[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by rahuldevnath

WAG9 back in 1998

Hmmm....Do you recall the livery and road number?

[rahuldevnath]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Hmmm....Do you recall the livery and road number?

Back in '98 I was in 12 Years Old, but still enthusiastic about machines!

It was the "Navyug", in Green. As far as I recall the Brand New WAG9 had the standard green livery and was undergoing trials. But what I assume, is that the particular loco didn't had the "Navyug" painted initially atleast. The loco was stationed around Allahabad. Don't remember the road number though!

In the coming years, I always yearned to spot a WAG9, but they remain elusive till date.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by rahuldevnath

It was the "Navyug", in Green.In the coming years, I always yearned to spot a WAG9, but they remain elusive till date.

I had my doubts but that does sound like a G9 for sure.

Yeah; they have not made an appearance in my parts but for some strange reason, can be spotted just 150km away from Bangalore. As you said, not common to spot. Up north, its a different story, the green hornet is everywhere. It replaces two WAG7 locomotives which are quite powerful. Now that is something for tractive effort, balancing speed and being economical.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

The main aim of these monsters is to haul humongous load for sustained period of time over varied gradients and not top speed. And they do that job very well!

If there is a situation that demands a WAG9 TO haul a passenger train, we can expect killer acceleration. Given the power, short gearing, one puny load, the G9 will set the rails on fire

[tharian]

Originally Posted by rahuldevnath

Back in '98 I was in 12 Years Old, but still enthusiastic about machines!

It was the "Navyug", in Green. As far as I recall the Brand New WAG9 had the standard green livery and was undergoing trials. But what I assume, is that the particular loco didn't had the "Navyug" painted initially atleast. The loco was stationed around Allahabad. Don't remember the road number though!

In the coming years, I always yearned to spot a WAG9, but they remain elusive till date.

The first few imported WAG9's were homed at Gomoh(GMO) and had their series starting from 31000. Allahabad being in the same region as its home shed, would have been stationed there for trials. They were inducted into service around then.

Picture from IRFCA database of the CBU import of the first WWAG9

[RajeswaranK7]

Originally Posted by audioholic

If there is a situation that demands a WAG9 TO haul a passenger train, we can expect killer acceleration. Given the power, short gearing, one puny load, the G9 will set the rails on fire

@audioholic
Actually when compared to WAP7 it will look like a bummer as WAG9s are built for hauling heavy load rather than acceleration which is WAP7's specialty, so the actual running time will be much longer. Same was reported sometime ago in irfca forums when a faulty WAP7 was replaced by WAG9.

I have seen what two WAG9s banked can do to a long line of empty wagons maybe around 60-80 or so. I was waiting at Tambaram station to send off my grandma and a gods train hauled by two WAG9s stopped in the opposite platform waiting for signal. From the time they started till the last wagon left the platform one could see how effortlessly they pulled and it was like out suburban trains accelerating only that this goods train was accelerating to much higher speeds.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by audioholic

If there is a situation that demands a WAG9 TO haul a passenger train, we can expect killer acceleration. Given the power, short gearing, one puny load, the G9 will set the rails on fire

That would indeed set the rails on fire. For the passengers it will be a roller coaster ride! The way it would notch up would be beautiful!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by RajeswaranK7

@audioholic
Actually when compared to WAP7 it will look like a bummer as WAG9s are built for hauling heavy load rather than acceleration which is WAP7's specialty, so the actual running time will be much longer. Same was reported sometime ago in irfca forums when a faulty WAP7 was replaced by WAG9.

.

WAP7 and WAG9 as we know are the same locos in most aspects except for a few tweaks done to suit the application. The G9 has shorter gearing ratio in order to better the pulling capacity. The WAP7 has a taller ratio to enable a higher top speed and in turn reducing its capacity to start heavy loads like what the G9 can do.

Hence, when the G9 is attached to a comparatively lesser load like a passenger train with around 15 coaches, it will be a piece of cake for the loco to accelerate the rake. Though the speeds that the WAP7 can do comfortably are higher compared to what the WAG9 can do, the WAG9 will give better acceleration to a same rake compared to a P7 because of the shorter gearing of the former.

Its as simple as the gearing in cars. Though we usually do top speeds in the higher gears, outright acceleration is higher in the lower gears. 0-40kmph in first two gears of your car will be faster compared to using the taller second and third or fourth gears if possible.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by audioholic

WAP7 and WAG9 as we know are the same locos in most aspects except for a few tweaks done to suit the application. The G9 has shorter gearing ratio in order to better the pulling capacity. The WAP7 has a taller ratio to enable a higher top speed and in turn reducing its capacity to start heavy loads like what the G9 can do.



Its as simple as the gearing in cars. Though we usually do top speeds in the higher gears, outright acceleration is higher in the lower gears. 0-40kmph in first two gears of your car will be faster compared to using the taller second and third or fourth gears if possible.

Along with this, there is something called 'Coasting' in railways. There are boards at certain sections along the tracks which says 'C'. It is an indication to the loco pilot, if he has the speed, he can coast.
It is the same what truckers do on highways. On a slope, they shift to neutral and let momentum take over which results in higher speeds than their top gear permits as well as fuel consumption.

The same applies to trains and it is easier for them to coast since they are on rails with no hinderence. In the case of a WAP7 and WAG9 hauling a passenger rake, both can hit the same max permissable speed of that section and maintain it when they are coasting. A WAG9 can easily do 90kmh with a rake like this. It is when they reach a section were they need to be in power mode constantly in higher speeds that the speed of WAG9 may reduce just a bit.

Two classes of loco's that cannot be compared is the WAP5 and WAG9. WAP5's do 150kmh+ which I can never imagine a WAG9 do.

[AkMar]

Originally Posted by ampere

Thanks guys. I thought progressive numbers represented new generation locos. Hence thought it was a new loco.

Yes it is indeed a new loco class, in relative terms. The progressive numbers do represent newer generations, in sequence of introduction. So WAG-9 is a loco class introduced after the WAG-7, and so on. It is a different matter that production of WAG-9 is much less than that of WAG-7 even today.

PS: By progressive numbers, I assume you are referring to 'x' in "WAG-x". If you are referring to the 5 digit road number of the locomotive, then those are as per locomotive class. Each class of locomotives had a series of numbers allotted to it which is used up as newer locomotives are manufactured.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by AkMar

PS: By progressive numbers, I assume you are referring to 'x' in "WAG-x". If you are referring to the 5 digit road number of the locomotive, then those are as per locomotive class. Each class of locomotives had a series of numbers allotted to it which is used up as newer locomotives are manufactured.

Yes I did mean the "X" in WAG-X". But when Rahul mentioned he had seen WAG-9 class Locos in 1998, I got a bit confused. I thought WAG-7 class came much later. So how come WAG-9 was there much earlier. That was the confusion.

[AkMar]

Some more from Nilgiri mountain railway!

At Hillgrove station for watering the steam locomotive:


Steam And diesel side by side at Coonoor:


Steam hauled train arriving at Coonoor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIrvioA9DMA

Steam train in the hills:


Departing from Ketti:


Highest point on the NMR:


Action near the Summit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scHq1rVjyus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGKDku9NXtY

Actually a wild thought crossed my mind about writing a travelogue of this journey, but none of it was by car so I am still in two minds about it. But the pics are large in number, and a separate photologue would be better able to do justice to them Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[AkMar]

Presenting a few more photos from NMR. I have uploaded the rest of the videos on Youtube, and have compiled them into a playlist instead of posting them individually here. The playlist can be seen at this link.

The rack and pinion system beneath the coaches:


Runneymede is a beautiful location with tea plantations on both sides, and a stream running in the valley besides the halt!


Steam loco at Coonoor:


Semaphore guarding exit from Coonoor:

[tharian]

Brand new sleeper coaches for Eastern Railway being rolled out from BEML rail coach factory in CV Raman Nagar and crossing the infamous Old Madras road.

Second set of snaps shows KK Express being hauled by a WDG4 as the original ALCO's failed enroute. At the same time Shatabdi passes it hauled by a WAM4. And a freight hauled by twin WDG4s.

[esteem_lover]

Wonder how many more decades this same design will last. Its like the amby.