#randomclicks
Some final random clicks before leaving Ranchi. I hope you all had enjoyed the various trains and loco links.
For all the links and spottings at RNC.. please go through these blogs
/blog/post/1992821
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धन्य हुए भाग्य हमारे,
जो हम आपके सामने पधारे।।
This was the feeling which incurred to me when I came face to face with the Great Crawler, 13132 KOAA-ANVT Express, jokingly called as The Bullet or Crawler Rajdhani by me. For the first time, I got a chance to board the train, albeit for just 2 minutes.
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scene was that I persuaded my friend to travel in it as he wasn't getting confirmed reservation in any of the trains on 27th August due to heavy rush on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. Actually, he had a RAC ticket in Magadh Express on 28th August but he wanted to go on 27th itself. When he couldn't find any way out, he came to me for help, knowing that I was a railfan and had more knowledge than him in this regard. And then I hatched a plan & started describing about KOAA-ANVT Express, how one of my friend easily got reservation in it & that this was his only ray of hope. Reluctantly he agreed, despite strongly thinking that he was being tricked into a huge conspiracy. I somehow held my laughter and after repeated rounds of persuation, he finally agreed to travel by it and booked a Waitlisted sleeper ticket thereafter. Unfortunately, his ticket got stuck in RAC after charting. I told him to talk to the TTE and ask for a confirm berth in 3A. He did get it later, after paying 400 rupees to the TTE.
That day when I went to see him off, I was shocked to find that the train was almost full. I honestly had never expected this. 13132 was as usual, rescheduled that day as well and departed at 7pm. My friend cheerfully waved me good bye, unaware of the consequences ahead. It took him 19:32 hours to cover around 630km, he reached Allahabad at 14:32. Avg speed of the trip comes out to be 32.20kmph. That's the Bullet for you. _/\_ _/\_
#HA

Satpura Railways.
After 2 years of planning finally I got the chance to travel on satpura railways. I needed one partner with me and I got my 11 year old son Aman ready for this magnificent narrow gauge journey.
After 2/3 plans I shortlisted to travel via Nagpur chhindwara Nainpur jabalpur and to Ahmednagar via Itarsi, but Itarsi fire forced me to change the plan as Jabalpur Nainpur Balaghat Gondia Nagpur Ahmednagar.
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All the booking was done and set for the much awaited journey. At last moment my 9 year old daughter also joined us, initially she was reluctant for the journey.
3 rd july
my father also wanted to go Varanasi his hometown but was not getting direct ticket so he decided to go via Durg. He joined us on same train with lower berth quota confirm ticket.
on journey day we all were ready to board 12850 Pune bilaspur express and left home at 2035 hours since station is 3 minutes drive from my home at Ahmednagar.
At station Jhelum arrived with delay, by the time I brought a General class ticket for my daughter who was last minute inclusion to my dream journey. 12850 arrived with delay of 20 minutes, we all boarded our coach S8 which was newly made with charging point in each bay.
I slept around 2200 hours, so night was good and uneventful. I woke up in the morning when train arrived at Bandera, here I got fresh. Here 12101 was overtaken by 12850. Again I decided to sleep. when I woke my train was entering Ajni. Here we had 2 minutes halt. Train reached Nagpur platform 2 10 minutes ahead of schedule. we three got down, my dad continued his journey to Durg and onward to Varanasi by Sarnath express.
Again I had confirm ticket in 58839 for me and my son, I went to uts window for my daughter ticket and ask clerk for a ticket to Nainpur but she gave me ticket to Raipur, which I cancel loosing 15 rs as charges and told her I want ticket to Nainpur on NG train. This time she got it right. The child ticket for 290 kilometres cost me just 30 rs, cheapest ever.
to be continued.....