Trainspotting at TVC
by Jagadheep D
2002-12-26
The following is the first part of some of my railfanning trips at TVC during Dec/Jan. At the end of the report, I have given a summary of locos for the benefit of Rabi, Samar, and any others who are collecting road numbers of locos.
Went to TVC railway station at around 14:15 hours. The rake of TVC mail which was supposed to leave at 14:30 hrs was nowhere to be seen. Soon, there was an announcement that the mail would depart about 15 minutes late. The rake (21 coaches) was finally shunted at around 14:30 hrs. Soon, ED WDM-2C baldie 14030 was coupled (LHF). Amazingly, it departed at 14:47 hrs. I think that Trivandrum must be unique with respect to the shortest time that trains spend on the platform (for originating trains).
After the departure of the mail, the rake of TVC-HWH (18 coaches) was shunted to PF1, and soon the ERS WDM-2A 16295 (surprisingly in ED livery) was coupled to it.
I noticed the rake of the Raj on one of the pit lines and was looking around for the WDP-2, but it was nowhere in sight. I soon got the answer to this puzzling situation when the NCJ-KTYM passenger arrived at 15:00 hrs with the leading loco being the WDP-2 15501 in Raj livery, followed by a dead GOC WDM-2 16881. Clearly, the link of the WDP-2 might be to haul the passenger on the days of arrival of the Raj.
After the arrival of the passenger, the shunting signal was given for the WDP-2 which by then was decoupled from the rake. However, even after 5 minutes, nothing was happening. The assistant driver kept looking at the coupling of the WDP-2 as well as the GOC WDM-2, and after some time there seemed to be a specious argument between the driver and the assistant driver. The time was nearing the departure time of the HWH exp, and so the shunting signal was cancelled.
At exactly 15:15 hrs, the HWH exp got the starter and departed. In the meantime, apparently the WDP-2 was re-coupled with the GOC WDM-2, and the loco pair was decoupled from the rake of the passenger. After the departure of the HWH exp, the shunting signal was given again for the locos of the passenger train. After some additional delay, the WDP-2 moved along with the dead GOC WDM-2. It crawled for a short distance and then stopped alongside an ED WDM-2 18534 that was standing in the siding between PF-2 and PF-3. The driver and the assistant driver got off the WDP-2 and took charge of the ED loco. The WDP-2 then continued and shunted off to the end of PF-3. After that, the ED loco was shunted to the passenger train, which finally left at 15:42 hrs, almost an hour late (actual departure time is 14:45 hrs).
In the meantime, at around 15:15 hrs, announcements were made that the SBC-CAPE exp would be arriving on PF-1 soon. It arrived with ED WDM-2C 14139 in Raj livery at 15:31 hrs (21 minutes late). The rake comprised of 22 coaches and was cleaner than the rake of an average train that started from TVC. After its 10 minute halt, it left at 15:41 hrs towards CAPE.
After the departure of SBC-CAPE, there was an announcement that the Kerala exp would be arriving on PF-1 shortly. It arrived at 15:55 hrs (20 minutes late) hauled by ED WDM-2C 18755 (not a baldie). This loco later hauled the TVC-NCJ passenger.
On PF-4 stood Ananthapuri exp with 17 coaches, which had arrived with GOC WDM-2A 18699R. Around 15:45 hrs, it shunted from QLN end of the PF to the CAPE side and was attached to Ananthapuri. Clearly, the same loco that brings Ananthapuri from MS also hauls it back on the same day. It departed at 16:06 hrs (6 minutes late). Considering that this train is much faster than the crawler SBC-CAPE, I guess that it (Ananthapuri) would be at the heels of SBC-CAPE exp pretty soon.
At 16:00 hrs, the WDP-2 (which was coupled to the GOC WDM-2) was uncoupled and was shunted to a siding by the side of PF-1. After that, the GOC WDM-2 was fired up and after some time, it moved to take charge of the Intercity exp (TVC-ERS) which was on PF-5. The starter for this train was given at 16:25 hrs, and it left at 16:28 hrs which was actually 2 minutes early!
Soon annoucements were made that Vanchinad exp (TVC-ERS via KTYM) would depart from PF-3. At that point, I left the station as it was getting a bit late and I had to get home before 17:30 hrs. Before I left the station, I noticed that there were 3 ERS WDM-2s standing on a siding far away from the platforms, but I could not note down their numbers as they were too far away.
Loco summary:
ERS:
WDM-2A 16295
ED:
WDM-2 18534
WDM-2C 14030, 14139, 18755
GOC:
WDM-2 16899R
WDM-2A 16881
WDP-2 15501
I shall post more road numbers and railfanning trip reports soon.