Photo 1: Pune shed's WDM2 18379 heading the 7384 Down Maharashtra express at Nira (station code - NIRA) on the Pune - Miraj - Kolhapur road. Due to the ample presence of water (from Nira river) this station (85 kms from Pune) is where the carriage water tanks are filled. The engine receives a routine inspection from the crew. This essentially rural station has only one low-level platform.
Photo 2: Another view of the loco. Note the water-filling pipe gantry. The one nearest to the loco is used to top up the radiator header tank, if required. The radiator header filler can be seen at the top of the long hood. There is supposed to be a glass level gauge to the right of the headlight, but it seems to be 'dummied'!
Photo 3: The Expressor (combined air compressor and vacuum exhauster) receives attention at Nira. Note the ladder used for climbing on top of the loco.
Photo 4: The green stripes on the short hood of the loco indicate that this is a 'Dual Brake' loco, one that can 'work' vacuum-braked and well as air-braked 'loads'. The 'load' in this case is vacuum-braked as the single brake pipe between the loco and the first coach indicates. The SC (or Dakshin Madhya - Duh Muh in abbreviated Hindi) is the South Central Railways, whose Hubli division owns the rake. This train has left Pune at 0620 hrs to reach Kolhapur (328 km away) at 1400 hrs. Note the flag near the roof on the first coach which will turn vertical if the alarm chain in pulled in this carriage.
