Experience!!!!

Folks..

Last Saturday - 1st October 2005 is a memorable day in my life.. WHy so memorable... read below....

Having sat late in the office both on Thursday and Friday, got up on Saturday morning at 9:40 AM with a phone call from Mr. Manohar (IRFCA Chennai Member). He mentioned that the Oldest Working Steam Locomotive in the world "Fairy Queen" is in Loco Works Perambur for POH (Periodic Over Haul) and will have a Trial Run from Loco Works to Villivakkam. It was also featured in the day's Hindu (Page 6).

A Steam Run from Loco Works to Villivakkam... this is a sight that must not be missed.. I was concerned bcos I had already promised my mother that I would help her in setting up the "Golu" at my home on Saturday and Sunday... now this steam run took the top priority.. My mom was gentle enough to let me do the RailFanning and I immdly sent SMS to my IRFCA gang on the Trial Run and invited whoever can to join..

I also contacted Mr. Sridhar Joshi (IRFCA Chennai Member) and talked to him about this Trial Run.. He writes for the Times of India/ Economic Times as Brahmma Joshi.. He was at Loco Works Perambur to write a report for the Economic Times.. LUck was on my favour.. I joined him at Loco Works.. I too represented ET with Joshi and we got into the Loco Works..
The little Fairy Queen was fired up for the occasion.. She is a beauty.. she was attended by about 30 people.. each one lending their hands to work on her.. She had only one set of powered wheels and the other two pairs were just supporting her.. Its really hard to imagine that she was reserructed back to life after about 90 years of musuem life.....

We happenned to meet Mr. M S Rangarajan, the man behind in making this plinthed locomotive to come back to life.. In all, it had taken 7 men and 3 months time to restore it back to her form...

In Mid 96, the Fairy Queen was brought from National Rail Musuem, Delhi to Loco Works Perambur for reserruction. For 3 months, these men worked to restore her.. starting with making her missing components without any line diagrams or references.. Hats off to these men and their skill....

By October 96, Fairy Queen was all ready to be fired up.. she went on a trial run the whole day.. eveyrone associated with this task were contended that they have brought her back to life... aah.. what a sensation..

Since '96 end, she is working on the Delhi Alwar route on the prestigious Fairy Queen Express hauling foreign tourists.. She is sent every 2 years regularly to LocoWorks Perambur for Overhaul...

This is the fourth POH for the Fairy Queen at LW, Perambur. She will soon be sent to Delhi for her regular duty... she had a trial run from Perambur Loco Works to Padi station via Villivakkam.... the people who did the POH were enthusiastic to take her on the main line route for 3 kms ride.. There are lots of rules in the Railways...

For the Fairy Queen to run on the mainline.. they had to

a. Bring Steam drivers from Ooty (only they are licensed to drive on main line routes)

b. Have a regular drive on board the steam loco.. (he knows the route since the Ooty guys does'nt know the route)

c. Have a backup engine attached to Fairy Queen incase she fails on the main line.. this backup loco will take charge and bring her back to the loco works..

Swallowing thousands of litres of water and few tonnes of coal.. Fairy Queen was ready for the ride.. wow.. what a experience it was.. she chugged down the line.. blowing its cute whistle and pulling the diesel loco behind.... during this small run... we (the people) who were standing on the diesel loco's footplate could experience smoke/dust/heated water sprayed by the chimney.. and ofcourse sometimes few pieces of charcoal as well.. one such small burning coal fell on my toe and it pained.. that moment I realised how difficult it must have been for the drivers of the steam era... hats off to these men of steel...

01-Oct-2005 - is a day of unforgettable experience of a kind...

Hope that you too enjoy similar experiences with things that you like and admire....