[tharian]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Finally KR Puram shed gets the WDP4D. SWR should take over KK Express with the WDP4D instead of the Itarsi twins.

KJM started getting them few months ago. Now they have 9 dual cab Locos with most of them running on the Mysore-Hubli line. Some long distance train to Bombay and Bhubaneswar get it at times as well.

KK will remain double headed since they are much faster in pick up as well can do consistent MPS (max allowed speed) with a 24 coach load.

[ampere]

Whistling through the woods

[tharian]

Originally Posted by ampere

Whistling through the woods

The second loco in the set is the first EMD to be imported and homed at Hubli and numbered 12001.
It still has the original paint coat on it with hardly any rust on the body after 15 years.
It has GT46MAC written on the cab sides and General Motors on the engine doors.

Picture taken from IRFCA

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by SunnyBoi

Spotted this train at SBC this afternoon - anyone know what this is?

Attachment 1424634

That is a MEMU. These differ from normal EMUs by having vestibules between coaches and steps like normal passenger trains, because these are usually operated for longer distances (100 + KM) and serve many rural stations where the platform may be low. Some may even have toilets.

I think the one in the picture is the Bangalore City - Marikuppam MEMU.

[maddy42]

I have a question with regards to engines.

Between Diesel engines and Electric which one is cheaper to run? What are the cost per km and also drawbacks of both of them? I do see a lot of goods trains being hauled by Diesel locos. Is there a reason for the same?

Also why is the bangalore commuter train plan delayed constantly? Is it a worthwhile solution or is it just politicians setting their sight on a moneybag?

Maddy

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by maddy42

I have a question with regards to engines.

Between Diesel engines and Electric which one is cheaper to run? What are the cost per km and also drawbacks of both of them? I do see a lot of goods trains being hauled by Diesel locos. Is there a reason for the same?

Also why is the bangalore commuter train plan delayed constantly? Is it a worthwhile solution or is it just politicians setting their sight on a moneybag?

Maddy

Diesel locomotives are any day cheaper than electric locomotives. To be correct, Diesel locomotives are actually diesel-electric locomotives.
Combustion of diesel produces mechanical energy as output. This goes as input to a generator that produces electric energy as output.
This output from generator is directed to traction motors that are mounted on individual wheels through suitable gearing.
To run an electric locomotive one has to erect poles with step down transformers mounted on each pole. This is a costly affair. Moreover to ensure that electric locomotives run without any power hindrance, we are burning so much of coal/ash elsewhere to generate electricity. This can cause serious environmental pollution
People normally are of the opinion that diesel locomotives are more polluting than electric locomotives looking at the smoke it puffs. In reality this smoke produced by diesel locomotives is nothing when compared to the amount of smoke / pollution created by burning ash or coal.
Now a days we have diesel locomotives running on bio diesel. This is more environmental friendly.

If you ask me, I will say it is always cheaper to run on diesel locomotives rather than electric locomotives. Here is the cost comparison between diesel and electric locomotives as of year 2000.
One Electric Loco of 5000 HP requires 4.2 MW of Power.
One MW of Power requires 10 Tonnes of Coal per day
And at 40% Ash content, generates 16 Tonnes of Coal Ash per day. Now do you say diesel is more polluting than electric locomotives???




If you ask my opinion, railways should focus more attention on doubling tracks wherever possible so as to reduce the journey time. Unless there is a high traffic density route, electrification is not preferred.

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Combustion of diesel produces mechanical energy as output. This goes as input to a generator that produces electric energy as output.This output from generator is directed to traction motors that are mounted on individual wheels through suitable gearing.

Actually, the AC voltage generated by the generator is rectified to DC, then inverted again to AC, before being fed into the traction motors. This is done to control the voltage and frequency of the final output because the speed of the traction motors is controlled by controlling the V & F of the input AC.

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

To run an electric locomotive one has to erect poles with step down transformers mounted on each pole.

My understanding is that the rectifier is housed inside the locomotive and an individual step-down transformer is not required on each pole.

The capital costs may be higher, but in the long run, there are some definitive advantages for electric traction: one very obvious being the maintenance. Some more points here.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Diesel locomotives are any day cheaper than electric locomotives. To be correct, Diesel locomotives are actually diesel-electric locomotives.

If you ask my opinion, railways should focus more attention on doubling tracks wherever possible so as to reduce the journey time. Unless there is a high traffic density route, electrification is not preferred.

Thanks for that info! I didnt know it made such a difference! I come from one of the districts of the country with no railway track in it (coorg). I did note in one documentary that the speeds of bullet trains are kept low to reduce power consumption.

In the video documentary by indian railways it shows a track laying machine but a lot of manual labor around, hee hawing, dragging fish plates and manually doing chores. Is it another example of us buying a track laying machine to show off and end up doing stuff the old way?


Also anybody knows the status of the semi high speed train which was planned between delhi and agra?

Maddy

[Rahul Rao]

What source of energy is cheaper totally depends on cost of fuel at that time. Today Diesel is cheaper, but a year back it was electricity, as price of coal follows price of crude in the international market, the difference is usually narrow.

The reality is that for heavy haulage and slow to moderate speeds Diesel will be cheaper, but as weight falls, and speeds go up electric haulage turns cheaper.

Diesels also have an advantage of providing better TE to HP ratio. So a 4500 HP diesel can start a 4500 Ton58 wagon rake on a 1:150 gradient, but on such a gradient it will balance out at a speed of 40 or so. A 6000 HP electric cannot start a stpped rake on such a gradient, but if it comes to te gradient at decent speed, it can balance out the grade at 60 kph +.


A 58 wagon goods rake neede 5 X 4500 HP diesel locos in the 1:37 Briganza ghat to manage about 40 kph. The same load in Bhor or Thull Ghat also 1:37 need 5 X 5000 Hp electric, but speed remains lower.
But once on the flats, two 4500 HP diesels barely manage to achieve 70 kph, but two 5000HP the electrics easily achieve it, and are not fully notched up either to maintain it.
Rahul

[tharian]

Few pictures taken over last few weeks.

Had done a train ride to Salem and back on double headed diesel locos. Double headed diesel locos , especially ALCO's are a treat in all ways.

The green loco is the WDP3a hauling a local train near Thanjavur.
WDP4d hauling Coimbatore-Ltt express and the last one is the special Krishnarajapuram- Vishakapatnam which will run with the WAG7 behind the diesel loco which was taking it to KJM from were it was parked.

[suresh_gs]

Rail Solar Panels can Save 11-Crore Litres Fuel- Pilot Research Study findings...

Fitting a solar panel module on the roof of a railway coach can yield more than 7,200 units of electricity every year.

If implemented on all 63,511 coaches in the Railways, 450 million units of power can be harnessed resulting in savings of 10.8 crore litres of diesel and reduction of carbon dioxide emission by approximately 3 lakh tonnes.

These are the findings of a pilot field research conducted by a team of scientists from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, who travelled on a solar-panel fitted LHB (Linke Hoffman Busch) coach, a latest German technology bogie, which was attached to the Chennai-Coimbatore, Chennai-Mysore Shatabdi and Chennai-Bangalore Double Decker Express trains on different days during June 24-July 2.

The research was carried out to assess the feasibility and viability of generating electricity on a moving train from solar panels fitted on the rooftops of trains and the impact of factors like sunshine, train speed, number of halts, track curves, etc.

The pilot study was carried out in a ‘worst-case scenario’, i.e. during the onset of the Southwest monsoon on railway routes with low sunshine due to clouds or rainfall.
Hence the electricity generation in places and seasons of harsher sunshine would give a greater yield, thereby projecting a figure bigger than what was arrived at in this study.
The coach could generate a maximum of 1.8 units of electricity per day, according to the research findings.

This was extrapolated to a scenario where 24 such panels (12X2 module) could be retrofitted on the coach.

Thus, the resulting yield was assessed to be 18-20 units per day.

The figures for yearly savings have been arrived at by assuming that the coach would be in operation for 365 days a year in the report, though the industry standard is 330 days.

The study was done on the Shatabdi Express as it has minimum stoppages; however, the team wanted to measure the power yield at lower speeds and hence the Double Decker Express train was chosen.

The team also reported on a number of practical factors which contributed to fluctuations in electricity generation during all the trial runs.

A static trial was also carried out at the Basin Bridge yard here to compare the parameters with the dynamic trial.

The study is significant in the context of the shift by the Railways from conventional coaches to German technology LHB rakes, which have better safety features.

For operation of electrical appliances inside an LHB coach, power supply from the End on Generation (EOG) system (a generator) is needed, which consumes 0.25 litres of diesel to generate 1 unit of electricity.

If every LHB rake is fitted with 12X2 Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) module, it would result in huge energy savings as well as cut environmental pollution caused by burning diesel.

The study findings could be used to manufacture and design many such Solar Rail Coaches on a large-scale which could significantly bring down the price of the solar panels and operational costs.

In addition, with increased interest in the field of solar energy research, an advancement in technology raised the possibility of a yield greater than what was obtained during the field trials, resulting in greater diesel savings and an effective solution for reduced emissions.

Railway officials noted that implementation of the project on a wider scale could provide a fillip to the domestic solar panel manufacturing industry in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

[Starscream1188]

A few pics from my side.. This is in New York

[ajay99]

Photos of 2 NG ZDM1a locos at Nainpur the biggest NG junction in Asia(soon this status will be lost due to ""GAUGE CONVERSION)

[amit]

Came across this video on youtube. This is really shocking!

Motor Cycle on railway tracks!

[MadiMaama]

Originally Posted by tharian

KJM started getting them few months ago. Now they have 9 dual cab Locos with most of them running on the Mysore-Hubli line. Some long distance train to Bombay and Bhubaneswar get it at times as well.

KK will remain double headed since they are much faster in pick up as well can do consistent MPS (max allowed speed) with a 24 coach load.

And the loco link for KK has changed I believe. It used to run on ET Twins between ET(Itarsi) to BAngalore. In 2013, it ran on Maula Ali twins from Manmad sharing locos with Ajanta Express. Now I believe the link is twin Guntakal deemers from Bangalore. Can't wait to see it with namma KJM deemer twins