[MadiMaama]

The WAG 12 locos are meant for the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. They will be homed at two sheds, Saharanpur and Nagpur. The sheds will be independent of the current KJGY(Khanalampara Goods Yard) and AJNI(Ajni) sheds at these two places.

These sheds will be maintained and operated by Alstom. It will be similar to Roza and Gandhidham where the new WDG 4G locos will be homed and maintained by GE

[SJM1214]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Do you know the location? I can see the station board. My hindi isn't good enough to read that board.

Ukai-Songadh is written on that board. A quick google search says Songadh is a small town in Tapi district of Gujarat.

[SJM1214]

Spotted Maharaja Express at my hometown Anand.

Maharajas Express has redefined the art of elegant train travelling in India. A fascinating voyage across some of the finest destinations in India let you discover the true spirit of this incredible nation.

One of the most expensive and luxurious luxury train rides in the world, the salons of the Maharaja Express train draws inspiration from the private saloons of the erstwhile Maharajas of India. Even before the inception of rail travelling in India, Maharajahs of India had a keen fascination with these moving wonders on wheels invented by James Watt.
Source : https://www.maharajas-express-india.com/history.html

[tharian]

Some pictures I took this morning at a small peaceful station on the Bangalore - Mysore line. Few more trains have moved to electric traction since this week and one of it was Mysore -Jaipur express which is in the picture with a Wap7.

[vikasshu]

Originally Posted by prithm

12000 HP monsters from Alstom.

Indian Railways + Alstom

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

@prithm, Thank you for sharing this news. article.

Originally Posted by MadiMaama

The WAG 12 locos are meant for the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. GE

Another interesting development took place in last few days when DLW Varanasi converted a diesel WDG3A into a newly named electric series called WAGC3 class locomotive. This one is claimed to have to 5000 hp. RDSO, BHEL, CLW, DLW collaborated on this project. If this moves beyond pilot stage then it can be a great achievement for the Indian Rail industry. Currently not all details are clear.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/63148718.cms

https://www.newsx.com/business/unpre...-into-electric

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7p0scGcfq8

[MadiMaama]

The WAG C3 Locos will be MUed units like the WAG 12. They use the internals of WAG 5 loco and all diesel locos willbe made like this. Two UBL WDG 4s 12018 & 12017 are en route to DLW , Varanasi for conversion to AC locos. They will be transferred to Krishnarajapuram shed after conversion

[tharian]

Originally Posted by MadiMaama

Two UBL WDG 4s 12018 & 12017 are en route to DLW , Varanasi for conversion to AC locos. They will be transferred to Krishnarajapuram shed after conversion

This is news. Didn't know the EMD's are already considered old to be converted . I know a WDG4 was sent to Golden Rock Workshops to be refurbished.

Do you more info on the WDG4's that are to be converted to AC and homed at KJM?

[MadiMaama]

As per Railway Board directives, all diesel locos due for POH will now be converted to Elocos. Also, from what I understand, Krishnarajapuram DLS is preparing to receive E locos, and will hold E and D locos simultaneously. Like GD(Gonda) Shed.

As of now, 12018 will be made E loco and homed at KJM. WAP 7 and maybe WAP 4 will also follow suit

[V.Narayan]

Question for the experts. Not sure what this means. Does it mean that - (1) the engine of a diesel locomotive is removed and replaced by the equipment and motors of a electric locomotive. Thus only the chassis and hull of the old machine remains? OR (2)is this some marriage between the diesel power plant with new electric traction to make it a two in one where it can run on one or both forms of tractions. If it is option #1 then would it be simpler to make a new electric locomotive.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Question for the experts. Not sure what this means. Does it mean that - (1) the engine of a diesel locomotive is removed and replaced by the equipment and motors of a electric locomotive.

Yes. As you say, it is simpler to manufacture an all new electric locomotive than head down this road. It seems like some genius mind was out there to prove something.

This won't be a hybrid implementation. Pure electric power drawn via overhead lines. The diesel motor will be removed and replaced with whatever needed for an AC locomotive. The traction motors should change too.

The hybrid idea is on the drawing board with RDSO, based on the EMD chassis. I see little use for such a complex system. Once again and in my books, a wasted effort.

What is odd is that these diesel conversions to electric are going back to the tap changer system. A system that is outdated. We have moved on to modern IGBT based electrical systems and 3 phase. We manufacture both too so I do not understand why we cannot implement them.

IR's way of operating puzzles me no end. They want to go all electric which is fine but then why sign the dotted line for supply of 1000 diesel locomotives from GE.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Yes. As you say, it is simpler to manufacture an all new electric locomotive than head down this road. It seems like some genius mind was out there to prove something.
This won't be a hybrid implementation. Pure electric power drawn via overhead lines. The diesel motor will be removed and replaced with whatever needed for an AC locomotive. The traction motors should change too.

Thank you for the answer. So what they are saving is the cost of the hull. I do not know with railway engines but in aeronautics we rarely change power plants and when we do it has to be on a large scale and of course a lot more of the old is retained - wings, fuselage, payload capacity, avionics and (in case od a military machine) war making capability. Here it seems (I may be wrong) that the IR is making an electric loco using the hull of an old diesel one. Maybe the financial reasons are there which we don't know. But I know of engineer-designers who get so caught up with their favourite idea that all practical considerations are put aside.

[prithm]

Looks like 2018 is Overhaul Year for IR.

http://www.financialexpress.com/phot...make-in-india/

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by prithm

Looks like 2018 is Overhaul Year for IR.

I'll take that with not only a pinch of salt. Add paan masala, garam masala and every other masala known to us.

I am still waiting to hear news updates on our Bullet train. 5 years was the target and over 6 months have passed since the announcement.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you for the answer. So what they are saving is the cost of the hull. I do not know with railway engines but in aeronautics we rarely change power plants and when we do it has to be on a large scale and of course a lot more of the old is retained - wings, fuselage, payload capacity, avionics and (in case od a military machine) war making capability. Here it seems (I may be wrong) that the IR is making an electric loco using the hull of an old diesel one. Maybe the financial reasons are there which we don't know. But I know of engineer-designers who get so caught up with their favourite idea that all practical considerations are put aside.

We are talking very different machines. In a locomotives, most of the real estate is occupied by the engine or prime mover as we call it. Quite the opposite on a aircraft (Case dependent I will admit).

As you can see from the video shared above, the aesthetic results are disastrous with the conversion. That locomotive needs to run as a pair as there is no cab on the other side. Was not the case when it was pure diesel.

I guess an aircraft hull equals that of a locomotive frame or chassis. The chassis, bogie or trucks and the cab are pretty much the only thing retained. As you can see, even the side body has been extended out to look like a WAM4 class locomotive.

IR claim 10,000hp from this hybrid dual locomotive setup. We also started importing state of the art Alstom 12,000hp electric locomotives, which is identical in physical configuration as our diesel covert. It is a dual unit setup. Its as if we were out there to beat Alstom at their game. A company that knows electric traction way better than we do. I see no logic or purpose at all in this whole exercise of converting locomotives. I am curious to know about the claim on power for the hybrid. Ideally if they wanted to make this cost effective, they should have just retained the 3100 horse power traction motors that were already fixed on the bogie. They claim to have upgrade the traction motors too so each unit produces about 5000hp. We will have to wait and see the on line results.

[vikasshu]

I was able to recover loads of my pictures from an external disk that were deleted accidentally. It is another story for another day how I recovered them. For today, some pictures for all of you to enjoy. These are from different parts of India. One more thing that all you will accept, for taking good pictures, one needs to travel in sleeper class

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by vikasshu

I was able to recover loads of my pictures from an external disk that were deleted accidentally.

Lovely photos.

Are you able to put a place to those pictures? I am curious about the non electrified sections and the one with the semaphore.