Page 31 - TSB ebook

Oh for those days of daredevilry…

I have so many fond memories of train journeys and I would know by heart those days
most of the trains by their numbers, until of course the 5 digit system came in, by which

time I moved on more towards branch codes

Not only the train journey, in our school days, used to walk on the track and along the

track several kms with a few friends, each time stepping aside to gleefully watch a train
pass by, standing either side, counting and fighting on the number of bogies!

Real pleasure used to be a step by step careful walk on the Railway Bridge over
Cauvery River and stay with friends on the precariously hanging square balcony right in

the middle of the bridge allowing the metre gauge Day express or the Coach to pass,

wish I could do so someday again. (There was a 2 Coach, self propelled, super fast,
half white rake which used to run between Trichy and Mayavaram those days)

Food …glorious food !

Meera cooks very well but don't think I would ever get back the hot upma of

Guntakal Station. Irrespective of the time or train, each time, I used to buy this
delicacy, never spent more than 10 rupees for this pleasure. And the countless

chaiwallahs whose tone and tenor alone would tell us it's day break or night time!

Very purposefully I booked a train ticket to Chennai from Hyderabad last week

but ultimately had to go the Indigo way, as we don't have the luxury of time
anymore, sad

I know I have written this message while on my return plane but first love is train
forever, Jai hind

- Swaminathan