IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 7521 - 7540
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Sitamarhi Disaster
Date: 08 Aug 1999 23:34:04 -0500
> I read an extended version of this in 1981, when the
> accident occurred. Apparently, the emergency braking that
> was resorted to when the buffalo was sighted on the tracks
> caused a crash because only the loco was braked. Staff on
> local trains in Bihar at that time followed the (illegal)
> practice of disabling the continuous brake, due to the
> frequent chian pulling.
This is not only in Bihar - I think I have heard of this 'bypass' in
Miraj also. I
was also informed that the rubber plugs used in glass intravenous fluid
bottles
fits the train brake pipe perfectly. Thus the passengers can a field day
pulling
the alarm chain without the train stopping. Have you noticed the
reduction of the
alarm chain points inside the RCF, Kapurthala made coaches to only two,
towards
the end ? There are arrows throughout the coach pointing t to the
location of the
alarm chain though.
Apurva
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: News clip on the Star News
Date: 09 Aug 1999 01:00:28 -0500
Gang !
Star News yesterday showed a spot of investigative journalism
whereby the reporters could actually take some anonymous
interviews of drivers. The was a footplate shot of some loco
which had a vertical wheel as well as a WDM 2 type control
stand. I think this was a push pull train with wheel type
parking brake in the remote cab while the other end of train
had a normal WDM 2. The section covered was New Delhi - Shamli
(not sure). The drivers complained about the dim (WDM 2?)
headlight which lit up just a few meters of tracks while it is
supposed to light up 1.5 Kms ! The Star TV crew also found it
strange that some drivers actually shut off the headlights to
sight the kerosene lamp illuminated signals.
Nothing strange about shutting off the headlights - the Pune -
Kolhapur section regularly follows this practice. In fact the
crew shutoff all the lamps - cab, instruments and headlights
and the weak kerosene powered lamp then shines through. Their
special terror is the moonlit nights where the signal is not
easily visible and the many sodium vapour lamps whose orange
colour is the same as the orange of the caution aspect. While
I am on the subject - a few drivers also had worries about
green lamps (typically found near mosques) which can be
confused with the 'clear' aspect. Cribbing apart, in practice
the expert's experts do not have much difficulty in spotting
even signals with the flame extinguished, but they have to
slow down at such places and that affects the train timing.
Thank god the IR runs only at 100 Kmph.
Apurva
From: VIRAF P.. MULLA <>
Subject: Re: Stupid question about IR
Date: 09 Aug 1999 01:10:56 -0500
Those were the
> days, when one could push half the body out of the coach and
> watch the loco taking the curves.
Those were the days my friend.... and how I miss them. Used to do just
that between Virar & Saphale to see the WP in charge of my train snaking
on the curves between these two stations. The setting sun over the
distant
sea casting a fiery red glow on the train .....A Heavenly Sight.
Viraf
==========================
Viraf Mulla
C-20/14, Jeevan Bima Nagar,
Borivali (West)
Mumbai 400103
Tel: +91-22-8954510
E-mail: sncf@godrej.email
==========================
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: BBC website
Date: 09 Aug 1999 02:47:42 -0500
Gang !
Please add your two ps. bit to the IR and travel experience on
the bbc website.
<A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_410000/410944.s">http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_410000/410944.s</A>
tm
Apurva
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: emu enigma
Date: 09 Aug 1999 03:22:00 -0500
Amazing webpage - it is great to see such a well made document - Shankya
is a fast learner.
"S.Shankar" wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm pleased to announce that my emu page is now ready: emu enigma.
>
> Check it out at:
>
> <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Coast/9896/index.htm">http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Coast/9896/index.htm</A>
>
> Find emu enigma on the list, then click on the url to view the page.
>
> Skip the history section if you are not interested in b/w prints of a
> very poor quality, scanned from historical books.
>
> You will find the best photographs in the ac emu section.
>
> Enjoy!
>
> Best regards.
>
> Shankar
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: emu enigma
Date: 09 Aug 1999 03:30:48 -0500
What is the correct definition of a 'double fast' EMU ?
From: HVC <>
Subject: Re: Vikhroli Bomb Blast ...
Date: 09 Aug 1999 03:37:24 -0500
I haven't seen these in any other trains than Shatabdi and Rajdhanis.
Taj
Exp. also has these but they have been added later and I doubt if they
have
ever been worked/tested in the near past.
Have't seen any standard fitting speakers in other stock yet.
Harsh
>I remember seeing the Phillips speaker in newer day coaches such as the
Deccan
>Queen and Pragat Express. I think this is a standard fitment from ICF/
RCF
>rather than an afterthought. Next time I will try and locate the
termination
>point for the speakers in the end of the coaches.
>
>Apurva
>
>HVC wrote:
>
>> Perhaps these speakers were installed after the Kandivili accident in
which
>> the women fearing a bomb explosion jumped out of the train which had
halted
>> midway.
>>
>> Maybe Sunil can comment on this?
>>
>> I think the PA Systems are a good idea for emergencies like these,
provided
>> these work when they are required to.
>
>
>
>
From: HVC <>
Subject: Re: Deccan Queen derails
Date: 09 Aug 1999 03:58:03 -0500
Interesting. What happened to Pragati? Was it cancelled?
And Sahyadri and 7032 and 6012? Did they utilise the third line to take
the
traffic?
Harsh
-----Original Message-----
From: Apurva Bahadur <iti@vsnl.email
To: IRFCA <irfca@cs.email
Date: Monday, August 09, 1999 10:20 PM
Subject: Deccan Queen derails
>Gang !
>
>The pride of Central Railway, Mumbai division derailed on
>Sunday. This happened while descending the Bhore ghats while
>traveling towards Mumbai from Pune. There have been heavy
>heavy rains in the ghats which caused a landslide. The debris
>from the landslide derailed the loco (WCAM 3 I presume) and
>three coaches. Most of the passengers trekked 4 Kms to Monkey
>Hill where the Pune - Karjat passenger rescued them, also some
>passengers returned to Pune by the Mumbai - Bangalore Udyan
>Express. For the passengers who chose to wait in the Deccan
>Queen rake, it was a good 8 hours before rescue. Heavy rain
>and lack of communications made things difficult. Even
>passengers who had cell phones with them found that although
>they could call out, the remote location of the site meant
>that they had to wait for the railways to rescue them.
>
>Apurva
>
>
From: Dr. K.J. Walker <>
Subject: Re: Stupid question about IR
Date: 09 Aug 1999 05:09:42 -0500
Dear Steven & all,
It's not a silly question at all.
I remember one day at Howrah during the 1980s, when many
Second-class
cars (as they were then designated) did not have window bars.
There was a points failure -- the king point on the carriage
sidings! It
was impossible to get rakes in or out of the sidings for about three
hours.
By then, on all platforms, the crowds had multiplied almost to crush
density, We had about four trains ahead of us, and these had to arrive,
load, and leave before our service could do the same.
When the first rake arrived, there was near-pandemonium around the
II
carriages. People were not just jumping through windows; whole groups
were
picking up their smaller members and THROWING them into the compartments
to
keep seats. I had never seen anything like it.
The window bars may even have saved some broken bones!
Cheers
Ken Walker
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Sliwka <sliwka@centuryinter.email
To: IRFCA <irfca@cs.email
Date: 8 August 1999 4:41
Subject: Stupid question about IR
This may be a stupid question about Indian Railways, but coming from
America, I can't make sense of it. Why do Indian Passenger Cars have
'bars'
over the window openings? I assume they don't have windows due to the
heat,
but why the bars?
Steve Sliwka
From: Dr. K.J. Walker <>
Subject: Re: sabotage and dissent
Date: 09 Aug 1999 05:15:18 -0500
Dear Satish and Prakash,
Off-list by all means -- see separate postings. Point of the
general
post was simply to suggest that lateral thinking might help -- in
politics
as well as railways. If something gets stuck and can't be fixed for a
long
time, it may be time to look at it differently.
Cheers,
Ken Walker
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Deccan Queen derails
Date: 09 Aug 1999 05:25:51 -0500
The derailment was on the 3rd line so the other Up trains must have used
the
older line via Thakurwadi.
Apurva
HVC wrote:
> Interesting. What happened to Pragati? Was it cancelled?
> And Sahyadri and 7032 and 6012? Did they utilise the third line to
take the
> traffic?
>
> Harsh
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Apurva Bahadur <iti@vsnl.email
> To: IRFCA <irfca@cs.email
> Date: Monday, August 09, 1999 10:20 PM
> Subject: Deccan Queen derails
>
> >Gang !
> >
> >The pride of Central Railway, Mumbai division derailed on
> >Sunday. This happened while descending the Bhore ghats while
> >traveling towards Mumbai from Pune. There have been heavy
> >heavy rains in the ghats which caused a landslide. The debris
> >from the landslide derailed the loco (WCAM 3 I presume) and
> >three coaches. Most of the passengers trekked 4 Kms to Monkey
> >Hill where the Pune - Karjat passenger rescued them, also some
> >passengers returned to Pune by the Mumbai - Bangalore Udyan
> >Express. For the passengers who chose to wait in the Deccan
> >Queen rake, it was a good 8 hours before rescue. Heavy rain
> >and lack of communications made things difficult. Even
> >passengers who had cell phones with them found that although
> >they could call out, the remote location of the site meant
> >that they had to wait for the railways to rescue them.
> >
> >Apurva
> >
> >
From: Samit Roychoudhury <>
Subject: Fw: sabotage and dissent
Date: 09 Aug 1999 07:12:20 -0500
i tend to agree somewhat. though it may sound anti-national... we have
to
look beyond ourselves and national pride.
this nagging problem needs some solutions. after all lives of people and
peace are far more precious than ego.
----- Original Message -----
From: Dr. K.J. Walker <kjw_meh@powerup.email
To: <prakash@us.email S Pai <spai@aya.email
Cc: <irfca@cs.email
Sent: Monday, August 09, 1999 17:45
Subject: Re: sabotage and dissent
> Dear Satish and Prakash,
> Off-list by all means -- see separate postings. Point of the
general
> post was simply to suggest that lateral thinking might help -- in
politics
> as well as railways. If something gets stuck and can't be fixed for a
long
> time, it may be time to look at it differently.
> Cheers,
> Ken Walker
>
>
>
>
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Loco simulator ?
Date: 09 Aug 1999 07:22:22 -0500
Just got to this site - seems to contain a loco simulator - will dig in
detail, should
should you
<A HREF="http://www.battewell.freeserve.co.uk/#About">http://www.battewell.freeserve.co.uk/#About</A> the simulator
From: FyffesFL <>
Subject: Fw: Bomb destroys bridge in Assam, misses train
Date: 09 Aug 1999 09:09:53 -0500
From: Tim & Anita Wakeman <>
Subject: Re: Stupid question about IR
Date: 09 Aug 1999 11:04:56 -0500
Dr. K.J. Walker wrote: People were not just jumping through windows;
whole groups were
> picking up their smaller members and THROWING them into the
compartments to
> keep seats. I had never seen anything like it.
> The window bars may even have saved some broken bones!
> Cheers
> Ken Walker
Hi all,
I asked my wife about this and she said it is very true. She would have
even been one of those little tykes! And it was not just parents lifting
their kids, she would have a passerby boost her into the coach!
Regards, Tim
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Questions about the Ghaisal crash
Date: 09 Aug 1999 12:11:14 -0500
Gang !
A railwayman has asked me to put these questions on the IRFCA. Do you have the correct answers ?
What type of signals exist at Ghaisal and the route - colour lights, upper quadrant or lower quadrant - what is the type of illumination for the quadrant lenses ?
Is the double line throughout or is it in sections like Daund - Bhigwan ?
Were one or both trains standing or were they both moving ?
If they were moving then what was the speed ?
Were the four dead bodies of both the loco crew recovered? Has anybody speculated that the drivers were actually done to death before the crash by extremist activity in the region ?
Is there any further information about the accident ? My friend is trying to draw some conclusions which would be shared with you soon.
From: S.Shankar <>
Subject: Re: emu enigma
Date: 09 Aug 1999 20:51:38 -0500
Hello,
Actually, the Bombay-ites might be able to explain better or correct me.
As you know, most 'fast' locals are fast only upto a point. They stop at
all stations after that. e.g. a Virar fast is fast (limited stops)
only upto Borivli, after Borivli it stops at all stations right upto
Virar.
Similarly, a Karjat fast is fast only upto Kalyan: it becomes slow
(takes all stations) from Kalyan all the way till Karjat.
To the best of my knowledge, a double fast is one which is fast
throughout: it takes limited stops right upto its destination.
Best regards.
Shankar
Apurva Bahadur wrote:
>
> What is the correct definition of a 'double fast' EMU ?
From: raymond/Polaris <>
Subject: Re: ERS shed's webpage
Date: 09 Aug 1999 22:33:27 -0500
Dear Vijay,
Does the Mangala also use WDM2's as bankers from Kasara to Igatpuri, or
are
they WCG2's or something like that ? Actually there must be quite a long
list of expresses which use diesels while running on electrified lines,
most of these would concern AC/DC sections around Mumbai. Gang, any idea
which is the longest dieselised run on electrified sections ? Does the
BCT
- NDLS Rajdhani still run with double WDM2's from BCT to BRC ?
Regards
Raymond
From: Parthasarathy Dr. S. <>
Subject: Report on railway accidents in India
Date: 09 Aug 1999 23:43:46 -0500
Hello,
Recently a British journalist contacted me to know some information on
safety in Indian Railways.
I enclose a message I receved from this person and ask you to get in
touch with him directly. We must all mobilise public opinion on the
state of affairs in our railways. I am sure you will have plenty to say
about this.
Thank you............... partha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 06 Aug 99 15:37:50 +0100
From: Noddy Sahota <noddy@darlowsmithson.email
To: algolog <algolog@hd1.email
Subject: Railway Safety Documentary Series
Dear Partha,
You may remember I recently spoke to you about the documentary series I
was producing
about railway safety.
I read your article with grat interest and was wondering if you could
furnish me with some
contact numbers and e-mail addresses regarding trhe following issues:
I am keen to speak to an Indian Railway Historian, and some who can talk
to be about the
social and cultural impact of Indian railways.
Secondly, has anyone ever done research on driver behaviour and human
error in Indian
railways
Thirdly, to what extent is vandalism and sabotage an issue on Indian
railways, and what
measures are being taken to combat it?
Thank-you in advance for assistance. it is really appreciated.
Best Wishes,
Noddy Sahota
Associate Producer
Darlow Smithson
5th Floor
Highgate Business Centre
33 Grenwood Place
London. NW5 1LB
T: 44 171 482 7027
F: 44 171 482 7039
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Dr. S. Parthasarathy Phone: + 49 -531-3913328
I F R A FAX: + 49 -531-3915197
Tech. Univ. Braunschweig
Langer Kamp 8
38106 Braunschweig - GERMANY
e mail : partha@ifra.email
<A HREF="http://www.ifra.ing.tu-bs.de/~m05/partha/partha.en.html">http://www.ifra.ing.tu-bs.de/~m05/partha/partha.en.html</A>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
From: Parthasarathy Dr. S. <>
Subject: Report on railway accidents in India
Date: 09 Aug 1999 23:43:46 -0500
Hello,
Recently a British journalist contacted me to know some information on
safety in Indian Railways.
I enclose a message I receved from this person and ask you to get in
touch with him directly. We must all mobilise public opinion on the
state of affairs in our railways. I am sure you will have plenty to say
about this.
Thank you............... partha
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 06 Aug 99 15:37:50 +0100
From: Noddy Sahota <noddy@darlowsmithson.email
To: algolog <algolog@hd1.email
Subject: Railway Safety Documentary Series
Dear Partha,
You may remember I recently spoke to you about the documentary series I
was producing
about railway safety.
I read your article with grat interest and was wondering if you could
furnish me with some
contact numbers and e-mail addresses regarding trhe following issues:
I am keen to speak to an Indian Railway Historian, and some who can talk
to be about the
social and cultural impact of Indian railways.
Secondly, has anyone ever done research on driver behaviour and human
error in Indian
railways
Thirdly, to what extent is vandalism and sabotage an issue on Indian
railways, and what
measures are being taken to combat it?
Thank-you in advance for assistance. it is really appreciated.
Best Wishes,
Noddy Sahota
Associate Producer
Darlow Smithson
5th Floor
Highgate Business Centre
33 Grenwood Place
London. NW5 1LB
T: 44 171 482 7027
F: 44 171 482 7039
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Dr. S. Parthasarathy Phone: + 49 -531-3913328
I F R A FAX: + 49 -531-3915197
Tech. Univ. Braunschweig
Langer Kamp 8
38106 Braunschweig - GERMANY
e mail : partha@ifra.email
<A HREF="http://www.ifra.ing.tu-bs.de/~m05/partha/partha.en.html">http://www.ifra.ing.tu-bs.de/~m05/partha/partha.en.html</A>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--