Rare pictures of the forgotten narrow gauge lines at Bangalore City Junction (SBC).
While it is common knowledge that Bangalore was once a dual gauge BG/MG station, a lesser known fact is that it was once a tri-gauge station with a Narrow gauge line running to Bangarpet via Yelhanka, Kolar. The NG line was removed in the late 60's and as a result is mostly remembered only by veterans.
Pic 1) The BG and NG platforms at SBC. On the far left, one can see the...
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present day PF5/6 which was the main platform at SBC in those days. The NG tracks are visible on the left, corresponding to the location of the PF1/2 in the
present day.
Pic 2) A pre-independence photograph of a Narrow gauge train waiting at SBC station. (The MR on the locomotive indicating 'Mysore Railway').
Pic 3) The layout of the tracks at SBC station before the NG was removed and the station was remodeled. The green indicates the BG from MAS, the blue lines the MG lines to MYS and YPR and the orange line indicating the old NG alignment.
The NG line started from roughly the same location as the present day PF1/2, almost immediately diverted away from the MAS line going down a gradient and then crossed the MAS line through an underpass (roughly following the present day platform road/Sampige road) before joining the MG line towards YPR roughly near the location of the present day Mantri mall. Initially there were separate MG and NG lines between SBC and YPR (both single lines). But with the NG gradually losing it's significance, a second MG line was constructed between SBC-YPR and the NG line started running as a third rail on one of the 2 lines, until it was uprooted completely.
Pic 4) Original layout of the tracks at YPR. The blue lines indicate the present day alignment of the tracks and the orange line indicates the older alignment. The NG separated from the MG shortly before the station and the NG platforms were located near the present day PF 1 entrance. From here, the NG continued running along the present day Mohan Kumar road and 1st main road, till LOGH. Note that even the old MG line form YPR to YNK/GTL used to run along the Mohan Kumar Road/1st Main road. During gauge conversion and expansion of the YPR station, the line was realigned to run in the present day alignment through the huge curve.
Between YNK-YPR too, originally the NG ran as a separate line. After the opening of the YPR-Salem MG line, the NG line started running as a third rail on top of the MG line till YNK before branching out.