Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

Here is a Live Video of the Talgo coaches being run at 180 kmph through the same lines on which the Gatiman does 150 kmph...The Long Head run was at 115 Kmph ,again to evaluate the possibilities... A Total of THREE RUNS was done each day to get all the data required to understand Talgo's suitability at 180 Kmph runs....The speed looks scarily fast, but look closely at the Loco and Talgo coaches...while the Loco does dance a bit the Talgo remains steady..
It is indeed heartening to see the Indian Railways doing so much, now that they are given freedom to think and recommend what is good for the System Hats off to RDSO and IR.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvpz7cMWgTM

The final run ..Delhi Mumbai with a WAP5 loco . Speed run was limited to 150 Kmph...

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The Top 10 fastest trains in the world to-day...

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.


Hello sir

Reading about (my network not allowing me to load up the videos right now) all these high speed test runs on our railway tracks i can't help but wonder how safe it is ?
I mean it is not new for a train to derail at sharp bends solely due to high speed and also we can't rule out human error.
I'm not questioning the infrastructure or the aptitude of our train crew but its only that we know so little about either.


Thanks.

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The first baby step we are taking is to try and run at 180 Kmph Max speed...this is with current infrastructure , but with Talgo coaches, which are fit to run at 200 Kmph. We have GM EMD Locomotives capable of doing this speed without problem.The only question was regarding the rail capability and support infrastructure...since infrastructure is already in place, only the Rails have to be replaced and aligned where ever necessary.
The Trial runs have been done on tracks , on which Gatiman Express ,which runs at 150 Kmph presently , is running normally...
still some amount of track fencing on both sides of the track, where cattle and humans are likely to cross tracks, must be done..The Tallgo coaches which are short in Length can negotiate curves and joints at higher speeds than our conventional coaches, hence the present rail routing and placement are adequate...
The only worrying thought will be if there is an accident, then the damages and life lost will be more than at present due to the increased speed...
I hope RDSO and Indian Railways would definitely have thought about it and take necessary action.

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The tragic train accident which took heavy toll on human lives & property early today morning.
The Indore - Patna Express (14)coaches ran off the track near Kanpur in U.P. at about 3 a.m.
God bless those souls and their bereaved families.

The cause is not yet known but such incidents also raise doubts upon the safe speed limits in our settings.
When i searched for the average speed of the aforementioned train it came out - 66 km/hr ONLY
This is also the average speed of the Delhi/ Kolkata metro rails.

Is the speed solely dependent on the Driver/Operator ?
Like the local/interstate bus drivers who would drive like a maniac on long intercity highways.

Who decides the average speed for these metro rails ?
I'm sure they can do much higher speeds because they got a closed circuit track all to themselves.



Cheers.

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The tragic accidents is most likely due to a Cold contraction fracture of the rails.....the coaches were filled to the full ie., more than normal reserved capacity, and train was running at 100 Kmph. (within limits). The over crowding had also contributed more deaths, along with poor track maintenance. One of the Major problems with IR in the northern states is track maintenance. Unlike the Southern states, the Temperature Variation is also larger leading to rail fracture...this is inevitable and can be corrected only by diligent inspection and replacement of old rails on a set usage life...Rail fractures are common in places where cold to hot temperature variations are larger, and cannot be offset...Welded rails with Concrete buffers/sleepers have reduced this to a great extent, along with creep. Still there is a limit to what the metals can take ,and coupled with lack of periodic inspection and maintenance leads to Tragedy.

Regarding speeds, it is decided by the IR based on traffic on a specific line and what can safely be accommodated. The rails on which Passengers train run at 80 Kmph is also the rails on which super fast trains run at 120 Kmph..Only the High speed trains like Rajdhanis run at specific rails with better structural strength and re enforcement...Where they have to run on the regular rails, their speeds are reduced for obvious safety reason.

Old steam Locos had done 100 Kmph on older rails with much older wooden sleepers which bounce more, and still had lesser accidents.

The problem is in interpreting the data. Where there were 10 trains before, there are 100 now on the same tracks...

As the volume of traffic increases more stress is put on the maintenance staff, rolling stock, and the infrastructure...More diligent inspection and maintenance is required for avoiding such tragedies.

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The IR had started a probe on the reason for the Train accident and, as an immediate action, fixed the responsibility on Senior IR officials and placed them under suspension. Indian Railways suspended five senior officials and transferred Jhansi Divisional Manager (DRM) as the probe into the Indore-Patna Express accident gained momentum, with blood samples of the two drivers sent for alcohol test.

Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer (Carriage and wagon) Navaid Talib, Divisional Engineer M K Mishra, Senior Section Engineer Ambika Ojha, Section Engineer Iswar Das and Senior Section Engineer Sushil Kumar Gupta were suspended for dereliction of duty while DRM of Jhansi Division S K Aggarwal was transferred.

Meanwhile, Railway Safety Commissioner P K Acharya said blood samples of the two drivers of the train have been sent to a lab to ascertain if they were in an inebriated condition that could have caused the deadly derailment.The statements of the driver, the assistant driver, a police inspector and a few other people have been recorded, he said, adding that this is first round of questioning and there will be more rounds.

He said samples of the broken railway track have been brought to Kanpur and are being sent for examination to the Research Designs and Standards Organisation's (RDSO) laboratory.

Here is an image of the tracks being extricated from the mangled heap of the coaches , and tracks...


A 12-member team of Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel has also been formed to investigate the derailment.

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The WDG 5 with 5,500 Horsepower had been inducted into Indian Railways and is mostly used for hauling heavy rakes as a single Loco configuration. The WDG 5 with number 50001 is a Single Cabin design and looks more like the WDP4 series.
Here are some Videos ...




..

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

The second WDG5 5,500 HP Loco "BHEEM" numbered 50002, had been put into service. Here is a video of the Loco hauling Goods rakes ...

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

While wondering why the Train Horns of Electric Loco is different from The ALCO WDM Diesel Electric, which again is different from the the GH EMD WDP series Diesel Locos, came across a You Tube Video explaining how there are many varieties of Horns, and how they are all TUNED to a Musical Chord...Never though that so much goes into a Horn for the Locos..
The Most Surprising Part is That the Leslie Horns are Made in INDIA....
Here is the Video explaining the Art behind the Loco Horns..

Train Horns: Train Talk Ep. 5 - YouTube

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

Sadly the older WDM2 Locomotives are getting condemned in various Loco Sheds..While the Technology to upgrade them to Microprocessor controlled MPFi and IGBT Traction control is available ,the idea of sending them to their death is a sad happening. Many WDM2s have already been converted this way to be more fuel efficient, more Horse Power and Less pollution, the new decision is shocking..
Only guess is the more Powerful and less polluting 2 stroke diesels are going to replace the Old Work Horse in a phased manner .....With the successful development and implementation of Beem WDG5 with 5,500 HP , a new Era of powerful 2 stroke diesel Electric Locos are emerging in the Indian Railways...

A few pictures from KJM shed of the line of WDM2 waiting for Execution...

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

Railways is quite notorious for being very opaque with some decisions are made and the way some very fine locos are scrapped much before their actual end of life. I hope this is no hasty decision and benefits the country in the long run. With phasing out of WDM's it would be end of another chapter in IR after the end of Steam traction inn early 1990's.

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

True...Sometimes you are awestruck on the RDSO capabilities, and some very unproductive decision like scrapping the WDM2s....IR has some 5,100 WDM2s in various forms, like Original Wdm2s and various upgraded forms ie., WDM3, 3A, 3B,3C, 3D, 3E, and 3F.....Hope only the WDM2s are being sent breakers and not the upgraded ones, since they form the Backbone of IR, and have virtually indestructible engine capable of being upgraded ..
Picture of the Various WDM upgraded Locos...

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

New Locomotive with Dual Air conditioned Cab getting ready at GM EMD works probably meant for India...Could be tagged as WDG4-G..

Re: An INTRO to Locomotives..Steam /Diesel Electric / Electric.

A close up view shows typical Indian front design of the New Diesel Loco at GM EMD...Normally GM does not have this type of front,and prefers front buffer zone with a short hood design...