Weekends in CBE - 6

May 14

Trip jottings:
2673/22220 ED/p10 Coach 91217 S3 52 LB Emergency window Business side Rear facing

MAS 2212

PER 2224

VLK ripped @ MPS

AVD 2234

TI 2238

TRL 2246/2248/2249 crossed 3352

KBT 2254 c/o before TO 2256-2301

TO 2302, 31185/BOXN loop twds KBT

c/o after TO 2303-2306

mps @ Puli

AJJ 2313/2315

CTRE 2326

ANV 2328

slow run from 2328

MDVE 2334 picked up speed @ 2335

KPD 0002/0005/0006 214SW/BZA wam4 in pf5, crossed 2864 @ LSS, crossed 6382 @ 0015

KVN 0018

GYM 0022 ripped @ mps - kozhandhai pattaiya kelapiduthu pongo, a list of stations through which I love trains rip the platforms in main/through line will be sent as a separate sms.

VLT 0028

MPI 0032

PCKM 0036

AB 0040, crossed at normal speed - not at MPS

VGM 0045 ripped at MPS!!

VN 0050 crossed a slowing down 6670 with waist level headlamps @ LSS, crossed 213SW @ 0056 with BZA wam4, took new Dn line

KDY 0057, crossed 2625 with top headlamp wap4

JTJ pf 1 0104 Home/0108 Stop/0115 Start, 2658 in pf 4/22627 dispatched @ 0110, 22712/rake of JP in the next line.

Meeting with nithradevi held for 5 hrs.

IGU 0520/0535, gave way for YPR GR headed by ED dm2 shf, allowed 14642 shf + 14835 lhf MUed GOC/BOXN rake to pull into loop.

PLMD 0547, c/o 20 for Hope College and Sanganoor Palam

CBF 0602/0603 pf 2

CBE 0610 pf 1 Subham.

22220 ED has nothing special in it.

To charting gang: May 14 data

2621 2A/9/12/32/26P/23R-BZA/15R-WL/7R-NGP/28R-AGC

2621 3A/8/3/13

2673 3A/12/23/44/20C

2673 2A/3/7/12/6P

6669 SL/74/107/285/37P/86C

2829 SL/16CNFP

6222 SL/50/12/154/40C

6041 SL/100/20/156/59P/29C

2621 SL/74/9/138/45C/0P

2673 SL/57-80/0/101/29C/6P

Surprise only RAC 57 got CNF!!

May 16

2674 B4 54 UB Coach 97150. Power ED 22671 'Ramkrishnan'. Pf 2 @ CBE.

Chart clearance:

2A/4/17/21/4 CK/0 PQ

3A/12/37/58/10C/5P

SL/72/140/322/12C/38P.

Trip jottings:

CBE 2220, 2679 @ home

CBF 2229

MAS 0645, late by 10m. Infact, I overslept!! Got up (like the majority of the crowd in my coach) only at 0700 :)

@ MS - May 17:

7652/22829-9

6853/17619 lhf-8

2662/22522-7

6102/14127 shf-6

2634/5

22261? LGD w/rear view mirrors for 6127.

Rail rhymes for babies

Deemer deemer golden rock

Horny wonder if you laugh!

Up above shed wall so height

Like a tiger on the flight!!

Dippy dippy odi va

Katpadi thandi va!

Hills meley eri va

High tonai adichi va!!

Weekends in CBE - 05

May 7

@MS: 20663/2664, lhf dp4/2631, 22767 RPM/2637-5, 22697/6177-4, 22766 RPM/6107-9.

@MAS: 22681 BSL/2655-10, 2673/22389 ED, 3352-9, 4 Mail-11.

My seat is enviable :) S9 17 LB Coach 96391 Emergency window business end, front facing - the best combo ever, given that I can hear loud horns from 6th coach!!

MAS 2212

PER 2228

VLK 2231

KOTR 2234

C/O thro' ABU 2236

AVD 2242

TI 2247

TRL H2254-S2300

AJJ 2318/2320

SHU 2336

WJR 2347

MCN 2352

THL 2354

KPD 0001/0010 handled in loop

JTJ 0120a

SA 0250a

ED 0404/0410

TUP 0450a

IGU 0510/0542 covered 475 kms in 7 hrs @ 68 kmph flat. Full load pulled @ first notch, MONSTER!

Action @ IGU: 2673 got left loop. An SWR train with yellow boards reading as Bangalore City Island? was already in right loop. YPR GR crossed us majestically, then SWR was let go first @ 0525. 28102 ANGL pulled from PTJ side, 11207 ED 3D with Kurla was received in right loop as we were dispatched.

PLMD 0557

CBF 0609/0614

CBE 0630 - Pf1

22389 has super melodious twintones - they ripped the still air @ IGU :)

2680/22508 ED - crossed @ 0620 as we were waiting at Home. Still not able to digest the fact that we were 0510 @ IGU and ended up 0630 @ CBE

Subham. Hope you all enjoyed the report. Ara.

Friday evening WL clearance status (# upto which it has moved to CNF/RAC):

1028/89

3352/294

6669/69

2621/49CK/99-222/49PQ

2657/48CK/239

2673/48CK/109/29PQ

May 9

@ CBE:

2674/pf2 S4 57 LB Coach 09255 very new and neat. Power: 22728 ED.

Charting details:

1A/GN/WL1

2A/GN/1/29/40-CK/WL1-PQ/WL2

3A/GN/12/46/72-CK/WL8-PQ/WL15

SL/GN/80/194/352-CK/WL57-PQ/WL34

Report jottings:

CBE 2222

CBF 2234/2238 x-2679

PLMD 2249, x-2695 in loop, c/o 20-Hope College

IGU 2258 (I always love the way 2674 thunders to enter the trunk line @ 90+, tonight was superb!!)

TUP 2322/2330, 6381 rolled out at home, 22775/SBC-KCVL came stopped briefly in mainline while at pf 2324-2326h.

MLPM 0528/0530

AJJ 0538/0541

ANNR 0620 x-2007

PER 0635/0637

VEJ 0643/0646

BBQ Home 0649/0651, Pf 0652

Home 20500 ET/2512 rolls out, 22380 ED/2622 waiting, light 22515 LGD, 22647 RPM to ETS/BBQ

MAS 0702 pf 10, 6042/22787 RPM-11, 2616-9. Very very uneventful, ordinary, mediocre run. Nothing special..

Subham.

Weekends in CBE - 04

@ CBE May 2 - 2145h:
*2672 rolling out/2, 50m late
2515 receipt/22380 ED/3, amazing braking
22775 being readied for my 2674/2 (spotted earlier today w/2671 @ CBE)
22568 in Rd 3 light.
*ED 3D arrival LHF/4 @ 2155
*2674 rake in @ 2215, all set to be royally screwed (Courtesy: Controller) as 2515 dep 2215!!!

B3 52 LB, coach # 97117 has curtains, SLB has the foldable berth split as 1/5th and 4/5th such that the berth portion split of SLB does not affect your stomach but it somewhat adjusts under your shoulders and chest area. The seat portion of SLB is as it is now. Good thought process has gone behind this!!!

CBE 2250d L 30m
TUP 2350/2355 L 60m
ED 0045/??
TRL 0600
ABU 0630
PER 0641/0643
BBQ 0650
MAS 0700 L 25m/Pf 4
22755 RPM is just an average performer. Nothing spl.

Guidelines for effective night railfanning in VM-DG single line section

1. Sleep well in the evening. You ought to be awake all through the section.
2. Get down at VM and TPJ, take a brisk walk, buy something solid to eat and a small bottle of drink to pass time. Do not switch platforms during your walk. A goods train may come in between and you may stand there hearing your train start and go!
3. Be thorough in your LR. You should know that you are being regulated at KDMD home to get the loop, if your train does not notch up fully after taking the chord line curve.
4. Don't stick to one side, you have to move left and right quite rapidly. SL or LB is the ideal one. If you don't get them, avoid travel or book tickets until you get one, then cancel the old ones.
5. Strictly no doorplating during night travel. You can't dp during daytime given the heat.
6. Note down all crossings w/time. Ideally like Home/Pf/Other starter/Crossing/Our starter/LSS.
7. Be 100 p.c sure on position of AC coaches and their count. Helps in train identification. A fast moving GOC wdm2 will sound similar to an ED 3D.
8. Record clear audio clips of crossings. Video clips are anyway black screens only. These are real treasures...
9. You should 'expect' things. Over a period of time, you will develop the instinct.
10. Beware of all those festival, winter and summer specials that mar your calculations. Travel during off-peak season week days.
11. Whenever possible, book in advance in PQ. Take different trains during each travel, even if it means you reaching your destination in wee hours.
12. SL berth when 'berthed' will hide vision partially for tall people. So, make it 'seated'.
13. Best way to avoid trouble when asked why aren't you asleep is to say that you are a night-shift guy and working through your mobile (sms based or qwerty/email based)
14. No loud talks especially when travelling in groups. You may disturb fellow travellers. Gain the confidence of local cops and if inquired say the truth that you are a rail-fan, it builds trust.
15. No funky gadgets, GPS devices that are not easily saleable to a common man.
16. Do not invite unwanted attention when waiting for a crossing. Switch off all lights promptly.
17. Your eyes and ears should be razor sharp. Do not expect to note down all loco numbers. GOC 16858 will be similar to 16868 even in broad daylight, imagine a night spotting with your drooping eyes!
18. Be calm and patient.
19. All locos waiting in loop will have their headlamps switched off. You would have to identify that you are getting mainline with the speed of the train near outer and by the marker lamps of the train in loop. If there are two loops, make best use of curves before platforms.
20. Do not conclude a loco or a train to be a monster just with a one-night-stand. Sometimes it may have got 'All Proceed' and nothing else. So, recommend others to watch out, analyse and then conclude. On similar lines, monsters are equally viable to be screwed up by a poor section controller.
21. No getting down at intermediate stations. Take adequate care of your bags.
22. Lesser the use of gadgets (including camera and cell phone), better the enjoyment.
23. Take a small notepad with thick back (available in Landmark for Rs. 10) and a pen that can write even in damp/oil paper, to take notes. Mobiles will run out of battery.
24. Enjoy every moment of railfanning. A missed crossing may be a costly expense, but it is okay - there is always next time and VM-DG will not get doubled in full until after 2025, the trend says so!
25. SAFETY FIRST. Everything else next.
Happy Railfanning!!!
Aravi.

Weekends in CBE - 03

This time, I had a unique / rare opportunity of travelling in coach F2 :) Normally trains that have an FC coach have only one FC coach in them, F1. Here are the jottings:

27072 JHS Blue wag7/Pf 2/0621 CBE Spl Exp/F2/Cabin H/Lower/WCG90894

MAS 2235

AVD 2305

AJJ 2355/0000

SHU 0015

c/o @ TUG

MCN 0035

THL 0038

SVUR 0042

KPD Home 0051/0055

SA 0340/0350

CV 0442

ED Home regulated, 0450/0510

TUP 0550

IGU 0620

PLMD 0630/ (2680/ 22549 ED @ 0635)

CBF 0646/0651

CBE 0710 (0650) Subham.

For the benefit of frequent travellers on weekends, here is the confirmation position in SL Friday night @ MAS:

(Train # RAC moved to CNF/WL moved to CNF/ WL moved to RAC)

0601 60/51/145

6669 80/0/223

2673 80/19/183

2621 79/95/138 pq 12 rq 105

6041 97/22/184 pq 78

2671 13/325 pq 53

2829 80/39 pq 20

6222 50/188

Return trip jottings - not as interesting as it used to be!

22555 ED our-river-carum-went-to-a-kutch-slum like nothing-special-in-me wap4 for 2674. S10/Coach 98350/24 SU :( ages since I got a darned side upper...

CBE 2221

PER 0618/0620

BBQ 0629

MAS 0635 pf 10

very much uneventful :(

at MAS: 22274 ED/Duronto pf 11

at MS: 22249 ED/2164 pf 7

14123 ERS shf/6102 pf 6

27486 tiger/7644 pf 9

22829 RPM Smarty/2632 pf 4

27864 blue/7652 shunt, 11179 lhf/2634 @ MSC

22008/2662 0700@MKK, 11013 shunts NCJ spl @ MKK. Subham.

Weekends in CBE - 02

Mar. 19 -- Fresh-o-fresh 22829 ROYAPURAM hauls 6177 at moderate speed through SP. 22357/3-coach spl, B line twds MS, 18533 shf/1063 @ MSC.

At MAS: 22646/Coro-8, 22627 RPM/7, 112SR/21221-6-19368 shunted out, 2691/1, 2522/ P1 22027@2330-4, addl 3A attached @ MAS end after loco took points to Road 3.

Mar. 20: MAS-22294-pf 4-2511-22787 RPM-BBQ. Arr 2355 of Mar. 19, loud high tone whistle for dep 0030 (late by 45m!). It stayed in Central for ONE DAY :). Took Fast line only upto Jiva. SL thence, AVD 0100 VEU hi-speed 0110, much awaited moment of TRL mainline hi-speed happened @ 0115.

TO 0127

AJJ 0135

Would like to nominate 22787 for monster. Amazing (infact, exceptional) pick-up and very very good sustainabilty of picked up speed. KPD 0220/0225 met 2672 as he was passing KPD home.

KVN 0240

GYM 0243 ripped @ MPS

MEH 0250

VLT 0253

PCKM 0257

AB 0300 again @ MPS

Crossed 1 M/E every 5 mins after KPD!!

VGM 0305 took precedence over a train most probably 214SW TPTY-MYS passr

VN 0310

KDY 0318

JTJ 0327/0330

slowed down @ 0450, I was telling myself," don't tell this is Salem!"

SA 0456/0500 bang ON TIME gaining 45 mins - REAL MONSTER! Proves yet again!! Through pf 3, pf 2 was occupied by 573SW YPR Passr. The adjacent berthwala just discovered @ 0515 that he has overslept for SA...

MVPM 0530

SGE 0535/0600 unscheduled kkkkrrrreeeeecccchhhh stop.

@0545, RMM-OKHA Exp halted for a minute and started from pf-less mainline. Holy hills of Shervaroyan! We did overtake 6669 mid-way :P 22728 ED recd in pf line @ 0554. We got the starter!!!

ANU 0608 ripped @ mps

CV 0612

Cauvery girder bridge plundered @ 90+

ED home 0616 man! What a run to doorplate :)

ED 0621/0640-2 (starter off @0635)

6669-0630a-3

28022 ED/JTJ Passr-4

TPM 0648

PY 0653

IGR 0657

VZ 0701

UKL 0708

TUP 0720

SNO 0734

SUU 0738

IGU 0745/0753

CBE 0815 (late 20m purely due to ED)

Return trip - Mar. 21, 2010

At TUP: 2602/22572 dep 10 mins after starter off 2325h. PGT passr MEMU+just 4 persons. 14662 shf lead+14694 both GOC mued lhf, live kakkifying thick smoke twds ED w/BOXN coal. Saw same scene at IGU yday morning! Light ET wag5a barbie 23459 twds SUU @ 2342. 6381/handsome smarty 22829 RPM & 6042/22662 @ 2300h. PA for 2515 running late by 2 hrs.

2674/22273 ED top headlamps 2310a 2315d coach 96252/S6-28 LB. ED @ 2350/0015: 6042 rolling out/pf 1, 2674 got into pf 2, MYS-MV pf 3, TN-MYS/in 18554 ED shf out 17968 ERS shf pf 4.

SA 0115

KPD 0415

AJJ 0455

TRL 0515

TI 0528

AVD 0534

ABU 0537

PER 0546/0549 (PA for 7652 claims it to be late running by 2 hrs)

VYJ 0555

BBQ 0600 switched to slow line after a brief halt at pf. (2007/22602 RPM, with SBC R. Aravind in it)

MAS 0610 pf 10.

2675/22390 ED-11

3 Mail/22693-8

2269-7

6042-6

At MS @ 0635: 2632-6, 2164/22543 ED-7, 7644 In circar/20549 dusty, rusty & nasty AJJ wam4-8. 14046 ERS shf/6102, guided to Rd 5. 11213 lhf/2634, 0642@MKK

SP 0650.