Presenting pics of my trip in LHB Rockfort Express. This is the first time I am travelling in RF after it got LHB rakes. It was a nostalgic moment for me. Remembered the good old days when I travelled to KMU in the then Rockfort link express. It was the first train in which my berth got upgraded.
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Date of capture: 24th December 2018.
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Pics 1 to 9: DLW's HOG RPM WAP7 37036 resting after hauling Puducherry-Chennai Egmore Passenger. Spotted the same loco at VM on 26th Dec 2018.
Pics 10 to 12: Bezel less 3AC coach.
Pic 13: TB.
Pic 14: TB.
Pics 15 & 16: Antyodaya EOG at TPJ end.
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Trip observations:
I was disappointed as I couldnt capture our link. I waited till 11:25 PM but our link was nowhere to be seen. MAQ Express departed at around 11:25 PM with RPM WAP7 30561 though starter was given at 11:10 PM itself. I waited and waited. I returned to my coach without waiting further to see my link. One UR and AC CC coach were attached to MAQ Exp between the loco and SLR. A P7 that shunted MAQ Exp quickly followed MAQ Exp. That should have been our link. When my train was on a curve, I could see that our link was a HOG WAP7 from RPM. It had WAP4 type horns. Our train left at 11:45 PM from MS. Both the EOGs of RF were on throughout the journey. We reached CGL at 01:00 AM. I woke up just in time to see Rockfort skipping Kollidam bridge before Srirangam at around 4:45 AM . Kollidam had puddles of water here and there while Mother Cauvery was brimming with water, flowing with full splendor. It was a mesmerising sight to see our train skipping through the mist early in the morning on the Cauvery bridge and it was a feast for my eyes to see Rockfort(Malaikottai temple) and wonderfully lit Srirangam Temple Gopuram on account of Vaikunta Ekadasi festival both on either side of River Cauvery. The water down was shining due to reflection of lights on either side of Cauvery. We were halted at TPJ outer for sometime. Finally after negotiating sharp curves we entered TPJ at 5:25 AM.