IRFCA Mailing List Archive


Messages 8161 - 8180

From: S.Shankar <>

Subject: Re: Zebra Stripes

Date: 03 Sep 1999 02:35:02 -0500


---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Re: Zebra Stripes
> Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 00:54:39 +0400
> From: "S.Shankar" <shankie@emirates.email
> To: Shanku Niyogi <shankun@microsoft.email
> CC: "'S.B.Mehta'" <sarosh@godrej.email irfca@cs.email
sncf@godrej.email
> References: <C183CC073051D31184DA0008C707BBF001754E63@RED-MSG-41>
>
> Hello,
> The zebra stripes issue is an interesting one, and i hope someone
comeS
> up with an answer soon.
> Talking of cars with zebra stripes, the quaintest and most unusual
> practice was in use on the Daund=Baramati ng line.Of course, the line
> has now been re-gauged to bg with dmu operations, so this practice
has
> of course died out.
> Apparently, the station facilities at Baramati are (were?) grossly
> inadequate. So at the end of the four or five car ng passenger train
> used to be a half yellow car with black zebra stripes on it. The half
> yellow car used to serve as the booking office!
>
> Imagine buying a ticket at the last car and then getting into the
train
> for your ride!!
>
> Too bad I didn't photograph it at that time.
>
> Cheers
>
> Shankar
>
> Shanku Niyogi wrote:
> >
> > > Yesterday whilst on the way to Dadar, I noticed these zebra
stripes
> > > on a II sleeper coach of the Kanyakumari Express. I could read
only
> > > partly something like 'Vendor ......'. Could it be for those
vendors
> > > who sell tidbits on the train? I wonder if I even read it
correctly.
> >
> > > Sarosh.
> >
> > On Calcutta locals, the vendor car has big yellow zebra stripes
above the
> > window. It's not for people who sell things on the train, but for
people who
> > bring their goods into or out of the city (think rural folks with
100lb
> > sacks hung over their shoulder). Perhaps the same is also true here?
> >

From: S.Shankar <>

Subject: Re: RMS

Date: 03 Sep 1999 02:36:08 -0500


>
> Subject: Re: RMS
> Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 00:53:35 +0400
> From: "S.Shankar" <shankie@emirates.email
> To: S Pai <spai@aya.email
> CC: Indian Railways List <irfca@cs.email
> References: <E11Letr-0004th-00@nautilus.email
>
> HELLO,
>
> S Pai wrote:
> >
> > > No, the entire RMS operation is now regarded too cumbersome and
has been
> > > almost done away with. None of that glorified sorting en-route,
stamp
> > > cancellation on the run etc.
> >
> > Do you know where RMS is still current, if anywhere at all?
>
> NO, RMS HAS BEEN DISPENSED WITH ALL OVER THE IR. HOWEVER, AS I HAD
> MENTIONED IN MY MAIL, THE MAIL COLLECTION/DESPATCH OFFICE AT THE RAIL
> STATIONS IS STILL REFERRED TO AS THE RMS. BUT IT IS ONLY FOR
COLLECTING
> AND RECEIVING THE MAIL SACKS FROM THE TRAINS THEMSELVES.
> ALSO, OLD HABITS DIE HARD, HENCE THE USUALLY REQUISITONED SECOND CLASS
> MAIL CARRYING CAR OF THE TRAIN ALSO HAS 'RMS' CHALKED ON THE DOOR OR
> SOMEWHERE: NOT TO INDICATE THAT ALL POSTAL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, BUT
> TO SHOO OFF PASSENGERS TRYING TO BOARD THE CAR.
> >
> > > No rushing down to the 'mail' van to post an urgent leter.
> >
> > As a child I used to get quite a thrill out of being able to post a
letter
> > at a train! Some of those RMS coaches even had mail slots at the
side at
> > one or two points. There were also some special cancellations that
one
> > could get at RMS vans on occasion (for first-day covers and the
like).
>
> I KNOW, GOOD THINGS HAVE TO COME TO AN END. SOME OF THE MAIL SLOTS HAD
A
> TINY LIGHT OVER THEM.
> ANOTHER TRAGIC VICTIM OF MODERNIZATION IS THE DINING CAR.USUALLY OPEN
TO
> UPPER CLASS GENTRY ONLY, THE DINING CARS USED TO BE ACTUALLY ATTACHED
AT
> SOME POINT EN-ROUTE AND THEN DETATCHED ONCE LUNCH (OR DINNER) TIME WAS
> OVER.
> I STILL REMEMBER TIMETABLES WITH THE NOTE: 'DINING CAR WILL BE
ATTACHED
> TO xx UP BETWEEN XYZ STATION AND ABC STATION FOR USE BY UPPER CLASS
> PASSENGERS ONLY' OR SOMETHING. I REMEMBER MY CHILDHOOD TRAVELS on THE
> HOWRAH MADRAS MAIL. A BLUE DINING CAR USED TO APPEAR FOR A SHORT PART
OF
> THE ROUTE AND DISAPPEAR SOON AFTERWARDS.
> NOWADAYS KITCHEN/PANTRY CARS ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY. NO ONE CAN DINE
> IN THEM THOUGH SOME OFFER THE FACILITY TO BUY BISCUITS AND SNACKS IN
> THEM. THEY SERVE AS KITCHEN CARS, AND YOUR FOOD IS BROUGHT TO YOUR
SEAT
> BY BEARERS.
> >
> > > No new Mail trains have been introduced for the past nearly two
> > > decades.
> >
> > I hadn't realized that! So is there any significance to the
designation
> > "Mail" these days, or is it generally interchangeable with the
designation
> > "Express" (perhaps not a slow express but not a very fast one
either, in
> > keeping with Vijay's hierarchy of possible service levels)? I
suppose it
> > also means that the number of Mails keeps decreasing with time as
older
> > ones are renamed or reinvented or dropped.
> >
> > Which Mails are the fastest ones, these days? Any notable ones that
> > clock in at a level of fast expresses or Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains?
>
> NO, THE WORD 'MAIL' DOES NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE NOWADAYS, AS EVEN
> EXPRESS AND PASSENGER TRAINS CARRY (I MEAN ONLY CARRY) MAIL. ONLY DIFF
> AT TIMES IS, THAT CHANCES ARE, A MAIL TRAIN MIGHT HAVE A REAL MAIL VAN
> TO CARRY MAIL, WHILE THE OTHERS MAY CARRY THEM IN ORDINARY CARS!! OF
> COURSE, TILL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE DADAR-MADRAS EXPRESS USED TO
> HAVE A FULL FLEDGED RED PO VAN!
> THE OLD MAIL NAME IS USUALLY LEFT AS IT IS . REMEMBER EVEN THE
FRONTIER
> MAIL HAS BEEN RENAMED AS GOLDEN TEMPLE MAIL ONLY. IT PROBABLY GIVES
SOME
> FLEXIBILITY IN NAMING!
> NO,NONE OF THE MAILS QUALIFY FOR RANKING WITH THE RAJDHANIS OR
> SHATABDIS, FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THESE TRAINS ARE OF A
> COMPARATIVELY RECENT ORIGIN (20-25 YEARS), AND NO NEW MAIL TRAINS HAVE
> BEEN INTRODUCED OVER THE PAST 20 ODD YEARS.
> NONETHELESS, THERE ARE SOME SUPERFAST MAILS (2xxx) NUMBER, NOTABLE
AMONG
> THEM BEING THE FRONTIER/GOLDEN TEMPLE MAIL, HOWRAH-DEHLI-KALKA MAIL
AND
> THE BRAHMAPUTRA MAIL. THE BOMBAY-FEROZEPORE PUNJAB MAIL HAS ALSO BEEN
> RECENTLY UPGRADED TO SUPERFAST STATUS.
>
> CHEERS.
>
> SHANKAR
> >
> > --Satish

From: S.Shankar <>

Subject: [Fwd: Re: Zebra Stripes

Date: 03 Sep 1999 02:36:32 -0500

From: raymond/Polaris <>

Subject: Re: doubling of daund-bhigvan line

Date: 03 Sep 1999 02:44:56 -0500




Apurva,

Thank god for small mercies. I for one am a great supporter of having
double
lines at least 75 feet apart. That was the Khanna - Golden Temple Mail,
and the
Mathura - GT Express accidents would not have been that serious.

There was also another accident back in the 1970's around Katpadi /
Jolarpet in
SR, when some train banged in the derailed Trivandrum Mail. I just hope
that the
Railways paucity of funds for land, does not land all of us into
situations when
both lines are just 10 feet apart.

Regards

Raymond





Apurva Bahadur <iti@vsnl.email on 09/02/99 02:17:49 PM

To: raymond/Polaris@polaris.email
cc: irfca@cs.email
Subject: Re: doubling of daund-bhigvan line




> A lot of the single line track on this route of
> the Great Quadrilateral is because of the number of old river bridges
that IR
> feels are sufficient for the amount of traffic carried.

Some of the doubled tracks in this section run quite apart. Thus we can
see WDM
2
hauled passenger and (more intretresting) freight trains running full
throat
from
your train in detail. Quite a few pictures by Sundar on this subject.

Apurva

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Re: Zebra Stripes

Date: 03 Sep 1999 03:21:35 -0500


>
> > Talking of cars with zebra stripes, the quaintest and most unusual
> > practice was in use on the Daund=Baramati ng line.Of course, the
line
> > has now been re-gauged to bg with dmu operations, so this practice
has
> > of course died out.
> > Apparently, the station facilities at Baramati are (were?) grossly
> > inadequate. So at the end of the four or five car ng passenger train
> > used to be a half yellow car with black zebra stripes on it. The
half
> > yellow car used to serve as the booking office!

There is a picture of this booking office on wheels in my NG page
<A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/steelwheel/ng/ng.htm">http://members.tripod.com/steelwheel/ng/ng.htm</A>

Apurva

From: raymond/Polaris <>

Subject: Re: RMS

Date: 03 Sep 1999 03:29:57 -0500




Dear Shankar,

The 1998 NR timetable does mention some trains as (P) as those having
postal
facilities, where one can post letters with a late fee. These included
the
Golden Temple Mail and the Kalka Mail. Can anyone tell me if any of
these trains
still carry the RMS bogie, or just half a normal II class sitting bogie
packed
with postal bags.

Regards

Raymond

From: S.Shankar <>

Subject: Re: Zebra Stripes

Date: 03 Sep 1999 03:42:03 -0500


Hello,
Wow Appu, it was terrific seeing your pics on the web again.
The booking office is unbelievably clear. I particularly enjoyed the
Jung builder's plate as well in the Matheran portion.
Which camera do you use? The clarity is excellent.
Cheers.
Shankar




Apurva Bahadur wrote:
>
> >
> > > Talking of cars with zebra stripes, the quaintest and most unusual
> > > practice was in use on the Daund=Baramati ng line.Of course, the
line
> > > has now been re-gauged to bg with dmu operations, so this practice
has
> > > of course died out.
> > > Apparently, the station facilities at Baramati are (were?) grossly
> > > inadequate. So at the end of the four or five car ng passenger
train
> > > used to be a half yellow car with black zebra stripes on it. The
half
> > > yellow car used to serve as the booking office!
>
> There is a picture of this booking office on wheels in my NG page
> <A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/steelwheel/ng/ng.htm">http://members.tripod.com/steelwheel/ng/ng.htm</A>
>
> Apurva

From: Vijay Balasubramanian <>

Subject: Re: Puzzle

Date: 03 Sep 1999 06:18:34 -0500


140 days is correct. Just take the LCM (Least Common Multiple) of 4, 5,
and
7.

Vijay

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tony Bailey [SMTP:mercuryworldtvl@one.email
> Sent: Friday, September 03, 1999 12:02 AM
> To: Ravi Joshi; irfca
> Subject: Re: Puzzle
>
> 140days?
>
> Tony Bailey
> Mercury World Travel
> Mercury Travel Books
> mecuryworldtvl@one.email
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ravi Joshi <ravi@soudamini.email
> To: irfca <irfca@cs.email
> Date: Friday, 3 September 1999 1:34
> Subject: Fw: Puzzle
>
>
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Arpi Procter <procter@pop.email
> >To: <Marklin@scintilla.email
> >Sent: Thursday, September 02, 1999 3:49 AM
> >Subject: Puzzle
> >
> >
> >> Puzzle:
> >> It is the 1st of January, and the CIWL is introducing a
new
> >train.
> >> The inauguration ceremony is intended to be a great event;
> three
> >named
> >> trains side by side at the Paris Gare de l'Est. The
> Digniaries,
> >> Ministers, Officials, Film stars and Celebrities, along
with
> the
> >pomp,
> >> speeches and brass band required of such an event are all
> >present.
> >> All goes to plan through to the trains departing at their
> >allotted
> >> times and is a great advertising success.
> >> For railway enthusiasts and photographers all is not so
good.
> >There is
> >> absolutely no chance to see and photograph the trains
through
> all
> >the
> >> banners, podium and marching band etc. The obvious answer
for
> the
> >> Periodical photographers is to come back and photograph
the
> >trains
> >> together on another day. None of the officials present at
the
> >event
> >> can say exactly when the three trains will be together
again,
> but
> >they
> >> can say that the Orient Express departs every 7 days while
the
> >other
> >> two trains are on 5 day and 4 day schedules.
> >> When should our photographers return to get their 3 train
> >photographs?
> >> (the number of days between events will be sufficient, our
> >> photographer has one of those calenders with clever daily
> >comments and
> >> days numbered for the year.
> >>
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Greg.P.
> >>
> >>
>
>_____________,_________________________________________________________
__
> __
>
> >> / \
> >> _-==.-+-.\./-_ ,=:===:====:===:===:====:===:==,
,=:===:====:===
> >:===:===
> >> _|[[ = == = ]]|_
> >||[_[_[_#|#[_[_[_[_[_#|#[_[_[_||:||[_[_[_#|#[_[_[_[_[_#|#
> >>
>
>.[=_#_=_DB_=_#_=].||%%%%%%|||%%%%%%%%%%|||%%%%%%||:||%%%%%%|||%%%%%%%%%
%|
> ||
> >>
>
>_';0&=&0_++_0&=&0;"-_0==0__"""__________"""__0==0_-"-_0==0__"""________
__
> ""
> _
> >> DB E 44.002.
glp
> >8'99.
> >> <A HREF="http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~procter/GLPHOMEP.HTM">http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~procter/GLPHOMEP.HTM</A>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Re: Air Brake & Vaccum Brake

Date: 03 Sep 1999 06:58:56 -0500


Hi Chinmay,

Vacuum brakes:
The single vacuum braked pipe has a corrugated appearance. The connection between the two coaches is held only by the vacuum and there is no mechanical clamp holding the two pipes together, although you may find that some twine holding the pipes together.
Air brakes:
The passenger rake has two pipes while the freight rake has one. The freight rake generally has a green colour and a 'N' in the name like BOXN or BCN, the N stands for pneumatic !
The brake pipe(s) are smooth finished and have 'palm top' connectors. The hoses can be coupled/ decoupled by turning the hose through 90 degrees and pulling them apart. Apart from this bayonet action lock you would also note the large 'angle cocks' fitted to isolate open air hoses.
Simpler method: talk to the station gang / driver, an genuine inquisitive person is usually welcome and this is a great way to make friends in the 'trade'.

Apurva

            I just wanted to know as to how can one realise whether a particular rake is air braked or vaccum braked? Which apparatus seperates the two.Which are the visual diffirences between the two.
 
 

From: Samit Roychoudhury <>

Subject: Re: Braithwaithe company

Date: 03 Sep 1999 07:02:37 -0500


apurva!

i believe braithwaite is one of those old pre-independence companies,
now
just lagging on.
i probably saw bad days and was taken over by the govt (like burn
standard).

cheers
samit

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: More on Braithwaite & co

Date: 03 Sep 1999 07:07:17 -0500


Gang !

This is from the the Braithwaithe ad in the TOI today. This is a Govt.
of India
undertaking, subsidiary of BBUNL (which is ?)
They 'market & manufacture railway wagons'
They manufacture:
BTPN: For petroleum products
BTPGLN: for LPG products
BTCS: For Caustic soda
BTAP: for Aluminium powder
Sulphuric acid tank wagons
Also other type of wagons like bogie covered wagons, open wagons, hopper
wagons, heavy
duty special wagons.
They have exported wagons to various countries of the world.

Their email address is : bwtmkt@cal2.email

Apurva

From: HVC <>

Subject: Re: (no subject)

Date: 03 Sep 1999 09:24:05 -0500


Yup. Me too!

Harsh


-----Original Message-----
From: S.Shankar <shankie@emirates.email
To: irfca@cs.email <irfca@cs.email
Date: Friday, September 03, 1999 11:21 PM
Subject: (no subject)


>Hello,
>At least six of my mails to the irfca bounced back to me, saying
>forwarding link broken.
>I re-sent three of them along with the failed delivery notification,and
>those came back as well.
>Anyone else with such an experience?
>Regards.
>Shankar
>

From: Anurag Acharya <>

Subject: [IRFCA

Date: 03 Sep 1999 09:31:46 -0500



These problems occur occasionally due to changes at the hosting site
(Univ of Maryland, College Park). If this occurs again, please send
the messages to me (acha@cs.email. Till recently, "forwarding link
broken" messages would get automatically forwarded to me.....

anurag

From: lwebber <>

Subject: Fog likely in December? Also, Footplate Fun!

Date: 03 Sep 1999 09:38:26 -0500


The last time I was in India was mid-December 1998. My travelling was
marred by the really heavy fog over the whole Delhi region...
visibility was very, very poor.

Apurva asked me (in email) for a trip report. I'll be really negative
and say 2029 NDLS-Ludhiana Shatabdi left almost on time, should have
taken 3h45 but took about 6h (and 5h+ of that, one could only see white
fluffy stuff out of the windows). 2461 Mandore Exp for Jodhpur was
many hours late arriving at Delhi platform... Also 2925 (sorry 3Dn)
Frontier Mail back to NDLS from Mumbai started many hours late (a
miserable wait on a VERY crowded platform, with no reliable predictions
as to when it would arrive so one had to wait) and it arrived in NDLS
after 0100 (6h late). Not being able to board was a major part of the
problem...
Moans over. And the return from Pathankot.... nooo, you do not want to
hear about that.... well OK, 6 hours to kill in near freezing fog at
Chakki Bank (for the seriously late train from Jammu).

Don't get me wrong, I know it is all part of the experience. But -
within limits!

I was planning a trip later this year - starting first week of December,
say. My planned itinerary this time involves some "tight" connections
(it did not, last time) - for example, assuming Guwahati-NDLS Rajdhani
is not more than 6h late at NDLS (so as to catch the NDLS-Mumbai
Rajdhani); also assuming 2414 Jaipur-Delhi Exp is not more than 55m late
at Delhi (so as to catch the Howrah-Kalka Mail)...

Was last winter a freak? On arrival, my NDLS airport cabbie said it was
like this every year now, and he was very experienced at handling it...
and seconds later we would have collided with some police-erected
bollards had I not yelled a warning! In his defense, I'll say that you
could not see the end of the car bonnet, so bad was the fog. Also, he
was looking at me and not the road. Thereafter, I hung out of the
window and helped navigate (it was 0400).

Is going a couple of weeks earlier likely to significantly improve
chances?

Am I being unrealistic about connection chances (I know there is often a
knock-on effect, and everything is late). I've travelled about 120Mm
(!) by IR, and can only once recall missing a connection. But...

Advice? Comments?


Thanks

LW

PS:- So as not to sound too negative, there was plenty of fun and
enjoyment also. Travelling 1ACC on Rajdhani, the T.C. insisted I get up
from ("vacate") the footboard/carriage door. The discussion grew heated
and said there would be too much paperwork if I fell out. I said I would
not fall out, if they cleaned the windows properly I would not need to,
and so on. He came back with many more arguments - I have never known
one to be so persistent! (I appreciate his concern for my safety).
Finally I said I always carried a toolbox with me, so if he continued to
harrass me I would indeed return to my compartment but use my implements
to remove the window. :) That clinched it, and he conceded defeat (with
a smile) - I clearly looked crazy enough to do it. In parting I said I
could convert the 1ACCC to 1st class at no charge...

Oh, for windows that open....


------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
Get free personalized email at
<A HREF="http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page">http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page</A>

From: Prateep Chatterjee <>

Subject: Re: Train names, Queens and Godesses

Date: 03 Sep 1999 09:45:41 -0500


Hi !

> >Such bastards like Bal Thakeray,
> > L.K.Advani etc.should be shot.

Though I agree with your point of renaming trains, wouldn't it be better
if we
refrain from expressing our political opinions in this forum (even if
they are
quite accurate) ? The Bal, I must say is mad as a hatter, but Advani
????

> > If you talk of weird names, then Gharib Nawaz Link Express and
> > Matsyagandha (smell (or stench!) of fish) Express will take the
cake.

Garib Nawaz Link Exp. : The link express was the extension of Pink City
Exp.
(between Delhi and Jaipur) to Udaipur and the name probably came because
it used to
pass through Ajmer.

> > Incidentally, why is the Poona-Varanasi train called Gyan Ganga
Express
> > (Sea of knowledge), and the Poona-Howrah Azad Hind (independent
India)?

Maybe the name Gyan Ganga was chosen because of the Ganga flowing in
Varanasi ?????
Azad Hind can be attributed to Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA (the Azad
Hind
Fauj) ???

> >Not to
> > mention Chauri Chaura Exp. (what does that mean?)

Chauri Chaura is a place between Kanpur and Gorakhpur (near to GKP, I
guess) which
became famous for the burning of a police station in pre-independence
India (or am
I wrong ??).

>> Politics too apparently plays a role in train names,
........................

If I remember correctly (Samit/Jisnu correct me if I am mistaken), the
HWH-Asansol
Exp. is informally called the Bidhan Exp. (after a former Cong. CM of
WB) even
though in TAAG just the name ASN-HWH Exp. is retained. Isn't it politics
again ?

Regards to all.

Prateep


--
--------------------------------------------------
Prateep Chatterjee
Graduate Student
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
and Engineering Mechanics
University of Missouri-Rolla
Rolla, MO 65409
Phone : (573) 308-1542
--------------------------------------------------

From: Samit Roychoudhury <>

Subject: Re: More on Braithwaite & co

Date: 03 Sep 1999 09:54:34 -0500


BBUNL seems to be Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Limited, but tahts just my
guess

samit

From: Avinash Pandey <>

Subject: Re: 3019 HWH-Kathgodam Express runs 5km without engine!

Date: 03 Sep 1999 10:51:31 -0500



After reading emails from you guys, I think the the
published 3019 HWH-Kathgodam Express story is
perhaps not completely accurate, and spiced up too.
The vernacular press is notorious for reporting things
that propagate by word rather than actual facts.

Still, such incidents (non-major mishaps) are either on the
rise or are getting more attention from the media.
In any case, such incidents shouldn't let slide as
routine/regular. If one such mishap turns into a disaster,
its too late to do anything.

Avinash
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avinash Pandey ~ Phone: 650 607 3717
Oracle Corporation ~ Fax : 650 506 7800
500 Oracle Parkway 3OP7 ~ Email: apandey@us.email
Redwood Shores CA 94065 ~ URL : www.oracle.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life has no obligation to meet your expectations." -Osho

From: S.SRINIVAS <>

Subject: Re: Fog likely in December? Also, Footplate Fun!

Date: 03 Sep 1999 11:02:17 -0500


dear lw

yes i know how u feel (or felt) when a TC pesters u to close the door on
ir. i have faced many
such situations and have always won the arguements and stood my ground
(or footbored).
there is no rule on ir that says that all doors should be kept closed
while the train is in motion.
i must admit that your threat of opening up a window with your tool kit
was a novel one. will
myself use this argument next time i find myself in a similar
situation.thanks for the idea,

on another plane altogether, and with the benefit of hindsight after the
gaisal crash, it really
may be a good idea to carry a tool kit along with your toilet kit which
will help u to come
out of acc windows on your own just in case there is such a need. the
help arrieves quite late.

lwebber@planetmail.email wrote:

> LW
>
> PS:- So as not to sound too negative, there was plenty of fun and
enjoyment also. Travelling 1ACC on Rajdhani, the T.C. insisted I get up
from ("vacate") the footboard/carriage door. The discussion grew heated
and said there would be too much paperwork if I fell out. I said I would
not fall out, if they cleaned the windows properly I would not need to,
and so on. He came back with many more arguments - I have never known
one to be so persistent! (I appreciate his concern for my safety).
Finally I said I always carried a toolbox with me, so if he continued to
harrass me I would indeed return to my compartment but use my implements
to remove the window. :) That clinched it, and he conceded defeat (with
a smile) - I clearly looked crazy enough to do it. In parting I said I
could convert the 1ACCC to 1st class at no charge...
>
> Oh, for windows that open....
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
> Get free personalized email at
<A HREF="http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page">http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page</A>

From: Jishnu Mukerji <>

Subject: Re: Train names, Queens and Godesses

Date: 03 Sep 1999 11:35:31 -0500


Prateep Chatterjee wrote:
> Shankie wrote:
> > If you talk of weird names, then Gharib Nawaz
> > Link Express and Matsyagandha (smell (or stench!)
> > of fish) Express will take the cake.
>
> Garib Nawaz Link Exp. : The link express was the
> extension of Pink City Exp.(between Delhi and Jaipur)
> to Udaipur and the name probably came because it used to
> pass through Ajmer.

Doesn't Garib Nawaz have something to do with some character connected
with Ajmer? I can't exactly recall the exact connection though.

> > Most inappropriate names would be
> > Toofan (cyclone) Express: the pace of the train is
> > more of a gentle breeze than that of a cyclone! I
> > understand that the historic Toofan Mail, which is
> > no longer in existance, did more justice to its title.

Is there any concrete evidence, other than the existence of a reference
in a Hindi film song, of the actual existence of a train called Toofan
Mail? As far as I have been able to track down, Toofan Express was
introduced as Toofan Express and when introduced it was one of the
faster train between Calcutta and Delhi. Then of course it proceeded to
slow down over the years. Until it became so slow that they extended it
beyond Delhi and renamed it Toofan Udyan Abha Express or some such.

I think the ultimate slow and circuitous routed train between Calcutta
and Delhi was the now discontinued Upper India Express, which started
from Sealdah then ran via CC Railway to Dankuni, up HB CHord, then up
Sahibgunj Loop to Kiul, then Main Line to Mughal Sarai, then via
Varanasi and Allahabad, and via Agra and everywhere else in North India
it seemed, and also stopped at every other station on the way. Took
almost half a week to get from Calcutta to Delhi (well thats a bit of an
exaggeration, but you get the idea.)

> > Not to
> > mention Chauri Chaura Exp. (what does that mean?)
>
> Chauri Chaura is a place between Kanpur and Gorakhpur
> (near to GKP, I guess) which became famous for the
> burning of a police station in pre-independence India
> (or am I wrong ??).

Yes, the so called Chauri-Chaura incident.

Then there is of course Sainik Express which connects Jhunjhunu district
with Delhi, Juhunjhunu district apparently has the distinction of making
the largest per-capita contribution to the Indian Army in the form of
Jawans.

> >> Politics too apparently plays a role in train names,
........................
>
> If I remember correctly (Samit/Jishnu correct me
> if I am mistaken), the HWH-Asansol Exp. is informally
> called the Bidhan Exp. (after a former Cong. CM of WB)
> even though in TAAG just the name ASN-HWH Exp.
> is retained. Isn't it politics again ?

Even before that train was introduced, all the newspapers in Calcutta
christened it the Bidhan Express, after Bidhan Chandra Ray, a past
Congress Chief Minister of the state of West Bengal, and that name has
stuck colloquially. The official name of the train has always been the
most unimaginative Asansol-Howrah Express. I have no idea whether
Jyotibabu leaned on the IR to keep it from naming the train Bidhan
Express or not.

> > Him meaning Himalayas and Sagar meaning the sea
> > (at KK).

"Him" by itself means "snow or ice". "Him" + "Alaya" is "Snow" + "Home
of".

> > Real quaint and beautiful train names are: West Coast
> > Express, East Coast Express, Coromandel Express,
> > Malabar Express, Blue Mountain Exp. (now unfortunately
> > translated to Nil (blue) Giri (mountain) Exp. Also
> > Golconda Exp. Tea Garden Exp. (does it still run?),
> > Coalfield Exp. Black Diamond Exp., Corbett Park Link
> > Exp., Barak Valley Exp. Sanctuary Exp. Pearl City Exp.
> > ---should I go on and on and on?

Along same lines, although not as romantic sounding:-) is Steel Express
and Ispat Express. My personal favorite is Kanchanjungha Express,
perhaps because Kanchanjungha is one of my favorite Himalayan peaks.

Jishnu.

From: lwebber <>

Subject: Re: 3019 HWH-Kathgodam Express runs 5km without engine!

Date: 03 Sep 1999 11:41:42 -0500


But if the rake's brakes came on, it would have been stopped (from the
approx. 70kph at most at which it was travelling) in MUCH less than 5
kms....

Two coincidences?

Unless of course the 5 km is a gross exaggeration!


Regards to all

Larry

PS: Apurva, Please remember I cannot read any email at present except
that coming directly from irfca (due to this damned filter!) so I have
missed any replies except those to the list. If you have any more info
re the AC/DC supply, please could you make it here? Thanks!



----- Original Message -----
From: Apurva Bahadur <iti@vsnl.email
> > Nor I.. That is why I put the "*" around the word 'story'. The
change in "feel" is surely what would have betrayed it (unless the
driver too was asleep at the time it happened and there was no dead
man's handle or equivalent).
>
> There no dead man's handles in any of the regular main line locos of
the IR. If the driver gets incapacitated, the assistant driver is
supposed to (atleast in a WDM 2) open the 'dead man's valve' which is a
direct atmospheric vent
> of the brake pipe. Once the vacuum is destroyed, the train brakes come
on and the PCS (pneumatic control switch - a pressure switch) in the WDM
2 will in turn trip the DMR (dead man' relay - a common safely relay)
and the loco
> would come to idle. It really works !
>
> > Re the 3019 HWH-Kathgodam Express matter - will there be an enquiry
which will reveal exactly what did happen? It sounds like a VERY
improbable set of coincidences to me (too).
>
> My guess - the coupling parted, the driver realized this and continued
to prevent the rake bashing the power. The rake's brakes came on and it
stopped in due course of time. Nothing more.
> Even today's Pune's papers have a large article listing the woes of
the passengers who were stuck in the Pragati express rake which stopped
at Thane, Kalyan, Shelu and Karjat for 2-3 hours to arrive at Pune at
0600 hrs (the correct
> time is 2005 hrs !). This is a article listing the woes of the
arthritics and the asthmatics and the small children who were faced the
prospect of starvation as the food ran out and the toilets stank ETC
ETC. Many passengers vowed
> to never travel on the train again. The really clever ones returned to
Mumbai from Thane, Kalyan etc.
> The press is quite active to pick up any railway stories.
>
> Apurva


------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
Get free personalized email at
<A HREF="http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page">http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page</A>