PART-3:
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The train was unusually full, well i can't really say unusually or not, but in a 2S coach, there were atleast 30 people standing apart from the reserved ones all the way till Arsikere. Once we departed Tumkur, movement was very slow with stops every 15-20 minutes to give way to trains ranging from Superfasts to Passengers. We had originally intended to alight at Kadur, the scheduled arrival being 18:54 and take the connecting train(Shimoga Town-Chikmaglur Passenger) to Chikmaglur at 2010. Assuming a delay of even 40 minutes, this seemed like...
more...

a totally viable plan.
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We were looped at Karadi and made to wait quite a long time to let what appeared like Tatanagar-YPR express to pass. With hope still alive and spirits all high, we got back into the train hoping we would still be able to make it. SMET-YPR express was waiting for our train at Tiptur and we were making great progress after that, Arsikere was only 25kms from here, On time Performance is assured is what we thought not being able to predict the events of the next one hour.
After departure from Tiptur, we were making good time till we were looped into platform 3 of Honnavalli Road. With a lazy stretch, all of us got out of the train to either click some pictures, find some local vendors and get some food and the likes. A crossing was inevitable, and no sooner than the opposite mainline aspect turned green, the dutiful railfans headed to that end of the platform to have do some investigations on the train approaching. Minutes later, Chalukya Express Zoomed past at a rather sedate pace owing to some TSR ahead. Anyway, we were set to leave now that the crossing was over, right? Wrong!
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It was dark already and the vehicle lights from the mainroad after the station were clearly visible, the level crossing gate had been opened. This meant we are not going anywhere and are to give way to another train at the same station, double crossing for an already delayed intercity express, we were certainly not pleased. Soon enough, the aspect of the mainline MACL turned green again for what we thought would be Janshatabdi, cursing the train. In few minutes, which appeared like hours, Karwar-YPR triweekly express made an appearance and went past us in a slow pace, almost mocking the intercity express.
Our train, SMET intercity was already quite badly trolled with two crossings at the same station. But finally the wait was over and we were good to go, oh how wrong we were!!
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The LC gate opened again and we threw our arms in the air in despair, i was wondering how the reaction would be from a certain railfan from the same base very renowned for his exaggerated reactions to anything imaginable. Its been about 30 minutes since we have been looped at honavalli road when the MACL on the mainline turned green yet again, this time bringing in UBL-SBC Jan shatabdi, the delay now more than 90 minutes. We were supposed to take the passenger from Kadur to chiikmaglur at 2010, but having spent the last 45 odd minutes at the same location, it was 2000 already crushing all hopes.
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What followed was a non stop run to Arsikere and the fastest run in the whole trip between Arsikere and Kadur, it was about 2100, YPR-CMGR passenger was trailing us somewhere not much behind. However, reaching Chikmaglur station around 2300, a station located outside the city and looking for accomodation options didnt seem that appealing. Altough we did at a point considering spending the night at the station.
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So Kadur it was, for the night, to head to Chikmaglur early next morning..Exploring that route in the morning was something which kept us all going(Apart from one or two other edible things) although we were all clearly tired.
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TO BE CONTINUED...