Deccan Queen - मेरे सपनों की रानी

TRIP REPORT - 22894/SE HWH SNSI SUP EXP
Hi friends, I'm back after a long time to present you another report of mine...
DOJ : 06-04-2017 (Thursday) From Howrah.Jn (HWH) to Durg.Jn (DURG).
As this journey was planned in General Class (GS) in the end moment which led me to become tense, as generally seen how people travel in GS class in India....
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Still after lot of consolling from my friend Amit Kumar Singh, I was sceptical as how will be the journey? Will I get place to sit comfortably & most important was woul I be able to get window seat so that I may do railfanning? A big big question mark was hovering in my head all the time admist my hectic schedule in Kolkata along with the hot & sultry weather of Bengal was making me more uncomfortable. Well any how the fatefull day arrived.
On the very morning itself at around 11:00 Hrs only we departed, as I didn't wanted to take chance if I do not get window seat in the Express train, so reached Dankuni station by 11:30 Hrs to board BWN HWH CHORD LOCAL & in meantime spotted late running Howrah bound Kalka Mail with it's usual link WAP-7 HWH raising dirt across the station, sometimes later crawler Kolkata Jammu Tawi Express emerged out of no where, honking all the way with WAP-4 MGS. All these made my time pass good & finally delayed local to Howrah arrived, we boarded in Vendors compartment to avoid the rush. After joining the mainlines at Bally our EMU was doing parallel action with Howrah bound Mayurakshi Passenger which was in between greeted by red & we some how proceeded to get halted after Liluah, finally crawling through Tikiapara coach care shed, across it to spot empty rakes of Mumbai bound Gitanjali Express being taken to Howrah for departure by KGP Alco. Reached Howrah around 13:00 Hrs to find Kalka Mail awaiting to be shunted besides the platform in which our local arrived.
== Observations at Howrah (HWH) :
As usual there was hustle and bustle. Soon Bagh Express looked us with it's red eyes of WAP-4 HWH, while we hurried outside the Old complex to avoid the narrow passage of around platforms 12,13,14 & FOB to reach New complex. We slowly walked past the road along the taxi lane & as usual 'coolies' began to coax us, we ignored them & kept on moving to reach the Unreserved ticketing area of New complex, as it's less crowded that those located in Old complex. In no time we bought our UTS tickets, looked into enquiry counter for the expected platform where our train would arrive & entered the new complex platform no - 20. Walked all the way to the end of the platform & finally took shade under the Bankim Setu.
Here the typical scene was : Over 21 was the legend Gitanjali Express bound for Mumbai with WAP-4 SRC, which we spotted earlier, over 19 was Bhubaneswar bound Janshatabdi Express with WAP-4 VSKP which departed around 13:30 Hrs, over 18 a EMU local was brought in as Janshatabdi Express departed. At around 13:45 Hrs the rake of 22894/Up. Howrah Sainagar Shirdi Express was brought in by KGP based Alco, while a WAP-4 SRC was already coupled to it as usual practise used by SER, it was brand new shiny LHB rakes which was a cocktail mixture of other zones! We took 2 nice window seats opposite each other, placed & chained our luggage, made Amit look after the luggages & seats, took some snaps of coaches & loco. After that I proceeded to fill drinking water from RO taps near the concourse area. While going saw Gitanjali Express had arrived from Mumbai over platform number 17 & coming back observed that AC coaches were of SER which were 2011-2014 made, some were in Duronto livery, perhaps these were swapped from Duronto Express, Sleeper Class coaches were mostly of NFR in new conditon, all General Class coaches were ECR marked that too were new, now don't ask me about those EOG's, as they were as usual old pieces from SER only!
Just in sometime Tamralipta Express arrived from Digha & an another WAP-4 SRC came to be coupled in, crowd was exchanged & finally it departed at 14:25 Hrs, later that lone red SRC loco went away. While we were anticipating for our departure, well we finally departed at 14:40 Hrs with typical SRC loco honk! we were delayed by 5 mins & started crawling to join mainlines!
== Post departure :
Just with departure, saw that Mumbai Mail too had arrived in Old complex, luggages were being unloaded & shunter was already attached to rake it to the yard. Gitanjali Express too was ready to be taken by KGP based Alco into Santragachi coaching yard for it's evening service as Sri Jagannath Express. In meantime we were crawling parallel with an SER EMU near GT.Rd bridge & finally it was stopped to give us our way to spot empty rake of Malda Town Intercity Exp taken to HWH, further saw another SER EMU which was awaiting for green, besides it was Ahmedabad Express awaiting for green to complete it's long tiresome journey behind WAP-4 SRC. We gained some speed as we crossed Tikiapara, near Dasnagar saw Intercity from Ranchi with white elephant WAP-7 HWH, waiting for it's line clear! We crossed Santragachi.Jn in good speed to further gain more speed after it's passing it's yard & locoshed areas! Thereafter it was good run given by SER to this LHB newbie, whizzing past all stations with dirt everywhere & overcast skies, which made me take a small power nap as I'd plan to experience the beauty of infamous 'Jangalmahal' Finally woke up near Khirai & reach Kharagpur outer by 5 mins late! We arrived at platform no - 02 of Kharagpur.Jn, brought some samosas & aloo chops (aloo vadas) by then we departed slowly! We procceded across one of the largest & messiest frieght yard - The Kalaikunda freight yard to enter the Jangalmahal now!
After negotiating many curves of Kalaikunda yard we speed past Kalaikunda Airforce strip & were greeted by Sardiha, the famous spot where Jnaneshwari Express was derailed due to bomb blast by Maoists on 29th May 2010, saw it's mangled coach remains along with twin WAG-5s looking as at! Thereafter the Sal tree forest of Jangalmahal started as we crossed Khemasuli, later banstala station which was deep inside the forests of Chhota Nagpur Plateau as terrain started to become much rugged, unlike the greenery found in the other side! I was busy clicking pics & enjoying full MPS ride in LHB coach, which was not shaking much nor giving any jerks! Soon forest cover decreased, settlements started appearing & here come 'Jhargram' my heavenaly abode admist the Jangalmahal! Jhargram past in couple of seconds & in sometime we were in Jharkhand & out from Bengal. Enroute all stations like Chakulia past in MPS to branching away of UP & DOWN lines before Kokpara, here at Kokpara we slowed down a bit a we were greeted with double amber signal, while Howrah bound Duronto Express crossed us with WAP-4 HWH which was as usual in hurry to reach it's destination, but interesting thing was that behind it's EOG there was a SECR marked 3AC coach! Here inside the coach a Jhalmuri wala aws getting much patronage from all travelers! Dalbhumgarh too crossed & we were again doing MPS run with greeting of green! Withing some time spotted an Express train with NFR marked coaches to which I later confirmed to find out it was Kamakhya Karmabhumi Exp, later in sometime Barbil Janshatabdi Express too crossed us but due to poor light condition couldn't capture it. After Ghatsila we crossed a freighter full of coal led by WAG-7. We arrived Tatanagar outer by 03 mins before time but was made to crawl all the way to station, hereby witnessing a WAM-4 Bhusaval which was readying itself for it's tonight duty with Mumbai bound Antyodaya Express! We brought just sprouted Bengal grams which was light yet spicy for muching & we departed from Tatanagar! There after run was smooth all the way till Chakradharpur, here we halted for mere 2 mins. I was anticipating some night action at Saranda forest range, but sadly no Express trains were to be sighted, but spotted Howrah bound Porbandar Express near Bondamunda & Azad Hind Express at Rourkela completing it's halt. Again at Rourkela we bought Tea & samosas, took a snap for memory & train moved on! After Rourkela GS coach was almost empty to get some passengers at it's next halt at Jharsuguda, till then we moved at mediocre speed as slack was given to cover up delay!
After Jharsuguda we again gained speed! Thanks to SECR for making it run again & helped us reaching not on time but before time at Durg, while I kept sleeping in between & again waking up & again to sleep! In between we crawled due to Gitanjali Express at Bilaspur & Raipur but it was mitigated later!
In all this was my 1st long distance travel in GS class, hence it was a new experience!
Thanks for your patience in reading it out! Have a great day!