Long Hours on Track (7)

Note : Railway Diaries follows the Number on the Post Title

First experience of long hour’s duty- on 18th Mar 2003 I was booked for Train No. SEJ to Hospet (HPT) at 2215 Hrs,while checking the engine I broke MR1 drain coc of WDM2 and the train was detained for 4hrs at the shed. I arrived at Hospet at 1130 Hrs on 19th Mar. The same night I was booked for LE/Bullet at 2000 hrs to UBL and I arrived at UBL at 0115Hrs on 20th Mar and continued duty for crane spl. to Gadag (GDG).It was all about loading and unloading of MG coaches and the work continued till 2100 Hrs.

I slept on the platform in peace and woke up at 0530 Hrs on 21st Mar and continued duty and finally arrived back at UBL at 0000 Hrs on 22nd Mar. I had worked 52 Hrs on this trip.

This memorable trip laid the foundation for many such trips where I worked for long hours and on another instance working with water spl. I had achieved my all time highest of 63 Hours on duty.

Lessons learnt while working for long hours :-
- Eat anything that you get and don’t smell your food before you eat (in summer rice and dhal in the Tiffin would have started to decay within 4hours of filling it).
- Sleep is not the most important thing in life (public service is of utmost importance).
- Don’t look at your watch, because looking at it will not get you relief.
- Don’t complain of pains and aches (everyone has it), learn to get a kick out of it.