A close encounter with a WDP4

It was Saturday morning about 09:30 - an off from work. I was at TNA (Thane station) waiting for a fast local to TLA (Titwala). The TLA visit was for praying at the popular Ganesha temple there and also at the Vitthal temple close to the Ganesha temple. An announcement on the station public address system made me aware that the 0103 Mumbai-Madgaon (MAO) Mandovi express was to arrive shortly on platform 7. It would be running quite late since its usual departure from CSTM is at 06:55. Now, being a regular browser of the IRFCA site and also by personal observation, I knew that the train to MAO would be most probably hauled by the mighty 4000 hp WDP4. A few minutes later the train arrived and as I was just a platform away from the train, I realised that I was face to face with the DLW (Varanasi Diesel Loco Works) manufactured SHF (Short Hood Forward) KJM (Krishnarajapuram) WDP4 # 21022. I could not help admire the beauty...it also seemed to be a mighty powerful loco. One could see the huge 6000 litre fuel tank underneath.

The pilot and his assistant were busy with their checks in the cab of the loco...a few minutes later, the cab was empty. I could see that the cab looked much more sophisticated than the WDM2s - also, very cleaner and probably more ergonomic.

The pilots returned and I could see that they had brought with them what looked like something packed in silver foils - either a late morning breakfast or their lunches. They kept these somewhere in the cab. A moment later, the pilot clicked some switches and pulled some levers; the sound that the loco started making gave one a feeling that it was an aircraft ready for lift-off. A short horn and an exchange of the green flag later, the loco started rolling and soon disappeared from sight.

The WDP4 is a loco that can effortlessly haul large trains and the original models were from GM (General Motors), USA. It is also the loco that is being run at 150 kmph in some sections of the Konkan Railway.