Had one of the most beautiful runs on Bangalore Mail last night with four other railfans.
Having rescheduled for 23:40, starter was given bang at the rescheduled time. After a customary chain pulling, the train departed at 23:45.
CBE bound Kurla had departed only at 23:20 and given that there was no incoming traffic, a twenty five minute head-start was just enough for it to take the diversion towards CRLM from BYPL so that we proceed through to KJM to skip it at MPS.
A...
more... quick tea at BWT was dearly cherished as the train pulled in sharp at 00:48 and proceeded out within a couple of minutes.
The idea was to smoothly squeeze in between Blue Mountain and Mangaluru Mail and that's precisely what happened. After sharp two hours of departure from source, it pulled into JTJ reminding me of 12028's run a couple of days ago. A cup of coffee it was, this time.
It had been absolute MPS right from BWT to JTJ and so was it from JTJ to KPD. Against expectations of my fellow RF, TPTY Passenger was thrashed a tad early at Vaniyambadi instead of Gudiyattam.
Pondy bound Chalukya led by 22660 was caught up at Katpadi which welcomed Mail as the clock ticked 02:50, 3 hours 5 minutes post departure from its source.
More because I'd not slept in the last two days and less because I knew that the restrictions are going to tone the aggression down thereafter, I dozed off at Katpadi. (No beverages, hence)
Perambur at 04:50 and MAS at 05:05 are the other details I was told in the middle of my sleep. Much to my surprise, I'd registered them right and I recall them from that stage of being half asleep.
.
The numbers:
SBC: 23:45 1 hour 5 minutes late
MAS: 05:05 20 minutes late
5 hours 20 minutes. 6 halts. Two mini halts of switching to fast line at TRL and Korattur lake slowdown.
67kmph.