MY ADVENTURE ON A SUPER CRAWLER
> I embarked on a hurricane trip to CBE on 7th January to condole the death of my elder cousin brother who passed away on the 3rd. At such short notice it was well nigh impossible to garner tickets in the fancy trains like Coromandel or Chennai Mail. 3A WL tkts with a good chance of confirmation were available only in the SLOW COACH of the Coromandel Coast viz. EAST COAST EXPRESS.
> I plumped for travel by the IR tortoise and took the plunge by reserving...
more...

upto BZA hoping to reach there by 11 am on the 8th and trusting myself to God for the rest of the journey to MAS. I had mentally prepared myself to travel by UR in any suitable train available which could get me to MAS before 10 pm that night in time to board the 12673 Cheran Express. Admin Pramodh was kind enough to employ his consummate skills in TATKAL BOOKING to secure my accommodation by sleeper class in Cheran Express for 8th Jan. In an effort to ensure that he did not fall prey to the vagaries of an erratic IRCTC, Pramodh opted for the safer option of a visit to the PRS for the purpose. Just as I was HWH-bound in a taxi at 10.30 am on the 7th, he called me to convey the good news that he had hit the jackpot. That news to me was like manna from the heavens.
> Pramodh's magnitude of concern for my welfare made him take a step further and book a confirmed 3A ticket for me in the 16212 NZM-MAS GR , which was scheduled to depart from BZA on 8th at 14.30 and reach MAS at 20.15. Apparently he did not fancy the idea of my travelling UR for that 6/7 hour lap from BZA to MAS. After the GR had departed from NDLS AT 1600 hrs on 7th, he as well as admins Tejas and BG were tracking the movement of the that train and updating me of its progress, which was quite rosy till the time the GR had reached Jhansi. But it was thereafter that things started going awry. Bhopal onwards the GR started losing time and the delay started mounting to my discomfort. However the ETERNAL OPTIMIST in Pramodh kept assuring me that the night run of the GR would suffice to make up for lost time and there was no CAUSE FOR CONCERN
> The journey by the ECE was a revelation even if I was no stranger to this train, having undertaken several trips in the 70s to the State Bank Staff College Hyderabad when this train used to terminate at BZA. Slip coaches would be attached there to the Krishna Express for onward transportation to Hyderabad. As the occupant of B3-12 I found the coaches/toilets to be spick and span. Remarkable considering that it had arrived at HWH at 6.35 am that morning in its avatar as 18616 Hatia-Howrah Express and then been tugged to the SRC yard for a quick bath and makeover in less than 4 hours time. The co-passengers were friendly and the journey comfortable. A Jeffrey Archer novel and SUDOKU helped me pass the time gainfully. Homemade food of sufficient quantity to last me till BZA saved me from being at the mercy of IRCTC and on-board catering staff. As I crossed Cuttack at 1910 I despatched the, by now, customary SMS to our admin KALINGAS, who requested me to break journey and spend the evening with him. That was magnanimous on his part but then the purpose of my journey was altogether different and did not include MISCHIEF of any sort including the WHITE one.
> The SUPER CRAWLER maintained a good speed till we reached VSKP, its 36th SCHEDULED STOP, 40 mns late at 4.25 am on the 8th. How it manged to be 40 mns late despite a generous dose of running time is better not commented upon. And to rub salt into the wound, it was made to halt at VSKP for 50 mns to allow safe passage to 12841 Coromandel Express which departed from HWH a full 3 hours later. Also getting precedence was the late running 15905 Dibrugarh Cape Vivek Express. Finally it left VSKP at 5.15 am, 70 mns late. By about 8 am Pramodh intimated that the GR was running 2 hours late. He suggested that we wait nonetheless till 10 am before taking a call. THAT MAN WITH THE ROSY OUTLOOK still felt that GR would bring me to Central before the departure of the Cheran Express at 2210 by virtue of SLACK TIME on its BZA-MAS RUN. However, as the condition of the GR at 10 am continued to REMAIN CRITICAL (150 mns late), Pramodh was forced to abandon further hopes. Finally I reached BZA at 11.25, with a condonable dalay of a mere 25 mns. AND THEN COMMENCED A RUN WHICH WAS FASTER THAT ANYTHING THE EAST COAST IS ACCUSTOMED TO. But more about that later.
(To be contd........)