Sijua on the DHN-KTH-CRP sub-section on the CIC line is a great place for railfanning. Trains here travel at a very low MPS, due to underground fire. This section was founded during colonial times in 1880, and in that way it precedes the Grand Chord, which was built in 1903.
At 1880 the Dhanbad-Jharia & the DHN-KTH-PLJE section was built and the tracks were laid down for the purpose of loading coal.Jharia and Katras in those days were tiny kingdoms, while Dhanbad was a small village. The coal in Jharia and Katras were the very best in the country, and as such the British made a deal with the local rulers to...
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construct a railway line to Jharia & Katras. Sitting prettily in between Katras & Jharia, this small village Dhanbad was chosen as the terminus for this two lines. However there was a requirement for the construction of a Loco Tank for watering the engines, as well a loco shed for maintainance of the locos. The nearest loco shed, the then 'East Indian Railways' largest was at Sitarampur with which Dhanbad had no rail link. This was because the Damodar was then the 'Sorrow of Bengal'. Every year it flooded and caused the deaths of thousands. Even the british had tried for several years to built a bridge, but the monsoon flooding would undo every progess they made. And as such there were rail lines which terminated at Barakar. But with the discovery of rich coal areas,the british wanted them to be directly connected with the industrial heartlands of Calcutta.
This is how a small unknown village, by virtue of it's sheer luck happened to become a not only a railway terminus, but also housed 'EIR's' largest loco tank as well as largest loco shed!
After the completion of this route, the british suddenly realised that if they they laid a railway tracks from Howrah to Gaya to 'Moghulsarai' (The British name for now Mughalsarai), they happened to reduce the distance from Calcutta to Delhi even further. The Brits toiled for years and bridges were laid across the Damodar, the Phalgow and the '5km streching' Sone!
Tunnels were laid across the Gurpa & Gajhandi forrests, and curves bulit to counter the steep gradient change as the Chotanagpur Plateau receded. Finally with much fanfare Lord Minto innargurated the Grand Chord in 1906,at Gajhandi. Meanwhile the British had extended the DHN-PLJE all the way to Madhya Pradesh, and named it as the CIC section.
With the completion of the Grand Chord however, Dhanbad was connected to Calcutta as well and Delhi directly and as such, in a small space of time became a important junction on the Grand Chord. It became the center of Coal-Loading and passenger travel, as both Jharia and Katras lost their past influences, somewhat.
Within a space of 100 years a small unknown village has become a thriving industrial city! And all this started because of this two railway lines!
It is sad that both these railway lines hav had to become victims of Underground Fires, caused by pure negligence!
While the Dhanbad-Jharia line is already history, the DHN-PLJE section is counting it's last breaths! Alternate routes are being planned, and soon this line will fade into Oblivion.....................................
Coming back to the present. It was a hot sunny afternoon and myself and my friend found ourselves at Sijua station waiting to catch the Jhargram-Dhanbad MEMU to Dhanbad.
While standing the overhead bridges, we spotted three trains in the space of 1 hours. We spotted two WAM-4s, 2 WAG-9s, a WAG-7, and the MEMU itself!
However as a tribute to the WAM-4, the 'Rahul Dravid of Indian Railways', for it's selfless 40 years of service, we clicked the pictures of the two WAM-4s only!
Picture 1-5 shows MGS WAM-4 bring in the DHN-CRP passenger.
Picture 6 shows TATA WAM-4 speed by with the marathon runner ALLP-DHN Express.
Hope you enjoyed this railfanning report, I added a touch of the history of the CIC section as well!
#Arnab

RAILFANNING AT MY HOMETOWN!
It was saturday the 25th of July, when I set off for Kolkata. I reached Dhanbad Junction at 10:00 AM so to click some photographs of Dhanbad Junction. I was aiming for the 12988 Ajmer-Sealdah Superfast and planned to avoid the 13152 JammuTawai-Kolkata Express.
The PRS came to life and announced that both of the train were delayed by over an hour. Still wanting to avoid the 13152 I took a stroll along Platform number 1, and clicked a few snaps.
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it can be seen, it was a beautiful overcast morning, with occassional torrential downpour. The station drenched in the rains looked very fresh and was an eye-soother.
At 11:00AM sharp 53061 BWN-HTE passenger chugged in with a TATA WAM4, I couldnot take a picture as a freight train blocked the view as the passenger entered, simulataneously VSKP WDM3A 13282 chugged with the 12832 BBS-DHN Garib Rath. I was cursing the freight for a wasted oppurtunity,when all of sudden a twin-honk alerted me .I turned to see HWH WAP7 30311 pulling in 22387 HWH-DHN Black Diamond Express.
At 11:45AM the 68087 Bankura-Dhanbad came in,simultaneouslly 63522 GAYA-DHN-ASN memu chugged in.
At 12:00 sharp JAMMU-KOAA express came in. Majority of my fellow passengers got in, myself and the daily passengers waited on for the 12988 which the PRS announced would be arriving shortly. The daily passengers theorized that that 12988 would overtake 13152 sometime ahead, so it would be wise to wait for 12988. Why settle for Silver when you can get Gold,right!
An hour later we would be deeply regretting our decisions.
12988 came in with HWH WAP4 22286 at 12:15PM, I quickly scurried around looking for a seat. None, there was none, and none of the passengers around were inclined to share their precious seats. I stood at the door, amongst the commotion, hoping that I would get a seat at ASN. 1 hour of standing isn't such a bad deal ,right! Besides I was getting a beautiful view of the natural scenery and would be getting a good look at DHN trip Loco shed as the train would passby. I was happy.
The train waited and waited, would'nt start. Some of my fellow passengers started speculating that probably the incoming 12382 NDLS-HWH Poorva Express would be given track priority over the 12988 as Poorva was the senior train. An intimadating honk followed. I put my head out and saw MGS WAP4 22509 draw 12382 to a rest at platform no 2 beside my train. My heart sank! The daily passengers were right, Poorva would get track priority. I watched with a sad face, as almost all the daily passengers jumped ship to the Poorva. Only an old grumpy uncle remained. Like me he had purchased a ticket for SDAH. I stood there looking at probably two hour delay in my plans.
Half an hour went by, none of the two trains budged an inch. It was then a commotion was heard outside of the platform. I stepped out of the train,and went up to the Loco-Pilot to ask him about the cause of delay. What he said sank my heart!
What happened was that 13152 whilst passing through had tore open a piece of overhead wire with it's loco's Pantograph at Pradhankanta. Repairs were underway,it would take atleast two hours to get the wire functional again! I was devastated! In my imagination I could see the HWH WAP4 of the 13152 laughing out loud as it had prevented not one, but two of it's illustrious cousins to overtake it. The Jammutawai would reach KOAA on time, while the usually punctual 12988 and 12382 would reach their destinations atleast 3 hours late.
Meanwhile the 68088 Dhanbad-Bankura MEMU was ready to depart on it's homerun to Bankura, but was stuck at Platform 1A for the same reason. All these while Black and Garib Rath got shunted and 13352 ALLP-DHN express had arrived on Platform 7/8. Meanwhile the VSKP WDM3A was all over the place chugging around happily, honking heavily as if to remind us that it did'nt require the wires to move around.
It was 14:30PM.I was still conteplating the 13152's devillish act of jealously when suddenly there was a honk from one of the two WAP4s. I put my head out, and saw that it was ours.
Ours signal showed a faint yellow glow in place of the bloodish red, that was their until a few seconds ago. I turned to my right on hearing a noise and saw a mass immigration of passengers from the Poorva into our train. With a faint start, the train slowly started out of the platform. With multiple triumphant honks the WAP4 started accelerating out of DHN JN. We passed by Loco Shed but I wasn't interested anymore, I was simply too tired. The solitary WAP7 30311 was resting peacefully, two dirty MGS WAP4 lay as if dead, a very dirty rajdhani livered ancient MGS WAM4 was the only thing with it's panto on.
The end of the Dhanbad Loco Tank and the flash of green of the signal post were the sign that we were finally leaving DHANBAD behind.......and gradually speeding towards SDAH!
These are the clips that I clicked on that day:-
1,2 & 3 show WAP7 30311 getting ready to shunt the Black-Diamond Express
4 shows the BBS-DHN Garib rath in the background of the WAP7
4&7 are panoramas of DHN JN taken during a light shower.
5 shows 68088 ready for Bankura
6 Self Explanatory
8 & 9 show the unusually deserted trip Loco Shed from the platfrom
10&11 show the station during a light shower
12 shows HWH WAP4 22286 arriving with 12988 at platform 1
13,14,15 & 16 show the arrival of 12382 with MGS WAP4 22509
PS:- I reached SDAH at 19:00 hours that day. The train was stuck outside Dum-Dum Jn for a futher 1 hour.
The Poorva reached much before 12988
Call it Deja-vu but I spotted MGS WAP4 22509 next day at HWH station, shunting a LHB rake of the Poorva EXP.
Very soon, my return journey to DHN from HWH by 12340 HWH-DHN COALFIELD EXPRESS!