Another evening at Panvel

Sunday, December 16, 2007: This Sunday, unusually, was a working day at my office. I had grand plans for the evening, and the working announcement made me sad. But, later on, I informed my immediate superior that I would be reporting late to office and I made my way to Panvel to receive my dad who was returning from Kerala.

I reached the station sometime after 1500. I took a Platform ticket and slowly walked into the Platform 1. The platform was deserted. The Mangalore bound Matsyagandha Express is scheduled to arrive at 1515, but there were no passengers! An announcement was played that the train is arriving shortly on Platform 3. I rushed over to Platform 3, and there were a good number of passengers there! I decided to capture the loco from the foot over bridge, and the loco was WDM2 #18598 of Erode. A plain WDM2 for a 21 coach train!

Another train was pulling in on the main line from the Karjat side - that was a BCNA rake with...

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...WDG3A #13382 of Kalyan in charge! This is probably the newest loco at Kalyan! Kalyan Diesel Shed is getting WDG3As at a steady pace from March this year! Looks like their old ladies (original ALCOs!) are getting ready to retire! I walked down the FOB, and rushed towards the loco end of Matsyagandha Express. A BCNA rake was parked on Platform 2. The BCNA was worked by twin WDM2s of Erode (led by WDM2 #17599, and WDM2 #17581 trailing). It appeared as if I was standing at some station in the south, with three Erode locos lining up!

I now spotted a train approaching the station from the Roha side, and that surely was my dad's train! The train was slowing down, and I had to rush back to the platform (#1). I made it to the platform very much on time, and I decided to take a photograph from the Roha end of the platform (Standing just a few metres away from the RPF station!) There were no RPF guys around as I clicked images! The loco was WDM2 #16859 of Ernakulam! Another WDM2 with a 21 coacher!

I received my Dad, and we rushed back home. I reached office at around 1645 (my shift began at 1500!). I took 4 images in the day and all are here: Image 1: WDM2 #18598; Image 2: WDG3A #13382; Image 3: WDM2 Twins; Image 4: WDM2 #16859

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