IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 3121 - 3140
From: Raghavendra K <>
Subject: Re: Hi !
Date: 13 Jul 1998 21:09:08 -0500
Hi,
oh... shucks... the "meantime" got split into two lines and hens
confused me. ok... got u at last.... (slow processor)
> Since u are interested in trains..u might have some
> interesting info on them..like weird ones...interesting ones...first
> ones..etc...so u can share that info with us in the "meantime" ;-))
> What says u?
interested..... i am crazy.... not just interested.... :-)
not a bad idea... but right now, all the info is scattered i feel...
shud mentally organise and 'll give it a try....
but....... I am not too sure if this is the right podium for that...
most of the guys around here (it has grown in numbers now with guys from
everywhere) i feel wont b able to appreciate the love i (and now i feel
u too) have towards trains...
give me ur thoughts on this....
FYI : if u r interested in trains, u have a mailing list clled indian
railways fan club.
mailto:irfca@cs.email
very active list.... real enthu.... u might like it..
i'll give u the subscription details later if u wish. that's another
address which i dont remember right now....
bye,
Raghavendra
>
> Sumanth
From: Donald L. Mills, Jr <>
Subject: Re: single-unit diesel vehicles
Date: 13 Jul 1998 23:33:30 -0500
Gang,
A great group of rail travelers and train enthusiasts like yourselves
should be able to come up with a drawing of a small railcars or
vehicles
designed to carry a limited number of passengers and mail, with some
fuel
efficiency that could be electric, diesel, natural gas or even solar.
Could be something in the dome type car with an engine at one end or an
A-B unit with engineer seat at each end. Open air for small branch
lines
with Air Cond. on longer ones.
A competition could be held. What does everyone think.
Why go to America, or Japan or Germany or Europe. India has great
design
engineers. Encourage a competition with these engineers, somehow enlist
the various RR's of India, Look for funds and award a first second and
third place design. It could be called the Indian Nation Rails
Competition or A Save the Branch Lines Competition, . Once this design
is
awarded encourage it to be built.
You could open it up world wide if you didn't like what was submitted.
Who would be the judges. Some politicos, Rail persons- At least 10
India
Rail fans, (Make it as Indian as possible and find a way to ensure
imparticallity of the judges ) Or open it up to the Country by ballot
by
listing the pluses of each entry and various pictures. Seek Television,
Radio, newsprint etc publicity as much as you can get. Much like the
Steam
offs that used to be held on India Rails.
Also have a most original category, Very outrageous, Very Ugly and Most
unlikely to Work category. Make it serious but at the same time make it
fun. It would also increase publicity to all rail roads that took part
as
well as all engineering firms that submitted entries.
Anyone out there think I'm Crazy, or do you think this ideal has merit?
Let us know.
Don in WV
----------
> From: S Pai <spai@aya.email
> To: Indian Railways List <irfca@cs.email
> Subject: single-unit diesel vehicles
> Date: Monday, July 13, 1998 1:17 PM
>
>
>
> Perhaps the diesel rail-cars running on the Bangalore-Yelahanka line
belong
> in this category? They do look like boxes on wheels. I think they're
> essentially city buses plonked down on rails. I don't know if they're
> still running.
>
> -Satish
>
>
> >> India HAS been developing DMUs.....but if you mean single-unit
> >> vehicles I do not know of any. Perhaps something like the British
> >> experiment with road-going buses (blasphemous !! ;) )on rails may
work
?
>
> > Yes it is there working on the M.G. section somewhere in Rajasthan.
If
you
> > have a copy of July 1995 Trains At A Glance, it's picture is right
there
> > on the cover. I guess it was introduced in 1994/95. It looks like a
box
> > on wheels. Quite an UGLY looking thing UGH! I think a similar car
existed
> > again on the M.G.section of Lucknow Suburbs.
From: Raghavendra K <>
Subject: Sorry :|
Date: 14 Jul 1998 00:29:54 -0500
Hi all,
I am extremely sorry for my previous mail. it was un intentional...
i was trying to get the list address and unknowlingly i have pressed
send.
sorry again..
bye,
Raghavendra
From: Anne O. <>
Subject: Re: IR and Y2K?
Date: 14 Jul 1998 00:45:10 -0500
>
> I was reading an article on Year 2000 problems (for those who
(somehow!)
> haven't run into this term yet -- it has to do with computer problems
> switching dates over from 1999 to 2000) which mentioned that in the
US,
> there is some concern now that should the Year 2000 bugs affect
switching
> operations at railways, there may be widespread disruption of freight
> traffic (including that of food items), because most railways in the
US
> *cannot* revert to manual switching now, even in an emergency. Manual
> switches have mostly been retired and warehoused or scrapped.
I'd think anything involving a switch motor would be part of a "vital
circuit", and would be *extremely* unlikely to have a Y2K problem.
What's more likely to be a problem is things like computerized waybills.
From: sank <>
Subject: Re: railcar design ideas: Don
Date: 14 Jul 1998 04:59:59 -0500
> A great group of rail travelers and train enthusiasts like
yourselves
> should be able to come up with a drawing of a small railcars or
vehicles
> designed to carry a limited number of passengers and mail, with some
fuel
> efficiency that could be electric, diesel, natural gas or even solar.
.........
> Anyone out there think I'm Crazy, or do you think this ideal has
merit?
> Let us know.
As an automobile designer I think this is a GREAT idea.
Similiar competitions are held worldwide to generate ideas
for automobiles. Why not rail vehicles too, considering that
they are already more efficient than road-vehicles ?
And I can then redeem my soul, corrupted by years of
sacrilegious road-vehicle design.....:)
--
Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
TEL 91(212)774261 ext 2534 : FAX 91(212)773191
--
From: S. Kumar <>
Subject: Tiruchi-Dindigul conversion
Date: 14 Jul 1998 07:19:22 -0500
Regarding the status of the Tiruchi-Dindigul MG to BG conversion (as
queried by
Auro) the "official" position of IR is that they will finish it by the
end of the current
fiscal year, i.e., before March 1999. This was mentioned in this year's
railway
budget.
My cousin who lives in Tiruchi tells me that work on the
Tiruchi-Dindigul section is
expected to pick up once the Chennai-Tiruchi BG line has been opened.
The
conversion is expected to be relatively fast due to the short distance
(compared to
Chennai-Tiruchi) of about 90 km and the fact that it is a replacement BG
line and
not a parallel line to the MG one. To the best of my knowledge, the BG
line will
follow the alignment of the present MG line except for a stretch near
Kalpattichatram, where a realignment was necessary due to the grade of
the terrain
(the BG needing a gentler grade than the MG).
Kumar
From: Shanku Niyogi <>
Subject: Re: single-unit diesel vehicles
Date: 14 Jul 1998 08:31:40 -0500
I've seen some other pictures of Indian railcars - ones that looked a
lot
like Calcutta state buses. Boy, a better looking design would be
desirable
for sure!
One pretty durable rail car I saw was in use in Bolivia, I believe. In
Michael Palin's "Full Circle" series, he rode this railcar across
Bolivia.
It was a 50+ year old vehicle of German construction and formerly used
in
Switzerland. Looked (kind of) like a long bus, built like a tank (at
least
given the amount of wear it gets). There's actually a neat scene where
the
car becomes partially derailed in the night (as it apparently often
does),
and the crew gets it back up on the tracks by propping a rock up against
the
track, and "driving back up" over it! Try that with a full train! :)
Shanku
-----Original Message-----
From: poras p.saklatwalla [mailto:pps@godrejnet.email
Sent: Monday, July 13, 1998 8:45 PM
To: S Pai
Cc: Indian Railways List
Subject: Re: single-unit diesel vehicles
There is also one on the Kalka Simla line it is indeed better to go by
the
small train than this rail car ! ugh!
PORAS P.SAKLATWALLA
TEL :5773535/3636
EXT :4226/4232/4237
From: S Pai <>
Subject: Re: IR and Y2K?
Date: 14 Jul 1998 09:06:10 -0500
> I'd think anything involving a switch motor would be part of a "vital
> circuit", and would be *extremely* unlikely to have a Y2K problem.
> What's more likely to be a problem is things like computerized
waybills.
I think the problem is not with the motors and other hardware at the
switch, but rather the software that controls it, since it is part of or
connected to the software that monitors and routes freight, and which
allows good utilization of freight cars in different areas.
[And anyway, something being a "vital circuit" hardly prevents it from
having a Y2K bug. Telecom, banks, the Pentagon, power & water
utilities:
everybody is scrambling to make sure they don't get bitten by the Y2K
problems.]
-Satish
From: Jayant S <>
Subject: Diesel Railcar in Sri Lanka
Date: 14 Jul 1998 10:47:25 -0500
<A HREF="http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS5.HTM">http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS5.HTM</A>
This has a picture of a Telco-built bus converted
to run on BG track in Sri Lanka. Cute.
(My conscience feels much better now. :) )
Now if IR could ask Telco to develop such vehicles
I would be happy, as I would get to work on them...
Dreams,dreams.......
-- Jayant S : TTIL : Telco : Pune : India --
From: Jayant S <>
Subject: Mainline Diesels: Sri Lanka
Date: 14 Jul 1998 10:51:56 -0500
<A HREF="http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS2.HTM">http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS2.HTM</A>
A query here: At the bottom of this page the
M8 class on Sri Lanka Rail is described.
Is it the same as our good old friend the WDM2 ?
--Sank--
From: Anne O. <>
Subject: Re: IR and Y2K? Vital circuits
Date: 14 Jul 1998 11:01:01 -0500
All signals have a layer of components designed to fail in the
"safe" direction. This circuitry may be controlled in turn by an
ordinary industrial micro, but the interface is designed much like a
human-computer interface, with error checking, so the system can't be
driven to a dangerous position from the non-vital side.
This vital circuitry is extremely reliable and overdesigned. For
example, a vital relay has no springs (they use gravity instead) and the
contacts are grossly overrated (for a 1 amp circuit they'll use contacts
that look like a welding machine).
Naturally there's redundancy built in everywhere.
So, even if there's a Y2K problem on the non-vital side, it's not likely
to cause the great train crash implied.
I agree, things are likely to be pretty fouled up for the day or two
after (although I've been part of enough computer problems to see that
the impact will probably more a 'nuisance' than a major disaster).
From: Auroprem Kandaswami <>
Subject: Finishing touches to Tiruchi-Chennai BG line
Date: 14 Jul 1998 12:58:14 -0500
Courtesy: The Hindu
Date: 15-07-1998
TIRUCHI, July 14.
The final tests have been conducted before the opening of the
350 km converted broad guage track between Tiruchi and Chennai
on August 1. The work of ensuring proper packing of ballast around
each of the pre-stressed concrete sleepers, on the track between
Tiruchi-Villupuram has been completed, and the final testing of
the bridge over the Cauvery was completed on Monday.
The total nmber of pre-stressed concrete sleepers used for the
entire stretch from Chennai to Villupuram, each measuring nine
feet, and weighing 286 kg, was 4.75 lakhs. The total volume of
ballast used for packing for the 177 km stretch between
Villupuram and Tiruchi alone was around 60,000 lorry loads. This
was in addition to the vast quantity of ballast already used for
packing on the existing metre gauge track. The metal was
collected from quarries in Narthamalai, Thuvakudi, Uttathur, and
Padalur. The pre-stressed concrete sleepers were manufactured at
the yards in Ambattur, Thiruvalam, Gangaikondan and Bommidi.
The work of constructing as many as 37 new, bridges for the
broad gauge track was completed well in time almost a year ago.
The main bridges in the stretch from Villupuram to Tiruchi were
the 1 km-long bridge at a cost of Rs. 6 crores, the Cauvery
bridge costing Rs. 4.5 crores and the Malattar, Manimuthar,
Nandiyar, Ponnaiyar, Marudayar, the Vellar etc. The total number
of minor bridges in the section which have been modified and
strengthened is 420. The 127 level crossings in the
Villupuram-Tiruchi section too have been re-constructed to suit
the new B.G. standards.
As an essential part of broad gauge conversion, alterations have
been made in all 31 railway stations between Tiruchi and
Villupuram to receive broad gauge trains. At Tiruchi Junction,
four platforms will receive B.G. trains. Tiruchi Junction has
been provided with two washable concrete aprons besides a
carriage maintenance depot at a cost of Rs. 2 crores.
It may be mentioned that the broad gauge main line between
Chennai and Tiruchi via Villupuram, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam,
Thanjavur was completed in 1867, and the chord line from
Villupuram to Tiruchi in 1927. The metre gauge chord line had
reduced the distance and time for all south- bound trains.
With the completion of gauge conversion from August, the journey
time will be reduced further. The BG trains would be more
comfortable and faster, and the haulage capacity of passenger
and freight trains much higher.
***
Notes:
1. This article has a minor 'bug'. In the last but one (penultimate)
para, it should be read that the metre gauge main line between
Chennai and Tiruchi was completed in 1867 and not broad gauge.
No idea when SR plans to complete Villupuram-Thanjavur BG
conversion.
(on main line). Thanjavur-Tiruchi is already up and running on
BG-cum-MG.
2. Does anyone (who has some kind of 'insider' Railway information)
know the status of Dindigul-Tiruchi BG line. The completion of
this line will mean a better, alternate BG link between Jammi Tawi
and Kanniyakumari, much shorter than (~ 200 kms less) the existing
route via Salem-Erode-Coimbatore-Shoranur-Ernakulam-Trivandrum.
Instead it will now be via Tiruchi-Dindigul-Madurai-Tirunelveli.
Upon completion of this stretch, we can hope to have a "true"
Kashmir-Kanniyakumari (KK) express, of course originating from
Jammu Tawi/Udhampur on the Northern end
From: Dr. K.J. Walker & Mrs. M.E. Heath <>
Subject: Re: Railcars on IR
Date: 14 Jul 1998 17:22:36 -0500
Hi all,
re: railcars.
Australia supplied 12 DMU railcars, built by Commonwealth
Engineering,
to India during the 1950s, as part of the Colombo Plan. I believe they
had
been ordered by IR in the first place, but it was decided to include
them
in the Plan. They were built by Commonwealth Engineering in Sydney; 6
went
to the SR, 6 to the NR.
ICF built some MG cars, which, I think, went to SR and NER, in the
1970s. (I remember riding on one near Thanjavur in 1973).
I don't know if any of these cars survive.
There were earlier experiments with self-propelled steam railmotors
around 1905 or so; they seem to have fizzled fairly soon after. Another
surge occurrred with Sentinel steam rail motors in the late 1920s: these
were a sophisticated high-pressure, vertical-boiler, multi-cylinder
design,
and were quite successful. BNR had quite a few, for NG as well as BG.
The
Central Provinces (GIPR, in other words) also experimented successfully
with an Armstrong-Saurer diesel RM on the Arvi-Pulgaon line around 1934
onwards. It reportedly demolished the bus operators.
The big problem with railcars is that they are generally adopted
as a
cost-cutting measure when the rot is too far gone. They manage to
postpone
but not prevent closure. The other problem is that if they do succeed in
retreivving traffic, they are often overloaded and can't cope: in one
famous case, an English RM actually broke its back! - a combination of
light construction and overloading. Modern MU railmotors do seem to do
better, as they are both powerful and reliable, but they are not cheap.
All one can say is GOOD LUCK!
Ken Walker
From: poras p.saklatwalla <>
Subject: Re: Finishing touches to Tiruchi-Chennai BG line
Date: 14 Jul 1998 20:21:50 -0500
On Tue, 14 Jul 1998, Auroprem Kandaswami wrote:
>
> Courtesy: The Hindu
> Date: 15-07-1998
>
> TIRUCHI, July 14.
>
> The final tests have been conducted before the opening of the
> 350 km converted broad guage track between Tiruchi and Chennai
> on August 1. The work of ensuring proper packing of ballast around
> each of the pre-stressed concrete sleepers, on the track between
> Tiruchi-Villupuram has been completed, and the final testing of
> the bridge over the Cauvery was completed on Monday.
>
> The total nmber of pre-stressed concrete sleepers used for the
> entire stretch from Chennai to Villupuram, each measuring nine
> feet, and weighing 286 kg, was 4.75 lakhs. The total volume of
> ballast used for packing for the 177 km stretch between
> Villupuram and Tiruchi alone was around 60,000 lorry loads. This
> was in addition to the vast quantity of ballast already used for
> packing on the existing metre gauge track. The metal was
> collected from quarries in Narthamalai, Thuvakudi, Uttathur, and
> Padalur. The pre-stressed concrete sleepers were manufactured at
> the yards in Ambattur, Thiruvalam, Gangaikondan and Bommidi.
>
> The work of constructing as many as 37 new, bridges for the
> broad gauge track was completed well in time almost a year ago.
> The main bridges in the stretch from Villupuram to Tiruchi were
> the 1 km-long bridge at a cost of Rs. 6 crores, the Cauvery
> bridge costing Rs. 4.5 crores and the Malattar, Manimuthar,
> Nandiyar, Ponnaiyar, Marudayar, the Vellar etc. The total number
> of minor bridges in the section which have been modified and
> strengthened is 420. The 127 level crossings in the
> Villupuram-Tiruchi section too have been re-constructed to suit
> the new B.G. standards.
>
> As an essential part of broad gauge conversion, alterations have
> been made in all 31 railway stations between Tiruchi and
> Villupuram to receive broad gauge trains. At Tiruchi Junction,
> four platforms will receive B.G. trains. Tiruchi Junction has
> been provided with two washable concrete aprons besides a
> carriage maintenance depot at a cost of Rs. 2 crores.
>
> It may be mentioned that the broad gauge main line between
> Chennai and Tiruchi via Villupuram, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam,
> Thanjavur was completed in 1867, and the chord line from
> Villupuram to Tiruchi in 1927. The metre gauge chord line had
> reduced the distance and time for all south- bound trains.
>
> With the completion of gauge conversion from August, the journey
> time will be reduced further. The BG trains would be more
> comfortable and faster, and the haulage capacity of passenger
> and freight trains much higher.
>
> ***
>
> Notes:
>
> 1. This article has a minor 'bug'. In the last but one
(penultimate)
> para, it should be read that the metre gauge main line between
> Chennai and Tiruchi was completed in 1867 and not broad gauge.
> No idea when SR plans to complete Villupuram-Thanjavur BG
> conversion.
> (on main line). Thanjavur-Tiruchi is already up and running on
> BG-cum-MG.
>
> 2. Does anyone (who has some kind of 'insider' Railway information)
> know the status of Dindigul-Tiruchi BG line. The completion of
> this line will mean a better, alternate BG link between Jammi
Tawi
> and Kanniyakumari, much shorter than (~ 200 kms less) the
existing
> route via Salem-Erode-Coimbatore-Shoranur-Ernakulam-Trivandrum.
> Instead it will now be via Tiruchi-Dindigul-Madurai-Tirunelveli.
>
> Upon completion of this stretch, we can hope to have a "true"
> Kashmir-Kanniyakumari (KK) express, of course originating from
> Jammu Tawi/Udhampur on the Northern end
>
PORAS P.SAKLATWALLA
TEL :5773535/3636
EXT :4226/4232/4237
Hi,
Will this converted BG line be fully electrified or will it be WDM
HAULED
TRAINS. Well imagine a Rajdhani between New Delhi and say Kanyakumari
or
Kodai Road which is hauled by 2 WDM'S
PLEASE SEND MORE INFO ON THIS LINE.
PORAS
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Scenes at the railway station
Date: 14 Jul 1998 20:24:09 -0500
Hello dear friends,
I had been to the Pune station today evening to see our fellow railnut
Sundar Krishnamurthy who was traveling from Mumbai to Chennai on the
6011 Dn Express. Anyway the train was late by an hour due to non
availability of bankers (locos required to push up trains up the ghats
from Karjat to Lonavala). Apparently a banker failed on the Up line (the
one that descends the ghats) and hence the 'light' bankers could not
reach Karjat in time.
I saw the WDG 2 pair up close today. Running long hood leading WDG 2s
(14559 & 14566) crawled in through the down goods line (road 3). The
load as mentioned in my last sighting was the 40 odd BCN/BCNA eight
wheelers, for which a double headed WDG 2 power is an overkill. Again
the load was brakeless (no guard's van / caboose) and carried a tail
light (how are they lit at night, in the absence of electric power -
kerosene ?) on the last vehicle. As the locos were really idling, it is
difficult to comment on the sound, but yes it sounds much deeper than a
WDM2. The long hood as well as short hood is much longer than a WDM2.
The other remarkable change is the bogies / trucks which are not only
longer but also contains a sort of linkage between the three wheels like
a crank or a portion of a parallelogram. It is very different from the
bogie of the WDM 2 or WAM 4. This new type of bogie is also found on the
WCAM 3, so it should be fairly easy to photograph and upload for all of
you to see. The bald forehead does not look all that bad, now that I
seen it more than once. It lends a different personality to the loco
which gets unconsciously associated with the deep booming sound that the
loco makes.
Among the strange observation I saw today was that the WCAM 3 drops its
pantograph once it is coupled to the load and just after it has brought
in a train, goes totally silent for a few moments and then comes alive
once more as the panto is raised once again. The same two bar panto is
raised in the DC section, but the loco is definitely switched off for
some time after being coupled and before being decoupled. Maybe to
switch some electrical machine. I will find out soon.
Sundar has given me some of his pictures and are they good. Sundar, I am
jealous ! You guys just wait for his new website to come up, it will
blow away any other contemporary Indian Rail site. If you want to see
dedication, look no further than Sundar. Amongst his pix is a WDG2 pair
at Gooty which sports a normal (half a hexagon) short hood, although
obviously longer than the normal WDM 2.
I also saw a Kalyan WDM 2 pair with a strange livery - russet as in the
normal iron oxide of Indian Rail and (harsh) blue as in Konkan Rail.
Maybe the KYN shed had a few cans of left over paint ...
The time was just at dusk and the trailing loco was throwing sparks from
the exhaust.
God, how I love trains !!
Apurva Bahadur
From: Donald L. Mills, Jr <>
Subject: Re: Diesel Railcar in Sri Lanka
Date: 14 Jul 1998 23:43:28 -0500
Jayant- Saw a picture of the Telco-built bus. Definately looks like a
tourist bus. If they had put it all in glass (like a full dome car)
with
no metal roof it might have passed a little more train like. whats the
energy consumption like on those. How many passengers can it haul and
does it have the baggage area in the bottom like many tourist buses' in
this country? If it does it can haul mail and if would beat no train at
all. Don in WV
----------
> From: Jayant S <sank@telco.email
> To: IR List <irfca@cs.email
> Subject: Diesel Railcar in Sri Lanka
> Date: Tuesday, July 14, 1998 1:47 PM
>
> <A HREF="http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS5.HTM">http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS5.HTM</A>
>
> This has a picture of a Telco-built bus converted
> to run on BG track in Sri Lanka. Cute.
> (My conscience feels much better now. :) )
>
> Now if IR could ask Telco to develop such vehicles
> I would be happy, as I would get to work on them...
> Dreams,dreams.......
>
> -- Jayant S : TTIL : Telco : Pune : India --
From: Anne O. <>
Subject: Re: Calcutta Trams
Date: 14 Jul 1998 23:49:05 -0500
I've prepared a simple web page showing a tongue switch
<A HREF="http://www.netmagic.net/~anniepoo/tongue/tongue.html">http://www.netmagic.net/~anniepoo/tongue/tongue.html</A>
> I still haven't figured out how the current pick up is done
> with a tram's panto (?), there seems to be a reel whose groove runs
atop the
> overhead wire, trailing continuos sparks at times.
Yes, atop the trolley pole is either a slide or a wheel contact.
To have a circuit you need two connections. In this case, one side is
the trolley wire, which connects to the motor via the trolley pole.
The other side is the track and steel wheel resting on it. So yes, when
you're standing on the ground near the tracks you're part of the 25KV or
whatever volt circuit! =8X
Of course, you're safe as long as you don't touch the overhead wire.
*ONE* wire won't make current flow.
The contactor arrangement isn't that different from a diesal electric -
it switches the traction motors into different combinations of series
and parallel for speed control.
From: Anne O. <>
Subject: Re: Diesel Railcar in Sri Lanka
Date: 14 Jul 1998 23:55:18 -0500
The little 0-4-0 Deutz diesel shunter at the bottom of
<A HREF="http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS5.HTM">http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS5.HTM</A>
is *CUTE* (there, I said it, and I'm not ashamed) too so
you go ahead and call the Telco bus cute, Jayant!
The Y1 Paxman V12 0-8-0 sparks my affection for the "so ugly it's
lovable"! (And it's hydraulic to boot!)
From: Jayant S <>
Subject: Re: Diesel Railcar in Sri Lanka: Don
Date: 15 Jul 1998 02:46:27 -0500
> Jayant- Saw a picture of the Telco-built bus. Definately looks like a
> tourist bus. If they had put it all in glass (like a full dome car)
with
> no metal roof it might have passed a little more train like. whats the
> energy consumption like on those. How many passengers can it haul and
> does it have the baggage area in the bottom like many tourist buses'
in
> this country? If it does it can haul mail and if would beat no train
at
> all. Don in WV
Judging by the specs, it is a standard 130 hp Telco bus chassis, very
common in India. Buses here are not integral and are built on
truck-type chassis. In India, The same type of bus is used on tourist
as well as city applications. Tourist versions are sometimes seen
with higher floors, allowing underfloor stowage of baggage. Capacity
is around 50, though this depends on chassis variants.
Though Telco is long out of the railroad business, I think it would
be relatively easy to design a railcar around our considerable
range of commercial road-vehicle aggregates, suitable for
any gauge, if required. IR at present does not have technology
for small diesels with mechanical transmission, which is required.
--
Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
TEL 91(212)774261 ext 2534 : FAX 91(212)773191
--
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Mainline Diesels: Sri Lanka
Date: 15 Jul 1998 05:35:51 -0500
Jayant S wrote:
> <A HREF="http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS2.HTM">http://infolanka.com/people/mrail/LOCOS2.HTM</A>
> A query here: At the bottom of this page the
> M8 class on Sri Lanka Rail is described.
>
> Is it the same as our good old friend the WDM2 ?
Yes it is the WDM2, but with a reversed door (short hood door on the
right of the loco) and presumably reversed seating arrangement as well.
I have seen a picture of these locos in the Indian Railway mag. Once I
find the issue, I will scan and upload it for all.
Apurva