Bengaluru-Chennai Mail
Loco:RPM WAP7 30475
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So,it was time to get back to MAS. Luckily, we managed to get confirmed berths in the mighty Mail albeit it was a vacation time. So,this was my first trip in 8 Mail in 2017.
We reached SBC by 22:10 hrs making our way through the Monday traffic. As we made our way to the platform, I spotted the Lalbagh Express resting that had already arrived on PF.No.2 with its regular link, WAP7 from Royapuram. The rake was very clean just as expected from SWR. Also the train didnt sport the Amazon advertisements. Just as I stepped onto the platform, Mail was shunted in the reverse mode, with the coupling staff in the SLR continuously blowing the whistle to warn passengers. The GS near to H1 was a Deen Dayalu coach. H1 seemed brand new. It was a 16 made coach with serial number,160001, if I am right. The rake made rhythmic track sounds as it was shunted. A1 was 04 made coach which belonged to SR. The other GS coach was a normal coach(not Deen Dayalu). The entire rake had bio toilets. Some coaches seemed to have undergone POH. Many coaches had YPR markings on them while some belonged to UBL divn. The shunter quickly got detached and made its way towards BNC. At a distance, I saw the headlights of a loco. It was the typical headlight of a WAP7. So,our link was already waiting to get coupled. On the pitline, there was an EMD(probably 4D) waiting to take change of the CBE bound Kurla Express.
The WAP7 rushed onto the platform to get coupled to Mail. Lo and Behold! It was 30475 from Royapuram, SR's second HOG capable WAP7. So, this was my 2nd journey in a train being hauled by HOG WAP7(the first being in 12605 hauled by 30426). I couldnt capture the loco at SBC due to presence of RPF. But I captured it at MAS-
/blog/post/2249581. Now this 30475 is a star performer in the SBC-MAS section. I have seen it haul Mail and Kaveri umpteen number of times. The loco( and also 30477/9) has typical WAP4 horns that meant no whining. Nevertheless, those P4 horns were really melodious, I must accept. My coach was S2, 04 made coach,recently POHed. It had charging points. The coach was very clean. Once again, it was a classic example of SWR maintenance. At 22:20 hrs, a typical 3 phase honking was heard. It was a WAP7 for sure honking madly shooing off people standing on the tracks near PF.No.7. And then, came the 12027, SWR's insurance Shatabdi led by RPM WAP7 303XX(probably 30390) arriving onto PF.No.7, early by 10 minutes. This was the first time,I saw 12027 arriving early as against its standard delay of 10-20 minutes. Hope, this punctuality is maintained forever.
The Kurla Express from LTT hadnt arrived yet. The time was already 22:35 hrs. At 22:40 hrs, 11013 hurried onto PF.No.3 with a madly honking WDP4. Simultaneously, the EMD on the pitline honked and reversed to take charge of 11013. After 11013 had cleared the points, we got the starter. At 22:42 hrs, P7 gave a long and typical P4 honk that could be heard right upto the 24th coach and we were off. We slowly cleared the points and inched towards BNC. The EMD waited for us to clear its way to reverse onto PF.No.3. After the PSR of 15 was cleared, once again the P7 honked and this time, it was twin tone P4 honking. We accelerated to 60 in no time. The LPs were probably in a joyous mood as they were continuously honking breaking the silence around. As we neared BNC, the LPs applied the brakes and we slowed down to 30. We arrived at BNC, delayed by 3 mins. At 22:55 hrs, we got proceed signal at BNC. Now, WAP7 showed its power. We started hitting MPS in a short while. But this did not last for long as we had to slow down to negotiate the BNCE curve. Also we met WAP7 led BWT-SBC Express before BNCE. After skipping BNCE, again we accelerated to around 105 kmph. BYPL,KJM and WFD were skipped at MPS with continuous honking and wonderful track sounds.
BNC-BWT was done in flat 55 minutes. After a quick halt at BWT, we proceeded towards KPN. There was nothing much to observe in this stretch. Occasionally, some express trains whizzed past us. MAR-JTJ was covered at a sedate pace with MPS of 75 kmph. At JTJ outer, we met MYS bound Kaveri Express. Some of the trains which crossed in the JTJ-KPD stretch were Cheran,Yercaud and Bengaluru Mail. At GYM, we overtook 56213 CMNR-TPTY passenger. KPD-AJJ was done non-stop except for a speed restriction of 10 kmph at WJR. We arrived AJJ with a delay of around 15 minutes. We switched onto the fast line at TRL. The suburbs of Chennai were thrashed at 110 kmph. Occasionally we touched 114-115 kmph. Finally, we reached the penultimate scheduled halt,PER at 04:04 hrs, 16 minutes behind schedule. At 04:05, we started from PER.
I was expecting an arrival by 04:15 hrs at MAS given the controlling of SR. But we came to a screeching halt at BBQ. As we were coming to a halt, the horn of a WAP4 was heard from the BZA side. It was LGD WAP4 22511 leading the 12839 HWH-MAS Mail delayed by 27 minutes. As soon as HWH Mail crossed BBQ, SBC Mail was given clearance. We had not halted even for one full minute at BBQ, when we got starter. But, we were stopped near BBQ ETS for 5 minutes. A WAP4 led express towards BBQ crossed us. At last, Mail reached MAS at 04:23 hrs onto PF.No.5, a whooping 22 min early arrival. A WAG9 was coupled to an express at PF.No.9/10(not sure about that). PLNI-MAS SF Express tha was ready to get shunted to the yard by a TNP alco. AJJ WAP1 22005 had hauled the PLNI SF Express. The Grandpa was also warming up to return to BBQ ETS. The loco had lost its Sapthagiri livery. 30475 was decoupled from the rake of Mail. The pantos were switched. Sooner or later, it would have joined 22005 at BBQ ETS.
Overall rating:
Cleanliness- 10/10.
Comfort-10/10.
Speed & Punctuality-10/10.