REGIONAL RAIL MUSEUM

At the end of what is arguably Chennai’s coolest avenue road – this runs parallel to the New Avadi Road from ICF junction to Nathamuni Theatre in Villivakkam, lies the not-so-heavily explored Regional Rail Museum. For the Anna Nagar folks, nothing else that has such a huge connection to India’s rich rail heritage and contemporary importance is on hand to spend a great couple of hours.

The giant Fowler Ploughing Engine stares you in the face as you enter, leaving you agape at the rich heritage strewn around on the exterior of the 6.25 acre RRM. Set up in 2002 as an initiative of the then Railway Minister to promote heritage consciousness and to supplement the National Rail Museum in New Delhi, the RRM at Chennai has taken its time to reach this level of collection.

The collection includes vintage locomotives of all kinds – steam, diesel and electric, and also all gauges. Of special interest to Chennai and certain to kindle bouts of pleasant nostalgia are the YAM1* metre gauge electric locos and the MG EMUs that not so long ago ruled the roost on the Madras Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu section. Also on display are some rare carriages of DHR, a dining car, a saloon car, locos like the YDMs*, WCM* etc.

The interiors comprise of photographs of the journey of ICF since its inauguration in 1955, various facilities at ICF and models of coaches manufactured at ICF. Wonderful and rare photographs, artifacts like weighing machine, station bells, hand signal lamps and the odd century old Service Register all jostle for space and the visitors’ attention. A special word about the wonderful photographs snapped by members of the Indian Railways Fan Club – they are simply amazing in their capture of the trains. You can even have a joy ride on the miniature train inside the campus.

At an entry fee of Rs.5/-, this place offers great value for money – where else can you learn so much for so little? The lack of publicity has been the bane of this place, but efforts are being made to inform public. “These days we have close to two hundred visitors a day on weekends and the same number on Tuesdays and Fridays which are visiting days for college students on factory visit”, informs Arun Devaraj, the Director of RRM. “We are making an effort to add more heritage artifacts and also show some short films that will make this visit more interactive”, he adds.

RRM is open to visitors from 10 am to 6 pm on all days, except Mondays. The trip down memory lane is not too far from your doorstep. More details at:

http://www.icf.gov.in/rrm/linkpage/contactus.htm

*For complete information on how Indian Railways classify locomotives, visit IRFCA - this is arguably the best repository on information about Indian Railways.

FLOWER POWER

If you thought flowers are only for decoration, think again. Amongst the plethora of avenues available to cure people of their illnesses, Flower Therapy has also emerged as one of the options. Flowers, and treatment? Despite skepticism growing in your mind, this therapy is increasing in popularity.

"Dr.Edward Bach of England, an allopath wondered how animals and plants stay healthy and why that comfort was not available to humans, and wandered the forests in search of an answer. He found an answer in some flowers, 38 of them to be precise, which he researched as having therapeutic values", informs Ravi Subramaniyam, Flower Therapist in Chennai. Documented in 1936 or thereabouts, this is one of the currently resurgent alternative remedies available.

"The essence of Bach Flower Therapy is to cure the mental and the emotional imbalances which manifest themselves as illnesses", says Ravi Subramaniyam. "This is now becoming popular, though slowly. People still find it difficult to believe in something simple", he adds.

"Though Flower Therapy is not for treating any disease as such, the corrections of the mental and emotional imbalances like fear, anger, resentment, depression etc. are very effectively addressed. And when these are taken care of, it leads to physical cure", informs Ravi. Physical illness, in Ravi's words, "is a reflection of the mental state of the person. The treatment basically means proper understanding of the patient, listening out with a lot of patience, analyzing the body language. Only then we prescribe remedies".

If you wondered how a bouquet of flowers could cure you, you are right. It is not the flowers per se that treat a person, but the oils or the essences extracted from the flowers that do the trick. "The essences are mixed with spirit for easy assimilation by the body, and a few drops of this mixture is added to a bottle of globules, and used orally like pills", informs Ravi of the nature of the treatment. Sometimes, even sprinkling of water mixed with the Flower Remedies can work, according to Ravi. Some of the flowers that are useful as remedies are sweet chestnut, pine etc.

There has also, of late been a lot of soul searching about the medicines and what goes into such alternative remedies, and their side effects. "These are fully natural, extracted from nature, and have absolutely no side effects. How can nature contaminate itself?" counters Ravi, adding, "after all, it is a natural way to a cure". This is also the reason why there are no regulatory issues or drug controllers breathing down the neck. "It is totally safe, and anybody with some understanding can read a good book on Flower Therapy and practice the same, at least at home. It is a very good home remedy", Ravi informs.

Getting an average of four to five patients a day, Ravi believes that this could not only be a panacea for most common illnesses, but also be a good cure for many chronic cases. Like the man with a ten year history of sciatica, being cured in a few sittings, or the college girl, who was depressed due to ragging, and saw her grades slide, scoring well in the week after she had a dose prescribed by Ravi, the success stories are slowly coming in.

It could very well be the next big thing in medicare, or it could well be a flash in the pan. But one thing is for sure – Flowers can be given a chance. Being totally safe, Ravi says, "this therapy can be supplementary as well and there is no need to stop the present line of treatment, and it does not involve and change in lifestyle". Will people give flowers a chance?

TRAVEL BY THE 10 MAIL

This train is not featured here because of the number it had for a long time – 10 mail, but the connection helps. For long this was the flagship train between Chennai and Bombay VT – as it was then called, until the superfast avatars took over. It is also probably the oldest between the two metros, and still quite popular.

Though now numbered as the 6010 mail, it is still lovingly referred to as the 10 mail. It has never boasted of being the fastest – in fact, it could well qualify to be among the slowest trains out of Chennai. The format has not changed – the two nights one day journey being the same; give or take an hour or two.

As with many slow trains on this largely single line route – this is the one that is stopped to allow the other trains to cross. This and the fact that it stops at many small villages en route gives you a wonderful insight into the quaint tiny villages and the railway environment nearby. "The 10 mail stops here" – they would say in those days, when asked about the hometown of the would be bride!

This could also be a very religious train out of Chennai – the pilgrims to Puttaparthi get off at Anantapur, those headed to Mantralayam have the Mantralayam Road station and those to Pandharpur can get off at Solapur or Kurduwadi. Many headed to Shirdi also get off at Daund to take connecting trains or buses. The big draw is that this train reaches these places at earthly hours. It also crosses many rivers considered religious – the Tungabhadra, the Krishna and the Bhima are among these. Children throwing coins into the rivers is a common sight.

A unique twist in the tale comes between Gulbarga and Solapur – there are two small wayside stations in this section with what is called the Scissors Crossing. The train has to go past the signal, back up on the loop line, and wait for the opposite train to cross. This type of crossing is very rare – and the only two stations in this near 1300 kms provide a wonderful insight into the working of the railways – if you happen to be detained for crossing.

And, at Solapur, you finally can have the best Pav Baji served on a Railway Platform by a departmental caterer – not counting the 5 star type of Food Courts that have sprung up.

If you are a lover of high speed action, then this is not the train for you. If your love to take in the scenes slowly, ambling on platform when the train stops for long, running out of a crossing station for a quick smoke (without the attendant penalty), then this is the train is for you. After all, there is life in 10 mail, and it could be 10 times more enthralling than on the speed demons!

A DIARY OF PLATFORM 10

Occupying the pride of place in the scheme of things at Central, Platform No. 10 sees the arrival and departure of many an important train, most of which are the longest – 24 coaches – to operate out of Chennai.

Starting from the Kovai Exp at 06.15, when the early morning calls of kaapi..kaapi rustle the silence of bleary eyed people both in the outside the train, a lone newspaper vendor, who is perennially short of small change sells the hottest news of the day. As the train leaves, he should be the one who makes a neat pile – courtesy small change.

Then the turn of the incoming trains starts – the Cheran, the Grand Trunk Exp or the Tamil Nadu Exp – some of the 24 coach trains that come into Chennai are received here – there are only 6 out of 11 platforms that can handle this length. The hustle and bustle as the trains troop in – the passengers happy to be on PF 10 – the call taxi stand and the suburban platforms are nearby. Passengers haggling with porters, some with auto drivers who have made their way well into the complex, some stopping at the Food Court for a cup of long lost filter coffee are some of the scenes you can encounter.

The lull thereafter lasts till about 1.15 p.m., when the Tirupathy Exp arrives, disgorging a whole load of passengers, many of them flower vendors who carry fresh jasmine from places nearby Nagari in AP. Loads are stacked in the aisles, toilets (!), under seats, and are pulled out and headed off to the flower bazaar – may be your next puja is with one of these strands of flowers.

The Grand Trunk, which is truly the Grand Daddy of trains is the next to leave Chennai at 4.30 p.m. Huge parcels fight for space with leaden footed passengers lugging heavy baggage, as the contractors of the luggage vans make a killing – probably the most profitable train alongwith the Tamil Nadu Exp is about to leave. The Railways' earning also must be phenomenal – considering that it is difficult to book luggage on these trains unless you are an early bird. This entire scenario repeats itself again when the Tamil Nadu Exp leaves at 10.00 p.m.

As the GT, as it is fondly called, leaves, there is hardly any breather. The rake of the Charminar Exp is on the Platform – all 24 of them of 2005 make, and glistening in the evening sun bouncing off the coaches. This is the only train as of now to have rakes with the CBC couplers – considered to be technically superior. The passengers are also radiant with surprised at the newfound comfort. Men and women, some commuters from nearby places in AP – almost all with heavy luggage move here and there to find their seats till the train leaves.

The Tamil Nadu Exp is the next to leave at 10.00 p.m. and the scene is no different from that of 4.30 p.m. when the GT left. A very popular train, this is probably the fastest non Rajdhani type of train out of Chennai.

As the Tamil Nadu Exp leaves, almost fifteen to twenty thousand pairs of feet would have stamped their impression on this Platform. Almost a half of them would be passengers, the rest would be the people coming in to see them off and the vendors and the railway staff. No wonder then, that this could be the busiest and the most used Platform on the Chennai Central complex.

Silence will descend on the platform at around 10.30 p.m., if the Yercaud Exp leaves from some other platform. Else the Platform will go to sleep only close to midnight – a very short catnap till the rake of the Kovai Exp arrives – to start another day afresh.

A TALE OF TWO TRAINS

A DREAM….

Just five minutes after the Mysore Chennai Shatabdi Express pulled out
of Bangalore City towards Chennai, an excited Sweta, all of 6 years,
pulled out the Blackberry from her father's hip pouch and was on the
line to her grandparents. "Paati, they have given me a welcome drink,
a sandwich, chocolates, samosa and chocolate wafers", she shouted to
her paati unmindful of the glances thrown towards her. As her mother
reined her voice in, she continued her description about the train.

The Chennai Mysore Chennai Shatabdi Express retains the charm of the
days since its inauguration way back in the mid 1990s. In fact, this
train has an enhanced prestige over the last two years, getting the
ISO 9001 certification in February 2006. A slew of additional quality
control checks are in place and these really add some comfort to the
passenger, as Madrasplus checked out close to the second anniversary
of the certification.

The coaches are maintained well, though the age of around 15 years shows.
These coaches are hand-me-downs of the Shatabdi Expresses in the North
- those have been upgraded to newer technology coaches. The catering
service is courteous and the food is good. The menu changes almost on
a daily basis – regular travelers need not complain about eating the
same stuff on every journey. "We have a rotation system in place, and
ensure that items are not repeated more than twice a week", informs
Shammi Kumar, the on-board Manager of CKK Caterers who handle the
catering.

"This train runs full most of the days", informs the Train
Superintendent of the day. "There are days when people request us to
allow them in the train", he added. In fact, Shammi Kumar informed
that sometimes passengers stand near the service area, when the
waiting list is not cleared. "This train has retained its popularity
– in fact, this is seeing increased patronage and runs into waitlists
on many days", informs the Train Superintendent. The catering Manager
informs that they always have a buffer stock of extra food to meet
exigencies.

The train itself is maintained very well. The maintenance staff are
very active and go about their work in an unobtrusive way, spraying
air fresheners every hour or so, cleaning the toilets and swabbing
them clean every now and then besides attending to specific
complaints. The toilets are very clean – they contain all the
fittings like soap dispensers, tissue rolls, tissue dispensers and
quality taps. What is important is that these consumables are
replaced and never run out of stock. The flushing mechanism is
improvised to dispense a fixed amount of disinfectant during each
flush. The coaches and the toilets smell fresh, making the journey
that much more comfortable.

The run is good – the train pulls into Chennai mostly on time. This
is the much-preferred option for those who have a few hours of work at
Bangalore – an early morning departure and a late evening arrival
means that they are back home in the night. "This is what I do at
least once a week", says Venkataraman. "Taking a flight does not save
me much time – the transfers to and from the airport and the
additional cost involved puts me back", he adds. "And if it is
maintained as it is, I will never take a flight from Chennai to
Bangalore", he declares.

Southern Railways' initiative on the amenities front, at least for
this train has paid them back – and handsomely. It has brought in
praise from the passengers, dedicated service from the staff and more
importantly, converted at least a few flight seats into train
waitlists.


…..AND A NIGHTMARE

Vani Datta, all of 37 years now, was as excited as Sweta was today –
on a warm summer morning of early 1970s. She was to make her first
trip by the Brindavan Exp – the fastest train between Chennai and
Bangalore at that time. This was the first time that the Railways had
allowed pass holders to travel, and Vani's father had waited for
reservation from 2 am about a month before the journey. She lacked
the communication of these days, but her paati was equally excited
when she narrated the journey two days later at her native place.

"Paati, there is a canteen (sic) in the train where they cook and give
you food. You should not return the coffee cups, you can throw them
out!" were some of her excited stories of her memorable journey. "A
journey by the Brindavan Express today is still memorable", she says
on the phone from Mumbai, adding, "but for all the wrong reasons".
Once the most prestigious train of Southern Railways, this is the
story of how things can go horribly wrong in some cases.

"We are very well aware that this is almost a dead train", admits a
top Railway official – on the condition of anonymity. No official was
willing to come on record to speak about the negatives. "We are
really unable to figure out how to restore the train to its glory
days", says the same official very defensively. The train now takes
an hour more than it did in the early 1970s – and that is not what
technology improvement in the Railways had done to this train!

"Indiscriminate addition of stoppages has made this a pale shadow of
its hoary past", says one of the Railway ticket checking staff on
duty. "I remember that the train used to stop only at Katpadi,
Jolarpettai and Bangalore Cantonment earlier. Now Krishnarajapuram,
Bangarpet, Kuppam, Ambur, Walajah Road and Arakkonam have been added",
rues Ramachandran, a former Railway staffer.

"It is not about adding stops – it is about comfort", says the Ticket
Examiner of the day. There were many passengers standing in the
aisles and near the doors of all the compartments – almost a hundred
of them even in reserved compartments. "It seems this train is
reserved fully for unreserved passengers and the reserved passengers
cannot even use the wash basins and the toilets", remarks Cheyanna, a
Bank Manager from Coorg. There were at least a hundred hawkers,
beggars and eunuchs that made this trip 'memorable'.

"We are not able to do anything about this", admits the Travelling
Examiner. "At best, each one has to work three coaches – keeping
unreserved passengers out even if we have only one coach is nearly
impossible", he admits. "The hawkers and beggars cannot be
controlled, as the 'right' people have been taken care of by them', he
adds.

As if to add to all this, the Pantry Car has been handed over to a
private contractor – the breakfast was not ready even after an hour of
the train leaving Chennai. What was served later, though, was much
better than the departmental stuff that came our way until a few
months ago.

"If the train has to be restored to its glory days, there has to be
very strict - sometimes inhuman monitoring to prevent unreserved
passengers in reserved compartments is the only answer", adds another
Railway official. He also admits, "it is not the only measure that we
have to take – in fact we should try and work out a shadow train that
has more stops and more unreserved compartments, so that season ticket
holders find it difficult to reach offices on time by this prestigious
train".

More shameful is that this train runs at more than 55kmph – the norm
to keep it superfast for additional charges. "We shell out more money
for abysmal comfort, harassment of reserved passengers, and to arrive
15-30 minutes late most of the days – this is the biggest mockery of a
glorious train", says Cheyanna.

Even if the Railway officials admit that there is nothing that can be
done, there is some hope – the Railway Minister has promised in one of
his budgets that there is a plan for upgradation of prestigious trains
and the Brindavan Exp is one of them. "I will surely come back to see
that great train on its rebirth", says Vani Datta. One only hopes
that it is revived from its deathbed sooner than later!

TECHNICAL WRITING, ANYONE?

As an avid quizzer, I have been participating and conducting quizzes for more than twenty years. I always consider it a challenge to conduct quizzes, and have a wonderful team of Rajaram and Sundar to take up the challenge jointly. But, though a challenge, I really sweat at the thought of conducting quizzes for young kids—particularly in the 5–12 years age group. It is just in the mind, or is it? It requires a lot of, as they say, dumbing down—trying to get down more than a notch in our thought process, framing questions to what we think will challenge the kids just that much.

When somebody broached the subject of technical writing—yes, the work of documentation and writing user manuals and the like—I seemed to take it very easy. Have I not been writing for publications such as The Economic Times, The Hindu and other well-known publications for years now?

I took up the challenge and how! The friend asked me to write a simple instruction booklet on “How to make a Paper Boat,” and I just brushed it off and got started.

“Take a piece of paper and fold it into four. Now hold one flap and fold it to form a triangle. Hold the other three flaps …,” so I went and completed it in a few minutes. Imagine the shock of my life when the friend asked the following questions:

• Can I take any shape of paper? A round or a triangle?
• Where to hold the flap and how to fold?
• If the paper is rectangle in shape, how do I make it square?
• and many more …

He also patiently explained that I had to come down quite a few notches to make things comprehensible for the average reader of instructional material. That was really difficult. Try as I may, there was always a question or two that the friend asked me in my multiple attempts to write a simple manual to make a paper boat!

That was also when I decided to do something about this—I joined a course and learned a lot of new things about dumbing down my writing. The course could have been much better, but there’s still the project that has to be done.

What I learned has helped me a lot, and I still go through the material whenever I find time. There are a few things about technical writing that I have resolved not to forget—the target audience is of utmost importance; the instructions should be easy to understand; break down the complexities into small tasks and then go about writing sub-units for these small tasks; and many more.

It is no longer daunting, say, if someone were to come up to me and ask me to write an instructional piece on how to make a paper kite, or how to reserve a train ticket at the counter. What might still be daunting, though, is to conduct a quiz for eight-year old children!