Short Trip to Bangalore

by Bharath Moro

2003-12-02


Just back from a brief two day visit to SBC. Getting to SBC by train on a short notice is almost impossible nowadays(other than Shatabdi and a footplate!!). Any train and all trains are jam-packed. So, travel both ways was by the excellent KSRTC Volvo service. The big B7R buses have a lot in common with their SWR cousins, the WDP4's. More on this later.

I finished all my work on Saturday and was free for most of the Sunday and decided to do some railfanning with the bangalore gang, thinking that some of them might be free on a Sunday. Boy,Wasn't I wrong!! Either most of them were going out of town or were too busy!!!-:) So in order to salvage a wasted Sunday, decided to do spend the day with myself!!

My original plan was to make my way towards KR Puram by bus and return by the Marikuppam passngr. This would have enabled me to catch some diesel action and also all the departures at SBC. As was the theme of the visit, things went awry right from the beginning. My bus decided to have only in 2 gears from Ulsoor. What should have been a comfortable 30min journey turned out to a hour and a half bullock cart ride.

As a result, I missed the passenger by about 3 min. Saw the train pulling out with an ED WDM2 17141 just as the bus climbed the cable stayed bridge. The curious thing about the loco was the livery. A garish, deep yellow band had replaced the otherwise somber gray in the middle. Yuck!! Cursing the bus, got down at the stop and made by towards the station hoping to find something interesting. Dissapointed again!! Nothing at the station. Quickly hopped over to the otherside and caught a bus back to the city.

At SBC, things were lookin up, the KK was on pf1 and I could hear lots of horns and diesels:). Made my way up pf 1 to see the twins and surprise!! KZJ twins 16753 and 16578 were at the head. 16753 had the gaudy green and orange livery. I asked the assistant the reason for the link change and he simply shrugged and said, "A diesel is a diesel, either from ET or KZJ, whats the difference!". Thought that diesel guys cared about such things, but what a dissapointment that guy was!!

Anyway, here are the other sightings.

  • 23380 TKD WAG5 - JTJ passngr
  • 18508 KJM WDM2 - MYS passgr. At the back of the rake was a dead KJM WDM2 17479.
  • 18334 KJM WDM2 - SBC-Marikuppam passgr.
  • 16549 KZJ WDM2A - Rajdhani. The loco was in the typical raj livery. A small note here: The whole rake looked *VERY DIRTY* inc the loco. Shame on the maintenace staff.
  • 17141 having bought in the marikuppam paassgr was idling as was an ED WDM3A 14123.

Dropped in to the canteen,had a dosa(crisp and very good)and made my way back home feeling strangely contended even after missing the shatabdi and the WDP4 on the kacheguda exp.

Before I go.. the comparison between the volvo and dp4. Both the engnes have a similar 'jet-turbine' sound. And the horns are remarkably similar, a short, loud staccato blast!! And both are virtually smokeless.


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