IRFCA Mailing List Archive


Messages 5501 - 5520

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Bangabandhu bridge

Date: 06 Mar 1999 23:03:47 -0500



I have emailed the person in the website listed below with an invitation
to join the
IRFCA and contribute with sites about the Bangladesh Railways. That was
a few days
ago, I am yet to hear from him/ her ....

Apurva


Jishnu Mukerji wrote:

> Shanku Niyogi wrote:
> >
> > My brother-in-law works for a Calcutta newspaper, I'll have to ask
him to
> > check into the details. In the meantime, you can look at more info
on the
> > Bangabandhu bridge at <A HREF="http://www.citechco.net/jmba/jbhome.html">http://www.citechco.net/jmba/jbhome.html</A>.
>
> Neat stuff. Quite impressive - almost 5 Km in total length!
>
> > The bridge is at Sirajganj, connecting it with Bhuapur on the east.
The
> > Sirajganj-Rajshahi link is not a new one, just an expansion of the
> > broad-gauge corridor through Ishurdi.
>
> Yes, I figured that would be the logical thing.
>
> > On the east side, 90km of mixed-gauge
> > track is being built from Bhuapur to Joydevpur (through Tangail), by
a
> > Korean company. At the same time, broad gauge line on the west side
has been
> > converted to dual gauge (to Parbatipur), so it is still not clear
who will
> > "win out".
> >
> > Other work underway includes doubling the line from Tangail to
Bhairab
> > Bazar. I'm not sure about Dhaka to Chittagong, although this seems
> > essential.
>
> Well, for the purposes of carrying Goods from Chittagong to India in
the
> West in general and Calcutta in particular it would probably be better
> to avoid the congestion around Dhaka. The fact that they are expanding
> capacity on Tangail - Bhairab bazar would suggest that they probably
> want to go Tangail - Bhairab Bazar - Brahmanberia - Comilla - Laksham
-
> Chittagong.
>
> > I don't know how much of this work has actually been completed.
Presumably a
> > Calcutta-Dhaka rail link would be something along the lines of
> >
Sealdah-Petrapol/Benapol-Jessore-Kushtia-Ishurdi-Sirajganj-Tangail-Joyde
vpur
> > -Dhaka...long, but useful.
>
> So they are not planning to open Gede - Darshana? Calcutta - Gede -
> Darshana - Kushtia - Ishurdi would be a considerably shorter than
> Calcutta - Benapole/Petrapole - Jessore - Kushtia - Ishurdi. The
> pre-partition Darjeeling Mail used to travel that shorter route, and
> then onto Haldibari - Siliguri.
>
> BTW, any news on where BR is planning to acquire new rolling stock
from
> for these new lines?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jishnu.

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Re: wierd extension

Date: 06 Mar 1999 23:29:04 -0500




Vijay Balasubramanian wrote:

> > Run of the following trains to be extended :-
>
> > 2407/2408 Nizamuddin - Nagpur Gondwana Express on 2 days a week to
> Bhusaval
>

I agree with you totally about this unnecessary extension. There are
lots of trains
towards NDLS/NZM from Bhusawal as well as from Nagpur. So this will
really serve only
the passengers west of Wardha. A better solution would have been slip
coaches hauled
by a passenger train and attached to a suitable mail/ express from BSL /
NGP.
Passengers from Kolhapur towards NDLS till recently used 1 or 2 slip
coaches which
used to come to Pune by 7308 Up Koyna (1605 Hrs) and then get attached
to the 1077 Dn.
Jhelum Express (1735 Hrs). On the way back the coaches would arrive at
Pune by 1078
Up. which arrived at 1540. They would be attached to 7303 Dn. Sahyandri
Express. If
case a train got late, they coaches would wait in a siding until the
next convenient
train (maybe the next day !). However the IR did not pull the 2779/2780
Goa express
from Miraj to Kolhapur so as to allow KOP passengers to get to NDSL/NZM.
The same
restrain is expected from the IR for the passengers from Akola, Badnera
etc. But a
slip coach system must start first.
The Gondwana runs 4 days a week, does the new change mean that 4 days
the train goes
to NGP and the other 2 days it goes to BSL ? Thus now it runs 6 days in
a week ?

> A weird extension!! The only purpose of this extension is to provide
a
> direct connection between Delhi and stations on the Wardha-Bhusaval
> section such as Badnera and Akola. Bhusaval-Wardha-Nagpur-Itarsi is
> about 380 kms. longer than Bhusaval-Khandwa-Itarsi. This train will
> take 6.5 - 7 hrs. MORE between Bhusaval and Itarsi than regular
express
> trains via Khandwa. Do Akola and Badnera have political connections?
> Even the superdeluxe has fallen prey to these stations.

From: Joydeep Dutta <>

Subject: Slowest train in the world

Date: 07 Mar 1999 06:11:02 -0500


There has been recently lot of mails on slow train. Just see this one.
The meter gauge shuttle between newjalpaiguri and siligurijn is booked
to run at 8km /h on account of the poor condition of the track. Any
competitors
joydeep

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From: FyffesFL <>

Subject: Re: DHR Motive power

Date: 07 Mar 1999 07:19:05 -0500


So, garrats were unsuccessful - I would question their ability to keep
steamtight when there is sharp vertical as well as horizontal curves

In latin america there was a different type of articulated, the
Kitson-Meyer,
which did very well on narrow gauges in mountain terrain - one still
survives
in the UK, I belive on the 76cm Welshpool and Llanfair - " Monarch " by
Bagnalls - perhaps all DHR steam planning should be based on this type -
could
use two " B " wheelsets UNDER the boiler, same power in less length.

Question re freight service - do Indian businesses use ISO pallets
measuring
120cm by 100cm ??

Any comments, Gentlemen ?

Richard Yudin

From: Donald L. Mills, Jr <>

Subject: Re: Life on the 10:11 Slow from Bandra

Date: 07 Mar 1999 13:57:14 -0500


I read the emails on the India Rail Fan page religiously. I dearly
loved
yours because it is what railroading is supposed to be about. As grand
and great as the railroads are they could not exist without the people
who
run them and ride them. It is those people that I love to hear about.
Once again thanks.



----------
> From: Pushkar Apte <pushkar_apte@hotmail.email
> To: irfca@cs.email
> Cc: pushkar_apte@hotmail.email
> Subject: Life on the 10:11 Slow from Bandra
> Date: Saturday, March 06, 1999 6:38 PM
>
>
> Check out
> <A HREF="http://www.timesofindia.com/070399/07mbom3.htm">http://www.timesofindia.com/070399/07mbom3.htm</A>
>
> or read the poorly wrapped around text version below.
> fun stuff, IMO.
> -Pushkar
>
>
> Sumo and samosas lift spirits of fellow
> travellers on the 10:11 Slow
>
> By Shabnam Minwalla
>
> MUMBAI: As the train crawls into Bandra station, the
> newcomer
> leaps into the first-class compartment, navigates an
> elaborate
> obstacle course and dives into a comfy corner seat.
Even
> before
> he can indulge in a little gloat, however, he finds
> himself assaulted
> by bony elbows, hefty buttocks and ear-splitting yells.
>
> Instead of settling down to a sensible snooze, his
> neighbours
> seem intent on fitting five portly businessmen into a
> space too
> narrow for a jam bottle. ``Sit Kathrani, sit. Call
Willy
> also. Where
> is Cyrus?'' is the insistent chorus. ``Come, come, we
> will adjust.''
>
> Finally, the intricate ``adjustments'' are completed.
> But, instead of
> a civilised silence, they are followed in quick
> succession by a
> particularly unmelodious version of `Happy Birthday',
> samosas,
> mithai and Frootis. ``You have to eat,'' the cringing
> first-timer is
> urged. ``Today, you are our family member. You must
enjoy
> yourself like the rest of us.''
>
> Clearly, the samosa-chomping crowd is having a ball.
For,
> while
> these are respectable lawyers, architects and
businessmen
> at any
> other time of the day, in the 30 minutes it takes to
get
> from
> Bandra to Churchgate they are merely madcap members of
> the
> `10:11 Group'.
>
> ``During this half hour, I forget my worries,'' says
> Ashwin Dalal, a
> dealer in scientific items. Concurs businessman Willy
> D'Mello, ``I
> am always amazed at how quickly the time passes.''
>
> The `10:11 Group' comprises about 20 regulars who sit
> together
> in the First Class compartment of the 10:11 Bandra
local.
> But
> while almost every suburban train has its
`train-friends'
> -- a
> concept as typically Mumbai as `super-super-built-up'
--
> the
> `10:11 Group' is among the most organised.
>
> So, for example, an energetic `Bolo siyavar Ram Chandra

> ki jai'
> marks the beginning of every journey, while Wednesdays
> and
> Fridays are earmarked for parties to celebrate
birthdays,
> anniversaries or, say, the purchase of a new car. And
all
> gifts are
> accompanied by a computerised card which states, `With
> blessings from 10:11'.
>
> None of the members are, however, very clear about
> exactly
> how the group was born. ``When you see the same faces
> every
> day, you start saying `hello','' says N.K. Shah, an
> automobile
> spare-parts dealer who has done the ride for 30 years.
> Concurs
> T.L. Jaiswal, who has a surgical equipment business,
> ``For many
> years, we were ordinary train friends and spent time in

> chit-chat
> and cutting jokes.''
>
> About a decade ago, however, a regular commuter
organised
> a
> party at his place -- and during that high-spirited
> evening, the
> `10:11 Group' was baptised. ``By the time I started
> travelling in
> 1992, it was in full swing,'' recalls advocate Prakash
> Khemani,
> whose wife is the only woman in the group. ``I would
> smile at
> their jokes. And before I knew it, I was a member. What
I
> really
> like is that we are all so different.''
>
> Indeed, from the 82-year-old Dalpat Khubchandani to the

> young
> Khemani `dulha-dulhan', from the very `propah' Phiroze
> Damania
> to the rollicking Suresh `Sumo' Khatrani, everybody
seems
> equally at home. ``We have grown very close,'' says Mr
> Khubchandani, adding that even the families meet on
> occasion.
> Concurs Mr D'Mello, ``We are a mini-India.''
>
> Minus the tensions and conflicts. ``A strict code
> operates,''
> explains Mr Jaiswal. ``No talk about your family. No
> sharebaazi.
> And no politics. We don't want clashes.'' Adds Mr
> Khemani, ``I
> am sorry to say that other train groups talk politics
and
> hurt
> feelings. Such discussions inevitably end in heated
> arguments.''
>
> If not the great Indian obsession, what on earth does
the
> `10:11
> Group' discuss? ``We pick up the latest issue,'' says
Mr
> Jaiswal.
> ``We were very interested in the Bobbitt case. And when

> Viagra
> came into the market, we discussed it for months.''
>
> Of course, the group has its time-tested jokes. So when

> Mr
> Jaiswal is introduced as the chairman, his friends
chant
> `Chor-man, chor-man'. When the hefty `Sumo' Khatrani
> stumbles, his neighbours beseech, ``Don't make chapati
> out of
> us.'' And when one member identifies himself as Rohit
> Muchala,
> the chorus is almost inevitable -- ``But where is your
> mooch?''
>
> ``There are always problems at home and when we reach
> office,
> there is another set of tensions. But during our
journey,
> we just
> enjoy ourselves,'' says businessman Khatrani. Adds Mr
> Jaiswal,
> ``We are a natural Laughter Club.''
>
> So great is the bonding that members make it a point to

> attend
> celebrations. During court holidays, for example, the
> advocates
> board the train, attend the party, alight midway and
> return to
> Bandra.
>
> While the group itself thrives on witticisms and
> wisecracks,
> however, the other passengers don't seem equally
pleased.
> Boisterous laughter is met with frowns and snide
remarks
> about
> ``noise pollution''. But the group is unfazed. ``We
hope
> that more
> and more people will join us,'' says Mr Khemani. ``All
> are
> welcome.''
>
> In fact, as the journey draws to an end, Mr Jaiswal
turns
> to the
> shrinking first-timer and says with a courtly bow,
> ``Gentleman,
> we hope you will join us again.'' The bemused look on
the
> stranger's face as he scuttles off, however, indicates
> that this is
> one invitation that he is unlikely to accept with
> alacrity.
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at <A HREF="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</A>

From: Jayant S <>

Subject: Re: DHR Motive power

Date: 07 Mar 1999 18:58:20 -0500



> In latin america there was a different type of articulated, the
Kitson-Meyer,
> which did very well on narrow gauges in mountain terrain ...

Just a minute. I remember vaguely that the
Matheran line did use Kitson-Meyers: is that correct ?
If so, they would have been on the 2ft gauge.

--
Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
TEL 91(20)702534 : FAX 91(20)773191
--

From: Anne Ogborn <>

Subject: WCAM model

Date: 07 Mar 1999 20:31:14 -0500


I attended an auction of model RR "stuff" here today, and picked up
a Roco model 181 German electric.

I am uncertain how to tell an AC from a DC loco (something about
insulator size?), so I don't know if this is AC or DC

Anyway, I think it's this model:

<A HREF="http://www.roco.com/r43690.html">http://www.roco.com/r43690.html</A>

I'd like to convert it to some Indian prototype. I'm hoping someone
on this list can suggest a suitable model of locomotive.

The electrical compartment has windows on one side which have
curved glass - they extend up the top of the sidewall and turn
onto the roof. On the other side this are ahs the silver louver
shown in the picture.

Annie

From: Jayant S <>

Subject: Re: WCAM model

Date: 07 Mar 1999 21:04:45 -0500


Anne Ogborn wrote:
> I'd like to convert it to some Indian prototype. I'm hoping someone
> on this list can suggest a suitable model of locomotive.

Seems to have been a dual-voltage loco. If I find more
on this I'll pass it on.

Seeing that it is a Bo-Bo: I think you're better off
trying to make a WAG1 or a WAM1 out of it, and it
will still need considerable body rebuilding. Adding
another axle to each truck to turn it into a Co-Co
will probably be prohibitive.


--
Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
TEL 91(20)702534 : FAX 91(20)773191
--

From: Harsh Vardhan <>

Subject: Re:

Date: 07 Mar 1999 21:14:51 -0500


Dear John,
 
Thanks for the info. I initially thought that you were talking about an Indian Garratt preserved outside the country. Nevertheless it is nice to hear about this one as well.
 
Regards,
 
Harsh

-----Original Message-----
From: John Brant < johnbrant@ukgateway.email <mailto:johnbrant@ukgateway.email
To: Harsh Vardhan < hvc@vsnl.email <mailto:hvc@vsnl.email Indian Railway Fan Club Association < irfca@cs.email <mailto:irfca@cs.email
Date: Sunday, March 07, 1999 10:46 AM
Subject: Re:


Hello Harsh,
Thanks for your info on the Garretts.
Here are some details of the unit I mentioned.
 
Type:             GMAM
Built:              1955  by North British Loco
                     Queens Park Works.Glasgow.
                      (under Lic from Bayer Peacock)
for                  South African RAilways.
 
Regards  John Brant.
 

From: Harsh Vardhan <>

Subject: Re: Slowest train in the world

Date: 07 Mar 1999 22:25:27 -0500


Disqualified again for the small distance it covers.

Harsh

P.S. See the earlier mails on this subject


-----Original Message-----
From: Joydeep Dutta <joydeepdutta@hotmail.email
To: irfca@cs.email <irfca@cs.email
Date: Monday, March 08, 1999 6:12 AM
Subject: Slowest train in the world


>There has been recently lot of mails on slow train. Just see this one.
>The meter gauge shuttle between newjalpaiguri and siligurijn is booked
>to run at 8km /h on account of the poor condition of the track. Any
>competitors
>joydeep
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at <A HREF="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</A>
>

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Re: DHR Motive power

Date: 07 Mar 1999 22:51:46 -0500




Jayant S wrote:

> > In latin america there was a different type of articulated, the
Kitson-Meyer,
> > which did very well on narrow gauges in mountain terrain ...
>
> Just a minute. I remember vaguely that the
> Matheran line did use Kitson-Meyers: is that correct ?
> If so, they would have been on the 2ft gauge.

Orentstein and Koppel ?. I have a few pics of those locos which would be
uploaded
very soon.

>
>
> --
> Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
> Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
> TEL 91(20)702534 : FAX 91(20)773191
> --

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: How to driver a locomotive

Date: 08 Mar 1999 00:32:22 -0500


Check out this site, looks promising from the title.
<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/9549/index.html">http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/9549/index.html</A>

Apurva

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Re: WCAM model

Date: 08 Mar 1999 01:15:30 -0500


There was another obscure Indian Loco the WDM 3 which was a
Diesel
Hydrualic from Henschell. Larry Russell has kindly sent a very
rare (the only one
I have seen) picture of this loco in the Indian Railway
livery. As a
diesel fan I could recommend that loco, which is a BOBO, could
go well
with your WDM 2 model. I could forward this pic by email to
Anne if she
so desires, let me know ...

Apurva

Jayant S wrote:

> Anne Ogborn wrote:
> > I'd like to convert it to some Indian prototype. I'm hoping someone
> > on this list can suggest a suitable model of locomotive.
>
> Seems to have been a dual-voltage loco. If I find more
> on this I'll pass it on.
>
> Seeing that it is a Bo-Bo: I think you're better off
> trying to make a WAG1 or a WAM1 out of it, and it
> will still need considerable body rebuilding. Adding
> another axle to each truck to turn it into a Co-Co
> will probably be prohibitive.
>
> --
> Jayant S : ID Studio : Tata Technologies India Limited
> Telco Premises : Pimpri : PUNE : 411 018 : INDIA
> TEL 91(20)702534 : FAX 91(20)773191
> --

From: Apurva Bahadur <>

Subject: Golando - Landi Kotal Express

Date: 08 Mar 1999 01:24:10 -0500


My father (73 years old) remembers that in his childhood in
Moradabad U.P. he regularly saw trains with boards like
"Golando Ghat - Landi Kotal". This train he insists was called
'Punjab Mail' . Was this the forerunner of Toofan Mail -
today's Toofan Udhyan Abha Express (I just love this name -
Shri Ganga Nagar to HWH)?
Which is the longest running train on the IR, is it Toofan
Express, Frontier mail or Punjab Mail (2137/38) or something
else altogether ? Is is the Deccan Queen ?

Apurva

From: Krishnan Anand <>

Subject: Re: Trainspotting

Date: 08 Mar 1999 01:45:42 -0500


Hi all,
Talking about livery, SR still follows a regular livery pattern
for two of its important routes. One is the Madras Tirupathi Express and

Sapthagiri express which has the dark yellow and green combi. The other
one is the Nilgiri Exp which is dark blue with 2 strips of yellow band
above and below the window. Both trains have been alloted new rakes
sometime in the third quarter of '98. Brindavan and Lalbagh Expresses
had maroon and cream combination untill last year. But then the rake
formation changed later on.

Kind regards,
Anand.K


----Original Message Follows----
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 18:53:25 +0400
From: Shankar <shankie@emirates.email
Subject: Re: Trainspotting
To: Shanku Niyogi <shankun@microsoft.email
Cc: irfca@cs.email
Reply-to: shankie@emirates.email

Hello,
The GT livery is more likely to have been not cream and green, but a
bright yellow and green.This has been the SR's favorite livery for over
a decade now, and several of their choice trains have been given tis
color scheme: Jayanti Janata (later Mangala Express) from MAQ-NDLS,
the Vaigai (initially, changed several times after that),
Tirupati-Madras push pull express, one of the Mysore expresses from BLR,
and so on and so forth.
I've seen a similar livery in a German book of one of their old
trains,where this livery has been referred to as the 'spinach and egg'
livery!
Incidetally, although cream is the most common color combo with most
dark colors on the IR, this same bright yellow has been used with other
colors as well:
bright yellow/scarlet red: Gitanjali (first few years of its
introduction:now its drab old maroon)
bright yellow/maroon: favorite NR combo: notable: NDLS-ASR Flying Mail
bright yellow/shocking pink: Pink City Express (initially, now its a
drab maroon again) etc etc.
At NDLS, you can see all sorts of livery:
light blue/white, maroon with a turquoise band at the
windows,orange/cream (Toofan and Navjivan had that livery once),navy
with blood red at the windows, etc.etc. WOnder which trains they all
come from.
Two of the earlier IR favorites do not exist any more.
One is fully deep bottle green with a cream ribbon just above the
windows: a host of trains carried them: Koyna, Mahalakshmi,Sahyadri,
TVC-Madras Mail (mg), Brindavan, etc. Now I don't think that livery
exists any more.
Another was oxford blue with a cream ribbon above the windows. Two of
the notable trains were (1970s): Secunderabad-Bombay Express and Niliri
Express. I don't think this livery exists either.
Coming to think of it,barring th estandard maroon, I don't think any
other color in applied in full: there is always a light contrast to go
with any dark color nowadays.
CR was once standardizing on DQ type blue-cream, but dropped it later.I
think rather that cream above the windows, the present Shatabdi type
cream above the waist livery looks far better.
The only variation of maroon I've seen so far is deep chocolate. IT was
a verypleasant combo when used in combination with cream. The Frontier
had it, so also one of the expresses originating from NAgpur.
OOps..sorry, I got carried away!
Best regards,
Shankar.




Shanku Niyogi wrote:
>
> The GT coaches I saw and filmed were a bicolour of cream and green,
and one
> had "Grand Trunk Express" written in fancy letters on the side. The
other
> rake I filmed was not in Swarnajayanti colours - it had a similar
bicolour
> white and blue, but with a saffron-white-green tricolour stripe
running
> across the top of the rake from one side, then down diagonally towards

the
> bottom, and then across the bottom to the other side.
>
> Shanku
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vijay Balasubramanian [mailto:VBalasubramanian@Softrax.email
> Sent: Monday, March 01, 1999 10:54 AM
> To: Shanku Niyogi; 'irfca@cs.email
> Subject: RE: Trainspotting
>
> >
> >Took shots of a couple of interesting rakes, including the GT and
some sort
> >of 50th anniversary rake that had trims in flag colours - can anyone
> >identify this one?
> >
> >
> >Has the GT re-acquired a distinctive livery? If so, I would love to
see
> your
> >picture. Do all the swarnajayanti trains (except the ADI Raj) have
> tri-color
> >rakes - saffron, white and green?
> >
> >Vijay



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at <A HREF="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</A>

From: Krishnan Anand <>

Subject: Re: Trainspotting

Date: 08 Mar 1999 01:45:42 -0500


Hi all,
Talking about livery, SR still follows a regular livery pattern
for two of its important routes. One is the Madras Tirupathi Express and

Sapthagiri express which has the dark yellow and green combi. The other
one is the Nilgiri Exp which is dark blue with 2 strips of yellow band
above and below the window. Both trains have been alloted new rakes
sometime in the third quarter of '98. Brindavan and Lalbagh Expresses
had maroon and cream combination untill last year. But then the rake
formation changed later on.

Kind regards,
Anand.K


----Original Message Follows----
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 18:53:25 +0400
From: Shankar <shankie@emirates.email
Subject: Re: Trainspotting
To: Shanku Niyogi <shankun@microsoft.email
Cc: irfca@cs.email
Reply-to: shankie@emirates.email

Hello,
The GT livery is more likely to have been not cream and green, but a
bright yellow and green.This has been the SR's favorite livery for over
a decade now, and several of their choice trains have been given tis
color scheme: Jayanti Janata (later Mangala Express) from MAQ-NDLS,
the Vaigai (initially, changed several times after that),
Tirupati-Madras push pull express, one of the Mysore expresses from BLR,
and so on and so forth.
I've seen a similar livery in a German book of one of their old
trains,where this livery has been referred to as the 'spinach and egg'
livery!
Incidetally, although cream is the most common color combo with most
dark colors on the IR, this same bright yellow has been used with other
colors as well:
bright yellow/scarlet red: Gitanjali (first few years of its
introduction:now its drab old maroon)
bright yellow/maroon: favorite NR combo: notable: NDLS-ASR Flying Mail
bright yellow/shocking pink: Pink City Express (initially, now its a
drab maroon again) etc etc.
At NDLS, you can see all sorts of livery:
light blue/white, maroon with a turquoise band at the
windows,orange/cream (Toofan and Navjivan had that livery once),navy
with blood red at the windows, etc.etc. WOnder which trains they all
come from.
Two of the earlier IR favorites do not exist any more.
One is fully deep bottle green with a cream ribbon just above the
windows: a host of trains carried them: Koyna, Mahalakshmi,Sahyadri,
TVC-Madras Mail (mg), Brindavan, etc. Now I don't think that livery
exists any more.
Another was oxford blue with a cream ribbon above the windows. Two of
the notable trains were (1970s): Secunderabad-Bombay Express and Niliri
Express. I don't think this livery exists either.
Coming to think of it,barring th estandard maroon, I don't think any
other color in applied in full: there is always a light contrast to go
with any dark color nowadays.
CR was once standardizing on DQ type blue-cream, but dropped it later.I
think rather that cream above the windows, the present Shatabdi type
cream above the waist livery looks far better.
The only variation of maroon I've seen so far is deep chocolate. IT was
a verypleasant combo when used in combination with cream. The Frontier
had it, so also one of the expresses originating from NAgpur.
OOps..sorry, I got carried away!
Best regards,
Shankar.




Shanku Niyogi wrote:
>
> The GT coaches I saw and filmed were a bicolour of cream and green,
and one
> had "Grand Trunk Express" written in fancy letters on the side. The
other
> rake I filmed was not in Swarnajayanti colours - it had a similar
bicolour
> white and blue, but with a saffron-white-green tricolour stripe
running
> across the top of the rake from one side, then down diagonally towards

the
> bottom, and then across the bottom to the other side.
>
> Shanku
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vijay Balasubramanian [mailto:VBalasubramanian@Softrax.email
> Sent: Monday, March 01, 1999 10:54 AM
> To: Shanku Niyogi; 'irfca@cs.email
> Subject: RE: Trainspotting
>
> >
> >Took shots of a couple of interesting rakes, including the GT and
some sort
> >of 50th anniversary rake that had trims in flag colours - can anyone
> >identify this one?
> >
> >
> >Has the GT re-acquired a distinctive livery? If so, I would love to
see
> your
> >picture. Do all the swarnajayanti trains (except the ADI Raj) have
> tri-color
> >rakes - saffron, white and green?
> >
> >Vijay



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From: Krishnan Anand <>

Subject: Trainspotting - Latest Version

Date: 08 Mar 1999 03:03:28 -0500


Hi all,
Some trainspotting done during my trip to Chennai over the last
2-3 days. There is something very very unusual that i wanted to share
with you all. I saw a WDS-6 Jumb shunter like the one in one of our loco

archives. It was freshly painted and was just glimmering under the
bright sun-shine on Friday morning. It was a good colour combi. It had
atleast 4 colours on it and the most conspicuous was bright yellow. What

was most surprising was that it had on it "Durgapur Steel Plant" written

on the side of it, spanning the whole length, from the cabin till the
end of the long hood. Wonder what this loco had to do at Chennai goods
yard.
Another very interesting scene was a pair of Golden Rock WDM2s waiting
for clearance near the ennore thermal power plant. Its very rare to
sight a WDM near Chennai Central side. Of course now that the south
bound trains to Madurai and Trichy from Chennai Egmore are hauled by
WDMs , these are rare in the northern link. I also had an oppurtunity to

talk to the asst "loco-man" who was in-charge of my train (Charminar
Exp). He belonged to the Lallaguda shed. He had something interesting to

say. In SR and SCR they have clear cut train hauling practices according

to him. All Super-fast status trains were compulsorily hauled by WAPs.
If it were a 21-22 coach train it would necessarily be a WAP4, otherwise

a WAP1. The one which hauled my train was a WAP4-LGD shed. TN Exp,
Charminar, Kovai Exp, A.P Exp, Falaknuma(from BZA onwards), were some
of the few train he said were hauled by WAP4. I really suspect the
bonafieds. On the other hand G.T, Kovai,NDLS Rajs, Shatabdis from
Chennai and Hyd, Coromandel, Navjivan were all hauled by WAP1s. He had
to eat his own words as 10 minutes later a WAG5A-BZA hauled the late
running Navjeevan into Chennai central. He said it sometimes happens
that they run short of WAPs due to maintenance and they have to press
other Locos into service.
I also saw the Jaipur weekly (hauled by a WAP1 !!!! these days i see
quite a number of WAPs at Chennai) that had 3 brand new rakes meant for
WR in the rake formation. They were not commisioned yet. They were
bright blue with ivory. Wonder which train it would be ? Any idea ?
To finish off my fairly peaceful trip my train was 20 minutes before
time at Secunderabad. Howazzaat ??????

Regards,
Anand.K


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From: Krishnan Anand <>

Subject: Trainspotting - Latest Version

Date: 08 Mar 1999 03:03:28 -0500


Hi all,
Some trainspotting done during my trip to Chennai over the last
2-3 days. There is something very very unusual that i wanted to share
with you all. I saw a WDS-6 Jumb shunter like the one in one of our loco

archives. It was freshly painted and was just glimmering under the
bright sun-shine on Friday morning. It was a good colour combi. It had
atleast 4 colours on it and the most conspicuous was bright yellow. What

was most surprising was that it had on it "Durgapur Steel Plant" written

on the side of it, spanning the whole length, from the cabin till the
end of the long hood. Wonder what this loco had to do at Chennai goods
yard.
Another very interesting scene was a pair of Golden Rock WDM2s waiting
for clearance near the ennore thermal power plant. Its very rare to
sight a WDM near Chennai Central side. Of course now that the south
bound trains to Madurai and Trichy from Chennai Egmore are hauled by
WDMs , these are rare in the northern link. I also had an oppurtunity to

talk to the asst "loco-man" who was in-charge of my train (Charminar
Exp). He belonged to the Lallaguda shed. He had something interesting to

say. In SR and SCR they have clear cut train hauling practices according

to him. All Super-fast status trains were compulsorily hauled by WAPs.
If it were a 21-22 coach train it would necessarily be a WAP4, otherwise

a WAP1. The one which hauled my train was a WAP4-LGD shed. TN Exp,
Charminar, Kovai Exp, A.P Exp, Falaknuma(from BZA onwards), were some
of the few train he said were hauled by WAP4. I really suspect the
bonafieds. On the other hand G.T, Kovai,NDLS Rajs, Shatabdis from
Chennai and Hyd, Coromandel, Navjivan were all hauled by WAP1s. He had
to eat his own words as 10 minutes later a WAG5A-BZA hauled the late
running Navjeevan into Chennai central. He said it sometimes happens
that they run short of WAPs due to maintenance and they have to press
other Locos into service.
I also saw the Jaipur weekly (hauled by a WAP1 !!!! these days i see
quite a number of WAPs at Chennai) that had 3 brand new rakes meant for
WR in the rake formation. They were not commisioned yet. They were
bright blue with ivory. Wonder which train it would be ? Any idea ?
To finish off my fairly peaceful trip my train was 20 minutes before
time at Secunderabad. Howazzaat ??????

Regards,
Anand.K


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From: Krishnan Anand <>

Subject: Reply to Partha's suggestion

Date: 08 Mar 1999 03:08:35 -0500


Hi all,
I am fully with Partha for his views. i guess the subject and
the detail of the mail should be in sync. Going by own experience in
reading mails, a mail with subject like Trainspotting would attract me
and lure me into reading it immediately than another one like Re:Garret.

I guess i have a lot of people sharing this thought and its a small
change that all can follow as all of us are hopelessly addicted to one
common thing called Trains.

Kind regards,
Anand.K



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From: Krishnan Anand <>

Subject: Reply to Partha's suggestion

Date: 08 Mar 1999 03:08:35 -0500


Hi all,
I am fully with Partha for his views. i guess the subject and
the detail of the mail should be in sync. Going by own experience in
reading mails, a mail with subject like Trainspotting would attract me
and lure me into reading it immediately than another one like Re:Garret.

I guess i have a lot of people sharing this thought and its a small
change that all can follow as all of us are hopelessly addicted to one
common thing called Trains.

Kind regards,
Anand.K



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