Monday, December 19, 2005

KYN WCAG in KC

What the hell was a KYN (Kalyan) WCAG doing in KC (King's Circle)?

Spotted, the other day, at King's Circle station, a KYN WCAG coming in from MM (Mahim Junction) into KC and proceeding towards VDLR (Wadala Road). MM, being a WR territory, it was surprising to find a CR-based KYN coming in to KC from the MM side.

Some of these mysteries will always remain, I guess. As soon as the loco (travelling "light") came along platform 2 of KC, I looked at the starter. It was ON (meaning, the signal was "red". Red is "on" and Green is "off"). But, the loco showed no signs of stopping. Was it going to jump the signal? My question was answered as it braked quickly just close to the starter. A moment later - as if it was being expected by the pilot - the starter turned OFF. And, the loco was off on its way to VDLR. During its brief stay at KC, some school-going kids decided to touch the loco (to see if it was "real"?) and some even clambered onto the rails of the rear cabin.

In case you are wondering about the differences between a WDM, a WAM, a WAP, a WCAM, a WCAG...and the likes, rest assured that its easy to know, once you know.

The first letter (in the modern naming convention) denotes the gauge. The "W" is "broad gauge". The last letter denotes the type of trains the loco is meant to haul. ("S" is shunter, "G" is goods, "P" is passenger, "M" is mixed.)
The middle letter(s) denote the power. ("D" is diesel, "A" is A/C, "C" is D/C and "CA" is dual A/C-D/C). So, a WDM is a broad gauge diesel for mixed trains. A WCAG is a broad gauge A/C-D/C goods loco.

And, while we are on the subject of KC, here is a recent photgraph of what must've been the original ticket counter at KC station. The year mentioned below the station name is 1940.

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