A Tribute to one of the Fastest Train of SR, He is considered to the Master Blaster to Southern Railways
Before entering this Blog i should thank My RF Friends , Koushal , Mahesh sundaram chennai ,Ajay , Navin and gijo paiva for encouraging me in RF , which intern made me to write a Blog
When someone talk about SR's Fastest Train the one which strikes any railfans mind would be 12621/12622 Tamil Nadu Express nor Chennai Rajdhani or 2007/2008 mysore shatabthi express , But my blog is not about those...
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trains
Its All about a Trains whose name can be a redefinition for speed ,the only train up to my knowledge in india which has more passenger fans than Railfans for its speed from then till date , this train stand as an unbeatable and Un Disputed king of the South yet .. no Shatabthi and no duronto has still over slammed this Majestic Hero!!!!!!!!!!!
People Of Down south would get this name on mind when someone talk about any superfast train , kids of down southindia Re-define or Re-Adopt the term speed under this Name and the People of Madurai might have not seen the
River flodding on a Daily Basis But one single Train Flooding like a river and Storming like a typhone between Madurai and Chennai,and This train is none other than the Master Blaster of SR
the Flight of Madurai and the one and only "VAIGAI Express 12635/12636" after August 15 1977 the people of madurai might have forgoten the term Speed rather they term it as vaigai
This Train Carries lot of fame and records and not only railfans but there are some passenger fans for this train , Vaigai started its journey from 15th August 1977 in MG and on the very 1st days Vaigai had clocked in its Top Speed
by covering the distance of 500kms in 7 hours and 5 minutes 6AM departure at MDU and 1.05Pm Arrival at PF 1 MS which is more faster than anyother BG SF trains,it had a special loco with a special jet bush motor euqipment for breaking and it had special Rakes Designed to Run at 110kmph and it was the 1st train in SR to get Tubelights in coaches which made the passengers feel Very Special
during initial days unlike shatabthi's Vaigai ran 6 per week and tuesdays no service due to special maintenance , untill mid 80's it did not had service on tuesdays, on its initial days this train used to get YDM 4 and the officials made sure that the loco used to be in SHF
there used to be turn tables at madurai and Trichy the loco used to be cooled at Vridhacahalam jn with huge generator fans at the ends of platform with a 10 minutes halt , during initial days it had 3 stops between MDU and MS and they were DG,TPJ,VM,after 1985 Chenglepet , Tambaram and Didigul were added , But till date it has a Special proceedence the stops had increased the coaches have increased but still the Speed and fame have not come down
At earlier stages Vaigai used to have Yellow Green livery and then it came with Vermilon Red Livery with a cream band inbetween and at last days of MG it had maroon and Cream Livery(old Tamil nadu express BG Livery), there were several experiments made with vaigi during initial days
till 1985 this train ran with 16 coaches coaches and for a time period it was haulled By Multi YDM 4's with a matching livery and then SR Split up vaigai express into 2 trains from then his brother Pallavan Express was born(12605/12606)
after 1985 Vaigai Started Running with 8 coaches with 1 AC coach specially Manufactured By ICF
As a kid i always love to Travel in Vaigai Express and it was the 1st trian that demonstrated me Speed , i still remember the fast Skip of Tambaram , Ariyalur and dusting Speed of Vaigai , my mom used to cover my face with a towel due to dust
but even then i loved the speed of the train, during recent past i had a oppurnity to travel in Shikansen at Japan But still i feel that shinkansen didn'nt satisfy me that the 1st vaigai experience did and that's the only reason which give me a personal attachment with vaigai express
from then till date there is not even a single journey i have sat in my seat while i travel in vaigai , i make sure that i travel in vaigai atleast 4 times with no reason , i travel to madurai just to experience vaigai , Only thing which i feel sad is now SR has increased it stoppings
and travel time is increased up to 7 hours and 45 minutes and 8 hours in up and down directions
One should not miss the vaigai's Negotiation of the massive while enterring Trichy
i have seen and experienced this train with all locomotives , the One train which is bearly feel that had been haulled by all Loco classes , YDM 4, YAM 1, WDM 2, WDP 2, WDP 3A, WDM 3A twins , WDM 3D, KJM WDP 4 , GOC WDP 4B,WAP 1's and WAP 4
i Still can feel hear the YDM 4 of vaigai roaring lion and limping fast like a Cheatha and dusting like a Typhoon during my raifanning session at chennai suburbs , the Real MG Legend is still non comparable to any other SF trains in india
During its initial BG Days at 1997 Vaigai used to get a single WDM 2 for the full journey post 1998 vaigai became 21 coacher so it got a WDP 2 and WDP 3A loco for entire journey after BG electirification of MS-VM Section from 2003 Vaigai got WAP 4 as its regular link till VM from there a WDP 3A , and WDM 3A of GOC used to haul it
after Serveral trails vaigai got constant WDM 3D from MDU-Vm and From VM to MDU from 2005 to 2007 during 2008 after MDU Crew Got Trained in EMD's came the KJM Deemer , KJM WDP 4 used to haul Vaigai from MDU-VM and VM-MDU till 2009 , during 2009 Vaigai Was Electrified till Trichy and it was the 1st train to Cross VM with an AC loco
and in 2011 Vaigai was electric haulled till Dindigal and Vaigai was the 1st train to enter Madurai Division with electric locomotive , on Feb 12 2014 one of the memorable moment in my life happend i happened to travel in the 1st AC Loco Haulled vaigai express that started from Madurai
i had made a MUG with Vaigai Express Theme which i gifted to the loco pilot who sarted the 1st AC locomotive from Madurai , the Lp and the departmental crowd near the loco were astonished to see the MUG with pictures of all loco's of Vaigai and the Lp said that he felt very special upon a passenger appreciating and gifting him with a MUG with all LOCO pics of Vaigai express
One True Fact about this train was a 1350Hp YDM 4 did not of Magic than the 5000 HP WAP 4 , but still Vaigai is one of the Storming trains in SR a hero among the Passengers and a Master Blaster Among the Railfans
Vaigai is one among the trains in india that has a monument , Vaigai express has its name plate depicted at the Entrance of Madurai PF 1 with the Pandian kingdom Symbol (Madurai Division symbol) till date the Pandian Kingdom Symbol can be found in its Name-board
Tpj Division has restored Vaigai's 1st day operational Loco and have plinthed in front of GOC workshop as a showcase of their Master Piece , Vaigai's AC chaircar car were used in NFR untill 2011 , Vaigai has lost its glorious and majestic liveries
No shatabthi nor no Duronto can Replace Vaigai Express in Chennai-Madurai line .. Vaigai is still an unbeatalbe and undisputed King of SR
Hope Vaigai will get its WAP 7 link soon and hope in the up-coming timetables it get speed up and its TT is reduced to 7 hours 30 minutes to match up with its real MG Avathar!!!!
VAIGAI the name By itself would redefine the term Speed according to all travelers of south
I have attached few Pictures of Vaigai which i clicked during my travel in vaigai express , you can see several nameboard of vaigai express from 2006 till date and Vaigai Name plate at entrance of PF 1 , and Vaigai Curving out of TPJ with a WAP 4 and WDP 4b getting attached to Vaigai and LP N.Balasubramaniam Ayyar wishing me a helo and WDP 4B vaigai curving on Vaigai Bridge , Vaigai Express monument with its MG Loco plinthed at the GOC loco workshop entrance