Lock down Day No- 69
Video No- 69
On her 85th Birthday, Kalyan WCAM-3 21958 hauling 12123 Mumbai CSMT- Pune Deccan Queen departs Karjat towards Pune banked by Kalyan WAG-7 bankers at the rear.
The new dining car was attached to the rake on this day. The previous dining car 1988 manufactured coach was scrapped and it was replaced by a Pantry Car....
more... After many petitions and requests, the Central Railways refurbirshed one coach into a dining car and it was attached in the rake on Deccan Queen's 85th Birthday!
Due to Covid-19 situation, there is no scheduled run of Deccan Queen today i.e, 1st June, 2020.
Deccan Queen service was introduced on 1st June, 1930 as a weekend train during the days of the British raj to ferry rich patrons -fans from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Poona (now Pune) to attend horse racing at Pune Race Course.The first service of the train was conducted from Calyan (now Kalyan) and Pune. It was converted to a daily service soon after, starting from Bombay Victoria Terminus (renamed Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CSMT). It is one of the longest running train service on the Indian Railways to have never run on steam power. From the beginning, the Deccan Queen has been run using electric locomotives. Occasionally, it was given diesel locomotives in case of original locomotive failure.
The color of its rake has seen a lot of changes, from red color to yellow to white and then to blue.
The Deccan Queen is also one of the most favourite trains among railfans. Every year on 1 June, its regular pass-holders, railfans and railway authorities celebrate the train's birthday. Deccan Queen entered its 91st year of service on 1 June 2020.
Video shot on 1st June, 2015.