Lock down Day No- 21
Video No- 21
MHOW YDM-4 6736 in LHF mode hauling Akola-Mhow (Military Headquarters of War) Meter Gauge Passenger goes over the Dhulghat Spiral viaduct, descends the gradient, makes a 270 degree curve and passes under the same viaduct's first span to proceed towards Omkareshwar.
The Spiral consists of 16 Span, 193 meter long viaduct. Trains from Akola cross...
more... the viaduct and after completing nearly 270 degree turn passes below the first span of viaduct before going to Dhulghat.
This arrangement was made to climb the gradient in a short distance. It was a rare spiral bridge on the Indian Railway's network. It was also called as Char ka Akda or the figure of 4 in Hindi (४) by the locals. This because the track plan of the spiral roughly represents the figure of four when written in Hindi.
The spiral bridge is not used anymore since Akola-Mhow route is under gauge conversion and after the conversion the broad gauge line will have a different alignment in this part of the section citing forest land clearances.
Dhulghat Spiral came under the Nanded Division of South Central Railways.
Now only Omkareshwar Road-Mhow section is operational which comes under Ratlam Division of Western Railways.
Video shot on 28th June, 2016.