Aha! End of the week..Sunday

Thank god its a sunday!

Sunday was something different other than being a holiday! I met a few other railfans in Mumbai who are members of IRFCA. The day started off with me resting on to the wall of an EMU speeding towards CSTM (06:58 Belapur). I reached Kurla at about 07:30 or thereabouts! The first train that I saw was the Chalukya Express. She rushed past with WDG3A #13150 in-charge. The train was slow (probably she just crossed a double yellow!). The loco notched up as she approached the starter. The scene was marvellous! A few minutes after the Chalukya went through, The Deccan Express bound to Pune rolled through. The loco doing the honours was WCG2 #20155. My EMU (07:41 Asangaon semi-fast) closely follows the Deccan. The EMU was an AC/DC one. She picked up speed very quickly. We crossed the Vidarbha just around Vidyavihar. The loco doing the honours was WCAM3 #21883. My EMU slowed down after Mulund (near the Kopri Flyover). She had a red-signal at Thane outer. I could see the rake of the Deccan express waiting on Platform 5, and the rake of Mandovi on Platform 7. I was excited on seeing the Mandovi there!!! Our train got the signal a few moments after the Deccan cleared the platform. I couldn't control my excitement on seeing a WDP4 at the helm of the Mandovi. I literally jumped out of the EMU to take an Image. The WDP4 was well ahead of the "Stop" markings, she had cleared the platform totally!

I couldn't control my feelings on seeing the DP4. I have seen this class of locos many times, but every time I see a DP4, I get excited. (now, is that a neurological disorder - or a mere Chemical Locha!). Since, I had reached Thane quite early, I decided to wait at the station until the Udyan rushes past. Minutes after I made this decision, an EMU bound to Ambernath pulled into Platform 5. The EMU was detained, and the Mandovi was given a starter. The Pilot gave off the deafening horn (I managed to record it on my mobile). The EMU was detained for about 5 minutes!!! The passengers were angry at this decision of the section controller!!! I could see a WCAM3 hauled train waiting at the outer signal (CSTM End i.e., waiting to enter Thane station from the CSTM Side). After about a couple of minutes after the Ambernath EMU left, the CAM3 pulled in. The loco was 21897, working the LTT-Bhagalpur Express. (I was seeing an ER rake after a long time!!!). This express crawled through the platform.
I did not want myself to be spotted by anyone of my class, and I kept standing behind an FOB. I was handsomely for that decision!!! A very late running Punjab mail rushed through the station. The loco was WCAM3 #21887. The rake had a red coloured Air-conditioned coach with "NR" markings. The coach was coded as "ACRA"! Soon after the Punjab went, I could see a WDP4 negotiating the curve just before the outer signal. The starter had already gone Green. That meant that the loco would fly though the platform. It did! The loco was WDP4 #20023, working the Udyan Express bound to Bangalore. She blew the horn almost continuously through the platform. I rushed out of the station, and took a bus to college.
I reached Thane station at about 1430 after college. Just as I reached Platform 6, the Ratnagiri-Dadar Passenger departed. (I loco should have been WDG3A #13051 from Pune!). By now, the Matsyagandha bound to Mangalore had reached Platform 7. The loco was WDM3A #14054 from Erode. The loco was a baldie. Just as I clicked the Matsyagandha, the Mumbai-Chennai Express pulled into Platform 5. I missed the loco by a few seconds! The Chennai Express was detained in-order to allow the Matsyagandha move out! The station dipped to silence for about the next half an hour. EMU services were in a mess since the Main "through" UP line (a.k.a fast line) was closed for "engineering works" between Kalyan and Thane. So, this ended up with many Slow EMUs being cancelled, and Fast ones being made to stop at Mulund, Bhandup, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar and Kurla.That was worse! At about 15:08, the Sinhagad bound to Pune pulled in. This train had 17 coaches, and a lone WCG2 #20113 was doing the honours. About 15 minutes later, the Manmad bound Godavari Express pulled in. The loco was WCAM3 #21898. About 10 minutes later, the Nagpur bound Sewagram express pulled in. The loco this time was WCAM3 #21958.
I went to the "Extension counter" and took an extension ticket from Kurla to Parel (that's where the meet took place). The rest of the journey was "adventurous"!!! I had my first ever railfan meet at Parel in the evening! The report of the same would be posted tomorrow!

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