My last journey in train before Corona entered...
My first Travelogue, do read it full...

Train Number : 22682/MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Weekly SF Express
Source : SBC/KSR Bengaluru Jn
Destination...
more...

: MYS/Mysuru Jn
Date : 21st February, 2020

It was a Mysuru one-day trip with my friends(Two of them). It was their first visit to Mysuru.

Note: They are not RFs

My friends arrived at my home at 4:00 am. Had booked an OLA cab from my home to railway station. Reached railway station at 4:20 am. Earlier than expected. My friends were angry about reaching so early but I was filled with joy getting to spot one of my favourite, Chennai - KSR Bengaluru Mail.

Entered from the front gate. A completely empty ticket counter. Bought three unreserved ticket for a SF express.

Then we entered the station..
These were the trains at respective PFs

PF 1 : Lalbagh SF
PF 2 : Empty
PF 3 : ERS ICE
PF 4 : Empty to welcome Chennai Mail
PF 5 : Empty to welcome our train
PF 6 : Empty to welcome Night Queen Passenger
PF 7 : KSR Bengaluru - Ramanagaram MEMU getting ready to depart at 5:00 am
PF 8 : Talaguppa - Mysuru Express
PF 9 & 10 : Did not see

Got down to PF 4 to see Mail.
Arrived 5 mins BT at PF 4 with RPM WAP-7 with the lead. The regular rush with that one. With no one on the PF to Hundreds, my friends were a bit frustrated.

Then moved on to PF 5 where our train had to arrive.
The time was around 04:45

KJM WAP-7 30630 ("KABINI") arrived with Night Queen passenger at 04:51. This trains continues to Karaikal as SBC-KIK Fast Passenger. KJM WAP-7 passed through PF 5 towards the Mysuru end. Probably the link for 16231.

05:00 AM
KSR Bengaluru - Ramanagaram MEMU departed from PF 7 and soon the Chennai Shatabdi was shunted to PF 7.

05:10 AM
Talaguppa - Mysuru Express hauled by UBL WDP-4D departed SBC with a delay of 40 minutes.

05:20 AM
RPM WAP-7 hauled MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Weekly SF Express arrived at PF 5. Most of the passengers got down at KSR Bengaluru. We got into S9 which was more than half empty. There were around 15 - 20 passengers in the whole coach luckily. I got my favourite Emergency Window Seat. There was a group of 7-8 people who had come from Chennai and they were going to Mysuru. By their talks, it looked like they were colleagues and they were on a trip as it was a holiday (It was Maha Shivarathri). Had it been the Mayiladuthurai - Mysuru SF Express, it would not have been such empty.

Note: In the SBC - MYS section, every trains S6 onward is unreserved. But you can also board S1 to S6 with an UR ticket. Nobody would be asking you except when you are in one of those 4 ICE's

5:30 AM
With a long horn, our train departed bang on time. Melodious track sounds to start of with, especially the ones when the tracks bifurcate from our track or join our track were just amazing. It was too cold in Bengaluru, so my friends started to plead me to close the window, but I clearly refused them as I wanted to enjoy.

Started with a curve near BCC Layout just before Krishnadevaraya halt. It was a slow skip at Krishnadevaraya halt due to the TSR at the curve. Then WAP-7 started to accelerate hard and had touched around 65 kmph at Nayandahalli. A good skip of the deserted station.

With the cool breeze from the great Emergency Window and the mesmerizing ICF track sounds, it was just fantastic...These words are less to describe that feeling..

To be continued...............................