KOCHI: There was a time when there were steam engines which had to be regularly fed with coal to keep the engine moving. Then came the diesel engine which brought down man’s workload. After some years, again a major change came with the invention of electric engines which made transportation even faster. M Muhammed has lived through these changes first-hand and speaks about his journey from being a fireman to a loco pilot.Muhammed belongs to a place near Karimpuzha in Palakkad. During those times, education was not considered compulsory. Some used to study till their Class X and eventually worked as a farmer or coolie, as their families couldn’t afford higher education. But Muhammed had a clear vision in his mind and an aim to achieve something in life.
Determined to do so, he completed Class X. One day, he came across a newspaper advertisement about a job in the Railways. He wrote the exam and was selected. Then, he had an excruciating wait for his interview letter. “I would wait where the postman usually used to deliver the letters. Seeing my desperation, one day finally the postman gave me the news that my appointment letter had arrived. This was the best thing I could have wished for. I had to report to Madras (Chennai),” said Muhammed. The appointment letter was a happy moment for him and his parents, but they couldn’t afford the travel expense from Palakkad to Chennai.
His father asked his grandfather’s help and somehow he collected Rs 50. The 19-year-old would be making the journey alone. He says, “Earlier I was very scared when I used to hear the sound of the engine. I never knew that I would end up doing this job.”It was on November 7, 1963, that Muhammed first started his job as a fireman in a steam engine in Chennai; he says the date will always remain memorable to him. There were many challenges before him like: He didn’t know the language and didn’t even have a place to stay. Muhammed got his first posting in Arakkonam as a fireman; a job which involved putting coal inside the firebox.
He says, “It was a hectic job as we had to work continuously bearing the heat.”
After five years, he got promoted to diesel engine as the 1st fireman and used to drive a goods train. Till 10 years back, he drove a diesel engine then shifted to the electric engine. He says, “This was the best part of my job where I had job satisfaction. Driving the train and reaching the passengers safely was the only mission I had.”
During his journeys, he came across many situations where he had to take spot decisions. One such instance was where a child was walking on the tracks and he had no other option but to continue driving. Even people would jump in front of the trains to commit suicide but he handled all these situations. Muhammed retired at 58. he says, “In this field, there is always an uncertainty where the wing man is supposed to expect the unexpected and till your retirement you always learn something. This is the job of a loco driver. From my experience, I was always satisfied with my work and have no complaints.”