Deccan Queen
Ode to the Deccan Queen
Original artwork and poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 - inspired by memories of taking the DQ from Pune to Mumbai in the 1980s
Her maiden run in 1930 was epic - stopping everyone in their tracks
A ride through the formidable Western Ghats in the monsoon is the climax
The steep gradients were solved by the ingenious use of a switchback
Soon, it was chic to ride the Deccan Queen racing down the fast track
Amazingly, it was the very first Indian train to introduce a pantry car
The menu soon became a crowd favourite, with the Wada Pav as the all-star
The first of Indian trains to be electrified, the pride of Central Railways
Among regular commuters, a cheery ‘See you on the DQ’, became a catch phrase
Comments
I remember going with to Bombay in 1978/79 with the whole cast of _Eschaton_ including Cecil, Allwyn, Dean and some 30 others. Two girls had not been on the DQ and they were so excited … nostalgia - Kieran
It might have been the Sinhagad Express. Did the DQ always have fixed seats - Kieran
Have been a fan forever of the 'Queen of the Deccan ' 😇
Even today our favorite mode of transport to Mumbai for a getaway
We like walking along Marine Drive Promenade every few months & take the DQ both ways 😁
Just like that 😊
[We] Often took the kids along when they were much younger, just loafing around & then headed out to Chowpatty. & a ride on the upper deck of the Double decker buses - always! (Reply to above comment)
Once they built the tracks, Poona boomed. The Brits loved the climate in preference to muggy Bombay and made it their Army HQ - it still is the Southern Command of the Indian Army
Colleges opened up, including College of Engineering, Poona the second in the country after Rourkee.
The DQ still holds its own almost 100 years later - Kieran
3rd gen Punekar - Kieran
"Punekar" is the proper Marathi term for people who are from Pune.
It is formed by combining "Pune" with the Marathi suffix "-kar", which is commonly used to denote people belonging to a place (e.g., Mumbaikar for Mumbai, Borkar for Borim).
"Puneri" on the other hand is an adjective. For example, "I love the Puneri misal pav" - Kieran
I know because I made the rookie mistake, assuming it would stop, only to watch it whizz past, ticket 🎫 in hand. 🤭😂😂 - Kieran