After a confused start to a day, I find myself, well within my train departure time, at Nellore railway station. The confusion and the special mention of "well within my train departure time," I'll leave it for some other time.
I have visited Nellore earlier, and my friend, who now stays in the US of A, had accompanied me back then. I'm well acquainted with the station given that I had visited the same place sometime ago. This time, I had come alone on some other purpose, and there was a flurry of déjà vu while I was walking in the station or around the town.
I give a thought of placing my luggage on the platform, but later conclude that its a bad idea. I instead go to the place my coach is supposed to halt, and I hear a honk from the other side of the line. I take few steps towards the other platform, and hearing the honk and at the pace at which it was coming, I speculate that the train coming is some freight.
I observe the station master and khalasi come out with their green flags, to manually confirm the green signal ahead and reassure that everything was fine to continue their journey and this process is referred as "Flag Exchange" or "Signal Exchange".
Clearing the bridge over river Pennar which is right before the station, the locomotive curves into the platform.
Erode WAG 7 with a Prancing Deer printed on its face- freight, as expected.
The loco pilot and his assistant proudly put their green flags on the either side of the locomotive, a good 200 meters from where the station master and Khalasi were standing. No sooner than the cabin crew put their flags out, than the Station Master and Khalasi raise their right arms with green flag held.
This is a special moment for a railfan, witnessing the exchange of the signals (or flags) of a particular train with the station master of some station the train is passing by or the crew of some other train, and it was after long time I was watching this. In fact, it was the first time I was witnessing the flag exchange from a close quarter.
As the loco was approaching the point of flag exchange, I get more and more edgy, and as soon as I see both the pairs lift the flag in the air while they meet, I tell myself "these are the moments you live for."
I have visited Nellore earlier, and my friend, who now stays in the US of A, had accompanied me back then. I'm well acquainted with the station given that I had visited the same place sometime ago. This time, I had come alone on some other purpose, and there was a flurry of déjà vu while I was walking in the station or around the town.
I give a thought of placing my luggage on the platform, but later conclude that its a bad idea. I instead go to the place my coach is supposed to halt, and I hear a honk from the other side of the line. I take few steps towards the other platform, and hearing the honk and at the pace at which it was coming, I speculate that the train coming is some freight.
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| File Picture of a Flag Exchange. |
I observe the station master and khalasi come out with their green flags, to manually confirm the green signal ahead and reassure that everything was fine to continue their journey and this process is referred as "Flag Exchange" or "Signal Exchange".
Clearing the bridge over river Pennar which is right before the station, the locomotive curves into the platform.
Erode WAG 7 with a Prancing Deer printed on its face- freight, as expected.
The loco pilot and his assistant proudly put their green flags on the either side of the locomotive, a good 200 meters from where the station master and Khalasi were standing. No sooner than the cabin crew put their flags out, than the Station Master and Khalasi raise their right arms with green flag held.
This is a special moment for a railfan, witnessing the exchange of the signals (or flags) of a particular train with the station master of some station the train is passing by or the crew of some other train, and it was after long time I was watching this. In fact, it was the first time I was witnessing the flag exchange from a close quarter.
As the loco was approaching the point of flag exchange, I get more and more edgy, and as soon as I see both the pairs lift the flag in the air while they meet, I tell myself "these are the moments you live for."
