[RedTerrano]

Passengers travelling on the Mumbai-Pune route will now have a panoramic view of the Western ghats through the Vistadome coach in trains. The Central Railway (CR) for the first time will be introducing a Vistadome coach in their Deccan Express Special Train starting June 26. This train service has been restored by the CR authorities which was non-operational briefly in this lockdown due to poor response.

https://youtu.be/afzH9QE8XPI

This one is from Konkan Railway

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumb...s-from-june-26

[nitkel]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Passengers travelling on the Mumbai-Pune route will now have a panoramic view of the Western ghats through the Vistadome coach in trains. The Central Railway (CR) for the first time will be introducing a Vistadome coach in their Deccan Express Special Train starting June 26. This train service has been restored by the CR authorities which was non-operational briefly in this lockdown due to poor response.

Attachment 2170262


https://Youtu.be/afzH9QE8XPI

This one is from Konkan Railway

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumb...s-from-june-26

A one way ticket costs a whopping 835 rupees! It's available for booking as the Executive Chair Car type. Don't think people are willing to pay that kind of premium for this experience!

[ruzbehxyz]

That's a welcome move.
The first such coach was started between Visakhapatnam and Araku Valley hill station.

In Mumbai it was first introduced on the Dadar-Madgaon Jan Shatabdi on Konkan Railway. In 2019, it was introduced on the Neral -Matheran sector.

So far, some of the routes where these coaches are installed by the Indian Railways are Dadar and Madgaon, Araku Valley, Kashmir Valley, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Wonder why it is not started on the Deccan Queen ?

[MadiMaama]

The purpose of the Vistadome coach is totally lost on the Deccan Express.

It is the last coach in the consist while heading to Pune (due to the Rake Sharing arrangement with the Madgaon Shatabdi). Its all nice and good until the train reaches Karjat, when 3 WAG 7/WCAM 3 locomotives are attached to the rear of the rake, as Banker locomotives. The banker locomotives are detached at Lonavla and the train proceed towards Pune.

In the return direction, the handsome visage of the WAP 7 will occupy the pride of place from the viewing area of the Vistadome coach.

I guess CR(Central Railways) are waiting for Deccan Queen to go LHB before it gets the Vistadome in place of Deccan Express.

Thanks

[ruzbehxyz]

Vistadome Tourist coach makes it debut run today 26th June '21 from Mumbai to Pune as part of Deccan Express.

Source: Irfca

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by nitkel

A one way ticket costs a whopping 835 rupees! It's available for booking as the Executive Chair Car type. Don't think people are willing to pay that kind of premium for this experience!

I partly disagree. Localites who are used to the CC rate will not, but a lot of tourists (domestic + foreign) will. Even if I am on a business trip, I will spend the extra money out of my own pocket and buy the Vistadome ticket.

Originally Posted by MadiMaama

Its all nice and good until the train reaches Karjat, when 3 WAG 7/WCAM 3 locomotives are attached to the rear of the rake, as Banker locomotives. The banker locomotives are detached at Lonavla and the train proceed towards Pune.

In the return direction, the handsome visage of the WAP 7 will occupy the pride of place from the viewing area of the Vistadome coach.

Great point! Are there any passenger trains which are dual loco-driven (pull-pull) and avoids the bankers?

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Great point! Are there any passenger trains which are dual loco-driven (pull-pull) and avoids the bankers?

I think all trains are full length now, around 17-18 coaches, so all of them need bankers. And as far as I know, none of the trains use dual locomotives in front on these sections. In future, there are plans to use locomotives at each end, for push - pull, to reduce time, halts and have better performance.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

I think all trains are full length now, around 17-18 coaches, so all of them need bankers. And as far as I know, none of the trains use dual locomotives in front on these sections. In future, there are plans to use locomotives at each end, for push - pull, to reduce time, halts and have better performance.

Though not on this route or the ghat section side, there are push pull trains for the Mumbai - New Delhi Rajdhani trains powered by WAP 5 at both ends. Such set up also helps where there are requirements of loco reversals and it saves loads of time and operational efforts at the reversal station.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Great point! Are there any passenger trains which are dual loco-driven (pull-pull) and avoids the bankers?

Dual locos cannot replace the use of bankers. Bankers on ghats sections are used not just to power the train up the ghats, it is more for safety so that the couplers are not put under stress. The loco up front is powered up less and the bankers are on full power so that the couplers are not pulled out and stressed.
Regardless of the length of the train, they need bankers while climbing.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Though not on this route or the ghat section side, there are push pull trains for the Mumbai - New Delhi Rajdhani trains powered by WAP 5 at both ends

In 2019, Central Railways introduced the Push-Pull method on the Mumbai -Pune Intercity superfast express, which eliminated the need to halt the train at Karjat and attach bankers. This led to saving of 20 minutrs of run time, but did not go well with the Karjat passengers and eventually CR returned back to the normal timetable and bankers.

Originally Posted by tharian

Regardless of the length of the train, they need bankers while climbing.

The Intercity was a replacement of the Mumbai - Pune Shatabdi (full AC train) which ran from 1995 to 2004. Because of poor response, the train was replaced by the Intercity express. The Shatabdi train had only 10 coaches and the need for bankers was not required. As far as I remember, this train did not use bankers but had a technical halt at Karjat to check the brakes (needs to be confirmed).

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

And as far as I know, none of the trains use dual locomotives in front on these sections.

No double-headed passenger trains, only goods trains then?

Originally Posted by tharian

Dual locos cannot replace the use of bankers.
Regardless of the length of the train, they need bankers while climbing.

Is this a fact even for the short Shatabdi/Gatimaan type trains too? That throws out the VistaDome coach advantage almost entirely. Who wants a thrumming set of bankers next to the most expensive coach?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

The Intercity was a replacement of the Mumbai - Pune Shatabdi (full AC train) which ran from 1995 to 2004. Because of poor response, the train was replaced by the Intercity express. The Shatabdi train had only 10 coaches and the need for bankers was not required. As far as I remember, this train did not use bankers but had a technical halt at Karjat to check the brakes (needs to be confirmed).

If it was coming down the ghats, since you mentioned it had a brake check, it would not need bankers. Longer trains and freights trains will have brakers attached to the front of the loco, which are the same loco's that act as bankers when going up.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

No double-headed passenger trains, only goods trains then?

There are few that run on dual ALCO loco's around the country.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Is this a fact even for the short Shatabdi/Gatimaan type trains too? That throws out the VistaDome coach advantage almost entirely. Who wants a thrumming set of bankers next to the most expensive coach?

I guess the bigger windows on this coach makes up for it, but yes nothing beats the view from behind that large window which will be like a big screen TV.

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Who wants a thrumming set of bankers next to the most expensive coach?

BOM-PUN is a commuter route and people don't really travel this leg for leisure. Pune - Miraj would be a better idea for this coach in this region.

They should perhaps make 2 kinds of Vistadome coaches, one with a viewing gallery and one without. The one with a viewing gallery should necessarily be the last coach and therefore shouldn't be deployed on routes that need a banker locomotive.

The one without a viewing gallery can be proliferated more (ie. more than one coach per rake) and should be deployed in regions that don't experience very hot times of travel (to avoid searing heat coming in from skyview).

Both options should introduce new ticketing categories (VCG and VC respectively, VCG implying Vistadome Coach with Gallery), with pricier tickets of course.

[MadiMaama]

All trains on the 4 passes of the Western ghats need banker locos. The 4 ghats being Thull (Kasara Igatpuri), Bhor (Karjat Lonavala), Shiradi (Sakleshpura Subramanya Road), Braganza (Castle Rock Kulem).

All trains on Shiradi and Braganza ghats need braker locos while descending the ghats too.

When there were 24 coach ICF Screw coupling rakes, braker locos were attached at Lonavala or Igatpuri. Pushpak Express and Mangala Lakshadweep used to get braker locos on the Thull ghats.

Dual headed passenger trains used to be very common in the ALCO era. Nowadays, you can see dual EMDs on SWR and NWR. Superb treat to the eyes and ears.

Thanka

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by MadiMaama

All trains on the 4 passes of the Western ghats need banker locos.

Thanks! What about the erstwhile 'short' passenger trains like the Shatabdi? Unsure what the length is now.