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Blog Entry# 1735244
Posted: Feb 10 2016 (18:35)

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Last Response: Feb 10 2016 (18:55)
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Feb 10 2016 (18:35)   11047/Miraj - Hubballi Express | MRJ/Miraj Junction (6 PFs) | PUNE/WDM-3A/18773R
 
guest   4394 blog posts
Entry# 1735244            Tags   Past Edits
#ObservationsAtPune *** Trip Report!!! 8 Years Ago at Pune-Miraj-Belgaum Section ! ***
Part I of Pune-Miraj, Miraj-Hubli, Hubli-Belgaum journeys by train (and last leg Belgaum-Pune was bus journey)!
I had some work at Hubli and Belgaum on Saturday/Sunday 09/10-Feb-2008. I checked reservation availability and I was surprised to see tickets available for 1029 Koyana Exp and 1047 Hubli Exp.
Immediately, I made second
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seating (2S) booking for Pune-Miraj journey by 1029 Mumbai-Kolhapur Koyana Exp on 9-Feb-2008 and
sleeper class (SL) ticket by 1047 Miraj-Hubli Exp on 10-Feb-2008. Both the combined tickets cost was Rs. 230. I am not sure if I got telescopic benefit or not. Pune-Hubli SL journey cost of 2780 Goa Exp (as shown in website) is Rs. 260. And my ticket is anyway cheaper by Rs. 30 (at the expense of additional 5-6 hours, however, boon for a railfan)!
Goa Exp is always full and is impossible to get ticket at short period of 4-5 days before travel date! Hence, I had chosen Pune-Miraj and Miraj-Hubli journeys! And this gave me opportunity to travel on Shindavane-Ambale Ghat Section during day time!
The plan was to reach Hubli on Sunday morning where I had 2-3 hours of work. And then, the plan was to catch 1620 Hubli-Miraj Passenger and reach Belgaum by around 16:30 hrs. At Belgaum, I had 4 hrs work. And return journey was planned by bus from Belgaum to Pune (no bus reservations were made for the same)!
This part 1 of the trip report consists of observations at Pune Railway Station on Saturday 9-Feb-2008 from 12:45 to 13:15 hrs.
I reached Pune station at 12:45 hrs. I entered the station from Hotel La Meridian side (PF6 end) and walked down on PF6 to see
the locos in pit line near PF6. This pit line had orange KZJ WDM3A # 18980R (ready to move out position) and red/yellow/blue
ED WDM2A # 18534 (at dead end). I am seeing such Erode livery for the first time at Pune!
I then walked back on PF6 towards Mumbai end of Pune station and climbed the new foot over bridge (FOB), which is quite clean and very less crowded. I was waiting there for 1029 CSTM-KOP Koyana Exp!
A Kurla Shunter CLA WDS4D # 19718 was seen shunting goods wagons near cement loading area (Maldhaka area). Pune-Lonavala local departed from PF6 at sharp 13:00 hrs. This EMU had huge crowd, as after this 13:00 hrs local, next local towards Talegaon is
only at 15:00 hrs and next local towards Lonavala is at 15:40 hrs. So, with no connection to Lonavala for 2 hrs 40 min, travelers
take pains not to miss this 13:00 hrs EMU!
Soon, behind this EMU, a goods train hauled by twin Kalyan WCG2 locos moved from Ghorpadi side towards Lonavala side. The leading loco (towards Mumbai) was KYN WCG2 # 20134 and trailing loco was KYN WCG2 # 20135. Nice to see consecutive loco road numbers 20134/20135 coupled together. Light running green PUNE WDM2 # 17516 was seen moving towards loco shed. This must have come with Daund-Pune Passenger rake which was stabled on PF3. Later, at 13:25 hrs, the same rake departed as 1321 Pune-Nanded Nizamabad Passenger behind freshly painted blue PUNE WDM2 # 16042.
Derated green PUNE WDM2S # 18255 (loco marked as fit for shunting work only, not suitable for mainline work) was seen roaming around. Skyblue/yellow GTL WDM3A # 18885R was getting ready. I was sure that this loco will haul my train, 1029 Koyna Exp! Another derated green PUNE WDM2S # 18346 was seen shunting the rake of Indrayani Exp as Deccan Exp on PF4 (as the same rake of incoming Indrayani Exp goes out in the afternoon at Deccan Exp).
Announcements were being made about timely expected arrivals of 1078 Jammutawi-Pune Jhelum Exp and 1610 Miraj-Pune Passenger and timely expected departure of 9311 Pune-Indore Exp (which now runs on Saturday in addition to earlier Tuesday/Friday runs)! Announcement was made that my train 1029 Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai - Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur Koyana Exp is expected on it's scheduled time 13:05 hrs on PF1. I went to PF1 from FOB at around 13:15 hrs (as Koyana still had not yet come)!
Finally, my train 1029 Koyana Exp arrived on PF1 with KJM WDP4 # 20034. WDP4 was in long hood forward (LHF) mode towards Miraj direction. WDP4 was detached and soon GTL WDM3A 18885R was attached to haul Koyna Exp towards Kolhapur.
I boarded my coach D3 and occupied my window seat! Koyana Exp finally left Pune Station at around 13:40 hrs (now late by 25 minutes from Pune itself)! In the Ghorpuri Yard (GIT area), I saw KJM WDG3A # 13256 and orange GY WDG3A # 13246 Shakti locos. Koyana Exp halted for almost 7-8 minutes at Ghorpuri (GPR) station. This station has 1 island kind of platform to accommodate 2 trains. And on left hand side of GPR Station (while moving towards Miraj), there is PUNE DLS (Diesel Loco Shed)! I could see 7-8 locos inside DLS. However, due to high rising wall separating loco shed and station, I could not see/note any loco numbers.
Journey from Pune-Miraj to follow soon in Part 2!

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2 Public Posts - Wed Feb 10, 2016

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Feb 10 2016 (18:47)
guest   4394 blog posts
Re# 1735244-3              
Part IV : Dharwad-Hubli Run and Morning Observations at Hubli!
I woke up at 06:25 hrs exact due to a small jerk! And my train 1047 Miraj-Hubli Exp had arrived and just halted at Dharwad
(DWR) station! The train was 'bang' on time!
At DWR, one one of the siding lines, twin KJM WDG3A hauled goods train was waiting to proceed towards Miraj direction!
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The locos were orange KJM WDG3A # 13368 Shakti and standard blue liveried KJM WDG3A # 13267 Shakti!
Soon, 6201 Mysore-Dharwad Express arrived behind blue KJM WDG3A # 14660. The train was late by 30 minutes!
The train seemed to have low patronage. Also, the rake was of short length only. The train had 1 AC2T coach also.
As Dharwad-Hubli is single line track, once the 6201 MYS-DWR Exp came into Dharwad, my train 1047 got starter signal and finaly leg of DWR-UBL journey which is 20 Kms long, started. 1047 has lot of slack. They have provided 50 minutes time for last 20 kms run!
The train picked up good speed and soon came to a screaching halt at Navalur (NVU)! At NVU, 6589 Bangalore-Kolhapur
Rani Chennamma Exp speeded towards Dharwad/Miraj, headed by KJM WDP4 # 20006 loco. This WDP4 was in short hood forward (SHF) mode towards Dharwad/Miraj direction. Also, lot of work of expansion of Navlur yard was seen going on full speed. Rake of 0689/0690 Hubli-Bangalore-Hubli Winter Special Intercity Express was also seen lying idle at NVU yard.
The train started journey again and slowed down at station named Amargol (AGL). Here, a goods train with sand/soil/stone,
etc was standing, without any loco. Lots of trucks were getting filled with soil that was being removed as part of earth work
being done at AGL. Earth work is probably for track doubling.
Near Unkal (UNK), a long goods train was waiting to proceed towards Hubli (UBL), headed by twin WDG4 locos! This is my
first sighting of twin WDG4 locos (which seem to 'rule' this sector - please see next part of the report)! Both WDG4 locos
were coupled such that while moving in any direction, the leading loco will be SHF, which is 'ideal' for the loco pilot! The locos
for the goods train were UBL WDG4 # 12112 and UBL WDG4 # 12135! 12135 WDG4 was leading the train and ready to take it towards UBL!
Finally, my 1047 MRJ-Hubli Exp reached UBL at 07:05 hrs (15 minutes before time)! On the adjuscent platform, I saw 5-6 coaches with board of 2780 Goa Exp headed by orange PUNE WDG3A # 14886! The same loco and same train was seen by me on earlier night at MRJ.
The Hubli Link coaches (called as 7305/7306 Link Exp) that arepart of 2779/2780 Goa Exp were detached at Londa (LD) Junction and the link express came to UBL with same Pune loco. And 2780 Goa Exp must have gone from Londa to Madgaon with GY WDG3A loco!
A goods train was ready in UBL station to move towards Dharwad, headed by single UBL WDG4 # 12029 loco.
Also, 6506 Bangalore-Gandhidham Exp arrived at Hubli behind single orange KZJ WDG3A # 14898 loco!
Soon, I left Hubli Station as I had to finish my work and quickly return back to catch 1620 Hubli-Miraj Passenger.
To my 'disappointment', TC (ticket checker/collector) at the exit gate of UBL station took away my SL ticket for 1047!
Local/Public transport bus service in Hubli seemed to be good! Plenty of buses with good frequency were seen running all over. Hubli city looked dirty, unclean, unplanned (similar to many other cities in India). However, UBL Junction Station Area
seemed quite good, with good cleanliness and planned areas for entry/exit, auto stand, etc! Local buses in Hubli (KSRTC skblue buses) have automatic electronic ticket vending machines (hand held devices with bus conductors). Similar device
is implemented at Pune also (PMT or now PMPML buses), however, the same is in discussions (hot topic) due to 'fraud' etc!
Very interesting last part, part 5 with afternoon observations at Hubli (UBL) Junction to follow soon!

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2 Public Posts - Wed Feb 10, 2016
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