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.

Weekends in CBE - 01

MS: 6177/22647, 1063/18598 ed lhf, 104SR/1063 link confirmed. 21240 came out light out of pf 1. MAS: ADI2632 8400/15B, dep 1028/5, 3352/9, 2657/3, 2840/8, 2691/1 arr 2522/6 @ 2320, 2511 expected @ 0010. 20622/jans pf 4.

MAS: 6031 shunted into PF 1 by a WDS-4B 19482 @ 0010. GPD unit went out @ 0020/PF 10. 17375 TNP/1 SLR + 1 3A both military @ PF 3 end facing in SHF. 2511 got usual PF 6/0035a 0050d/late by 65m. In 20613 Out 22220 'R. Harish Kumar'. (MAS) SLR GS GS A1 B3-1 PC S12-1 GS GS SLR (BBQ) (24c full load).

Coach# 05209 S6 44 LB

Slow line@BBQ.

PER 0105

ABU 0115@MPS

AVD 0122

TRL 0137 moment worth waiting for! Ripped through pf4 @ 115-120 kmph, continuous melodious low tone.

KPD 0245/0250 (PA for 7230/pf3) crossed SBC S.Ara's train near VIT (I missed that crossing though).

TTE @ 0305 :( super speed upto Valathoor 0315

Slowed down for a complete stop for 30s before PCKM because of a blue wag7 hauled long(est) BOXN load. Overtook @ PCKM @ 0332. Nice run from ~JTJ to SA.

SA 0545/0550 Pf2

DC 0610 saw ill-fated flyover

MVPM 0617 slowed down to 20+

SGE 0624 @MPS

ANU 0629

CV 0634

ED Home 0644/0645 Pf 2/0650a 0705d

At ED: KCVL-YPR GR was in Pf1 w/KJM dm2. CBE passr in Pf4. 7230 chased us and arrived in Pf1 @ 0705 just as we started rolling out. Happened to be 22603 for Sabari, you could have now expected the chase! 13164 in a very different non-GOC blue livery + 13436 both GOC wait with a rake towards TUP.

TPM 0717

PY 0723

IGR 0726

VZ 0730

UKL 0741

KUY 0745

TUP 0750 Subham. 7 hrs total. 45m more than Kovai, 30m more than Cheran!!

Return by 2674 Cheran - Coach 00137A B4 45 MB

At TUP: 2515 just left as I entered at 2245 - heavy nasty north indian rush in **ALL** coaches. 6042/22648 ROYAPURAM in side, AJJ logo in front - 2254a 2257d. 6381 CSTM-CAPE/22647 AJJ - 2258a 2302d. 2674 Cheran/22729 - 2309a 2312d + shtb livery addl SLR (1st) + addl GS (21st). Peak hour / heavy activity in TUP :) PA was running non-stop!! Just as we started, one freight entered pf 1 loop, and as we cleared AS, a non-stop M/E crossed at jet speed twds CBE.

AVD 0545

BBQ 0625 d (stopped at platform for quite a long time)

MAS 0630 a (5 mins BT)

Arbit Messages

A collage of arbit messages that I have received from the gang (when I read them all at once, now, it seems very interesting and funny!!):

From Nishanth - Dec 7, 2007 - when I told him the loco of 6177 from my calculations, on his journey date

6177 22295. U got it right.

From Subbaraman - who was there to send him off

Ara is right. Rocky gets 22295

From Krishnan - May 10, 2008 - on me hearing loud dippy horns on my birthday - when I told him that I was born in RPM where Southern Railway was also born -

Treat irukkattum. Suppose it happens all the ENTs in the area will do roaring business. Seeing ur birth details I have to conclude that u have been born with a Silver Notch in ur Mouth. Henceforth I'll address u as SN.

From Nishanth - new nickname!

Aru bhai, 17363 is with goc now. Kindly update the database.

From Krishnan - Feb. 9, 2009 - when dp4s were doing roaring business with the prestigious 2726-2610-2637-6128-2631-2632-6127-2638-2609-2725 link

Dippy Viswaroopam partha Aravindukku Araharo Hara.

From Ramkrishnan - Feb. 28, 2009 - another nickname!

15533 'Aravind' tearing past SP with pearlcity..

From Ashwanth - Apr. 6, 2009 - when I inadvertently typed AJJ rocks...

Lol ! You , yourself admitted they ' rule ' the region ... : p

From Sankar - Apr. 7, 2009 - when I correctly told him what would have happened and what he would have done when 6102 crossed his 6123 at ALU

Perfect!! Pull arikuthu aravind

From Ramkrishnan - June 4, 2009 - on why he did not turn up for an EMRF

I've waken long before.. Puttin bit by reading..

From Vijaya Bhanu - June 15, 2009 - when I guided her on her MYS trip

Thanks a lot aravind. Nenga oru encyclopedia.

From Raghunath - on a feedback survey for my smses

:-):-) bt still sheer length and count of msgs is staggering :-) ultra enthu :-)

From Chidambaram - on some mathematics stuff on MSB-TBM section

Great calc ara!

From Krishnan - on my dp4 obsession

Dippy Raghavendra Swaminna neenga Appannachariyar. Dippy Ramarnna neenga Anjaneyar. Dippy Nalanna neenga Nalayini. Ippadi adukkindae pogalaam. Sithamellam unakku dippymayame, Aravinda!

another one from him!

Vaasalile dippyathan paathuputtaan, paathuputtaan, Vaasalile dippyathan paathedhu enna, paathedhu enna!

From Jr Krishnakumar - Sep. 12, 2009

Flash News:

Aravind is at MS!!! Guys, its going to rain today. Aravind is coming back to form. Two days earlier, Chennai Central became divine. Now it is Egmore.

From Sriram Karthik - Sep. 12, 2009

Flash News:(Jr.KK Style)

Aravind has just visited my house..thatha,appa and amma had a hearty laugh during our chat..eventhough wat we talk is greek n latin for them, nowadays they hav started to understand our lingo..

Now after MAS,MS its Royapettah's turn for punyam..:)

From Ramesh - Oct. 6, 2009

Pl update loco roster with following - 13566 GOC shakti, ED 18485-0 scrapped & now at GOC workshop. There is a nice pic of this loco in gallery @ Tiruvalla with Vanchinad exp taken by u

From SBC S. Aravind - on my trip jottings onboard 2631 to MDU (trip report as another post elsewhere in this blog)

Honestly njoyd very much. Xpecting more.

Ultimate report man.

Same from Krishnan --

Nice reports. Especially the outbound one. Wide awake till TPJ! Terrific.

From TRN - Dec. 1, 2009 - when a colleague gets infected due to my Rail virus!!

21273 engine no for Narayanadri falakuma exp

Gayathri Manthram and Rockfort Express Combination!!

First one:

My attempt!! Please try singing this in the monotonous ragam (hear this in audio shops near temples) of Gayathri manthram automatic chanting machine lady voice rhythm :) comments welcome!

------

Sreerangam selvadharku

rockfort express pidipadharkey

pathu manikey egmoreku

sendru viduven nanum indru

platform naanginiley

neendu nirkum vaalpaiyan

irupathu naalu coachudaney

thalayil or p 4 mugamey

patharaiku whistle adithu

mambalathil nindrapinney

tambaram pin chengalpattu

tindivanamum selvan avan

vizhupurathil naaL thandi

viruthachalathil thalai maatri

parpala stationil loop vaangi

ariyal looruku selvan avan

kallakkudi palinganatham

dalmiapurathil iru nimisham

lalgudiyil nindradhanpin

srirangam selvan avan

paerooril paeraaraam

kavaeri aval peyaraam

thaandi thaandi povaraam

town station adaindhan avan

ponmalaiyil seeraga

mainlainil pugundhidavey

nalla payanam mudindhidavey

tiruchchi junction vandhuduthey!!

Second one:

As an ode to the dp4 of 2637 when SR extended electrification to TPJ and the link broke -

What will be Thy fateth,

Yo Dippy? Thee hath to tell,

Silence is my answer See-eth Thee,

Lest behold I hold my mouth

Shut from this evening

There he passeth

With his lungs breathing, mouth shut

There he passeth, Thee My Majesty.

Third one:

For those familiar with Andal's Nachiyar thirumozhi, here is the new form!

Petrol naarumo, krishnaayil naarumo*

karunchaandhu pugaiyum mookukku veesumo*

podhigai osiththa deepeethreeyin karumpugaiyum naatramum*

virupputru kEtkirEn sol GOC deemerE*

* indicates line end.

Original version -

karuppooram narumo kamalappoo narumo*

thirupavaLa chevvaaidhaan thithithirukkumo*

maruppositha maadhavanthan vaaychuvaiyum naatramum*

viruputru kEtkirEn sol aazhi veNsangE*.

Onboard 1041 Dadar

My ancient(!!) dream of travelling in the prestigious Dadar Express came true once more. The first one was when Ashwanth and I ventured to RU (came back by the then 6011). This time, it was when we (My Appa, Ashwanth, Sriram Karthik and I) took a round trip on Jan. 1, 2010 - MAS - GDR - KHT - RU - MAS. Jottings onboard --

1041/22654 ED:

RU 134 km 1350

Pudi 1403

SVF 1407

TDK 118 1411

PUT 111 1416/1418

TRT 81 1456/1457

Ichi. 1503

AJJ 68 1512/1514

TO 1522

TRL 1540 (Slow Up)

ABU 1605

MAS - on time. I enjoyed it very much as it was a front facing LB with no encroachers onboard!! Ofcourse, with lots of naps in between!!