Why do we love WAP7 locomotive???
Test case:
GZB WAP7 #30280
12137 Mumbai CST Firozpur Punjab Mail
Zone: CR
Distance...
more...

: 55km
Speed target : 86kmph
Speed Achieved : 86.84kmph
Time taken: 37 minutes
Bhusaval to Burhanpur
To start with, I am a commuter of this section since 15 years and travelled by Punjab mail about 60 + times.
It was an average day I was going my home town for some work I had already completed my most of the journey by 18407 and was eagerly waiting for Punjab mail to come. Only after ST BSL pass came(#21309), it started showering trains in bhusawal, after pass came Jhelum with LDHs 'Kewal' locomotive on PF4 followed by Nagpur duronto on PF6 powered by our local hero AJNI P7 #30270, after duronto's departure with a brief halt of 5 mins Vidarbha came with BSL P4 #22307 showcasing its mid mounted beauty. I was waiting for mail and I waited 5- 10 minutes passed and vidarbha was given its starter after Jhelum's departure.
Then I heard the humming of one of the most sensational locos of IR approaching on PF4 and to my increasing excitement the LP honked softly when the loco approached towards me carrying CR's legend at its helm, . Out of my imagination Punjab mail arrived with GZB's white stallion numbered #30280.
We had a 5 minute halt and starter was given. (03:12 hrs)
My coach was 13 made and train was fairly occupied owing to a lean season, I stood at door and suddenly felt a jolt, mail had started to move and in no time after clearing platform PSR it started gaining speed and when it reached ELS (2km) we were already zooming past 80kilometers an hour and a felt a sudden jerk, brakes were applied because of a TSR on Tapti bridge, we were approching under a caution of 40 kmph as the loco cleared the bridge it started accelerating like anything , the 24 coach load seemed no big deal for P7 after clearing points at duskheda we were hitting 95 already and after few seconds we were flying at MPS
The MPS action was interrupted as we neared savda where train did 70 for 10 approx seconds and started accelerating again. After another 10 minutes of MPS action brakes started being applied as we passed raver because of a 65 PSR on girder bridge after which it accelerated to MPS till Waghoda and it never slowed down till Burhanpur outer and at 03:50 it stopped at platform.
The best part about P7 was its reflexes, after braking it is quite responsive and ready for acceleration.
The fastest I travelled in this section is by imperial mail (12321) which was hauled by ET's WAM4 which took 37 mins and no PSRs were present at that time.
Now Punjab mail wasn't known as an aggressive train but that day everything changed.
TRIP HAS ENDED