Trainspotting - Hyderabad / Secunderabad / Maula Ali
by Shashanka Nanda
2001-12-01
IRFCAites Gautam P, Lakshman and urs truly had a wonderful spotting session at our good old Maula Ali (MLY) station area.
Me and Gautam caught the Krishna Exp to TPTY at 0530 from HYB. We had planned to click the WDP4 hauled Chennai-HYB exp , but it turned up really early and we met it just outside SC station near LGD shed. Anyways, we did click a shot of it, but dunno how it'll turn out. Was hauled by 20006 WDP4.
Getting down at MLY, we were soon greeted by the Nagarjuna Exp. Headed for Tenali behind a WDM 2A (#17782) of the Guntakal shed. The loco charged up the 1:100 gradient into MLY at 60kmph and rewarded us with somethin Jim Carrey would've put as "Smokinnnn.......". In the quiet that followed I clicked a stationary WDM2 (Guntakal) in the shunting yard of Diesel Shed MLY. More on this loco later.
Soon an bevy of trains followed, a WAM 4 hauled Dakshin exp ( The WAM 4 looked some 230 years old ) and I mistook it for the now rare WAG 1, until I saw the C0-CO bogies and the markings on the loco.
The Godavari Exp with a WAP 4 (LGD #22355), and again the awesome WDP4 hauled Narayandri Exp (loco #20006) with LHF. Next up was the East Coast Exp. with a WAM 4-6 P from LGD (#20454)...during this time, we were caught by the GRP fellows posted at MLY to keep an eye on the static rakes on the sidings. We had to report to the DSM and ask for permission, which we did but decided to move out of the station and towards LGD. While this happened the Charminar Exp passed by with its regular power an LGD WAP 4.
But what followed was an absolute surprise...the 6011 Chennai Mumbai Exp. behind a WDM 2 from KZJ !!!!!! Yeah I am not kidding, on enquiring we found that there was some diversion on the Wadi-Guntakal section due to which trains were passin thru SC. Our eyes lit up at the prospect of catching a twin WDM 2 karnataka, but no one had any info on when and where?
So we waited and we waited...during this we caught a bevy of WDM2 and WDM 2c trains, a fully loaded BOXC/N rake with twin BSL WAG5As upfront..a surprise when we saw the Sirpur Kagaznagar - SC Bhagyanagar Exp. behind a WDM2 hauling a dead KJM WDM2 .....and another surprise...a 1 coach departmental train hauled by 2 yeah diesels, a WDM 2C LHF and a WDM 2 both from KZJ. but no karnataka :o(
Lots of other action....but the best came in the end a the WDM2 mentioned earlier in the report came up the mixed line ( MG and BG) both from the MLY yard behind the station. It went up to the triple switching points. the asst. driver got down...manually switched the points ( it's a very complex point with both BG MG tracks ) and then guided the loco to pull up an empty sleeper carrying rake. Interestingly the loco had this under the drivers window "not fit for passenger or goods operation, fit for BT or shunting only" can anyone explain what is BT ? I took a series of pics to help you understand the scene better...another thing...whenever this loco smoked, it gave out grey smoke instead of the normal black one...any reason why?
All in all a great spottin trip.....the pics have already gone up for developing....expect them on my site soon.
Hope you enjoyed this report as much as i did while writing it.