Life on the curve May 17, 2008
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in India, Indian Railways, Travel.Tags: Swarna Jayanti Express, WAP4
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The WAP-4 hauled 2644 Hazrat Nizamuddin – Trivandrum Swarna Jayanti Express on a magnificent curve between Gwalior and Sandalpur on 1 February 2008. It was a burning hot day and I had an affable railway worker from Gwalior to give me company in the deserted coach. Enjoy the ride!
The Best of Indian Railways January 20, 2008
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in India, Indian Railways, Travel.Tags: Indian Railways, Konkan Railways, Railfanning, Train Videos, WAP4, WCAM, WDM2
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Here are 2 mash-ups of my rail-fanning adventures across India in 2006 & 2007.
Highlights:
- Mangalore bound Parasuram Express bleating its horn at Valapattanam
- Speeding through a Mumbai local station
- Trainspotting at Varanasi
- Konkan Jan Shatabdi at Divankhavati
- Overtaking a MG train at Kollam outer
- WCAM/WAG banker freight action on the ghats at Igatpuri
- Mumbai bound Ratnagiri Superfast Express entering Jalgaon
- Cucumber seller at Jalgaon
- High-speed rail action / crossings in the Kollam-Kayankulam stretch and Kannur
- Footplating on the WAP4
- RORO train on Konkan Railways
- Double-headed WDM2 freight action after Madgaon
- Friendly railway staff on Konkan Railway
- Kerala Express spotted at Aluva and Kollam outer
The background score in this video is from Androsphynx & TechnoDaftpunk, but I have also preserved the original sound from the clipss so that you can hear the train beats and the loco horns.
The background score of this video is a song from the Tamil movie Aran. No train beats, just rail action!
Hope you enjoy them!
The WAP4 Ride January 7, 2008
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in India, Indian Railways, Travel.Tags: Footplating, Indian Railways, WAP4
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The WAP4 is one of my favorite electric locos. (Well, I’ve an internal tussle going on for the favorite spot between the WDM2 and the WAP4, but that can wait later).
Here’s a video of my first ever footplate* ride on a WAP4 in Kerala in 2007. The ride was awesome as we cruised along lush greenery. Check out the assistant loco pilot call out the signals. Creating this video required some deft editing skills, especially since I didn’t want to show the loco drivers. Windows Movie Maker rocks. Enjoy the ride.
Footplating
To ride in the cab of a locomotive, from the old term footplate from steam days, referring to the horizontal surface projecting from the locomotive frame, on which the loco cab was constructed. Although diesels and electrics do not have a footplate like that, the terminology persists.
Source: http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-jargon.html
Arun Rajagopal 