A ride on the new CR coaches

I had the opportunity to ride on the new CR (Central Railway) coaches this weekend. The shining steel insides and the polyurethane handles seemed quite nice. I was most pleasant surprised by the same smooth start and pickup as some of the WR (Western Railway) rakes. When this new rake starts up, one does not get a sound and a big jerk; the only way to tell the rake has started is to see outside the window or to hear the sound of the sleepers (the familiar sound of the wooden sleepers that goes tak-tak, tak-tak...you know what I mean). Extraordinary!

I had noticed this start-up mechanism in some of the WR locals. One can see an additional "box" near the pantograph and this usually makes a lot of noise (very audible when the rake is stationary at a platform). This same technology is probably in use in the CR new rakes.

Also, observed that the "stickers" displaying various notices such as "Alarm Chain", etc. were printed in neat "computerised" fonts as compared to the old hand-paint notices. These look so much better (probably at the cost of unemployment for the painters :( ).

I also observed the same disadvantages about the new rakes as pointed out by some readers in a newspaper recently: One guy had mentioned that the "wooden partition" that separated the entrance from the seats was no longer there and that would mean that the rain water would come in from the open doors onto the seats. (Probably, the designers thought that the commuters would keep the doors closed in the rains - ha! that's what happens if you do not have practical experience). Commuters standing at the door in the rains keep the doors closed, but have to open it up well before the rake arrives on the station platform. In the case of very crowded trains like the Virar fast, there is no option for the commuters but to get wet. (A true Mumbaikar is always one who would protect his umbrella from getting wet so that he wouldn't have to dry it later - even if that means that he has to get wet! And you thought the umbrellas were meant to keep the people from getting wet - silly you - Welcome to Mumbai).

The "jaali" or the "cage" that protected the windshields of the loco are now gone. The new single windshield is indeed very good looking, but one wonders if the fear of people pelting stones at the pilot's windows has gone away.

All in all - a definite welcome change.