Dash and the last mile dash(before the turn out of Train 18)
Friends, this is an account of those heady days when last-minute hectic activities were on at ICF to turn out Train 18 latest by the third week of October, 2018.
The Chennai
firm, the protagonist as far main furnishing, nose cones, cab and toilets were
concerned, had picked up speed and it appeared that, should we start receiving
the second to fifth Transformers in the second week of October, it would be
possible to turn out the rake by the end of the third week of October,
employing what I would call the Dash
recipe of testing a self-propelled train. Second to fifth because the first
one was under extensive testing. Dash had planned to start assembling the
second Transformers onwards and keep the train ready for testing as soon as the
first Transformer cleared the tests.
Massive infrastructural preparation works had to be taken up for
the test and validation of Train 18. A self-propelled train has to be tested as
a train after all the coaches are coupled. Our commissioning shed needed extension
as it was good only for 12 coaches in one hook whereas Train 18 was a 16-coach
train. This work involved extension of track, OHE and covered shed even as we
were in the middle of Chennai monsoon. We also planned for a dedicated test
track outside the factory for dynamic testing; a very useful facility for all
times to come but conceived and executed in the background of Train 18 requirement.
This dedicated test track needed new track length of more than a km with OHE
and extension of platform of the abandoned Annanagar station for ease of access
to coaches during testing by ICF and RDSO. All these facilities had to be
developed without disturbing the schedule of regular testing as every month 8
to 10 rakes of self-propelled trains also were turned out in the period. My
support was there but there had to be someone to coordinate with various
agencies for these works. This someone was Dash.
Dash is a saintly officer. He speaks good Tamil or at least what sounded to me like good Tamil. Those who worked under him appeared to revere him. He also commanded tremendous respect among the suppliers. When Vavre was leaving us, it was a great loss but since Dash was replacing him, I remembered the poet Majaz:
mehfil to teri sooni na hui, kuchh uth bhi gaye, kuchh aa bhi gaye
(What a
colourful setting, why are you worried, friend? Your party is not going to be
devoid of good men, if some have left, some others have joined)
And
as I got to know him better, as I saw his devotion to work, be it the factory,
the schools or the environment, I have to borrow again from the same poet to
decipher the inscrutable man behind the saintly countenance:
Mujhe peene de, peene de ki tere jam-e-laalin mein,
abhi kuchh aur hai,
kuchh aur hai, kuchh aur hai saaqi
(Let me keep drinking
more, and more, friend, for your ruby-hued goblet has so much more to offer)
Testing of the first prototype Basic Unit (BU), i.e., the first unit of four coaches, was going to be a huge challenge as the success of the entire train 18 testing procedure, stitched together by Dash, depended on this. We needed that this test be done thoroughly and comprehensively such that once the Transformers start arriving, tests on second to fourth bus would be much faster. A BU, with a large number of devices and systems required to be validated on multiple counts during the testing. When ICF had done a similar exercise for the prototype BU of the suburban EMU for MRVC phase I project, it had taken nearly a month for the first BU to respond fully to all the tests positively. Dash, was, however quite confident that ICF test staff had climbed pretty high on the learning curve and things would go fine in spite of so many new things in Train 18. He arranged for parallel testing of each subsystem and saved a lot of time. The team did encounter a number of issues but with a consistently sequential approach within the parallel-testing regime, taking all subsystem designers onboard, they were able to resolve them expeditiously. The team had made several breakthroughs already in shortening the test process, without compromising on the content and quality of the testing itself. Considering the fact that the Train 18 system is much more complicated than earlier EMUs, the prowess and dexterity the team evinced was indeed very heartening.
On the 5th of October, I called Dash for my regular before going to bed phone call. He did not pick up but called after some time. He informed that he took the call late as he was sharing sweets. Sweets at 11.30 PM? “Yes sir, the testing team is celebrating the success of all tests, including dynamic ones, on the first BU.” My tired body and sleep won over the euphoria and excitement that night but along with Shubhranshu, I was one of the first to congratulate the testing team the next morning.
When I met the team
the next day I was on cloud nine. For someone who had done a million balancing
acts in recent days, Dash cut a dash through his characteristic calm demeanour.
As I took some leftover sweets, he explained to us that the test teams were
divided into three groups; group one would check the system as per protocol,
group two would simultaneously attend to issues in the same BU and the group
three would implement the changes in future BUs which were still in the
production line. All the three groups would work round the clock, in three
shifts, to facilitate early completion of tests. For many issues arising out of
the tests, particularly those in subsystems like brakes, doors and
air-conditioning, the teams had to be in regular touch electronically with
the principal designers. I congratulated the team with every member
grinning from ear to ear.
It was time
now to plan for the turnout. There would be presence of Press and Media. We
held a meeting and nearly everyone felt that we must assign a date of turnout
to which ICF teams and all the agencies would work. How would we do it? Like a
regular flag-off? No, something more like an unveiling! Protracted discussions
involving almost the entire team, including our Civil and Electrical experts,
were held and a scheme for unveiling the train, the location and so on was
worked out.
Excitement was palpable in the
air. Although the half-built train had already got massive coverage, this was
going to be the final element, something that would live with ICF and indeed
the team for ever. Everyone had seen the train in various parts but the entire
sixteen coaches in one formation was a sight all of us were waiting for. Right joyous
would we be to behold your face, our dear train, like
the bard had King of France blurt
out to Henry V!
Leading the charge to complete
all works were Shubhranshu and Manish. But the last mile dash by Dash was really
crucial for the train.
When will we see train ready in
all respects? As the poet Jigar Moradabadi has said:
Itne hijabon
par to ye
aalam hai husn ka
kya haal ho jo dekh lein parda utha ke hum
(It’s so beautiful to see from
behind so many veils, what magic would I witness if I lift the veil?)
(to be continued...)
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