IRFCA meet on the HHPDEMU between SBC & HUP

Some pics from a visit to Bangalore 10th-15th Oct 2001

	IRFCA meet in progress ! From left Karthik, Manoj, John (Mani). The window with the red bars can be opened by sliding grill in case of any emergency - there is one on either side in each coach. They are normally secured with a dowel pin.
	Panning the camera to the right... Manoj, John, Srinivas and Apurva. We are sitting aft of the radiator room in the leading power car - it is noisy because of the huge radiator fans just behind the bulkhead.
Railfanning visit to Chennasandra and Bypanahalli
	The 2008 MYS - MAS Shatabdi Express seen from the bridge carrying the Yashwantpur - Salem line via Banaswadi. As there is a road bridge being constructed on this line, it is not in use currently. However the trains towards Salem take the steep ramp seen on the top of the picture.
	The other side of the bridge - the line curving to the left is coming from Yalhanka - Channasandra. The KJM suspension bridge can be seen in the distance. There is a similar exit towards KJM for the YNK - CSDR line, this can be just about be seen near the white building on the top left.
	Next comes a double WDG 2 hauled BOXN rake from CSDR. The blast from the powerful motor cooling blowers shift the loose dust from the level crossing.
	Gooty shed WDG 2 # 14620 leads the heavy rake through the sharp curvature.
	Srinivas and John in railfan paradise !
	As the rake crawls towards Baiyyappanahalli, we climb back on the Salem line for a better view. The steep ramp can be seen on the left. A train climbing onto the ramp has to negotiate a 15 Kmph turnout and hence cannot have much inertia to start with. The rail surface of the ramp is pitted with the slipping wheels of struggling locos. The gradient marker at the top of the ramp has been installed the wrong way round, a train coming down the ramp faces a L for level gradient !
			Surprise ! We find the KJM WDM 2 # 17542 at the tail end of the rake.
	Trains have been also sighted in the reverse direction with a banker loco - so apparently, it is not as much as a gradient problem as much as a quick recovery to the cruising speed from the restrictive sharp curvatures.
		The 17 coach Marikuppam - Bangalore passenger comes by with the KJM Jumbo # 17804.
		Guntakal WDM 2 # 17691 brings in the Guntur - Bangalore passenger from the CSDR bypass to BYPN. The loco is heavily into dynamic braking to enter the platform loop at BYPN. Another reason for the loco to brake is that the BYPN home signal is 'on'. Note the two story CDSR control building on the SBC - Salem track. The cable winding mechanism to control the level crossing gate on the main line (as seen in the Marikuppam passenger picture) is located in the the glass front of the building ! We get a wave from the crew who recognize us as the nuts on the HHPDEMU the earlier night. This crew took the HHPDEMU to get from SBC to HUP (for training). Next morning they worked another train from HUP to Dharmavaram. Then they picked up the GTN - SBC passenger from DMM to return to Bangalore.
			Just then the BYPN home is taken 'off' with diversion indicator lit and the loco accelerates to the platform line in a classic IR atmosphere.
	The KJM shed located near the distant pillars of the suspension bridge sends the powers needed for the evening trains in one path. The other prominent features visible are the YPR - SA line overhead, the Baiyyappanahalli- Salem line ramp which is used for SBC - SA trains as the YPR - SA line is closed a few kms on the left due construction of to a major road bridge.
		There are two WDM 2s and a baldie WDM 2C. The baldie # 14047 is to be the power for my 6530 Udyan later in the evening. The notice is needed so that a loco stopped by the 'on' signal (red) is detected by the track circuit sensors of the BYPN control fitted on the rails near the board.
	In the fading light, a pair of freight WDM 2s from Kazipet shed scurry to the KJM shed for some attention.
	We later move to the deserted Chennasandra station, where the KZJ's baldie WDM 2C # 14041 thunders by with the 21 coach 7086 SBC - SC express. The building at the background is the SAIL (Steel India Ltd) depot with a railway siding inside the premises.