The royal saloon of the Gaekwar of Baroda
Inside the royal saloon of Sayajirao Gaekwar III, the Maharaja of Baroda.
In 1862, when Maharaja Khaderao Gaekwar, the then Maharaja of the Princely state of Baroda (now Vadodra city), inaugurated the 13-km railway line from Dabhoi to Miyagam, he not only started the first narrow gauge line of India but also what was to become the longest narrow gauge network of India till date. What also made this line distinctive was that this was the first railway line in British India to be owned by a Princely State of India. Khaderao's successor, Sayajirao Gaekwar III, further expanded the narrow gauge line network across Baroda, along with bringing many other reforms to the princely state during his reign from 1875-1939.
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The Gaekwar's saloon was a broad gauge coach built in 1886 by Parel Workshops of the Bombay Baroda & Central India (BB&CI) Railway for use by the then Maharaja of Baroda, Sayajirao Gaekwar III. It was later used by BB&CI, with number ERB-20.
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The entrance to the coach is from the attached balcony on one side. The balcony was fit for one person to stand in to operate the manual brakes of coach.
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Inside the coach, the restoration work has been done almost to perfection. The attention to detail on the ceiling, the woodwork and the fittings has brought the saloon back to its days of glory.
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As is expected of a royal coach, the Gaekwar's saloon is spaciously designed with the amenities its royal occupant would have been accustomed to. This intricately designed passageway leads us into another room inside the saloon.
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The attendants' quarter of the saloon
Not as luxurious as that of the Gaekwar themselves but certainly more comfortable than a regular/passenger coach!
The Saloon car of the Gaekwars of BarodaNational Rail Museum
This is a unique saloon of six wheels (three axles); the centre axle is rigid while the two outer axles (at each end) could swivel according to the curvature of the track and controlled by a central spring system. The outer axles had vacuum as well as hand brakes.
The Saloon car of the Gaekwars of BarodaNational Rail Museum
The flapped roof provided filtered ventilation inside the saloon car. It was a common feature in the VIP coaches of the time.
The Saloon car of the Gaekwars of BarodaNational Rail Museum
To ensure the smooth running of the saloon on the tracks, these oiling points were filled with lubricants at regular intervals. They would trickle down to the wheels and to the connecting bars of the car.
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