Of course, there would be delays and uncertainties during the grape season because grapes are perishable and their movements cannot be delayed. Therefore in such cases, delays were inevitable.
However, if there was urgency, the goods would be sent under escort – and the escort would have to liaise with the railway staff and porters to ensure that the aircraft spares got priority.
The system that had been agreed upon between Nashik and the recipients Lucknow and Korwa divisions was that a message indicating dispatch details would be sent once the consignment had left Nashik. And – one day, it suddenly transpired that an important consignment had not been received by Lucknow. The stores personnel of Lucknow had checked with the railway authorities at their end and there was virtually no trace of it.
Therefore I was told to make a trip to Lucknow and locate the missing consignment.
That was the first time I went into the goods store at Lucknow railway station. I had the dispatch details and I first checked the inward goods register maintained by the store clerk. I went through date wise beginning with the date the consignment had left Nashik Road.
I even went through the goods stacked in the racks and piled up in corners.
Then I kept a watch on how goods are taken from the trains and moved into the goods stores.
I was at this exercise for three or four days when suddenly I got an idea – did the consignment go ahead to Gorakhpur, the terminus of the Kushinagar Express, instead of being unloaded at Lucknow? I immediately contacted the Station Master and requested him to check with his counterpart at Gorakhpur.
Fortunately, my guess was correct – the goods were physically at Gorakhpur and the station master promised to move them by the next train.
That was a big load off my chest. (to be continued ..)
A few more must reads -
Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage
Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves
Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana
Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata
Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards
Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub
More than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram have vanished
Journey to freedom – 5800 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean
Indonesian smugglers stuff yellow-crested cockatoos into plastic bottles to get past customs
Engineering graduate of Hyderabad goes astray, dies because of links with ISIS
Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp
Quick tour of Delhi by ITDC bus
Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist
Another interesting blog - Violence and atrocities
Meerut Escorts
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Kushinagar Escorts
Lucknow Escorts
Mathura Escorts