[ampere]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I notice that USA & Canada use large diesels primarily.

Originally Posted by tharian

USA & Canada doesn't have a big rail network compared to their road network which can be a reason.

Agreed. US long distance are more for tourism rather than commute. There are very few who use rail for commute across states.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Questions for the train engine experts - (1) are electric locomotives cheaper in the long run to the diesel - electric ones? I notice that USA & Canada use large diesels primarily. I thought diesels gave greater flexibility to operate on the medium to thin routes. (2) What is the reason we have 3 gauge widths - is it only cost that has prevented us from converting all track to broad gauge? Thanks.
PS: I am a Newbie to railways.

I am only a basic railfanner but I'll take a shot at this. Railfanning experts please correct me where required.

a) Electric locos are probably more efficient per KW of power due to the lower overhead weight (no massive prime mover!) and simpler mechanicals compared to diesels-electrics. It is a fact that as a propulsion unit, electric motors are mechanically more efficient than engines. And because electric locos are of lower complexity I'd image they cost less to manufacture and maintain. That said, one needs to factor in the cost of generating and transmitting electric power over long distances. A simplistic example: EVs v/s ICE vehicles. You are seeing that on a very large scale with the railways.

b) I think gauge widths are used depending on geographic terrain and costs of building a railway line in some areas. It's simpler and less expensive to build a meter gauge network in the hilly areas than a broad gauge. I may be wrong & there may be other factors that come into play. And that I believe is the reason we have 3 gauge widths.

c) American railway network is the largest in the world followed by China, Russia and then India. American rail networks are used mostly to transport freight. See here: Largest railway networks Stringing rail power lines over a very large network in a continent size country would be prohibitive I'd imagine, hence the preference for diesel-electrics. If the richest country in the world hasn't done it there must be a good reason.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Questions for the train engine experts - (1) are electric locomotives cheaper in the long run to the diesel - electric ones? I notice that USA & Canada use large diesels primarily. I thought diesels gave greater flexibility to operate on the medium to thin routes.

I am not an expert but regarding running costs, with electric engines you dont have the need for consumables like oil, coolant and so on which need to be replaced at regular intervals of time. Though the service intervals are longer, the Diesel locos take humongous amounts of engine oil and the mechanical parts also need maintenance. These fixed periodic costs can be reduced with the help of electric locos. Diesel locos are also idled for long periods when waiting to be attached to a train which still amounts to some fuel consumption, whereas an electric loco does not do so, and electricity is needed only to run auxiliary systems.

Another advantage I see with electric locos is that the source of electricity can be varied based on time and need. Dependence on diesel is reduced and we can be future ready when the country improves its energy generation methods. Speaking about the energy generation, the modern electric locos also are capable of feeding energy back to the lines when they brake, which again is something diesel locos are not capable of.

Hence, diesel engines will slowly start making sense only in low traffic and remote routes where the cost of electrification, or the benefits from it are not justified. Even in Germany, I have been on a few routes with single lines which cater only to a few tows and they are served by Diesel Hydraulic units which connect to bigger junctions. The rest are completely electric.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Questions for the train engine experts - (1) are electric locomotives cheaper in the long run to the diesel - electric ones?

The dynamics between diesel and electric change from time to time. Electrics need more infrastructure ie over head cables, sub stations, transmission network.
In case of diesels the cost of infrastructure per km is almost half that of electrics. Depending on the country you are in, and the energy cost the railway there pays the oil and electric companies there will be some volume of traffic beyond which electrics will be operationally cheaper than diesels.

For a country like India, the real cost railways pay for diesel is about 3 times the base cost due to high rate of Exise and VAT.
At the same time the electric companies which are growing spend heavily on upgrading their own infrastructure, for every thermal power station the spending on infrastructure is way higher than cost of fuel mostly coal , and in a few cases LNG etc.
The main thing is that a diesel locomotive consumes imported oil, while an electric one consumes locally mined coal.

Rahul

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by tharian

I am guessing they were the telegraph poles between stations.

Bingo! I missed the right word.

[ampere]

A view of the full span. (Click on snap to see the full scale)

[drhoneycake]

Originally Posted by tharian

It depends on availability of electric locos which SWR sheds don't hold. The electrics that come on the night trains that are stabled during the day can be utilized, but they also need to return to Bangalore before they depart in the evenings with their original links.

SWR Zone’s 90% route is single non-electrified, hence it does not have (and does not need) an electric loco shed. Along with NWR, KR and NEFR, it is the only zone to not have an active electric loco shed. The other railway zones all have primarily electric loco sheds.

The only routes that have electrification is the ones going to SR and SCR. Hence all the electric locos seen around SWR are from Erode(ED), Royapuram(RPM), Arakkonam(AJJ) from SR and Lallaguda(LGD) and Vijayawada(BZA) from SCR, that haul trains going towards these zones. If and when the Hubli and Mangalore lines get electrified, we might see an electric loco shed in SWR.

Until then, it will be a dream to see an electric loco shed in SWR.

Also the fact that there isn’t much Freight movement here at SWR (again owing to pathetic track infrastructure), I don’t quite see electric locos running around SWR in the near future.

Also one of the reasons we have two huge diesel loco sheds - one at KJM and the other one at UBL. SWR is diesel loco lover’s heaven.

[SR-71]

A couple from my Darjeeling trip...

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by AkMar

I hope you will find it enjoyable

Four minutes of Joy!
The sound and feel of a train belting across is unparalleled. I would fight tooth and nail to travel sleeper class over AC class.

[tharian]

I spent less than hour at Basin Bridge station trainspotting in Chennai few weeks back.
I would have caught at least 8 expresses apart from light loco's and suburban local EMU's. I wish I could spend more time but had to head back to other commitments.

This station is a junction where the lines from the East Coast and South and East of Chennai joins and heads to Central station. There is also the huge yard next to it which houses rakes and loco's for trains terminating at Chennai.

I took the suburban on the Beach line from Velachery and another one to Basin Bridge from Central.

Some clicks;

[AkMar]

Presenting some pics clicked during a journey from Mangalore to Madgaon by the early morning passenger service. I fell in love with the beauty of this section instantly.

Entering Konkan railway from southern railway


We were treated to some beautiful cloud patterns in a clear blue sky






Crossing one of the numerous rivers and creeks




Waiting for a crossing at a wayside station. It was a longish wait & I took the opportunity to soak in the rustic charm


More beautiful clouds!


Small stations in rural areas have a different charm. The slow pace of life is a stark contrast from Busy city junctions




KJM WDP-4D showed up with Kulem - Vasco Passenger a few minutes after my train reached Madgaon


A video of our train crossing Sharavathi river bridges near Honnavar at top speed (110 kmph). These are longest bridges on KR. The beauty is difficult to express in words. Greenery, Beautiful colours of the sky, river full of water below make it a feast to the eyes.

https://youtu.be/E62fPY7jMik

All photos clicked on iPhone 6, with zero or minimal post processing.

[Rajeevraj]

Nagecoil -Bangalore express approaching carmelaram on a foggy morning.

[SJM1214]

Otty (Ootacamund) toy train. A photograph from our family trip to Otty during 1991. Yes! that kid in the black jacket is me.

[goandude]

Budapest's Kelety Railway station is housed in a beautiful building albeit needs a bit of maintenance (built in 1884) here are two pics taken last year:

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by tharian

2- After project Uni-gauge, the only Narrow and Meter gauge are the ones that have some significance like the Ooty-Mettupalayam and the few up North. The last of the Meter gauge was stopped recently for conversion, in Rajasthan if I am correct.

.

Sorry you are wrong.There are still MG lines in service in Gujarath,UP and MadhyaPradesh
Dhasa-Jetalsar, Dhasa-Kodinar-Delvada- Veravel
Sanawad-Mhow
Pilibhit-Mailani-Shajahanpur-Nepanagar .
Lot of NG lines still are running in many parts of the country(except South India)
Hope these historical line survive the incessant attack from the 'developmentalists'