Hyderabad to New Delhi by AP Express
Trip Report: Hyderabad to New Delhi by 2724 A.P. Express
Date: July 8, 2004
It was a bright rainless morning in Hyderabad (HYB) when I went to board the A.P. Express to Delhi. I reached HYB at 0620 and found to my joy that my coach S1 was just 2 coaches away from the loco, a usual LGD beast of newer design, i.e. the side louvers were lesser than in the earlier WAP4/1 design. Rabi, sorry I did not note the loco number, an oversight I still cannot reconcile with. Anyway, I was happy; for I had a side lower seat (this was an emergency window, which could be lifted so that I could lean out fully not constrained by the protective bars)!!! I am sure the reservation clerk must have thought me nuts when I booked my tickets (for I had indicated SLB as my preference for all the 3 trips MAS-HYB-NDLS-MAS) :))). Anyway, I settled down in my seat and AP left on the dot at 0640. A PA WDM2 was doing some shunting duties and BZA superstar, WAG5 Krisnaveni was waiting with the HWH bound East Coast express on the adjacent platform, which would follow us till Kazipet (KZJ).
No sooner had we left HYB, the WDP4 20005 LHFed the 7053 MAS-HYB express, horning furiously, though no one was on the tracks and our WAP4 was silent on that stretch. Just the pilots showing off their beast I suppose :)))). Five minutes later, the BZA WAM4 21265 hauled Dakshin express crossed us, on time like its predecessor. I think this train would have a good punctuality record because of its enormous slack time. Quite a crawler is it? We reached pf1 of SC at 0700 sharp, just when WDP4 20008 was leading the SBC-SC express out of SC, towards James Street.
SC was a hive of activity, befitting a station serving a city, unlike its brother station HYB. I saw an MMTS on a far pf, waiting to go towards Falaknuma, and a couple of WDM2s 17201 (shed???) and 17706 (MLY). In addition were the omnipresent WAG5s and its ‘E’ variants of the big shed at BZA, 23664, 23839, and 23850. Just outside SC was KZJ WDM2A 17508. We left SC at 0710 and crossed the suburbs, before picking up speed. Soon we were doing 110 and maintained it almost throughout till KZJ. En route around 0725, 20004 led SHF the (I think) 7423 (Tirupati) TPTY-SC Narayanadri express. No sign of Charminar, I thought, late as usual. The sign was observed after Bibinagar, when Charminar crossed us and a LGD WAG7s led (27835 and 27836) freight, mercifully parked on the loop. I could only have a good guess at Charminar’s delay, given my trip by this train a couple of days before. However, AP that day was lucky. No loop crossings for us till KZJ.To be continued...
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