A Journey with Indian Railways- "The 8500ing" .

[yashwanth kumar]

Happy long 8500 KMs journey :P , i hope aal iz well

good update

Off topic

I too know you are a DC fan no need of (Deccan Chronicle newspaper) to show that

 

[Meet]

Good update man!
Enjoy your journey!

 

[Prithvi]

Off topic
I too know you are a DC fan no need of (Deccan Chronicle newspaper) to show that

Haha.... it was the random news paper name I was stuck with, when I was in that position .

Good update man!
Enjoy your journey!

& Thankyou .

 

[Harshshah]

This is really nice to read a Railway story

You have great knowledge and you are putting that well!!

 

[yashwanth kumar]

Haha.... it was the random news paper name I was stuck with, when I was in that position .

Why only Deccan Chronicle why not the other :P

 

[Gorro_124]

Why only Deccan Chronicle why not the other :P

Maybe because he likes Deccan Chargers!

 

[yashwanth kumar]

^ Thats what we were arguing with

 

[Prithvi]

Tring tring... and I took up the phone. It was around 12 noon on Sunday. When I replied, it was my Rail-fanning friend congratulating me up for getting employed in Indian Railways. As those were my final few free days, he planned a railfanning trip to Visakhapatnam, for which, we got readied up ourselves in two hours. We chose Garib Rath from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam, which was the one of few successful Garib Rath's, as the demand for that train is not much when compared to other trains.

We reached Secunderabad Railway Station and booked our seats for one and half rate, as we booked the births at around 5 hours before the scheduled departure (Tatkal quota). We were roaming here and there at the yard, where we found couple of LHB Two tire AC Coaches of Red-Grey livery (used for Rajdhani Express trains) getting augmented to Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Garib Rath, in which we were to travel. We enquired about that and learnt that those were the coaches in which I was to do my one week journey. We continued roaming and found a new Duronto Rake, which was the new train getting inaugurated on Thursday, Hydebarad Deccan to Chhatrapathi Sivaji Terminal- Mumbai, a bi-weekly non stop train, which was scheduled to get WDP 3a locomotive.

It was 18:00 hours, when our rake got birthed to platform 8 of Secunderabad Railway station. The Hazarat Nizamuddin (New Delhi)- Bangalore City (Bengaluru) Rajdhani Express came at right time, which got birthed on Platform 9. We were happy to see a Rajdhani Express right before our travel because it was our superstition that if we find a Rajdhani Express right before our journey, we'd finish the journey as scheduled.

We took our births in our coach, and we took some food. My friend, Ramesh, was a photographer. He got his camera ready for capturing some scenic pictures of Indian railways. Our train got hauled with WAP-7, which generally doesn't happen. generally, for the Secunderabad- Visakhapatnam Garib Rath, WAP-4 hauls as it has few intermediate stoppages. Our train stayed on the platform for about one and half hour after the scheduled departure as there were few issues on augmenting those two Second AC coaches. The problem was found out to be the Garib rath rake being ICF one and thse two coaches being LHB raked ones, those connectors couldn't connect properly. Finally, with great difficulty, they broke a fragment of connector from a Engine and made it act like a connector changer. Our journey started at 21:45 hours.

I slept off after the train moved out as we had a strenuous evening, as we walked for about 3-4 kilometers around the Railway station. Next day morning, I woke up at 04:00 AM, when we were at Vijayawada. The train was running about 2 hours late. It departed from Vijayawada sharp at 04:05 AM, making the delay time exactly 2 hours. The train started tearing the tracks at around 100 KM/H. The train whizzed past few small stations like Gannavaram at excellent speed. The noise which was produced was just a delight for all the rail fans. I came out of the compartment on the foot board to hear that music, when the train goes at 100 KM/H.

At 05:45, the train came to an halt at Eluru, a small station in the town. Two trains were sent ahead of us, of which, one was Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam Godavari Express and the other was some unnoticed train. Our train, without any delay, started off. In about half an hour, our train crossed the famous Godavari bridge over the River Godavari at Rajahmundry. at 06:30, our train came to halt at Rajahmundry station, where the water was filled up. The train continued its superfast run after departing from the station. This time, the train touched the maximum speed of 125 KM/H.

My friend Ramesh started capturing few pics from the foot board of train. He took few mind blowing pics. At 08:00, our train had a stoppage at Samalkota, where few people got down in hurry as it was just a 2 minute stop. The train game a quick exit from the station and started going at a moderate speed of 70 KM/H. We crossed few trains like Howrah-Hyderabad East Coast Express, Visakhapatnam- Secunderabad Janmabhoomi Express, Visakhapatnam- Lokamanya Tilak terminus (Mumbai) Super Fast Express and few passenger rakes with around 10 second sitting coaches and a WAM 1's. Our train finally reached Anakapally, which is right before Visakhapatnam, at 09:30. By 10:00, we reached Visakhapatnam Junction, a 2 and half hour delay.

Stay tuned to know what happened later!​

 

[Prithvi]

We got ourselves ready by 11:00. Without any delay, we booked the tickets to our return journey, that is on December 14th, 2010 in the Newly Inaugurated Yuva Express between Visakhapatnam and Kacheguda (Hyderabad). This was the third Yuva Express train, apart from the Bandra-Nizamuddin Yuva Express and Howrah-Nizamuddin Yuva Express. Its a complete air conditioned train, without any sleeper class coaches. All the coaches in it were Second AC Chair Cars. Then, we decided to go to Araku Valley, one of the scenic locations around Visakhapatnam. There was a train route for that, so we chose train journey.

It was around 13:00, when our mini push-pull train started from Visakhapatnam junction, with two WAM2 Engines, one at either end. Though the train had maximum speed of 120 KM/H, it went at around 50 KM/H when we were on plain land. But when Ghat Section started, the train gradually decreased the speed.

Our train penetrating into a tunnel.​

We were greeted by a long half kilometer tunnel right when we entered ghat. Then, after passing about 30 via-ducts, tunnels, our train came to a halt at the Araku Station, where we got down. The location was seriously superb. A location, which is worth visiting. My friend Ramesh started capturing pics. I was really enjoying the nature. I visited this place before, but I couldn't remember that because I was too small, when I visited the place.

The beautiful Araku Valley.​

After about an hour, we caught another train at 19:00 hours, and got back to Visakhapatnam Junction Railway station at 00:00 hours. We had a semi sleep in the waiting hall for about 6 hours. We got readied ourselves for our next return journey. The Yuva Express was scheduled to birth on Platform 10. We went and waited there for about 20 mins, when we found an LHB rake with a crazy livery coming in reverse direction. "Its Yuva Express!!!", shouted Ramesh as he couldn't control his excitement after seeing LHB rake. We took our seats, and thankfully, I got a window.

The train started sharp at 07:00. The engine hauled was WAP 7 from Santragacchi Electric loco shed, which is near Kolkata. The train had just 3 stops in its journey, which were Rajahmundry, Kottapalli Vijayawada and Warangal. The train reached speed of 100 KM/H in just 20 minutes. It slowed down a bit from 100 KM/H to 70 KM/H. Soon, the speed started oscillating between 60 KM/H 100 KM/H. This non stop run broke at Rajahmundry, as the train had a scheduled halt. The train reached rajamundry five minutes ahead of its scheduled time. It had a 20 minute stop in Rajahmundry and now, it was a 25 minute stop. All the water tanks in coaches were filled fully and the train resumed its journey. The Godavari bridge in Rajahmundry-Vijayawada line was a special one, as the train line was underneath the bus bridge. My friend opened his camera and stood on foot board. He started recording the on board video. The train went on a moderate speed of 30 KM/H. The sound which a train produces when it moves on bridge is just awesome. But this being LHB rake, the sound was reduced by about about 40%.

Yeshwantpur (Bengaluru)- Howrah Express in Rail cum road bridge,not our train.​

After crossing the river, the train gradually increased the speed and got back to its natural speed of oscillating between 60 KM/H and 100 KM/H. I was eagerly waiting for the Warangal-Moulali (just before reaching Secunderabad) stretch cause the infrastructure in that line was recently developed and new technology was used, which would support a train with LHB coaches move at around 150 KM/H. The train was moving dead slow, when it came to me, cause I was eagerly waiting to cross Warangal.

Finally, after moving with good speed, it came to halt at Kothapally Vijayawada, a station 10 KMs away from Vijayawada. The train skipped Vijayawada Junction cause the train had a reversal, if it had to move in electric line to Secunderabad. The Guntur-Nalgonda line can avoid the reversal, but that din't had electric traction and was single lined. We had a 15 minute stop at Kothapally Vijayawada. We bought our lunch in that station, and ate it soon after the train started. The train went even slower in Vijayawada- Warangal section, cause the infrastructure between these two stations was being developed. the train was moving at a speed of 40 KM/H, which frustrated me like hell! "What the ****. Din't they get any other day than this to develop the flingen infrastructure", I broke out in emotion to my friend Ramesh! Finally, after about an hour, the infrastructure works came to an end for that day. So the train started speeding up. It teared the tracks at about 120 KM/H and finally reached Warangal, my long awaited station by about half an hour late.

The stop at Warangal was a 15 minute one and this one was the longest one I've ever had in rail fanning. Soon after the train started, I went and stood on board. The train started moving at greater speed. The train soon crossed 120 KM/H. I was feeling the speed. The LED board in the coach was displaying "125... 130.... 133.... 136.... 140...." Soon after it reached 140, I started feeling the speed. The sound produced was just awesome. "Wooh...." I started screaming! The train was tearing the tracks. when the LED display board displayed 160.. every rail fan was waiting for a moment. 2 KM/H and the Visakhapatnam-Kacheguda Yuva Express would be rated the fastest train of India. the LED board, with great difficulty, displayed 161, which meant that all the records which New Delhi- Bhopal Shatabdi Express holds have been shared with Visakhapatnam-Kacheguda Yuva. After traveling about 1 minute with the same speed, the LED display board showed "162", when every rail fan in the train screamed! "Yayyy...!" Me and Ramesh were screaming... The train went at maximum speed of 165 for couple of minutes. Infact, I was pretty happy to travel in the fastest train of India. The TTE (Ticket Collector) said "the train moved nearly at 160 KM/H in its previous runs, but highest was produced today." The train decelerated to 140 KM/H. The journey went on. Right before reaching Ghatkesar, the train slowed down as we reached the out skirts of Hyderabad. The train's schedule said that there won't be any stop at Secunderabad, which meant that the train moved in Kacheguda line, without touching Secunderabad Station. The train finally reached Kacheguda Station, where there were loads of press people, the chairman of South Central railway, to facilitate the driver for making it the fastest Indian train. He was given a golden WAP 7 Loco model of about 30 CM long and 18 CM height. I clapped him for his super fast run. I immediately put my rail fan id card, as if I had that, may be, media may interview even me . As expected, a person from N Tv, a local news channel interviewed me.

Stay tuned to know what I said in interview.​

 

[Prats]

One of the most Wonderful and Marvellous story!! Amazing Presentation and the knowledge about the Railways is really vast mate.

By the way, I too had abundant craze of Railways but now, I dont' have. But, this story is simply fabulous. I'll follow this from now

Best of Luck dude!!

 

[Prithvi]

One of the most Wonderful and Marvellous story!! Amazing Presentation and the knowledge about the Railways is really vast mate.

By the way, I too had abundant craze of Railways but now, I dont' have. But, this story is simply fabulous. I'll follow this from now

Best of Luck dude!!

TBH, I lived in Shaktinagar, a small township for the people who worked at Raichur Thermal Power Station of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited. That was right on the bank of River Krishna. The railway Bridge is situated around 7 KMs away from that township. There was a small village called "Krishna" near the railway bridge, where we used to do rituals. Once I went there and it became a holiday spot for me. I went every one and then due to interest in Railways.

 

[MJ Rocks]

Good update binnu and the only fault is its not Yeahwantpur its Yeshwantpur

 

[Meet]

I know you have really put lot of efforts on these updates.KIU mate.
I will go through both the updates later.

 

[Bevab]

Legendary writing! Deserves a SOTM. KIU, KIU. Loving this story!

 

[AbhishekS]

That is mind-blowing. Your writings are superb Prithvi, just amazing!