Travelogue on Mumbai - Pune - Mumbai trip.
PART - 3 : /blog/post/4640339
PART - 2 : /blog/post/4636107
for PART - 1: /blog/post/4631299
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- 4 : A brief sesssion of train spotting at Khandala.
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Then, my eyes took a 360-degree gaze around the station. Already I was sitting under the tree which was near the lonavala end of the platform. Till then, i have seen Khandala railway station only in pictures and youtube videos. Yes, it is one of the popular locations for spotting trains. Generally, the train which skips this station towards pune, it climbs the gradient with efforts, negotiates the curve beautifully as it skips the station and climbs further up towards lonavala. seeing this entire event virtually itself is a very big visual treat. Meanwhile, I heard a honk of the train and as few minutes went, I could sense the honk coming closer to me. At some distance that I could see a chocolate coloured locomotive climbing the gradient and entering khandala station.
Still I could picturise that moment in my mind. The scenes of the which I used to see in youtube videos, now perceiving with my both eyes. was excited and automatically I took my mobile to capture the train approaching. Started the video in the right time and that chocolate coloured loco was pulling the train slowly into the platform. as the chocolate coloured 21878 WCAM – 2 locomotive of kalyan shed crossed me, the train came to the halt. Train board said it was panvel – pune passenger. Return train of which I missed in the morning. Now rushed to the front of the locomotive, snapped some pictures of the locomotive and train board. Since light of the sun was very bright, was unable to fetch a proper picture of the locomotive.
This is one of the very few trains that have commercial halt at khandala though most descending trains towards karjat stops there for break testing. Now stood in a place near the end of the platform, immediately after i kept my mobile camera ready, a loud honk was made and train started departing slowly. Loco pilot of the train flashed the headlamps. As the locomotive crossed me, the assistant loco pilot smiled at me, waved the flag and showed a kind gesture. That was a very first time for me to receive acknowledgement from a crew which is operating the train when I captured the same. It was pulled up the hill from backwards by WAG – 7 triplets of kalyan loco shed, two being tiger faced, one with conventional WAG – 7 livery.
Captured that train successfully and walked towards the platform, was very happy since I had a video of a train hauled by a WCAM – 2 class locomotive, that too in such a scenic location with acknowledgement of the crew. Now came to a tree in that platform and saw the upcoming trains that I could possibly spot there. The first in the list was deccan express and already it had crossed malavli as per where is my train app. Was also seeing next set of trains that I could possibly spot. Drank some water. After say some five minutes, checked the running status of deccan express and it had already arrived lonavala.
i rushed to the end of the platform in an excitation, waited in hot sun for ten odd minutes, after which heard a loud honk and took my mobile camera, kept it ready. Again, the chocolate boy from kalyan, Mr. WCAM – 2 numbered 21869, started showing up as he was negotiating the curve beautifully, entered platform – 3 of khandala railway station hauling the Mumbai bound utkrishtified deccan express with elegance. Decelerated steadily as it entered the platform for its scheduled halt. Some random passengers in general coaches and the overcrowded second class sitting with reservation coaches, started yelling at me and even shouted some words. Literally I got panic and my heart stopped for a second. But still I was not bothering that and continued to capture the train till it came to a halt. Somehow, captured it successfully and came back to the shade under the tree in the platform.
Now, some random vendor selling vada pav deboarded that train in the opposite side of the platform, crossed the track and came to the platform in which I was sitting. Since I was very hungry that time, went to him and brought a pair of vada pav from him. The time I was paying him for vada pav, I heard a continuous honk of a train and chugging sound of the locomotive was following the honk. So, paid him fast and tried to go to the end of the platform, but I was already late. After realising that, I rested those vada pav on top of my bag and suddenly kept my mobile camera ready.
I was anxious and my heart started beating so fast. Since the chugging sound indicated that it must be an ALCo locomotive, my most favourite class of locomotive that is hauling a train. Immediately after I started the video, the locomotive had already started to climb the gradient. That chugging sound and honk was so divine. Now in long hood forward, 11355 numbered WDM – 3D class locomotive of kalyan loco shed hauled Mumbai – Chennai express was chugging hard and climbing up the hill, skipping khandala and WAG – 7 triplets of kalyan loco shed pushed it from backwards. Meanwhile, the deccan express also departed after its scheduled halt at khandala.
After capturing it successfully, saw the top of the bag. Thank god that vada pav stayed undisturbed in the top of my bag. Now checked and analysed the video that I captured. The video which I took from this new location was better than the video that I took at the platform end. Now, checked for the upcoming trains I am supposed to spot. For thirty minutes, there was no passenger trains as per schedule passing the station since sinhagad express which was supposed to arrive at khandala was nearly half an hour behind the schedule, and yes, I got a bit of gap to relax myself and patiently have that vada pav. That was the third time in that day I had vada pav. Though the vadas were stale, but still it retained its taste. Enjoyed that for few minutes, and heard some random honk so near to me, anxious for a moment, fastened my mobile to capture train, but that was light WAG – 7 triplets that were moving towards karjat and vice versa. This happened continuously for every ten minutes.
Time went on, now I tracked the next train that could possibly cross khandala. But that was not a passing train and was a stopping train. By the time I checked for running status of sinhagad express, it was only few kilometers away from khandala, so ran to the end of the platform, took the position to capture the same. Around evening 05:30 pm, again chocolate boy WCAM – 2, numbered 21874 of kalyan shed pulled the train into platform 1, halted for a moment, and gave a very brief honk before departure. Slowly as the sinhagad express moved out of the platform, noticed that the rake of the same had coaches of different liveries. Few were of normal blue ICF livery, few were of old livery unique to central railways, some one or two coaches were of utkrisht livery and some one or two were of janshatabdi liveried coaches. Now, KYN based WCAM – 3 twins locomotive pushed the train uphill from the back.
Now while capturing this, I was sweating a lot, was a bit tired and thirsty. So, went back to the shade and took some water and sat there for few minutes, went to NTES app for tracking koyna express since I was expecting that koyna express could be the next train I could be probably spotting. Meanwhile, heard a brief honk from a distance and that honk came near in few moments, suddenly took my mobile camera, and started capturing, saw a red beast climbing up the gradient with some train, and passed khandala. It was 22352 numbered Valsad based WAP – 4E locomotive hauling that train which was of ICF rake and had marking of the north central railway. Surprisingly, that train did not have the luggage and guard van in front of the train. That was my very first capture of train from north central railway. WAG – 7 triplets of kalyan loco shed pushed it uphill. Now, after capturing this train, was wondering what train that I captured.
Then, I checked the list of trains arriving pune for next four hours to find that it was Gwalior – pune weekly express and it was few minutes ahead of the schedule. After capturing this, slowly moved to the end of the platform to capture koyna express bound for Mumbai. Heard the humming jet engine like sound which is characteristic for EMD locomotive, at a distance after negotiating the curve, face of the locomotive was visible and it was cab – 2 of WDP – 4D locomotive numbered 40424 of pune loco shed pulls the koyna express into platform – 3 and decelerated elegantly for its scheduled halt.
By that time, koyna express also slowly departed khandala, saying bye to us. I came to the shade under the tree and checked the running status of the daily Bhubaneswar, konark express, which could have been spotted by me now. It has already neared khandala and within I take my camera, heard a loud honk characteristic to EMD locomotive. Putting efforts, cab – 1 facing WDP – 4D class locomotive numbered 40416 from pune shed, pulled the 23 coacher konark express uphill. Captured that train but while the last coach of the train crossed me, accidentally pressed the stop button, spoilt the video. But again, I clicked the start button, some how captured the 2nd and 3rd loco of the WAG – 7 triplets of kalyan loco shed pushing it in upgradient. Now I can some how manipulate by merging both the clips but anyway, felt highly disappointed for spoiling the video.
Somehow, convinced myself and checked the next set of trains that I could be probably spotting. Meanwhile, checked the running status of 12128 pune – Mumbai intercity superfast express in which I booked from lonavala to Mumbai csmt and planned to board from khandala. It had already departed pune on time. The next train that I would be probably spotting was the daily kanniyakumari, mr. jayanthi janatha express who is also an age-old legend. It had left karjat on time and still 30 minutes was there for it to reach khandala. Meanwhile, few triplets of banker locomotive were moving downhill to karjat at say some 15 minutes gap.
Was admiring the beauty of the nature that time, walked around the station, answered the call of the nature and whiled away my time, chatting in whatsapp groups. Thirty minutes have already passed and heard a loud honk at some distant. Was cautious this time, took the mobile camera fast and started video before that train started climbing the gradient. It was 21891 numbered WCAM – 3 class locomotive from Kalyan loco shed hauling the daily kanniyakumari i.e. jayanthi janatha express, climbed the gradient and skipped khandala in good speed, the same WCAM – 3 twins of kalyan loco shed pushed it back uphill.
After capturing it successfully, checked the list of trains that is supposed to arrive lonavala in next four hours. Six and a half hours delayed Coimbatore – lokmanya tilak express had already arrived lonavala and this time for a change, I went to the lonavala end of platform 1. within five minutes of time, I heard a loud honk characteristic to EMD locomotive and meanwhile, also noted that signal was green in end of the platform 1. So, made myself aware that some train is going to cross the Coimbatore – lokmanya tilak as it is supposed to arrive within few moments.
And, cab – 2 of WDP – 4D locomotive could be seen and numbered 40450 numbered locomotive of krishnarajapuram diesel loco shed pulled the 24 coacher Coimbatore – lokmanya tilak express into platform – 2 and steadily decelerated for its technical halt for break testing. When engine of the train crossed me, immediately turned my mobile camera in such a way that I could capture the train passing through platform 1. Thank god no train came in Platform – 1 in that gap. Though the signal was green for a long time, till Coimbatore – lokmanya tilak express came to a halt, no train arrived in platform – 1 of khandala. After it came to a halt, heard a loud honk from a distance.
I was about to stop the video but I refrained to do so as the honk appeared to come near me and I saw some EMD locomotive with original short hood front cab facing front was climbing the gradient. Yes, it was WDG – 4 twin locomotives of hubli loco shed numbered 12049 and 12106 respectively was pulling the frieght rake of BOXNHL consist up the hill and WAG – 7 triplets of kalyan loco shed were pushing the train uphill, i.e. was banking. Felt that this could be a compensation for spoiling the video of konark express, since I unexpectedly spotted an extra train.
As the freight skipped khandala, Coimbatore – lokmanya tilak also completed its break testing meanwhile and slowly departed khandala. Now next train that was supposed to arrive khandala was 12128 pune – Mumbai intercity superfast express in which I am supposed to travel. I was standing at platform 2 that time. As per schedule, 12128 pune – Mumbai intercity superfast express does not have scheduled halt at khandala, but I strongly believed that it must stop at khandala for break testing as other trains passing downhill does. So checked the running status of the same to find that it had already departed lonavala.
Meanwhile, fastened my mobile camera to capture the same. Booked in this train for return since this had newly been converted into LHB rakes that time and also, never travelled in LHB version of second-class seating coach. Expected ajni based WAP – 7 locomotive to haul this train since that was the regular link. Also expected this train to arrive platform – 2 of khandala. But after series of honk, for my surprise, it was WCAM – 3 class locomotive numbered 21893 of kalyan loco shed pulled LHB rakes of 12128 pune – Mumbai intercity superfast express into platform – 2 of khandala.
I turned anxious as it came in such a speed into Platform – 1 and quickly decelerated. I did take the video from platform – 2. For my surprise the D7 coach which I am supposed to board was in the middle of the train. I did not stop taking the video. Since this was rare event, I wanted to capture the full video. But when the penultimate coach crossed me, I got down in the tracks adjacent to platform – 2 and continued taking the video. As soon as the train came into halt, stopped the video and ran in the tracks with a back pack roughly weighing some 10 to 15 kilograms, towards my coach D7 which was some 8 coaches away from the last coach which halted near me when train came to halt. As I ran quickly in tracks, people from the train started staring at me weirdly.
Did I catch the train or did I miss it -----?
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PART - 5 is just a click away from here - /blog/post/4650758