Barbie Doll Of South - Cute Vijayawada WAG5 Pays Offlink Visit To SER

BZA WAG5 visits SER. #Offlink | © Soumo's Railways

So, this blog post goes as the final one for March. At this time of the year most of us are struggling with our (financial-) year ending projections and meetings. So it is also some sort of a year ending post.

Not only March is the end of a financial year, but several communities all across India, and around South Asia, will have their new year's in April.

Sometimes I wonder that how fast the first three months of this year ended! Days are going away so fast, and if you have noticed, I am a little behind updating my blog and other social media handles. While I am trying best to update things in time, I hope you all are doing well and enjoying my blog and updates on YouTube and elsewhere.

Unfortunately summer is not at all a good time for railfanning. The main and only challenging issue is of course the difficult weather condition - throughout the country. I urge my RF friends to take enough precautions before going out in the sun and heat. Maybe it is better and good idea to wait for the weather to turn good - while I am writing this, I am also taking this as a self note for myself.

Last week on March 21st - Wednesday, in a major offlink, CLW made BZA Vijayawada WAG5 (no. 23848) came in to the Shalimar Railway station of SER with the 22836 Puri Shalimar Weekly SF Express. This train usually gets a VSKP WAP4 loco for it's run, or any loco from the VSKP shed, but today I was very happy when I saw this fellow with the BZA loco.

I always write the following note when I talk about the "22836 Puri Shalimar SF Weekly express", that this is just an awesome train. I am sure you will enjoy if you travel in it. The train gains so much speed at night and it is just amazing. I really recommend this train if you are travelling from Puri/BBS/CTC to Howrah/ Kolkata and vice versa. If Shalimar is inconvenient, see if you can get your tickets from SRC.

22836 Shalimar Puri Weekly SF Express departs Puri every Tuesday and arrives Shalimar the next day/ Wednesday. It departs later same day evening (Wednesday) around 2055 hrs (as train no. 22835) and reaches PURI the next morning on 0540 hrs. It touches SRC-Santragachi, KGP-Kharagpur, BLDA-Belda, BLS-Balasore, BHC-Bhadrak, JJKR-Jajpur Keonjhar Road, CTC-Cuttack, BBS- Bhubaneswar, KUR-Khurda Road and PURI-Puri. Read more about this train here and here.

The 22836 Puri Shalimar Weekly SF Express is also a frequently spotted train on my blog. You can track all my posts on this train here.

Here in the video it is seen leaving the station area after duty. Just look how magnificent is the loco!

BZA WAG5 leaving via PDPK | © Soumo's Railways

Here is the RF Data: Date: March 21, 2018 Place: PDPK - Padmapukur Railway Station, Zone (Spotting location): SER - South Eastern Railway Loco: BZA WAG5 (no. 23848)
Loco Shed: BZA Vijayawada
Loco Zone: SCR - South Central Railway.
Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
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Close Crossing - Aranyak Express Skips PDPK With SRC WAP4

Aranyak coming in | © Soumo's Railways

Today I thought of sharing a video from my archives, and this is however not a repost.

This video was shot by me back in December 2017: As you can see in a close crossing, the 12885 Aranyak Express skips PDPK - Padmapukur Railway station after starting from the Shalimar railway station.

The train on that day was being hauled by a SRC WAP4 no. 25051. Santragachi WAP4 is the normal loco link for this train. While it passed through the station, it made some lovely track music which I recommend listening with headphones.

I spot the Aranyak Express, outgoing Shalimar, quite regularly, since it is a regular one from my home station SHM-PDPK. You can read all my past posts and and the new ones about spotting the Aranyak Express here.

Watch as Aranyak skips Padmapukur Railway station (PS: Headphones are recommended):

Towards it's next stop at SRC | © Soumo's Railways

Here is the RF Data: Date: December 04, 2017 Place: PDPK Padmapukur Railway Station, Zone (Spotting location): SER - South Eastern Railway Loco: SRC Santragachi WAP4 (no. 25051) Loco Shed: SRC Santragachi Loco Zone: SER - South Eastern Railway Train: 12885 Aranyak Express.

Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
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Loco Buddies - VSKP WAG9 and SRC WAP4 Goes Home Together

VSKP's strongman waits for his friend | © Soumo's Railways

VSKP-Visakhapatnam WAG9-H (no. 31638) and SRC-Santragachi WAP4 (no. 22350) shares a cool moment of friendship by going home (aka the loco shed) together.

The VSKP WAG9 loco waited earlier for quite some time for the SRC WAP4. When the SRC P4 was finally ready, both started going towards the loco shed together for their next respective duties.

SRC Fellow | © Soumo's Railways

The VSKP WAG9 had come in earlier in the morning with a freight train to the Shalimar yard of SER. The SRC WAP4 was returning after serving the 22214 Patna Shalimar Duronto.

BTW it might appear in the video that I was standing too close to the line and the SRC loco had passed very close to me, but actually it was not. I was standing at a very safe spot, a pedestrian alley actually; also there was one of those platforms beside the tracks for linemen nearby to guard me, so overall it was absolutely safe. My camera made it appear as if I was very close to the loco, but there is nothing to worry. We must take maximum care about safety when doing railfanning. Having said that I am also taking this as a note to myself

Watch the video of the so called loco friendship here:

The locos goes home together | © Soumo's Railways

Here is the RF Data: Date: March 21, 2018 Place: PDPK - Padmapukur Railway Station, Zone (Spotting location): SER - South Eastern Railway Loco:
- VSKP Visakhatatnam WAG9-H (no. 31638)
- SRC Santragachi WAP4 (no. 22350) Loco Sheds:
- VSKP - Visakhapatnam (East Coast Railway Zone)
- SRC Santragachi (South Eastern Railway Zone)
Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
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PhotoBlog: The Magical Lines!!

The Magical Lines! | © Soumo's Railways

Some curves are hard to miss. Railway lines at the Shalimar Railway Station of SER.
I think mostly to be used by the diesel shunter locomotives for shunting duty to the adjoining Shalimar Yard.

I like to take this oppertunity to alert you that massive upgradation work is ongoing at the Shalimar Railway station which will be taking up the role of a major railway station terminus in days to come. I shall try to make a post on the updates of work going on at the station.

I am happy to write a new photoblog after a long time again. You can follow all my #PhotoBlog tagged railfanning posts here; find #PhotoBlog posts from the nearby PDPK Railway station here. Many of my PhotoBlog posts are based on PDPK station.

Here is the RF Data (for the current observation):

Date: March 12 2018

Place: SHM Shalimar Railway Station.

Zone (Spotting location): SER - South Eastern Railway

Loco: WDS6 locomotives (shunters)

Loco Shed: KGP Kharagpur

Loco Zone: SER South Eastern Railway

(**Please report if any link above is broken)

Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and Instagram.

[2-in-1] EMU Action In SER On The Busy Howrah Kharagpur Line

EMU arriving at NPMR | © Soumo's Railways

This post is from my last year's RF session at NPMR Railway station of South Eastern Railway zone which is on the busy Howrah Kharagpur railway line. Find the details of this spotting below.

South Eastern Railway Zone runs a very sophisticated suburban train service throughout this line and beyond, that connects and is part of the 'Kolkata Suburban Network'. Main stations on this line can be listed as the 'Howrah Junction', Santragachi Junction, Mecheda, Panskura, Kharagpur, Midnapur, etc. Several kind of trains, viz EMU, MEMU etc, made by different manufacturers and of different interesting liveries serve this line and stands as a lifeline to the people.

EMU stands for 'Electric Multiple Units'. This post covers arrival and departure of two EMU trains from the NPMR Railway station. Coloured in typical white and purple livery of SER Zone you can see them in full speed that raises no less excitement to a rail enthusiast than an express train.

Find the twin action EMUs in the South Eastern Railway zone video below, for your viewing pleasure. Shot at NPMR Railway station of SER (note the RF Data below):

Howrah bound EMU leaving NPMR | © Soumo's Railways

Here is the RF Data (for the current observation):

Date: December 26, 2017

Place: Outskirts of NPMR Railway station (Near PKU-Panskura Jn).

Zone (Spotting location): SER - South Eastern Railway

Loco: Not Applicable - EMU Suburban Trains

Zone: SER - South Eastern Railway

Train: EMU Electric Multiple Unit.

(**Please report if any link above is broken)

Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
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Kazipet WAG7 Hulk Climbs A Small Gradient With A Freight Train

KZJ Kazipet WAG7 locomotive (no. 27769) climbs a small gradient as it hauled past with a freight train. Spotted at Khurda Road division, East Coast Railway Zone.

Watch the video as KZJ Kazipet WAG7 rises as if from the underworld! Watch it below:

Here is the RF Data (for the current observation):

Date: February 13, 2018

Place: MKTP Railway Station.

Zone (Spotting location): ECoR - East Coast Railway

Loco: KZJ Kazipet WAG7 (no. 28302)

Loco Shed: KZJ Kazipet

Loco Zone: SRC - South Central Railway

Train: Freight train

(**Please report if any link above is broken)

Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
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Loco Pilot Greets And Santragachi WAP4 Departs With Aranyak Express

SRC WAP4 coming in | © Soumo's Railways

This post is being updated. As you are reading this, I am still writing and updating the same. Please kindly refresh this page in a few minutes to get the final updated version.

LP Greets | © Soumo's Railways

I was greeted by the Loco Pilot as I was taking pic of the loco coming in. It was such a kind gesture from a LP, early morning as he and his colleague drove in the SRC WAP4 loco (no. 22880) to Shalimar and then the 12885 Aranyak Express out of SHM - Shalimar Railway station.

I spot the Aranyak Express, outgoing Shalimar, quite regularly, since it is a regular one from my home station SHM-PDPK. You can read all my past posts and even follow future posts about spotting the Aranyak Express here.

Watch the video of the LP greeting me as the SRC WAP4 approaches and then Aranyak Express departs, here:

Aranyak departs | © Soumo's Railways

Here is the RF Data: Date: February 23, 2018 Place: SHM-Shalimar Railway Station, Zone (Spotting location): SER - South Eastern Railway Loco: SRC Santragachi WAP4 (no. 22880) Loco Shed: SRC Santragachi Loco Zone: SER - South Eastern Railway Train: 12885 Aranyak Express.

Thanks for stopping by. As always, corrections, comments, suggestions new ideas, travel tips (or anything) are very much welcome and appreciated.

© Soumo's Railways | Do connect with #SoumosRailways 
on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and Instagram