If 2658 is a legendary sleep killer , 3 times a week , it has a clone sleep killer as well . During January months , these clones generally come handy, for the RSA of the sleep killer with state named train, ensures it's generally rescheduled by hours

Reached station by around 2215 hours , as the announcement went for the departure of the 16508 biweekly to Jodhpur from PF-9 . PF-1 was occupied by a LHB rake behind WAP7 which I assumed must be the 12658 to Chennai . The rake...
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was alternating between ICF and LHB in spare version , and that particular day, charting showed a SE1 and BE1 coach in consist. Confusion persisted

WAG7 twins passed through PF-5 hauling a BCNA rake slowly trugging along , without stopping. 22681 was allocated PF-5 , so we moved towards the concourse area and stationed ourselves there . 16593 bound to Nanded was stationed on PF-6

Deciding to have a coffee, asked mom to take care of luggage, while me and dad walked down to the Cothas coffee at PF-7 enterance . 16508 had left in meantime and rake of 16589 Rani Chennamma was shunted in for departure. 16227 to Talaguppa from Mysore pulled in slowly PF-10 . Hospet Bangalore express was allocated to arrive on PF-9

WAP7 of KJM shed moved in the meantime into PF-3 with the 12027 from Chennai Central. Looks like the fixed PF-7 allocation for shatabdi is gone and looks like it gets the platform as required

We walked with cup of coffee towards mom, to find a rake being shunted out from the yard behind a WAP7. ICF rake at this time who has a departure, thought went. Couldn't read the boards properly in the darkness , thought of checking it later

The coach positions started displaying for 22681 and we waited for the announcement for the arrival of same. As time ticked to 2250, announcement went, not for 22681 arrival, but for 12658 departure . Slightly thrown up by this , a delayed start for sleep killer , will mean kill is guaranteed

As we waited for announcement, Dad spotted a light reflecting on the rakes in yard and remarked, looks like he is entering . Sleep killer turning into silent killer looks like , as KJM WAG9 pulled in with the 22681. We slowly walked towards our coach position as the train pulled into a halt .

2019 made coach was companion for the night, but a spic and span maintainence from Mysore division. 12781 was cancelled previous week and the rake seemed to have got a long rest and come out from slumber

Mom settled down immediately with berths put up while me and dad settled downnin LB MB onnopposite waiting for the departure time . Announcement went for 22681 waiting , 16589 leaving and 16227 waiting , as time ticked past to 2305 . Checked online, 12658 had departed only at 2307 hours so we would have to have a slight wait

The wait wasn't too long, it was only till 12658 cleared the points and we were off. A loud shreiking noise from WAG9 and we proceeded slowly trotting out clearing the platforms. The rake of Lalbagh was cleared from PF-4 and moved parallel with us for the shunting and loco stopped just as we crossed it , to get back to the pit

The MEMU from Bangarpet made the presence felt as we moved slowly in the main Bangalore City route towards the Canttonment, slowing down at Cantt outer and proceeding to enter BNC, as announcement went for our arrival .

We quickly proceeded from BNC, and a quick meet with the 11+ hours late running 12628 Karnataka express , we laid out the berths to sleep . Thought of a smooth sleep , later remembering that my Sleeper class journeys have reduced in last year , and it was too long since I took a LHB SL. The previous time was by ASK SC special in ICF rake in August 2023 .


Just as I was about to catch up with sleep , a loud honk was heard on opposite as a flurry of blue ICF coaches dashed across . Spotting blue ICF coaches is like a oasis in a desert in current situation, and tried to figure out who it was . The late running weekly daily special ( Different trains running on various days of week with numbering on 5 days making it almost a daily slot ) from Danapur to SmvT running close to 11 hours late , skipping KJM as it proceeds to its last halt , close to time its supossed to leave SMVT .

Tried to catch winks of sleep, but somehow couldn't sleep. The rocking of the train failed to make me sleep well. May be a few winks here and there so badly , that I hear all the announcements from the stations where he stopped through


Bangarpet for 22681, Jolarpettai, announcement of the Kerala express arriving , Katpadi for 22681, Arakkonam for the Chennai Central and Tiruttani bound local. Time was 335AM as we departed from Arakkonam

A quick dash from Arakkonam and looks like finally I slept , for heard my Dad calling me that we are departing from Perambur, as time ticked to 425AM . A slow run till Vyasarpadi Jeeva to let a freight move over to the main line , moved without stopping straight to proceed into PF-9 of Chennai Central with a TNP WDM-7 awaiting to shunt a ICF rake from PF-8

ICF rake with SWR markings .... Who is this guy... The same guy whom we spotted the previous evening getting pulled out from pitline !!! The 12658 Mail was on PF-8 with the AC attenders going about their job of folding the bedsheets of the night run . Announcement went on for the departure of Vijayawada bound Vande Bharat from PF-2A and a delayed GT of 4.5 hours and Navajeevan entering shortly close to time . PF-10 had the rake of Kovai Brindavan RSA, the crowd in UR indicating it was the Kovai bound Kovai having to leave at 610AM. Time ticked to 445AM , we were 15 mins ahead and true to the name, I killed my sleep the previous night. Walked out of the station to catch the MTC A1 which didn't turn up for 15 mins...realised it was a newly declared public holiday in TN that day for Thai Poosam , a long weekend and buses were on long duty , settled in an auto to go home, to catch up on sleep I lost with the clone "sleep killer"