IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 3461 - 3480
From: Shanku Niyogi <>
Subject: Re: Photos/ India Visit
Date: 04 Sep 1998 10:04:08 -0500
I am also attempting to build an archive of the mailing list, and many
of
the emails I have are not in message format but in plain text, so
MIME-encoded messages or messages with binary attachments are a lot of
hassle to weed out.
It is odd, though, that an 83K mail message would mess up an email
service.
NetMagic is a full ISP, isn't it? Seems like something screwy if it
can't
handle messages of that size. :)
Thanks,
Shanku
-----Original Message-----
From: Anne Ogborn [mailto:anniepoo@netmagic.email
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 1998 9:49 PM
To: hubbert@quantum.email irfca@cs.email
Subject: Re: Photos/ India Visit
Mr. Hubbert.
I am receiving multiple copies of your email with attached binary.
This has apparently shut down my email services.
Please refrain from sending binaries to the list. It is a violation of
list policy, and extremely inconvenient to those of us on the receiving
end.
If you wish to post binaries, there are other methods to do so, but
attaching
them to irfca email is inappropriate.
From: Anne Ogborn <>
Subject: [Fwd: State of affairs at I.R
Date: 04 Sep 1998 21:32:12 -0500
From: Anne Ogborn <>
Subject: Re: Photos/ India Visit
Date: 04 Sep 1998 22:50:10 -0500
Yes, I agree, Netmagic is a bit flakey. For some reason my whole mail
box
ended up full of copies of this email.
Where I work (an internet-related co.) we all have high speed lines, and
routinely send
far larger emails back and forth.
My posting probably reflected the abnormal pain I had dealing with the
results.
I reach netmagic by dialing into a PPP connection at Idiom.com. Idiom is
a small
ISP whose largest client is my employer, whose real-time transit
prediction
system
runs on Idiom.
Idiom's owner left for London to get married start of week. Thursday
Idiom
started going
up and down and losing it's outside world connections.
At same time, Mr. Hubbert's email filled my box.
When I tried to dial Netmagic's POP directly to fix my email box, I
discovered
that
Netmagic had disabled my shell account access without telling me (I
rarely
telnet to
Netmagic.)
Finally got all straightened out this afternoon. The Netmagic tech
support
person blew
away Mr. Hubbert's email, and my mailbox resumed working, so I don't
have any
way
of tracking the problem down.
A frustrating couple days. My apologies if my message reflected that.
Glad to be back on the net,
Annie
Shanku Niyogi wrote:
> I am also attempting to build an archive of the mailing list, and many
of
> the emails I have are not in message format but in plain text, so
> MIME-encoded messages or messages with binary attachments are a lot of
> hassle to weed out.
>
> It is odd, though, that an 83K mail message would mess up an email
service.
> NetMagic is a full ISP, isn't it? Seems like something screwy if it
can't
> handle messages of that size. :)
>
> Thanks,
> Shanku
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anne Ogborn [mailto:anniepoo@netmagic.email
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 1998 9:49 PM
> To: hubbert@quantum.email irfca@cs.email
> Subject: Re: Photos/ India Visit
>
> Mr. Hubbert.
>
> I am receiving multiple copies of your email with attached binary.
> This has apparently shut down my email services.
> Please refrain from sending binaries to the list. It is a violation of
> list policy, and extremely inconvenient to those of us on the
receiving end.
> If you wish to post binaries, there are other methods to do so, but
> attaching
> them to irfca email is inappropriate.
From: S.B.Mehta <>
Subject: membership on your mailing list
Date: 04 Sep 1998 22:56:05 -0500
Hi, there!
I wish to re-enlist on your mailing list.
I am a railway buff and am just crazy over the good ole black
beauties. You guessed it right! I am a STEAM-MAN. I have covered
places like Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Surendranagar where steam locos were
in action a couple of years ago. I wish to be posted on happenings in
the steam sector. Also, I shall share my experiences of the rlys with
irfca.
Bye for now,
Sarosh
======================
Sarosh Bakhtyar Mehta
M/s. Godrej & Boyce Mfg.Co.Ltd.
Machine Tool Division
Pirojshanagar, Vikhroli,
MUMBAI 400 079
INDIA
Tel:(Office) 577 3535 / 577 3636 Extn: 3917/3907/3909
Tel:(Residence) 389 3150
Fax:(Office) 91 22 517 2229 / 91 22 518 2289
Email sarosh@godrejnet.email
=======================
Wisdom dawns only after knowledge is gained
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <>
Subject: Re: poor passenger service on IR.
Date: 05 Sep 1998 03:38:52 -0500
> Under IVRS, if anyone within the jurisdiction of the Western
> Railways (e.g in Maharashtra or Gujarat) dials 132 followed
> by the train number, he can learn exact time the train left
> the originating station; at which station it is at the time
> of calling; and, what time it will reach the destination.
This is wonderful. I will be eagerly waiting for this system
to be implemented in Kanpur.
> At present, limited IVRS is in force in the Northern Railway also. For
> instance, if one dials 1330 or 1335 in Delhi and the train number on
The current system in Northern Railway (it is also available
in Kanpur) is very inadequate. It is good only in the sense
that previously the person would not even pick up the phone,
and now since computer is picking up the phone, we get some
information. But the quality of information has not changed.
Previously they used to write the information on a blackboard
and read from there. Now, they type it in the computer,
and you hear it in synthesized voice. But if they decide
not to change the information for long, we can't help it.
In the new system, presumably there are several people who are giving
input to the system. The control people will type this information,
prehaps soon after the train leaves a station. Even if a few data
points are missing the quality of information will remain very high.
> However, the traffic officials of the Ministry who are responsible
> for monitoring the movement of trains, are not very happy with the
> proposal. The reason being that with IVRS intact, there will be no
> room for fudging up figures and timings with regard to train
movements.
This is what I also heard recently, when I was discussing a project
proposal in this regards with RDSO. I was trying to convince RDSO
that they should have such a system, and this should preferably
be available on the web. And they said that one can't computerize
controls because then everybody loses flexibility to fudge figures.
But I haven't figured out why the need to fudge figures.
Can someone please explain.
Actually, 2 years ago, as one of the assignments in a course,
I asked the students to write a small program which simulates
a small section of the Indian Railways. Very simplistic. No
junctions. Double track. The program is aware of the working
timetable, and relative precedences of the trains. Now, when a
train crosses a station, the information is sent to a central
computer which is running this software. They simulate the running
of trains in the section, decide when a train can overtake another
train, and so on. So the software can predict when the train
will arrive (at the earliest) at any station in this section.
Couple of folks from RDSO used to come to IITK those days to
discuss a few networking related problems. I told them about
this, and they pointed out one problem in this system, which
is that stations will not have computers any time soon.
Currently, when a train passes a station, the SM will call up
on the hotline to controls and give them this information who
will plan accordingly. So we decided that we can perhaps use
the existing phone line (which is quite noisy) to directly
connect to the computer at controls, and use DTMF to give
information. There were some other technical problems in this.
With IIT Kanpur's help, they prepared and submitted a proposal
to Dept. of Electronics to solve problems in this. Just a
couple of weeks ago, RDSO informed me that the proposal has been
accepted, and they will start working on this soon. Anyway, now
it seems that someone somewhere was working on these problems.
(Or perhaps they simply call up and talk on phone and controls
people type the information. I will like to know the details.)
But when we discussed this problem with some other folks in RDSO,
we were warned about lack of flexibility of fudging figures.
-dheeraj
--------------
Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi (0512) 59-7077/7638
(Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering (0512) 59-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology (0512) 59-0725/0413
(Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <>
Subject: Re: privatisation is a knee-jerk reaction
Date: 05 Sep 1998 03:53:23 -0500
> It's the management of IR that matters; if they could fire the
incompetents,
> standards would improve fast. Changing the owners doesn't necessarily
> fix the problem, and could delay a solution, as it has in Britain.
I agree that it is the management that matters. But within the
existing laws, it is next to impossible for a govt. unit to fire
anyone, while it is relatively easier for a private owner to do so.
Most of the IRFCA members from India seem to have interacted with a
fair number of railway persons. I am sure that in their interaction
they have come across a large number of very fine workers,
dedicated, sincere, hardworking, knowledgeable, competent, and so
on. But surely all of us have also come across the incompetent type.
The best system would be a government ownership (so that passenger
trains could run even without a hefty profit margin), and easy
firing of incompetent staff. But since most people assume govt.
control and firing of staff to be mutually exclusive, the question
really is: do we want a private railways with the possibility of
some services being curtailed, and higher quality of service in
the remaining, or a govt railway with lack of service culture.
Most people are so sick of govt services that they will prefer the
former. But in my view, we should encourage a gradual change. A
slow reduction of staff. More and more tasks being done by private
contractors. Use of technology like IVRS to provide better service
within the existing constraints. The danger in this approach is that
the so-called reforms are reversible. A new Railway Minister will
come and order an additional 100,000 staff to be made permanent.
-dheeraj
--------------
Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi (0512) 59-7077/7638
(Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering (0512) 59-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology (0512) 59-0725/0413
(Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Train service required
Date: 06 Sep 1998 00:37:15 -0500
> Till late 30s, CR operated EMU service from VT - Pune over
> the weekend. If I remember right, it used banker during Lonavala -
> Karjat section but not the other way. It was subsequently closed
> due to shortage of rakes.
Also the safety issue - The EMUs lack brake power to hold the gradient,
if they were to stall in the Ghats. There was also some doubt raised
about the strength of the EMU's coupling in a gradient.There is one more
factor - the comfort level of a EMU is way lower than of a 'normal' rake
- this criteria is well documented. Also the lack of toilets for such a
long journey ! Although the Eastern Railways run MEMUs (main line EMUs -
normal width, steps at the door, normal width doors but no toilets)
service between Howrah and Asansol ! But only a masochist (or a
dedicated
railfan : -) ) will take this service between HWH and ASN.
> When Metro - Hitachi - Breda EMUs came in, they all had pneumatic
> brakes, thus were not compatible with vacuum brake electric locos.
> Now that the locos have pneumatic brakes, compatibility of brakes
> should not be an issue. The advantage of EMU is that it can take
> a 10 minutes halt at Vasai, during which guard and motorman can
> switch the cabs and then proceed towards Bandra.
Maybe a push pull train with normal airbraked coaches and the loco only
at one end but a control cab at the non engined end as well. I have seen
such trains between Badnera - Nagpur as well as Chennai - Arakonam. But
the Ghat section between Mumbai and Pune I suppose complicates the
matters somewhat. The loco of the push pull can be at the Mumbai end and
will have to manned by a ghat driver between Karjat - Lonavala to take
over in case of any loco failure. Come to think of it, this is very much
a feasible solution !
>
>
> I do not know if Vasai has a triangular section to support direct
> traffic towards Mumbai but it did not exist till 1993. The possible
> reason may be that there was a link at Parel to move the traffic in
> that direction. Several years back, when Vapi bridge was washed out,
> all north bound WR trains used this link.
>
> Coincidence or not, the Loco driver who saved his train by backing
> off from Vapi bridge moments before it was washed out, Mr. Martin,
> was chargesheeted for backing off instead of receiving commendation.
> He was also the driver of the train that rammed stationary / just
> started EMU at Vasai outer signal and died just about the time when
> the verdict was announced.
This is the real tragedy of Indian Railways - NONE of the children of
the
drivers I know follow dad's footsteps. The drivers themselves ensure
that
children follow a different profession. This lack of support for the
working personnel is one of the reasons why the extension of the age of
retirement is not welcomed by most of the drivers.
Apurva
From: Siddhartha Joshi <>
Subject:
Date: 06 Sep 1998 10:22:03 -0500
A message for all of you railfanners. I have begun work on the IRFC faq
site and I need you to do the following :
1) Please send in the URL's of your IR websites.
2) Send in the URL's of sites that might be of interest to the average
rail fan.
Siddhartha.
From: Siddhartha Joshi <>
Subject:
Date: 06 Sep 1998 11:41:57 -0500
Hi
Another message regarding the faq site:
please send in the following info :
Present e-mail addresses
S Pai
Anne O
Anurag Acharya
Shanku Niyogi
Also the e-mail address of the IRFC mailing list request service.
Sidd.
From: Dr. K.J. Walker & Mrs. M.E, Heath <>
Subject: Re: poor passenger service on IR. Privatization is a kne-jeerkreaction.
Date: 06 Sep 1998 16:40:10 -0500
Dear Don,
We do risk getting right off the subject of Indian Railways and
their
service levels, but I still think you've missed my point, which is about
unexamined assumptions. These tend to be the things that people think
they
"know" -- or that "everybody knows" -- but which quite often turn out to
be
based on limited local knowledge or, once again, assumptions. I also
suspect that you're quoting me special cases when you claim shareholders
have power; but I don't have time to check that one out.
Where assumptions are concerened, case in point is the appalling Ayn
Rand, whose ideas would be laughable were they not so influential.
Laissez-faire capitalist ideas have been responsible for the death and
misery of millions in very recent times (Bengal famine of the 1940s,
e.g.).
I read Atlas Shrugged many years ago, and spent about ¼hr wondering why
I
felt I'd been conned; then I realised that the writing tended to make
you
accept the assumptions she made, most of which are quite dreadful. If
you
want to follow the issue through, there is a very interesting book by
Peter
Self, a highly regarded British political scientist, called "Government
by
the Market?", which covers many of the issues better than I have the
time or
space to do here!
A second case in point is your sketch of the political process,
which is
a "civics" model based on U.S. practice; it doesn't apply without
drastic
modification to "Westminster" systems with strong party discipline. That
said, however, I do find the Indian system, despite the Westminster
framework, remarkably like the U.S.A. in the 19th century -- or at least
what one reads of it! The loosely-articulated political parties in hock
to
local interests, the use of government enterprises as parking places for
incompetent relatives, and many other features are highly reminiscent of
U.S. practice in pre-1900 days.
This does bear on the railways, of course, and my central point
still
revolves about sinecures and a culture of reduced effort. I don't think
that
is necessarily solved by privatisation, and, having recently experienced
the
shambles the Brits have made of their system compared with the quiet
efficiency of the French, German and Austrian (state-run) railways, I
remain
very sceptical about privatisation as a "quick fix."
I think we'd better leave it there, though, and perhaps let the
Indian
lads argue the toss further! I'm sorry if I've sounded too much like a
"lecturer": I've just been trying to make my point.
With best wishes
Ken Walker
-----Original Message-----
From: Donald L. Mills, Jr <dmills@MARSHALL.email
To: Dr. K.J. Walker & Mrs. M.E, Heath <kjw_meh@powerup.email
Date: Saturday, 5 September 1998 9:57
Subject: Re: poor passenger service on IR. Privatization is a
kne-jeerkreaction.
>Dr. Walker,
>
>Yes, I do think that the shareholders in large corporations have a say
in
>their corporations. Read Dossier, The Secret Life of Armand Hammer,
>Atlas Shrugged by Ann Rand. Check into the large companies that have
been
>purchased by the employees themselves. All shareholders underlying
>concern is Profit. Unfortunately, many times the concerns of
individual
>shareholders are not enough to change policy. A two-thirds majority
will
>change the policy in most every corporation except the pre-1994
Occidental
>Petroleum. I do not mean to lecture the lecturer but I am aware very
much
>so how corporations work. Of course, illegal deals are done always.
That
>is a fact of life no one wants to consider. this is also dependent
upon
>the country one is considering. In the case to which I am considering
it
>is India. I am not knowledgeable concerning the way of business in
that
>Country but if it is to function in the world, I assume that they would
>have to at least give the appearance of doing business in an universal
>acceptable way.
>
>You are correct when you say large corporations can go one for years
before
>bankruptcy is declared. Look at the decade of the 80's and
real-estate, as
>well as Occidental Petroleum prior to the Libyan deal and most major
US
>RR's prior to WW1. Bank failures, etc....
>
>The one plus of government ownership as I see it is that most
governments
>with privatization are democratic in nature or socialistic. This
means
>that voting is the main egress of change. Unfortunately it is also
the
>governments millstone around the neck. Families control precincts,
which
>control wards, which control states which send people to the national
>areas. Jobs come from all these areas, and the circle goes on and on.
>All capitalistic societies do not rotate on Adam Smith or Maynard
Keynes
>(spelling)
>
>Don in WV
>
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Dual braked carriage
Date: 07 Sep 1998 06:22:46 -0500
Hi Gang !
I have heard about dual brake locos (having air as well as vaccum
brakes) but for the first time I saw a air conditioned sleeper coach
with dual brakes. The coach was 'stabled' in the VIP siding of Pune Jn.
and belonged to the military. The Northern Railway coach bore the
insignia of the joint army/navy air force and had the marking ML - ACCW
1002 - X. It had the twin hoses for the air braked set as well as a
single vaccum hose. I wonder how the brake cylinders and the linkages
are ?
Apurva Bahadur
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Attn: Timetable seekers
Date: 07 Sep 1998 06:24:50 -0500
Hi Gang,
I have just been to the Pune station to check out the timetables. The
Mumbai suburban (Rs. 3 each) and the South Central timetables (Rs. 15
each) are on the stands. I will be buying about 10 each of all the
types ( TAAG, CR, WR, South Central, Mumbai Suburban as well ) which may
take a 2 weeks more. The disproportionately major cost of the project is
postage, or
courier. I would give you all a person's address in USA to whom you pay
in US $ and the amount in Rs. will be given to me in Pune. This seems to
be good and clean method of transacting. Will keep you all informed.
Apurva Bahadur
From: Krishna kant Goyal <>
Subject:
Date: 07 Sep 1998 13:18:48 -0500
dear sir,
i am an IRAS probationer of 1995 exam batch and
undergoing training at NIFM faridabad and want to be member of indian
railway fan club.please inform.
K.K. Goyal
e-mail kkgyl2hotmail.com
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at <A HREF="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</A>
From: Auroprem Kandaswami <>
Subject: Direct Mysore-Mumbai train soon: Naik
Date: 07 Sep 1998 13:35:47 -0500
The Hindu
Date: 08 September 1998
K.R.NAGAR (Mysore dt.)
There will be a direct train between Mysore and Mumbai soon,
according to the Minister of State for Railways, Mr. Ram Naik.
He was addressing a gathering on Monday after inaugurating the new
railway station building as part of material modification of the
Mysore-Hassan gauge conversion project for a new alignment at a
cost
of
Rs. 17.5 crores.
There had been a consistent demand from the people to have a direct
train between Mysore to Mumbai via Krishnarajanagar and Arsikere.
However, the proposal in this regard, which was before the
Government
is expected to be sanctioned now in the light of Mr. Naik's
assurance
of starting the new train service soon.
The Minister, who spoke briefly as he was behind schedule, promised
to
look into the other demands of Karnataka favourably.
Mr. Naik called upon railway employees to improve the efficiency of
the
railways. Safety and punctuality should be the priority of the
staff,
he said. Good maintenance of track was essential to avoid
accidents,
the Minister added.
Mr. Ram Naik defended the increase in passenger tariff, which he
said
was not high. The ability of the common people to pay had been
taken
care of while taking the decision. The Government had not increased
freight charges. He said the Government could expedite development
projects if sufficient funds were available with it. The delay in
several projects was only due to the lack of funds, yet the
Ministry
was trying to complete the ongoing projects as early as possible.
He appealed to people against encroaching upon railway land and
asked
the MPs and officials concerned to take steps against encroachment
of
railway land.
He said with the opening of the new railway station (in fact, the
station was shifted from its old location about three km from the
town
to a new premises less than one km from the town), the access to
national and international markets for tobacco growers of the
region
had been made easier. He said there was tremendous potential for
floriculture and horticulture products in the international market.
He requested the Railway Minister to start work on the proposed
Mysore-Satyamangala broad gauge project besides introducing more
trains
for Bangalore City.
Mr. Vijayshankar, MP, submitted a memorandum to Mr. Naik requesting
the
Railway Ministry for a double line between Mysore and Bangalore,
gauge
conversion between Mysore and Chamarajanagar and a new line between
Mysore and Madikeri.
Mr. N. Krithivasan, General Manager, Southern Railway, welcomed the
gathering. The BJP MLAs, Mr. Marutirao Pawar, Mr. A. Ramdas, Mr.
Madhusudhan MLC, the Divisional Railway Manager, Mysore, Mr.
Subramaniyan, and the Chief Engineer, Construction, Southern
Railway,
Mr. Md. Farooq, were present.
***
From: Auroprem Kandaswami <>
Subject: Calcutta chalo (Let us go to Calcutta)
Date: 07 Sep 1998 13:46:40 -0500
Southern Railway will run special trains from Madras to
Calcutta (Howrah) as well as Vishakapatnam on account of the
rush for Durga Puja.
The Howrah special will leave Madras Central on Wednesdays and
Sundays between September 27 and November 1 at 1030 hours and
arrive in Howrah at 1715 hours the following day.
In the reverse direction the Howrah special will leave Howrah on
Mondays and Fridays between September 25 and October 30 at 1510
hours and arrive in Madras Central at 1900 hours the following day.
The Vishakapatnam special will leave Vishakapatnam on Tuesdays
between September 29 and October 20 at 1540 hours and arrive in
Howrah at 0610 hours the following day.
In the reverse direction the Vishakapatnam special will leave
Howrah on Tuesdays between September 28 and October 19 at 2000
hours and arrive in Vishakapatnam at 0610 hours the following day.
***
From: Shanku Niyogi <>
Subject: Re: Calcutta chalo (Let us go to Calcutta)
Date: 07 Sep 1998 14:53:36 -0500
Ah, the infamous Puja Specials. I remember riding one of those in my
childhood, from Howrah to Dehra Dun - it took us about 60 hours to get
as
far as Haridwar, where we were told that since not enough people were
travelling on to Dehra Dun, the journey would end there (there had been
some
business about joining part of the rake to a train to Dehra Dun, but
that
train had left over half a day earlier). We spent the night at the
station,
and arrived in Dehra Dun on the next morning's Howrah Doon Express, as
if we
had left Howrah a full day and a half later.
The best memory from that trip - sitting at a halt for over 45 minutes,
after which the train began travelling backward, which it did for a good
ten
minutes! One of the passengers commented that the train was so slow, it
had
begun losing ground it had already gained.
-----Original Message-----
From: Auroprem Kandaswami [mailto:kandaswa@apple.email
Sent: Monday, September 07, 1998 1:47 PM
To: irfca
Subject: Calcutta chalo (Let us go to Calcutta)
Southern Railway will run special trains from Madras to
Calcutta (Howrah) as well as Vishakapatnam on account of the
rush for Durga Puja.
The Howrah special will leave Madras Central on Wednesdays and
Sundays between September 27 and November 1 at 1030 hours and
arrive in Howrah at 1715 hours the following day.
In the reverse direction the Howrah special will leave Howrah on
Mondays and Fridays between September 25 and October 30 at 1510
hours and arrive in Madras Central at 1900 hours the following day.
The Vishakapatnam special will leave Vishakapatnam on Tuesdays
between September 29 and October 20 at 1540 hours and arrive in
Howrah at 0610 hours the following day.
In the reverse direction the Vishakapatnam special will leave
Howrah on Tuesdays between September 28 and October 19 at 2000
hours and arrive in Vishakapatnam at 0610 hours the following day.
***
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <>
Subject: Suggestions to avert rail mishaps ignored
Date: 07 Sep 1998 21:52:32 -0500
I saw this in Hindustan Times of 7th September, 1998.
-dheeraj
-------------
September 7,1998
New Delhi
Suggestions to avert rail mishaps ignored
NEW DELHI, Sept. 6 (From S.S. Banyal)
Even when people are being killed every other day in train
accidents, the Railway authorities particularly the
Lucknow-based RDSO, has not come out with any foolproof
system to avert accidents at the unmanned level crossings.
The Railway Ministry is also averse to any suggestions
offered by the public because whenever such suggestions
were given in the past, they were simply rejected without
examining the efficacy of the devices so suggested by
various people. In one instance, a person has been offering
suggestions since 1967 how to avert accidents at the unmanned
railway crossings, but the Railway Ministry has turned down
his suggestions without even giving a moment's thought to them.
After all his suggestions could have been referred to the RDSO
to examine their feasibility but even that has not been done.
Mr Greh Pal Singh Ahluwalia, an engineer, knocks at the doors
of 'The Hindustan Times' every time there is a train accident
and people are killed. He was once again in the HT to express
his great anguish, both at the death of innocent railway
passengers and the callousness with which the Railways acts on
the safety of the passengers. Some of his suggestions, he avers
would have averted accidents at the unmanned railway crossings.
One of the suggestions turned down by the Railway Ministry
without assigning any reason is a system he had devised
giving details. He says this device, with the help of a photo
electric cell, may be installed on the side of an engine at a
suitable place. A small strip may be fixed at about 2 km from
the level crossing. Once the engine is about 2 km from the
level crossing, this strip would set off an automatic alarm.
This system according to Mr Ahluwalia, would cost only Rs 5,000
and could be installed at every level crossing. Installation of
this system, he claims, would help the Railways save crores of
rupees being spent over manning the unmanned level crossings.
Mr Ahluwalia lamented that he had been constantly sending
suggestions to every Railway Minister, but the Railways seem to
follow the motto of not accepting suggestions from individuals.
He said that several drivers don't give whistling signals while
approaching the unmanned level crossings. A very simple system
working on the principle of photo cell which may energise the
system of automatic siren, whistling etc. near the unmanned or
manned level crossings can be very useful. This system will
operate when circuit of the photo cell would be interrupted,
with the help of a small hook, without touching any part of
the engine, installed at the suitable place near the level
crossing. The cost of this system would be about Rs 2,000 only.
He says flash lights in the brake van of all the trains
should be installed so that the train becomes visible from a
distance even when there is fog. This would certainly avert
accidents. Tracks which pass through the villages should be
properly fenced to stop animals from sauntering over the
level crossings. Thousands of lives would have been saved if
the Railways had accepted his suggestion, Mr Ahluwalia feels.
As a matter of fact Mr Ahluwalia in his late 60s is totally
obsessed about averting train accidents and in his own small
way, has come up with a host of suggestions. Unfortunately for
him, none of his several letters addressed to the Ministry of
Railways and Chairman of Railway Board have been acknowledged.
<A HREF="http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/070998/detNAT06.htm">http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/070998/detNAT06.htm</A>
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <>
Subject: double decker coaches.
Date: 07 Sep 1998 21:53:08 -0500
What trains have double-decker rakes these days ?
-dheeraj
--------------
Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi (0512) 59-7077/7638
(Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering (0512) 59-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology (0512) 59-0725/0413
(Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
From: poras p.saklatwalla <>
Subject: Re: double decker coaches.
Date: 07 Sep 1998 22:15:12 -0500
On Tue, 8 Sep 1998, Dheeraj Sanghi wrote:
>
> What trains have double-decker rakes these days ?
>
> -dheeraj
> --------------
> Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi (0512) 59-7077/7638
(Off)
> Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering (0512) 59-8627
(Res)
> Indian Institute of Technology (0512)
59-0725/0413 (Fax)
> Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
>
PORAS P.SAKLATWALLA
TEL :5773535/3636
EXT :4226/4232/4237
Only 9021 dn flying ranee running between Surat and Mumbai Central
Other train I know of is Pune Daund Passenger on CR.
From: Steven Brown <>
Subject: Re: IRFCA Websites
Date: 07 Sep 1998 22:25:36 -0500
A hopefully complete set of links to all the IRFCA members websites is
available at <A HREF="http://www.trainweb.com/indiarail/irfca.htm">http://www.trainweb.com/indiarail/irfca.htm</A> . If I have
left
anyone out I certainly want to hear about it .
Also I have restructured my Homepage to be less cluttered and hopefully
allow me to add some new content soon. Since there is some Javascript
in
the page older versions of netscape and IE will not see some none
essential
parts of the page. But if there are any problems I would like to hear
about
it. <A HREF="http://www.trainweb.com/indiarail">http://www.trainweb.com/indiarail</A>
Regards
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: Siddhartha Joshi <siddha@cyberspace.email
To: Indian Railways Info Zone <irfca@cs.email
Date: Sunday, September 06, 1998 10:22 AM
>
>
>A message for all of you railfanners. I have begun work on the IRFC faq
>site and I need you to do the following :
>
>1) Please send in the URL's of your IR websites.
>
>2) Send in the URL's of sites that might be of interest to the average
>rail fan.
>
>Siddhartha.
>
>
>