Nurungukal...contd...

       After successfully completing my training I was pushed into the main stream of Southern Railways.  My first posting was in Coimbatore goods yard. It was a different world altogether. I could not at first find any relationship with what I was taught in Trichy and what was in vogue in the goods yard. The volume of the transactions was very huge. I was amazed to see how adept was my senior under whom I was asked to function, in handling each situation. Each day many waggons were unloaded and loaded. It was handled by a contractor, whom I noticed was more knowledgeable than me. He has acquired it due to his long standing connection with Railways. The manual of operations implemented by Railway administration gave no scope for malpractice. Still the chances of manipulations were created by some cunning staff.

          In an interval of every five hour or so sets of waggons were placed for unloading. The contractor has to finish the operation within the stipulated free time. Other wise he will have to pay demorage[late fee] and if prolonged for days it will attract wharfage also. So the noting of the time of placement is an important job and it has to tally with the records of the shunting log. There were separate lines for dealing  whole loads,in which there will be only a single consignment and smalls containing goods from different stations addressed to separate consignees. Before dealing a waggon we have to verify the seals are intact or not. If the seals are found to be tampered or missing a message has to be sent to the sender station after verifying the contents, about the damages if found any. The marking on the packages has a code of practise. First the code of the sender station then below the invoice number, below it the no. of packages and at the bottom the code of the destination station. To decipher the code is an art which has to be acquired by experience. Even from the style of writing [marking]  one can  identify the sender station.Some waggons will reach with a support seal especially when the consignment was transhipped en route due to some reasons. Here also the unloading station staff have to be extra cautious, otherwise  for any damage or loss he will be held responsible. The railway manual is very specific about the code of practise to be adopted in each eventuality and ensure that there will not be any loss of revenue due to negligence. In my seven years of service I had to face one or two enquiries for such negligence and forsake increments in my salary !!. With all these drawbacks a day in a busy good shed was event full and challenging. I loved it because it sharpened your senses and each day passed with a satisfying note. ...contd.