Central Railway - Broad Gauge

The Central Railway was best regarded as two main lines based on Bombay. The lesser  headed southwest to Raichur (and on to Madras) and the major one northeast to Bhusaval where it split. One line ran to Nagpur and on to the South Eastern Railway, the other to Itarsi which like Nagpur was a key crossroads. Connections from Itarsi led variously to points along the Ganges valley including Delhi.

Its strategic importance meant that it never had a metre gauge network and it was always given a priority in modernisation. There were few oddball locomotives but it seemed to do a good line in specially presented locomotives...

Jan Willem van Dorp's contribution is unique, mostly an in depth look at individual lines in the later days of steam.