Hi friends, here is an trip report.
DOJ : 30-Mar-14 (Sunday) from CSTM to SRC.
Started from home (PNVL) in 08:40Hrs local to CSTM, reached plaftorm no :
18, to where rakes of 12869 HOWRAH SUP EXP were brought around 10:35
Hrs...
more... by WDS-6 CLA (pic 01). Found my old coach S-2 at nearly rear end, with
seat numbers : 33 & 36 (both LBs) With a slow jerk train departed at
11:10Hrs from CSTM and saw PRAGATI EXPRESS bound to Mumbai CST
near Masjid station (pic 02), it was nice run till Dadar where we halted for
just 2 mins. After that it was customary halt at Thane for 2-3 mins some
local suburban people climbed our coach, on enquiry found they were to
travel till Kalyan, Thanks to our Central Railway's Sunday Mega blocks as
locals trains weren't running properly. We crossed Parsik tunnel (pic 03),
reached Kalyan to see some unknown Express train behind WAM-4 ET (pic
04), departed Kalyan after LTT GKP SANT KABIRDHAM EXP which was WAP-7
AJNI hauled was let to go and we halted for 10 mins, to find out that there
was some signaling work going on near Shahad station where we were
halted for good 15 mins, then again near Titwala for 10 mins, after that
reached Kasara to attachment of bankers to ur train at around 14:20Hrs (pic
05) We proceeded to Thal Ghat with 2 WAG-7 KYN as bankers at the rear
end (pic 06) Saw HWH MUMBAI MAIL (VIA ALD) with a WCAM-3 KYN (pic 07)
reached Igatpuri (08) after traversing through scenic Western ghats admist
summer heat nearly 1 Hr late, here we were attached to a friend whom
came a long way to take us on vacation and that was none other than our
good'ol WAP-4 SRC in mediocre red and cream color, we left Igatpuri and
cruized through Igatpuri AC locoshed (pic 09) After that I felt dizzyness and
went to sleep to wake up near Hirapur near about Chalisgaon (pic 10) At
Maheji we overtook a LHB coached train and after watching the loco of it
discovered that it was that same SANT KABIRDHAM EXP we found in Kalyan,
we whizzed past Jalgaon, to reach Bhusaval 01:05 Hrs late at 19:05 Hrs
(pic11) and some 5 mins after SANT KABIRDHAM EXP arrived besides our
platform (pic12), after a brief halt of 10 mins we departed from Bhusaval and
proceeded towards it's next halt at Akola, but before that at Bodwad found
it's another lazy cousin from South Eastern Railways that is our own 18030
SHM LTT EXPRESS err sorry it's "Passenger Service" with waist mounted
headlights WAP-4 HWH. Just some fractions later HWH MUMBAI MAIL (VIA
NGP) crawled with WAP-4 SRC roofmounted headlight, after that had dinner
and went to sleep to wake up after mid night around 00:45Hrs at Nagpur,
enquired from pantry guys that it reached Nagpur around 00:30Hrs. Here I
took can full of "Sheetal Jal" (cold water) and took out my cell phone charger
as at that time there was no other public was wake apart me to charge the
cell phone (pic13), in meantime heard announcement for Chattisgarh Exp to
arrive at station, clock struck 01:35Hrs and felt a movement. Here after woke
to see the sunrise of next day at Belha, Chattisgarh (pic14) At Bilaspur found
Udaipur bound train from Shalimar being hauled by offlink WAG-7 AJNI
tigerstrips (pic15), it's coaches seamed new and clean (pic16), left Bilaspur
10 mins late. Crossed river Sheonath (pic17) and next halt in Odisha at
Jharsuguda and then at Rourkela (pic18 & 19) At Rourkela bought some
Ghooghee (Bengali type Chole Bhature) and started to have my lunch while
we were crossing Sraonda forest range (pic 20 & 21) There after arrived at
Chakradhapur where took some snaps including my self snap! (pic 22 & 23)
After that Tatanagar came at around 15:15Hrs where spotted a lone WAM-4
TATA and another WAM-4 TATA ready to haul another unknown train
towards Chakradharpur (pic 24 & 25) Left Tatanagar after 5 mins of halt,
there after we were cruizing through open fields (pic 26) whizzed past
Jhargram to find Mumbai bound GITANJALI EXPRESS with WAP-4 SRC (pic
27 & pic28) At Sardiha (The infamous place where Janeshwari Super Delx
accident took place) crossed an EMU (pic 29) Then came the Jnaneshwari
Express accident site with it's mangled coaches remains staring at me! (pic30
& pic 31) Nimpura freight yard was crossed around 16:45Hrs (pic 32) to
reach Kharagpur at 17:10 (pic 33) after that I was unable to take pics as my
hands were all in mess due to eating of Aloo chops & Samosas (Aloo
pakoras) as pantry guy was selling them at half price! Thanks to him my
tummy was full with a loud burp! It was wonderful feeling as train was well
tearing the track at about 90KMPH till Panskura (pic 34) till contined till
Kolaghat, where after it was limited to meagre 50KMPH run till Santragachi
at 19:10Hrs, were I alighted and came to down direction after traversing
through ROB to find rakes of Mumbai bound JNANESHWARI DELX stationed
which will be taken to Howrah for tonight's service (pic 35 & 36) In meantime
Puri bound JAGANNATH EXP past us at 19:30Hrs behind WAP-4 SRC. My
Amta bound EMU arrived at 19:40Hrs and thus the end of a wonderful
journey.
