Madurai to Mambalam

Trip Report: Madurai-Mambalam by 2638 Pandyan Express
Date: May 6, 2004

This is the final part of the reports of my south tour. This is about my return back home to Chennai by the Pandyan from MDU till Mambalam (MBM).

Pandyan was scheduled to depart from MDU on time at 2030. I reached MDU an hour before itself, for two reasons. One was some last minute trainspotting and also I wanted to refuel at Planet Yumm, which I hoped served quite decent stuff, and I was not let down. The veg. noodles I had was tasty and hot. One mention: IRCTC is really doing a great job, especially setting up food malls all over. I can recall food malls in MAS, MS and MDU (now), and read about the one in NGP and ALD(??). Where else have these been established? How are these? This is vital information for railfans, for railfanning is quite a hunger inducing job, in my experience. Why don't we have a list of such good refreshments (apart from the IRCTC establishments) so that rail fans may perform to their optimum in areas new to them (I myself have planned a trip to NDLS, so such info would definitely be vital to me :)))). I would, for one, recommend Itarsi (ET) and Vijayawada (BZA) as good places to refuel.

Anyway, back on rails, i.e. of Pandyan!! After my supper, I hoped to catch sight of Vaigai, which usually arrived at 2015. Unfortunately, Vaigai was an hour and twenty min late!!!!!! Something very very wrong!!!! One good thing (though it served no purpose) was the announcement expressing regret for the late running of Vaigai. Till now I had not heard anything like that in Chennai, but I suppose it is becoming pretty common. But then it did come as a surprise.

Anyway, the Pandyan rake had been unlocked and people started boarding. I noted the coach composition (23 coaches):
1 SLR
1 II
1 1A (yes 1 full 1A, H1)
1 2A
3 3A
1 F1
1 EX 1 (any idea what this is???? this was an SL coach though)
13 SL (1 Tatkal)
1 II

Power: twin GOC WDM2s 17835 Jumbo trailing, and R 18694 SHF leading

Well well, so were getting twin powers!!! Good wasn't it? If you recall, I had met 18694R previously at VM (Villupuram). So my second meeting with this chap in a week. Maybe he's a regular on Pandyan.

Before we left, the RMM-MDU pass. arrived with 6312 YDM4. Then, it was starters for us!! Without much ado, creating no noise (I mean the horn), 2638 slowly crept out of MDU accompanied by frenzied waving from the people on the pf to others who were visiting MDU for the summer vacation. We cleared the station outer, and soon crossed the Vaigai river and slowly picked up speed. Actually, it wasn't so slow as we had twin diesels, but I still feel the loco pilots weren't pushing the throttle fully. For the pickup was somewhere between that of a regulat WDM2 and a YAM-1. Maybe they were taking it easy on the locos or I judged it wrong in the darkness :)))). Soon, we reached 90 kmph (at last!!! especially after travelling MG, this seemed like going supersonic!!!). We kept a steady clip at 90 and I was straining in the dark to spot the MG line (where they cross the BG). At 2055, we slowed down into a loop for a goods crossing, but then it was actually Sholavandan station. I was looking out for the (very) late running Vaigai, which should cross us somewhere before Dindigul (DG). This ultimately happened at Vadipatti, where the Vaigai was held on a loop and we sped past at the same 90. I could not note the loco shed and number details due to the speed and darkness though it certainly was a single WDM2 (maybe 2A). I saw an MG pass. hauled by 6138 YDM4 at Kodai road. Now this is one station which indicates its British Raj history. The old station building (for MG) resembles the old world type of roof and construction. A nice sight.

2638 schedule:
Kodaikanal Road (KQN) 2120 (8 min late)
Ambathurai (ABI) 2140 (8 min late)
Dindigul (DG) 2155 (10 min late)
Manaparai (MPA) 2250 (8 min late)

After DG, I went to sleep. I had a middle berth and had to content myself by listening to the train's sounds. However, there were not many, except the occasional run over joints. The run was very smooth and quite silent. Also the locos seemed to too silent (for me!!!), or maybe because I could not hear them (my coach was the 14th from the locos). Anyway, compared to the MG lines I travelled the past week, this appeared as though one had pressed the mute button on a TV remote. What noise did the MG tracks make!!!! This demonstrated the advantages of long welded rails, which has become common on most BG routes. Anyway, I fell asleep quite easily, though I was a bit restless. I woke up slightly at 2250, and again at Tiruchirapalli (TPJ). We reached TPJ on the dot at 2315. Here I saw the empty sleeping rake of the MS-TPJ Pallavan express, to which was coupled GOC WDM2 18866, most likely the loco that brought it to TPJ that evening. On leaving TPJ, I saw the 6121 MS-CAPE express on a far side platform, which till then was hidden by the Pallavan rake. 6121 was 20 min late (maybe it had been detained to let Pandyan cross, instead of stopping somewhere outside TPJ). We crossed the Cauvery silently (not that it had much water :)))) and halted at Srirangam at 2340. Now I don't think that is a stop. Maybe it was a crossing for MS-Tuticorin Pearl City???

After Srirangam, I simply could not keep my eyes open, and succumbed to sleep. This time it was more long lasting. I woke up only at 0400. In between, I just recall stopping at someplace to let a loud long horning train at a great speed cross us (maybe Pearl City or MS-TVC Ananthapuri). Anyway, at 0400, we had reached Chengalpattu (CGL). I got up and posted myself at the door. I had actually wanted to awake at VM itself to catch the loco change to a WAP4, but well sleep was too irresistible!!! It was raining again, but I still stood at the door. We soon picked up speed outside CGL and well, we know of the WAP4's brute power :))). It looked as though we were stopped one moment; the next moment, we were doing 90! What to say??? Easily doing 90+ (maybe 100+ - I could not time due to darkness), we reached TBM on the dot at 0430. Before TBM, I walked through the vestibule to reach the 1st coach so that I could catch the loco number. After I reached S1(2nd from loco), I heard some music.....what else, the great twin tones!!!! And the chief was quite liberal with it.....after a silent night with diesels this was indeed an great performance with many encores!!! At TBM, I saw the loco: ED WAP4 22220 (plus 2 would have been nice - 22222 indeed belongs to ED :)))).

After TBM, I hoped to witness some nice high speed action in the suburbs, but that was not to be. I suppose some EMU was ahead of us, and all we got was proceed at cautions :(((( Result: 45-50 kmph only with a halt at St. Thomas Mount for 5 min!!!! We reached MBM only at 0525 (25 min late). Here I detrained and left the station for home sweet home.....last sighting: the low beam of another WAP4 waiting at MBM outer (2632 Nellai I suppose). But I could not wait and watch for that and had to go home.........to write this series of reports and print and upload my photos........ and get your reviews and comments :)))))

For other reports, please refer the menu on to the left side of the page.

Thanks for your patient reading.