoI/AAAAAAAAa58/6PiyACJD3442KnW6nBmzXq-MRmM_-kpYACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20180409_175527.jpg" width="400" /></a>The sheds that one finds today too are old and built in stone, high-pitched roof with antique fittings built with construction techniques commonly used during the later part of the 19th century, including teakwood furnishings, large metal straps used to bind the six-framed huge doors, windows and vents, old tracks with cast iron sleepers.<br />
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It has two platforms, now completely abandoned.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-js28BmIbphg/Ws8ORo5QPUI/AAAAAAAAa6I/xdIIa9bcUnw22t_CctS9UrLtfbhkFHEvACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20180409_175601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-js28BmIbphg/Ws8ORo5QPUI/AAAAAAAAa6I/xdIIa9bcUnw22t_CctS9UrLtfbhkFHEvACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20180409_175601.jpg" width="400" /></a>The one adjoining P.D’Mello Road, platform number one, has several bays at right angles for ferrying cargo by road transport vehicles and the second one facing the west resembles a godown.<br />
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The entire platform is of cobble-stone flooring and once had various scales, sunk in pits, now most of them removed.<br />
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A rotten wooden board in one corner of the west-facing platform says Ludhina fast or ordinary service and scale number one, platform number two...the rest details are not legible, a legacy of organized cargo transport by rail.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6gUt8RmwBCI/Ws8ORi7cvXI/AAAAAAAAa6c/OV0-bRXY-HE8MrvP3Hbqb2z_mcjtf_xqwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20180409_175535_1523464479258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6gUt8RmwBCI/Ws8ORi7cvXI/AAAAAAAAa6c/OV0-bRXY-HE8MrvP3Hbqb2z_mcjtf_xqwCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20180409_175535_1523464479258.jpg" width="400" /></a>City historian Deepak Rao lamented the fact that one by one old relics were being lost but appreciated the railways that they had agreed to save a few older relics. “The docks and rail have a glorious transport history in old Bombay.<br />
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These were the places which once brought fortune to the city,” he added.</div>
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Chief Public Relations Officer Sunil Udasi told Mid-Day the Central Railway team will try and save as many old relics as possible from the old station siding.<br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-42936952949144569422018-03-30T14:02:00.004+05:302018-03-30T14:05:11.705+05:301890 Tower Clock at Lower Parel workshop, Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rajendra B. Aklekar<br /><br />Rare Gem: The Western Railway has a remarkable and elegant
fully-functional mechanical clock tower set from 1890s with a bell and fire
alarm at its Lower Parel workshop in Mumbai.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Western Railway has traced the roots of one of its old and functional tower clocks at Lower Parel workshop and found it to be a rare one, possibly the only such large one from 1890s manufactured by England-based Gillett Johnson company. It is functional on its own energy which is bound in brass weights and operated by mechanical pulleys.<br />
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Western Railway officials said that the clock has been functional since the day it had been installed and when we found out about its origins, we found it to be a rare piece on Western Railway, Mumbai and such a piece of functional tower clock is nowhere else in Mumbai division. The clock has markings of the old Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI), which is now called Western Railway.<br />
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Workshop employees said that such a rare functional clock working on mechanical principles is a novelty for the present generation and we sometimes get school children here to show its functioning.<br />
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Officials added that the heritage clock was manufactured in the year 1889 and is located at prominent locations on one of the oldest tower sheds at Lower Parel workshop. It has been made at the manufacturing base at Union Road Croydon, England, which started making clocks from 1844.<br />
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The heritage clock set also has an old tune bell manufactured at the same factory in 1890. The firm had successfully revived an old technique for tuning bells to themselves by shaving the bell interior to bring the bell’s natural harmonic series in tune with itself. The cast number of the bell is 122, weighing 57 kg., having a dia. of 425 mm. and height of 430 mm.<br />
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The heritage clock works mechanically using gears. Its metal spring stores energy required for running the clock. The mechanism is compact, robust and simple which requires no maintenance. The spring is wound once a week for providing energy to run the clock.<br />
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Below the clock and the bell is a rare fire alarm system, again operated mechanically, which sets alarm in case of a blaze.<br />
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This makes it a complete set of functional 19th century equipment with the tower clock, an iron bell and a mechanical fire alarm.<br />
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"We have maintained all these heritage assets with utmost care and meticulous maintainence. The clock needs to be given a key once a week and then it runs on its own," Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar said, adding keeping such rare artefacts alive is very important and Western Railway always is always ahead in it.<br />
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The clock which is one metre in diametre works with mechanism on brass components to avoid corrosion. It has a rope of brass wire with 5kg weight with brass pulley tied with a counter weight of 29kg.<br />
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About the bell<br />
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This bell is similar in construction to first quarter bell, second quarter bell and Hour bell available in Mechanical Engineering building of Imperial College, Knightsbridge, Middlesex, London. The bell foundry was close in 1957. The foundry in Croydon, England was demolished in 1997. Croydon site notes how from 1844 to 1954, 14,000 tower clocks were made at this foundry.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VE4mzF3VBcg/Wr31rxbLhqI/AAAAAAAAay8/HbYawHaq5Ow3pmI5vzUInV9pzGYYePi2ACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20180328_165930_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VE4mzF3VBcg/Wr31rxbLhqI/AAAAAAAAay8/HbYawHaq5Ow3pmI5vzUInV9pzGYYePi2ACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20180328_165930_Fotor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-77073040842289578022018-03-12T13:01:00.002+05:302018-03-12T13:03:13.133+05:30End of an era! Another relic of India's first railway gone! This was at Sewri station, Harbour Branch, Mumbai!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ifiH5gDgoMc/WqYsvlAZ84I/AAAAAAAAarA/0HzbYu9PE9we2beRv6CcKVqkkYhNVoekgCLcBGAs/s1600/13219522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1067" height="346" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ifiH5gDgoMc/WqYsvlAZ84I/AAAAAAAAarA/0HzbYu9PE9we2beRv6CcKVqkkYhNVoekgCLcBGAs/s400/13219522.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
For the record. This was demolished on Sunday March 4, 2018.</div>
Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-41392899144758694122017-08-17T00:38:00.002+05:302017-08-17T00:38:49.443+05:30The Railways of India, 1923<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LWoVSBKKtQ/WZSYLZx7daI/AAAAAAAASVA/WKUimMYI_qY38iBFGgfXI05r9GhJHIi0gCLcBGAs/s1600/RlysofIndia_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="462" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LWoVSBKKtQ/WZSYLZx7daI/AAAAAAAASVA/WKUimMYI_qY38iBFGgfXI05r9GhJHIi0gCLcBGAs/s640/RlysofIndia_Fotor.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-17013586106147255772017-06-14T16:28:00.002+05:302017-06-14T16:40:37.967+05:30Lost Railway Twins? One in Scotland, another in India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rajendra
B. Aklekar<br />
<br />
The story of the abandoned rail ballast stone crusher (W.H Baxter- 1878) found
near railway tracks at Lonavala by Jayant Ramdasi has taken a curious turn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-piG_09aCfa8/WUETCvdq2BI/AAAAAAAAPjI/Hw-MLcsFJWAvL-4BfyFp_xTlepuaz9ucgCEwYBhgL/s1600/2Stone%2Bcrusher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="175" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-piG_09aCfa8/WUETCvdq2BI/AAAAAAAAPjI/Hw-MLcsFJWAvL-4BfyFp_xTlepuaz9ucgCEwYBhgL/s400/2Stone%2Bcrusher.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The top one is in Scotland, the one below in India</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A
very similar stone crusher with similar markings and etchings has now been
found at Isle of Skye, Scotland in a similar state. Here I put up a collage of
both of them. Two brothers- one in Maharashtra, India, another at Isle of Skye,
Scotland.</span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
stone crusher near Lonavala was probably used by the engineers along the Great
Indian Peninsula Railway, India’s first railway company, to break stones for maintaining
rail tracks and other construction-related activities in the tough mountainous
terrain between Mumbai and Pune. </span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">While Ramdasi spotted it near railway tracks in Lonavala in Maharashtra and put up on the social media, scientist, engineer from Scotland Lindsay Wilson reacted saying "there's one near where we live on the Isle of Skye in Scotland and put up a pic. Isn't it interesting?</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">However, it is not clear how old the machine
could be as records suggest that the orders with WH Baxter and Company were
placed till as late as 1955, by which time the original Great Indian Peninsula
Company had been renamed as Central Railway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
fact, it was in 1878 that the WH Baxter Company was established and the date on
the plaque could be an indicator that as well. But whatever is the case, it is
a fact that the W.H Baxter stone breakers were known to be revolutionary, having
crushed tons of stones per hour at a comparatively lesser power requirement.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zGt9jNZG7M0/WUEVTDjG8CI/AAAAAAAAPjY/n7GNR72gmOsr2IoNLza6DD_RBWPTp28eQCLcBGAs/s1600/C9X5v5bUQAAD4_V.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="760" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zGt9jNZG7M0/WUEVTDjG8CI/AAAAAAAAPjY/n7GNR72gmOsr2IoNLza6DD_RBWPTp28eQCLcBGAs/s400/C9X5v5bUQAAD4_V.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The stone breaker models</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A
news report in a construction journal of 1880, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Building News</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, stated that that the latest version of the stone
breaker that year was a much better performer than the earlier one, though it did
not demonstrate well. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It is recorded that the new one experimented and could
break as much as six tonnes of stones per hour and that two machines of this company could be used at the same amount of power required for one of any other sort.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It
was in 1878 that engineer William Henry Baxter of Albion Street, Leeds established the
company W. H. Baxter and Co. to manufacture various construction-related equipment.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99G7GNcVsCI/WUEVBiCZWuI/AAAAAAAAPjU/P32TJab6lr0_-GF1aIzqI0fRQdkvopRbgCEwYBhgL/s1600/London.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="688" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99G7GNcVsCI/WUEVBiCZWuI/AAAAAAAAPjU/P32TJab6lr0_-GF1aIzqI0fRQdkvopRbgCEwYBhgL/s320/London.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The 1880 news report</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Grace’s Guide states that it was an exhibitor
at the 1881 Royal Agricultural Show at Derby and was incorporated as a limited
company in 1898 and had received a large order for stone-breaking machines for
India.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Whatever
may be the case, the antique stone beaker, now with its twin in England, deserves
to be salvaged from Lonavala, Maharashtra, and preserved locally or shifted to
the National Railway Museum in New Delhi, as an extraordinary piece of 20<sup>th</sup>
century engineering marvel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-12158739345425011402017-04-22T20:51:00.004+05:302022-02-27T11:50:47.538+05:30FW Stevens' great grand daughter in Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Rajendra B. Aklekar<br />
<br />
Absolute honour to co-host Diana Robertson and her husband Kevin, the fourth generation descendants of the nineteenth century iconic architect FW Stevens, along with Anita Rane-kothare, head of department of Ancient Indian Culture, St Xavier's College, in Mumbai. It was Kothare who got in touch with her and connected her with the city. It was Diana's very first visit to Mumbai and she was very sentimental to see that Stevens is so much respected and remembered in Mumbai even today. <i>(Read her visit details <a href="https://thewire.in/126686/victoria-terminus-chatrapati-shivaji-terminus-mumbai-f-w-stevens/" target="_blank">HERE</a>)</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwKznbJBYyY/WPtuceMLzkI/AAAAAAAAOes/ELnpQnGr0Bs4t2QsPGIIhIfRfp4b27qOACLcB/s1600/18033164_10154609813512149_8220324298914598317_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwKznbJBYyY/WPtuceMLzkI/AAAAAAAAOes/ELnpQnGr0Bs4t2QsPGIIhIfRfp4b27qOACLcB/s400/18033164_10154609813512149_8220324298914598317_n.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frederick William Stevens (FW Stevens)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The event was jointly conducted with the co-operation of Central Railway chief PRO Narendra Patil and his team. Also thanks to Pheroza Godrej, Bharat Gothoskar of Khaki Tours.<br />
<br />
It was a privilege to receive a memento at the hands of Pheroza Godrej at the event.<br />
<br />
For the uninitiated FW Stevens or Frederick William Stevens is the architect of Victoria Terminus- today Mumbai CST, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site, the Mumbai Municipal Head Office, the Western Railway Churchgate Head Office (formerly Bombay Baroda and Central India Office), the Sailors Home, what is today the Maharashtra Police Headquarters and many more in Mumbai.<br />
<br />
Stevens received various honours. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire "for services rendered in connection with public buildings in Bombay," and gained medals for his designs in exhibitions held in Bombay in 1872 and 1879, as well as becoming a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jNNYEhlXu_w/WPtsuRgTYGI/AAAAAAAAOdw/w_ECdnKlPYwXYbBK5U8Lho5xOs5u0pcOQCLcB/s1600/18011008_10154609813332149_729547707955525763_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jNNYEhlXu_w/WPtsuRgTYGI/AAAAAAAAOdw/w_ECdnKlPYwXYbBK5U8Lho5xOs5u0pcOQCLcB/s400/18011008_10154609813332149_729547707955525763_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving FW Stevens' descendant Diana Robertson and <br />
Kevin at the Taj, alongwith Anita Rane-Kothare</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
He was only 52 when he died of malaria at his home in the Malabar Hills in 1900, and was buried in Sewri Christian Cemetery, where his grave carries the inscription, "In loving memory of Frederick William Stevens, born May 11th 1847, died March 5th 1900." Diana also broke down at the cemetary during the visit on April 20, 2017. A few photographs.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPyh11dRFOM/WPtswdKiHKI/AAAAAAAAOeA/Iba70_T_vh8S9wsuGIDTUqpHyA-aeR2sQCLcB/s1600/18033280_10154611765902149_4300468894191591580_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPyh11dRFOM/WPtswdKiHKI/AAAAAAAAOeA/Iba70_T_vh8S9wsuGIDTUqpHyA-aeR2sQCLcB/s400/18033280_10154611765902149_4300468894191591580_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diana at the Sewri Christian Cemetery, Mumbai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q98TO_atExA/WPtszmuenfI/AAAAAAAAOeY/ctgUp2yLNacdaUKTqtKgWQuRXpcSwmtxQCLcB/s1600/18056950_10154609813697149_2053404953033443001_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q98TO_atExA/WPtszmuenfI/AAAAAAAAOeY/ctgUp2yLNacdaUKTqtKgWQuRXpcSwmtxQCLcB/s400/18056950_10154609813697149_2053404953033443001_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old burial details and purchase records <br />
at the Sewri Christian Cemetery, Mumbai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XTXvvv_by6s/WPtszFHknQI/AAAAAAAAOeU/XMrrbepxjNA_CohzEhIMeL25rwP8PtTHACLcB/s1600/18056640_10154609813817149_513287761376645197_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XTXvvv_by6s/WPtszFHknQI/AAAAAAAAOeU/XMrrbepxjNA_CohzEhIMeL25rwP8PtTHACLcB/s400/18056640_10154609813817149_513287761376645197_n.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FW Stevens grave at Sewri Christian Cemetery, Mumbai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h4kjG5BTF1w/WPtsxyQ4KdI/AAAAAAAAOeM/yyeUlvAlgmAR1nApXj_mb24Xekk_OMKPACLcB/s1600/18034366_10154609813927149_4280131936808994176_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h4kjG5BTF1w/WPtsxyQ4KdI/AAAAAAAAOeM/yyeUlvAlgmAR1nApXj_mb24Xekk_OMKPACLcB/s400/18034366_10154609813927149_4280131936808994176_n.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old records at Sewri Christian Cemetery, Mumbai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4mcex8iN0s/WPts0PMoWPI/AAAAAAAAOec/8l-d5OvQC0MgNckOJvEX8vBRHuP3kQzKQCLcB/s1600/18076535_10154614573832149_8280816640955697544_o.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4mcex8iN0s/WPts0PMoWPI/AAAAAAAAOec/8l-d5OvQC0MgNckOJvEX8vBRHuP3kQzKQCLcB/s400/18076535_10154614573832149_8280816640955697544_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moment of Pride: In front of the building with the creator's descendants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7pAMzvhgT4/WPtsxbs_TrI/AAAAAAAAOeI/QisshslEo4kwFvRG-aTdxAx4d_UkyBYkACLcB/s1600/18034082_10154611765947149_4498614030920474776_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7pAMzvhgT4/WPtsxbs_TrI/AAAAAAAAOeI/QisshslEo4kwFvRG-aTdxAx4d_UkyBYkACLcB/s400/18034082_10154611765947149_4498614030920474776_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of Mumbai CST, formerly Victoria Terminus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7pAMzvhgT4/WPtsxbs_TrI/AAAAAAAAOeI/QisshslEo4kwFvRG-aTdxAx4d_UkyBYkACLcB/s1600/18034082_10154611765947149_4498614030920474776_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of Mumbai CST, formerly Victoria Terminus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OZTOW0Pj50s/WPtsvjdbCmI/AAAAAAAAOd8/ieiCDMWopPE3dHv3u1ezarmwbdomr0l5gCLcB/s1600/18033206_10154609814067149_6534264356350842905_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OZTOW0Pj50s/WPtsvjdbCmI/AAAAAAAAOd8/ieiCDMWopPE3dHv3u1ezarmwbdomr0l5gCLcB/s400/18033206_10154609814067149_6534264356350842905_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the second floor, below the dome of the iconic<br />
Mumbai CST, formerly Victoria Terminus building</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Privileged to receive a memento at the hands of Pheroza Godrej </td></tr>
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-76465425692681626352017-01-05T17:17:00.003+05:302017-01-05T17:17:38.636+05:30Century-old signal cabin along India's first railway line pulled down<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A 100-year-old signal cabin lost its life to make way for the landing of a new pedestrian bridge at Kurla suburban railway station. This had been a part of India's first railway company, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company.</span></span><br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-38870304100187424472017-01-05T16:30:00.002+05:302017-01-05T16:32:10.922+05:301st Day tickets of Ram Mandir railway station in Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First day tickets issued from Mumbai's newest suburban railway station Ra</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">m Mandir collected by friend Jigar Desai. The station on Western Railway Mumbai division was formally opened on December 22, 2016. </span><br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-63323043160767303202016-12-11T19:46:00.004+05:302016-12-27T01:51:12.983+05:30Fourth imprint -- Halt Station India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yes! Excited to announce the 4th imprint of my successful book on the story of India's 1st railway. Thank u, all. For those who still haven't bought it, here are the details: To place an order..<br />
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Please call for home delivery--<br />
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Mumbai number- 02223524655, 02223511381. Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm. Saturday 9.30am to 2.00pm, Sunday closed. <br />
Email at kgminternational @ gmail.com<br />
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<i>The book is also available online on Flipkart/Amazon and also at book stores</i><br />
<br />
<b>To buy in India</b><br />
<br />
On FLIPKART, click <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/halt-station-india-dramatic-tale-nations-first-rail-lines-english/p/itmefqakn8hhzq5b" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<br />
On AMAZON INDIA, click <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Halt-Station-India-Dramatic-Nations/dp/8129134977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421582617&sr=8-1&keywords=halt+station+india" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<br />
<b>To buy locally in the UK</b><br />
<br />
On AMAZON UK, click <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Halt-Station-India-Dramatic-Nations/dp/8129134977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421582491&sr=8-1&keywords=HALT+STATION+INDIA" target="_blank">HERE </a><br />
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<b>For the US and other countries</b><br />
<br />
On AMAZON.COM, click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halt-Station-India-Dramatic-Nations/dp/8129134977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421582579&sr=8-1&keywords=halt+station+india" target="_blank">HERE</a> </div>
Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246915218963543017.post-18238201053968017102016-11-25T21:08:00.002+05:302016-11-25T21:08:23.022+05:30Mumbai suburban railway goes religious!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rajendra B. Aklekar<br />
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So with the Maharashtra government now deciding to name the proposed Oshiwara station between Jogeshwari and Goregaon on Churchgate-Virar section of Mumbai division of Western Railway as Ram Mandir, Mumbai suburban railway, the city’s lifeline, has now become a completely secular railway and come a full circle.<br />
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Controversies apart, and I do not have any political views, but lightly speaking it now has a Churchgate, a Masjid Bunder, a Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar and now a Ram Mandir. :)<br />
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<i>Let’s look at their brief history. </i><br />
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<b>Churchgate: </b>Mumbai (today’s south Mumbai) was a walled, fortified city with moats. The fortification had three main gates. And one of the gates was an entry to the St. Thomas Church, today’s St Thomas Cathedral. The road was named Churchgate as the road from led to this church. This gate, which roughly stood where today’s Flora Fountain stands, was demolished in 1860. The railway station that came up near the gate’s proximity on the Bombay, Baroda and Central India line (today’s Western Railway) was named Churchgate.<br />
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<b>Masjid Bunder: </b>Named after an old jetty which was near a mosque (masjid), this station on Central Railway Mumbai comes just after the iconic Mumbai CST. Records suggest the station probably got its name from the 200-year old Gate of Mercy Synagogue, called Juni Masjid, along Samuel Street in Mandvi in the east of the station, one of Mumbai’s oldest synagogues. Another one Saat-Taad mosque, simply translated “seven palm trees” is located just next to the station today hidden amid a maze of warehouses and wholesale dealers with a narrow entrance today<br />
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<b>Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar: </b>Originally called Koliwada, this station on the harbour line of Central Railway Mumbai was renamed Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar after the ninth of the ten Gurus of Sikhism in July 1979.<br />
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<b>Ram Mandir: </b>The proposed Oshiwara station had been under construction for quite some time. Political parties demanded that the station be renamed as Ram Mandir station in recognition of a popular temple in the area. The road that leads to the station is called Ram Mandir Road. Today, the Maharashtra government approved the proposal.<br />
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Rajendra B. Aklekarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15853709832874205199noreply@blogger.com0