Page 31 - Seniorstoday May 2022 Issue
P. 31
The Chief Electrical engineer is the head therefore the bread and butter for people like
of the department who is assisted by SAG me. The wires are over the head hence the
officers. These SAG officers are in charge of collective name for them is OHE, overhead
specific activities like rolling stock, traction equipment. If the temperature increases,
distribution etc. The divisional officers the wires expand, increasing the sag and in
posted in the division report to them. For the the winter opposite happens. A cross over
officers of my level, the SAG officers were is provided for the change of a track. An
important as they were the link with the overlap is provided to avoid joints. All these
chief. The promotions and the transfers were provide vulnerable locations for pantograph
based on his feedback to the chief. To avoid entanglement. Failure of a locomotive in
making mistakes, one can follow the path peak hours, throws traffic out of gear for
of do nothing, say nothing but that is never three to four hours but one pantograph
possible. There was one more thing which entanglement affects the traffic equivalent of
was never possible with my present boss and ten loco failures. Entanglement can be due to
it was to make him happy. Where there are OHE problems or defects in the pantograph.
bosses, there are crazy bosses. Leaving the job The entanglement is always a disputed area
was not an option, therefore the option was to between the officers of rolling stock and OHE.
stick to the guns or get demotivated when the To avoid the blame, people on both sides
limit exceeds. Managing his tantrums was a float various theories, some blame it on the
problem. If tantrums were a crime, he would British, some for the quality of material, some
have been a criminal. But since it was not, I on wind, some think of inauspicious days.
had to tolerate his nature. As nature cannot be They can think of hundreds of such baseless
cured, it had to be endured. He ensured that reasons. Though such theories rarely get
people did not enjoy a single moment. He was accepted at senior levels. The pantograph
that dark cloud when not present, everything entanglement happens rarely but when it
appeared bright. happens, the life of Sr DEE(TD) becomes hell.
It happened one day for seven successive
trains when only one case is enough for
putting a blame equivalent of murder.
As a Sr DEE (T D), there were two levels of
officers below me and two above including
chief. I was perfectly in the middle. When you The problem started on one of the evenings
walk in the middle of the road you get hit on near Atgaon. Pantographs after pantographs
both sides, as they say. got entangled. I reached the site quickly.
The 1500 vdc was the main network and While the restoration of the first entanglement
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #35 | MAY 2022 31
