July 11, 2006 is not just another Terrible Tuesday in the memory of Mumbaikars. It was a day when about 7 bombs went ripping through Mumbai's Lifeline - Suburban trains, in rapid succession. The day marked the end (??) of peaceful train journeys in Mumbai. Police personnel are every where - even in nondescript stations. They have been given a table or two along with 5-6 chairs per table. They sit around in the table and.........chat (what else?). Poor people who work as mere transporting agents are asked to open their bags/luggage and are put through unwarranted mental agony. By-standers look on as if the person is a terrorist who just got entrapped in the nets of police! The day changed the way Mumbai railfans go on! One has to be careful if he plans to roam around a platform.
I decided to try and railfan on a predecided date - Monday, July 31, 2006. A sort of foresight made me carry my camera along. Now what was that foresight? I would be free during the day - the teacher might just not turn up and the assumption turned right. I left my home as usual. After changing my train at Kurla, I kept myself at the door. Trains whizzed past with no mercy towards my poor camera which found is hard to focus at relative speeds exceeding 100-160 kmph! Most trains on the day ran through the wrong side! The were travelling on the UP Slow "B" line instead of the usual UP Fast "A" line. My train was on the Down Fast "A" line, and i was on the right side!
There was some problem on the main line, and i saw two express trains "back-to-back" at Mulund! Just when i pulled into Thane, Vidarbha express pulled out. I decided to stay back on the platform and then watch the Mandovi come in. Mandovi came in a few minutes later. There was a 12-car fast EMU blocking my view of the Mandovi. The loco of Mandovi came to a dead halt, but the sound of the loco was quite familiar - but - not the one I was expecting! Guess what.....
The loco was WDM2 #18480 from Kalyan doing the honours! I was expecting to see a WDP4 there! Totally disgusted on missing the WDP4, I rushed out of the station to take the very next bus towards my college.
(To be continued tomorrow!)
I decided to try and railfan on a predecided date - Monday, July 31, 2006. A sort of foresight made me carry my camera along. Now what was that foresight? I would be free during the day - the teacher might just not turn up and the assumption turned right. I left my home as usual. After changing my train at Kurla, I kept myself at the door. Trains whizzed past with no mercy towards my poor camera which found is hard to focus at relative speeds exceeding 100-160 kmph! Most trains on the day ran through the wrong side! The were travelling on the UP Slow "B" line instead of the usual UP Fast "A" line. My train was on the Down Fast "A" line, and i was on the right side!
There was some problem on the main line, and i saw two express trains "back-to-back" at Mulund! Just when i pulled into Thane, Vidarbha express pulled out. I decided to stay back on the platform and then watch the Mandovi come in. Mandovi came in a few minutes later. There was a 12-car fast EMU blocking my view of the Mandovi. The loco of Mandovi came to a dead halt, but the sound of the loco was quite familiar - but - not the one I was expecting! Guess what.....
The loco was WDM2 #18480 from Kalyan doing the honours! I was expecting to see a WDP4 there! Totally disgusted on missing the WDP4, I rushed out of the station to take the very next bus towards my college.
(To be continued tomorrow!)
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