IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 9021 - 9040
From: Anne Ogborn <>
Subject: Re: Female Railfans
Date: 13 Oct 1999 11:38:09 -0500
>A while back there was a short thread on wondering if there are any
>female railfans in the world.
I know a dozen or so of us, including one who'se a route manager for UP,
one who'se a Heisler fireman, one who'se the most knowledgeable railfan
I
know,
a couple who have written books, one with a beautiful HOn3 layout
abuilding,
and one who has a sideline business selling custom detailed HO diesels.
A more realistic picture of a woman on the American RR
<A HREF="http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/fsac/1a34000/1a34700/1a34798r.jpg">http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/fsac/1a34000/1a34700/1a34798r.jpg</A>
Her name's Dorothy. She was employed as a wiper, although that's not
consistent
with her needing goggles (women often had lesser job titles than their
actual jobs).
She probably lost her job after the war.
Sexism and disrespect for women has no place on this list.
Now , if you really want a picture of women and trains that'll make your
heart pound, check out
<A HREF="http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/fsac/1a34000/1a34800/1a34804r.jpg">http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/fsac/1a34000/1a34800/1a34804r.jpg</A>
That's an "H" class on the C&NW, a 4-8-4 built by Baldwin in 1929
Picture by Jack Delano, taken at Clinton, Iowa roundhouse, April 1943
498,000 lbs wt. 76" driver. A booster and reworking to raise boiler
pressure
from 250 to 275 lbs resulted in the H class being the most powrful
Northern
at the time, a title it kept until the N&W "J" was produced.
They were kept on the Chicago - Omaha mainline because of weight
restrictions.
Annie
From: Sridhar Shankar <>
Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
Date: 13 Oct 1999 12:31:55 -0500
Vijay,
Really neat stuff. Can you include the arrival/departure timings at the
terminal stations?
It is indeed sad to note that some trains take longer today than they
did
60 years ago.
-Sridhar
Also, looks like W. Bengal has hit the jackpot with Mamta. It is a pity
TN
politicians never go for the right slots. Except for Murasoli Maran the
rest of the clowns are happy with stuff like non-conventional energy
resources and animal husbandry.
At 01:49 PM 10/13/1999 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Folks,
>
> Got a chance to look through my 1934 Bradshaw TT (courtesy Ajai
Banerji
>who is back in India). Is loaded with information and I doubt whether
I can
>do justice through email. Neverthless, let me attempt to share some
info.
>
>Let me start with the premier trains (note the station spellings).
>
>1. 5 Up/6 Dn. Punjab Mail - Calcutta (Howrah) to Lahore - 1st class,
2nd
>class, Inter class, 3rd class for servants only - run time around 35
hrs.
>About 5 hrs. faster than the present Howrah-Amritsar Mail between
Howrah and
>Amritsar.
>
>Halts - Burdwan, Asansol, Madhupur, Jha Jha, Kiul, Mokameh, Patna,
>Dinapore, Arrah, Buxar, Moghal Sarai, Kashi, Benares Cant., Partapgarh,
>Rae-Bareli, Lucknow, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Rampur, Moradabad,
>Najibabad, Lhaksar, Roorkee, Saharanpur, Ambala Cant., Rajpura,
Ludhiana,
>Jullundur Cant., Jullundu City, Amritsar, Moghalpur, Lahore.
>
>Used to take the H.B. Chord (not via Bandel). TT mentions about dinner
>being served in the restaurant car (in the Howrah-Burdwan section).
>
>Just to give you an idea about the fares between Howrah and Amritsar
>(around 1950 km)
>1st class - around Rs. 108, 2nd class - around Rs. 50, Inter Class -
around
>Rs. 25, 3rd class - around Rs. 13. So for long distance, charges
double as
>one goes to the next higher class.
>When was the Inter class abolished? I believe 3rd class was abolished
in
>the mid 70s and Inter class was 'adjusted' to the present 2nd class.
Am I
>on the right track here?
>
>Notable skips
>Durgapur - a rather unimportant station, only the Punjab Exp. used to
halt
>here. Ondal and Raneegunge were more important.
>Mihijam - now Chittaranjan. Only passenger trains halted here + the
>Sealdah-Delhi Exp. (predecessor of Upper India Exp.)
>Jasidih - only train to skip this one
>Dildarnagar - same as above
>Bhadohi - halt for pass. trains only
>Balamau - only train to skip this one
>Phagwara - Frontier Mail also ignored it.
>
>
>2. 1 Up/2 Dn. Calcutta-Delhi-Kalka Mail. 1st,2nd,Inter, 3rd(allowed
for
>distances > 100 miles). About 40 mts. faster than present Howrah-Kalka
>Mail. Nearly an hour faster between Howrah and Delhi.
>
>Halts - Burdwan, Asansol, Dhanbad, Gomoh, Hazaribagh Rd., Gaya, Sone
East
>Bank (now Sonnagar), Dehri-on-Sone, Moghal Sarai, Mirzapur, Allahabad,
>Fatehpur, Cawnpore Central, Etawah, Shikohabad, Tundla, Hathras,
Aligarh,
>Ghaziabad, Delhi, Subzimundi, Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra,
Ambala
>Cant., Dhulkot, Lalru, Ghaggar, Chandigarh, Surajpur, Kalka.
>
>Halt time of 30 mts. (Up) and 1 hr. 15 mts. (Dn.) at Delhi. Few
changes in
>the halt pattern - it now skips Sonnagar and halts at Sasaram instead.
>Surprisingly, the Bombay Mail via Allahabad used to skip Dehri-on-Sone
and
>halt at Sone East Bank. Why did the focus shift away from Sonnagar and
onto
>Dehri-on-Sone? Industries?
>
>Other notable skips - Durgapur, Koderma
>
>
>3. 3 Up/4 Dn Calcutta-Bombay Mail via Chheoki (not Allahabad),
>1st,2nd,Inter,3rd. A little over 2 hrs. faster than present Mail via
>Allahabad. Was the only train to skip Allahabad and halt at Chheoki -
so no
>directional reversal. Used to go via Bandel instead of the chord line.
As
>fast as the Kalka Mail between Howrah and Chheoki.
>
>Halts - Bandel, Burdwan, Asansol, Dhanbad, Gomoh, Hazaribagh Rd., Gaya,
Sone
>East Bank, Sasaram, Moghal Sarai, Mirzapur, Chheoki, Manikpur, Satna,
Katni,
>Sihora Rd., Jubbulpore, Narsinghpur, Kareli, Gadarvada, Pipariya,
Sohagpur,
>Itarsi, Harda, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Bhusaval, Chalisgaon, Manmad, Nasik
Rd.,
>Igatpuri (only 6 mt. halt), Kalyan, Dadar (only towards Bombay), Bombay
VT
>
>A footnote says that trains will be stopped at Thana for passengers
when
>required. Dinner served in the restaurant car between Howrah and
Bandel.
>
>Notable skips - Durgapur, Raneegunge, Koderma, Dehri-on-sone, Maihar
(only
>train to do so), Nepanagar, Jalgaon (only train to do so), Devlali
>(conditional halt).
>
>Gadarvada (now Gadarwara) and Sohagpur were important stations with all
>trains stopping here and both arrival/dep. times indicated. Of course,
>there were only 4 trains between Allahabad and Itarsi.
>
>The abstract section also indicates an Imperial Mail that would run
from
>Howrah and Bombay (Ballard Pier, not VT) on Thursdays conveying first
class
>passengers and their servants only. In the Up dirn., it would leave
Howrah
>about 1 1/2 hrs. after the Mail. A footnote mentions that about five
hours
>after the P. & O. Mail Steamer (any more info. on this?) has been
brought
>alongside the Pier, Indian Imperial Mail train starts from Mole
alongside
>the Steamer. Accommodation is provided for 42 First Class Passengers
only.
>
>
>4. 3/4 Frontier Mail between Bombay Central and Peshawar. Am not sure
>about the Up/Dn here - I think this was Dn. from Bombay to Delhi and
then
>Up. 1st,2nd,Inter,3rd(for servants only). Run time of around 46 1/2
hrs.
>from Bombay to Peshawar, around 47 1/2 hrs. in the return direction.
Nearly
>an hour slower than the present Golden Temple Mail.
>
>Halts - Dadar (Dn only), Palghar, Bulsar, Surat, Baroda, Godhra, Dohad,
>Rutlam, Nagda, Shamgarh, Bhawani Mandi (Up only), Kotah, Lakheri (Up
only),
>Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Bayana, Bharatpur, Muttra, (intermediate
>halts not indicated), Delhi Main, Ghaziabad, Meerut City,Meerut Cant.,
>Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Ambala Cant., Rajpura, Ludhiana, Jullundur
Cant.,
>Jullundur City, Amritsar, Moghalpura, Lahore, Shahdara, Gujranwala
Town,
>Wazirabad, Lala Musa, Sohawa, Gujar Khan, Mandra, Chak Lala,
Rawalpindi,
>Taxila, Campbellpur (who was Campbell?), Attock, Nowahara, Peshawar
Cant.
>
>Halts that have been removed - Palghar (arr./dep. times indicated),
Bulsar
>(now Valsad), Lakheri, Rajpura.
>Halts that have been added over the years - Borivli (used to be ignored
by
>most exp. trains), Ramganj Mandi (removed for sometime and then added
>again), Shri Mahabiji, Beas.
>
>Bradshaw mentions that the Frontier Mail will leave from Ballard Pier
on
>Outward Mail Days (mail from Britain??). A portion of the Up Frontier
Mail
>will run direct to Ballard Pier on Saturdays carrying Homeward Mail.
>
>
>5. 5/6 Punjab Mail between Bombay VT and Delhi. Run time of 26.5 / 27
hrs -
>nearly 1-1.5 hrs. slower than present Punjab Mail. Nearly 2 hrs.
faster
>than GT from Itarsi to Delhi - about 1/2 hr. faster than GT in the
return
>journey.
>
>Halts - Dadar (only towards Bombay), Kalyan, Kasara (only towards
Delhi),
>Igatpuri, Devlali (will stop here by Signal - ?), Nasik Rd., Manmad,
>Chalisgaon, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Hoshangabad, Budni,
>Barkhera, Bhopal, Sanchi (for 1st/2nd class passengers and their
servants
>when required), Bhilsa (now Vidisha), Bina, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Datia,
>Gwalior, Morena, Dholpur (arr/dep. indicated - all trains halted here),
Agra
>Cant., Raja-ki-Mandi, Muttra, Kosi Kalan, New Delhi, Delhi Main.
>
>Halts that have been removed - Budni, Barkhera (all trains stopped at
these
>two stations), Datia, Kosi Kalan (removed and then added - arr./times
>indicated with all trains stopping here).
>Quite a few halts have been added - Burhanpur, Khirkhiya, Harda,
Banapura,
>Habibganj (NO train used to halt here), Basoda (now Ganj Basoda),
Babina
>(only pass. trains halted here), Faridabad.
>Used to have a spectacular run from Bhusaval to Itarsi with just one
halt at
>Khandwa. Used to be the only train to ignore Burhanpur, Harda, Basoda
(even
>GT had a halt here).
>
>
>More later on the GT Exp., Bombay-Howrah Mail via Nagpur,
>Bombay/Howrah-Madras Mails
>
>Vijay
>
From: Sankaran Kumar <>
Subject: progress of some railway projects
Date: 13 Oct 1999 12:49:26 -0500
Hi
Chingleput-Arakkaonam conversion.
I saw work going full scale near Chingleput with the BG track being
laid.
My guess is that the conversion will be completed in 2-3 months between
Chingleput and Kanchipuram. Note that Kanchipuram-Arakkonam has already
been converted to BG and is operational. The Chingleput-Arakkonam line
may
become a Chennai by-pass line for trains going to Southern TN/Kerala
from
the western states.
Kacheguda-Nizamabad-Purna conversion.
I saw an advertisement inviting tenders for conversion work in the
Indian
Express. So the conversion work must have started.
Jolarpettai-Vaniyambadi Third Line.
Another tender advertisement indicated that a third line was going to be
laid between jolarpettai and Vaniyambadi on the Jolarpettai-Katpadi
section.
While travelling recently by Lalbagh Express I noted the frequent
halts/slowdowns between Chennai and Jolarpettai. The
Chennai-Jolarpettai
line seems saturated with frequent goods/passenger trains; it is about
time
that an extra track was laid. By the way the masala dosai on the
Lalbagh is
excellent!
Kottavalasa-Bhubaneswar electrification
Yet another tender advertisement indicated that this work was
progressing.
Chennai MRTS
The pillar work seems to have been completed at least upto Thiruvanmiyur
on
the proposed Thirumayilai - Velacheri section. The approval of the
Velacheri-St. Thomas Mount section appears imminent; it is likely that
the
MRTS St. Thomas Mount station will be at a different level and the
merging
of the tracks with the existing Tambaram line would take place at
palavanthangal and/or Guindy. There is also pressure to connect Guindy
with
Villivakkam on the Arakkonam line, particularly since the Chennai Bus
Station is going to be shifted to Koyambedu, south of Anna Nagar. Also
the
TN govt. is actively canvassing for a direct Central-Egmore elevated
line
(just 2 km long).
Comment on Hasan-Mangalore conversion
Note that Hasan-Sakleshpur has been converted to BG and is operational.
My
father-in-law who was actively involved in building the MG line told me
that
the entire line was built to BG specs (tunnels/bridges/curves). Hence I
think the construction requirements would be minimal and one could
almost
"strip" the MG line and lay the "BG" line.
Kumar
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From: Vijay Balasubramanian <>
Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
Date: 13 Oct 1999 12:54:37 -0500
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sridhar Shankar [SMTP:sshanka@gsbalum.email
> Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 3:32 PM
> To: Vijay Balasubramanian
> Cc: irfca@cs.email
> Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
>
> Vijay,
>
> Really neat stuff. Can you include the arrival/departure timings at
the
> terminal stations?
>
I'll do that in my next mail.
> Also, looks like W. Bengal has hit the jackpot with Mamta. It is a
pity TN
> politicians never go for the right slots. Except for Murasoli Maran
the
> rest of the clowns are happy with stuff like non-conventional energy
> resources and animal husbandry.
>
We can definitely expect a ton of trains from Calcutta, including
Shatabdis
to Patna and Bhubaneswar (complementing the Dhauli Exp.). I am hoping
for a
Varanasi/Lucknow superfast train and a genuine Rajdhani-type
Mumbai-Howrah
train via Allahabad. We may even see a Howrah-Chennai superdeluxe exp.
Vijay
> At 01:49 PM 10/13/1999 -0400, you wrote:
> >Hi Folks,
> >
> > Got a chance to look through my 1934 Bradshaw TT (courtesy Ajai
> Banerji
> >who is back in India). Is loaded with information and I doubt
whether I
> can
> >do justice through email. Neverthless, let me attempt to share some
> info.
> >
> >Let me start with the premier trains (note the station spellings).
> >
> >1. 5 Up/6 Dn. Punjab Mail - Calcutta (Howrah) to Lahore - 1st class,
2nd
> >class, Inter class, 3rd class for servants only - run time around 35
hrs.
> >About 5 hrs. faster than the present Howrah-Amritsar Mail between
Howrah
> and
> >Amritsar.
> >
> >Halts - Burdwan, Asansol, Madhupur, Jha Jha, Kiul, Mokameh, Patna,
> >Dinapore, Arrah, Buxar, Moghal Sarai, Kashi, Benares Cant.,
Partapgarh,
> >Rae-Bareli, Lucknow, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Rampur,
Moradabad,
> >Najibabad, Lhaksar, Roorkee, Saharanpur, Ambala Cant., Rajpura,
Ludhiana,
> >Jullundur Cant., Jullundu City, Amritsar, Moghalpur, Lahore.
> >
> >Used to take the H.B. Chord (not via Bandel). TT mentions about
dinner
> >being served in the restaurant car (in the Howrah-Burdwan section).
> >
> >Just to give you an idea about the fares between Howrah and Amritsar
> >(around 1950 km)
> >1st class - around Rs. 108, 2nd class - around Rs. 50, Inter Class -
> around
> >Rs. 25, 3rd class - around Rs. 13. So for long distance, charges
double
> as
> >one goes to the next higher class.
> >When was the Inter class abolished? I believe 3rd class was
abolished in
> >the mid 70s and Inter class was 'adjusted' to the present 2nd class.
Am
> I
> >on the right track here?
> >
> >Notable skips
> >Durgapur - a rather unimportant station, only the Punjab Exp. used to
> halt
> >here. Ondal and Raneegunge were more important.
> >Mihijam - now Chittaranjan. Only passenger trains halted here + the
> >Sealdah-Delhi Exp. (predecessor of Upper India Exp.)
> >Jasidih - only train to skip this one
> >Dildarnagar - same as above
> >Bhadohi - halt for pass. trains only
> >Balamau - only train to skip this one
> >Phagwara - Frontier Mail also ignored it.
> >
> >
> >2. 1 Up/2 Dn. Calcutta-Delhi-Kalka Mail. 1st,2nd,Inter, 3rd(allowed
for
> >distances > 100 miles). About 40 mts. faster than present
Howrah-Kalka
> >Mail. Nearly an hour faster between Howrah and Delhi.
> >
> >Halts - Burdwan, Asansol, Dhanbad, Gomoh, Hazaribagh Rd., Gaya, Sone
East
> >Bank (now Sonnagar), Dehri-on-Sone, Moghal Sarai, Mirzapur,
Allahabad,
> >Fatehpur, Cawnpore Central, Etawah, Shikohabad, Tundla, Hathras,
Aligarh,
> >Ghaziabad, Delhi, Subzimundi, Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra,
> Ambala
> >Cant., Dhulkot, Lalru, Ghaggar, Chandigarh, Surajpur, Kalka.
> >
> >Halt time of 30 mts. (Up) and 1 hr. 15 mts. (Dn.) at Delhi. Few
changes
> in
> >the halt pattern - it now skips Sonnagar and halts at Sasaram
instead.
> >Surprisingly, the Bombay Mail via Allahabad used to skip
Dehri-on-Sone
> and
> >halt at Sone East Bank. Why did the focus shift away from Sonnagar
and
> onto
> >Dehri-on-Sone? Industries?
> >
> >Other notable skips - Durgapur, Koderma
> >
> >
> >3. 3 Up/4 Dn Calcutta-Bombay Mail via Chheoki (not Allahabad),
> >1st,2nd,Inter,3rd. A little over 2 hrs. faster than present Mail via
> >Allahabad. Was the only train to skip Allahabad and halt at Chheoki
- so
> no
> >directional reversal. Used to go via Bandel instead of the chord
line.
> As
> >fast as the Kalka Mail between Howrah and Chheoki.
> >
> >Halts - Bandel, Burdwan, Asansol, Dhanbad, Gomoh, Hazaribagh Rd.,
Gaya,
> Sone
> >East Bank, Sasaram, Moghal Sarai, Mirzapur, Chheoki, Manikpur, Satna,
> Katni,
> >Sihora Rd., Jubbulpore, Narsinghpur, Kareli, Gadarvada, Pipariya,
> Sohagpur,
> >Itarsi, Harda, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Bhusaval, Chalisgaon, Manmad,
Nasik
> Rd.,
> >Igatpuri (only 6 mt. halt), Kalyan, Dadar (only towards Bombay),
Bombay
> VT
> >
> >A footnote says that trains will be stopped at Thana for passengers
when
> >required. Dinner served in the restaurant car between Howrah and
Bandel.
> >
> >Notable skips - Durgapur, Raneegunge, Koderma, Dehri-on-sone, Maihar
> (only
> >train to do so), Nepanagar, Jalgaon (only train to do so), Devlali
> >(conditional halt).
> >
> >Gadarvada (now Gadarwara) and Sohagpur were important stations with
all
> >trains stopping here and both arrival/dep. times indicated. Of
course,
> >there were only 4 trains between Allahabad and Itarsi.
> >
> >The abstract section also indicates an Imperial Mail that would run
from
> >Howrah and Bombay (Ballard Pier, not VT) on Thursdays conveying first
> class
> >passengers and their servants only. In the Up dirn., it would leave
> Howrah
> >about 1 1/2 hrs. after the Mail. A footnote mentions that about five
> hours
> >after the P. & O. Mail Steamer (any more info. on this?) has been
brought
> >alongside the Pier, Indian Imperial Mail train starts from Mole
alongside
> >the Steamer. Accommodation is provided for 42 First Class Passengers
> only.
> >
> >
> >4. 3/4 Frontier Mail between Bombay Central and Peshawar. Am not
sure
> >about the Up/Dn here - I think this was Dn. from Bombay to Delhi and
then
> >Up. 1st,2nd,Inter,3rd(for servants only). Run time of around 46 1/2
> hrs.
> >from Bombay to Peshawar, around 47 1/2 hrs. in the return direction.
> Nearly
> >an hour slower than the present Golden Temple Mail.
> >
> >Halts - Dadar (Dn only), Palghar, Bulsar, Surat, Baroda, Godhra,
Dohad,
> >Rutlam, Nagda, Shamgarh, Bhawani Mandi (Up only), Kotah, Lakheri (Up
> only),
> >Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Bayana, Bharatpur, Muttra,
(intermediate
> >halts not indicated), Delhi Main, Ghaziabad, Meerut City,Meerut
Cant.,
> >Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Ambala Cant., Rajpura, Ludhiana, Jullundur
> Cant.,
> >Jullundur City, Amritsar, Moghalpura, Lahore, Shahdara, Gujranwala
Town,
> >Wazirabad, Lala Musa, Sohawa, Gujar Khan, Mandra, Chak Lala,
Rawalpindi,
> >Taxila, Campbellpur (who was Campbell?), Attock, Nowahara, Peshawar
Cant.
> >
> >Halts that have been removed - Palghar (arr./dep. times indicated),
> Bulsar
> >(now Valsad), Lakheri, Rajpura.
> >Halts that have been added over the years - Borivli (used to be
ignored
> by
> >most exp. trains), Ramganj Mandi (removed for sometime and then added
> >again), Shri Mahabiji, Beas.
> >
> >Bradshaw mentions that the Frontier Mail will leave from Ballard Pier
on
> >Outward Mail Days (mail from Britain??). A portion of the Up
Frontier
> Mail
> >will run direct to Ballard Pier on Saturdays carrying Homeward Mail.
> >
> >
> >5. 5/6 Punjab Mail between Bombay VT and Delhi. Run time of 26.5 /
27
> hrs -
> >nearly 1-1.5 hrs. slower than present Punjab Mail. Nearly 2 hrs.
faster
> >than GT from Itarsi to Delhi - about 1/2 hr. faster than GT in the
return
> >journey.
> >
> >Halts - Dadar (only towards Bombay), Kalyan, Kasara (only towards
Delhi),
> >Igatpuri, Devlali (will stop here by Signal - ?), Nasik Rd., Manmad,
> >Chalisgaon, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Hoshangabad, Budni,
> >Barkhera, Bhopal, Sanchi (for 1st/2nd class passengers and their
servants
> >when required), Bhilsa (now Vidisha), Bina, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Datia,
> >Gwalior, Morena, Dholpur (arr/dep. indicated - all trains halted
here),
> Agra
> >Cant., Raja-ki-Mandi, Muttra, Kosi Kalan, New Delhi, Delhi Main.
> >
> >Halts that have been removed - Budni, Barkhera (all trains stopped at
> these
> >two stations), Datia, Kosi Kalan (removed and then added - arr./times
> >indicated with all trains stopping here).
> >Quite a few halts have been added - Burhanpur, Khirkhiya, Harda,
> Banapura,
> >Habibganj (NO train used to halt here), Basoda (now Ganj Basoda),
Babina
> >(only pass. trains halted here), Faridabad.
> >Used to have a spectacular run from Bhusaval to Itarsi with just one
halt
> at
> >Khandwa. Used to be the only train to ignore Burhanpur, Harda,
Basoda
> (even
> >GT had a halt here).
> >
> >
> >More later on the GT Exp., Bombay-Howrah Mail via Nagpur,
> >Bombay/Howrah-Madras Mails
> >
> >Vijay
> >
From: Goodwin 4486 <>
Subject: Re: Female Railfans
Date: 13 Oct 1999 15:58:17 -0500
>Hi all,
>
>A while back there was a short thread on wondering if there are any
>female railfans in the world. While digging through some old photos the
>other day I came across one I had taken in 1982. I was 16 years old at
>the time. A special excursion train was running on the rail line that
>passes my house so I was out that day to photograph it. At one location
>I set everything up the way I wanted when a car pulled up,(in my camers
>view, of coarse), and the photograpHER got out to take a picture too.
>Needless to say, I did not not readjust composition. BTW, if you are an
>older male list member with heart trouble, maybe you shoud use caution
>when viewing.
>
>got <A HREF="http://www.railroad.net/forums/photo/msg1013013628295.jpg">http://www.railroad.net/forums/photo/msg1013013628295.jpg</A>
>
>Tim
Hi Everyone,
Over the years we have had a couple of female rail
enthusiasts
down here in Australia.
There are also the wives of some enthusiasts who have also taken to
photographing for passing the time while their husbands drive from one
end
of the country to the other.
BTW Tim, loved that shot! What a lovely Alco, deserves to be
photographed
by anyone and everyone :)
Best Wishes
Brad
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at <A HREF="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</A>
From: Sridhar Shankar <>
Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
Date: 13 Oct 1999 16:43:10 -0500
>We can definitely expect a ton of trains from Calcutta, including
Shatabdis
>to Patna and Bhubaneswar (complementing the Dhauli Exp.). I am hoping
for a
>Varanasi/Lucknow superfast train and a genuine Rajdhani-type
Mumbai-Howrah
>train via Allahabad. We may even see a Howrah-Chennai superdeluxe exp.
>
>Vijay
Though it would be nice to have a Mumbai - Howrah and Howrah - Chennai
Rajdhani/Superdeluxe type train, such trains kill the existing superfast
trains. For example a real Rajdhani type on the Mumbai - Howrah route
will
reduce the Gitanjali even further to a "all stops passenger".
I would hate to see Coromandel suffer the same fate of being relegated
to a
second class status. It would be nice if IR restores trains like TN (my
all
time favorite) and GT to a position where they live up to their
superfast
title.
-Sridhar
From: Mike Brooker <>
Subject: Re: Go Calcutta? Confirmed
Date: 13 Oct 1999 19:07:40 -0500
>It has been confirmed, Mamta Banerjee is indeed 'our' minister. She has
a
reputation
>for a simple, stubborn but sincere person. So the railways may see
better
days under
>her leadership.
>
>Jishnu Mukerji wrote:
>
>> Pushkar Apte wrote:
>> >
>> > >From Indian Express, 10/12:
>> >
>> > It is now almost certain that Trinamool Congress leader
>> > Mamata Bannerjee will be the new Railway Minister.
>> >
A Congress leader becomes Railway Minister under a BJP government???
How
can that be? In Indian politics nothing's impossible!
********************************************************************
Mike Brooker
99 Wychcrest Ave.,
Toronto, ON M6G 3X8
CANADA
(416) 536-7406
********************************************************************
From: VIRAF P.. MULLA <>
Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
Date: 13 Oct 1999 19:21:21 -0500
Hi All,
In the September 1930 issue of "Indian State Railways Magazine" there is
a full page ad about Deccan Queen.
THE STATELY
DECCAN QUEEN
(ELECTRIC SERVICE)
IS
NOW RUNNING
BETWEEN
BOMBAY
AND
POONA
A NEW RECORD
TIMING OF 2 HRS. 53 MTS.
(OLD TIMING 4 HOURS.)
DEPARTURE BOMBAY DAILY 17 HRS.
DEPARTURE POONA " 7.35 "
GREAT INDIAN PENINSULA RAILWAY
In the April 1930 issue of the same magazine, there is an article about
"New Trains For The Poona Mail Service" which describes the new rakes
for
Bombay - Poona service as "Articulated"- that is to say , one bogie
supports the ends of the two adjacent coaches. It further states that "A
number of years ago the GIP Railway built some coaches on a similar
principle, but the new trains are the first complete trains in India to
be
built this way". - Boy we did had Talgo trains then.
Okay folks I am going to take out a xerox of this article along with the
ones of famous trains & mail it to Appu so that he can load all this on
the web for you all. Appu are you ready?
Regards
Viraf
==========================
Viraf Mulla
C-20/14, Jeevan Bima Nagar,
Borivali (West)
Mumbai 400103
Tel: +91-22-8954510
E-mail: sncf@godrej.email
==========================
From: raymond/Polaris <>
Subject: What will Mamata do ?
Date: 13 Oct 1999 19:43:46 -0500
Dear gang,
We have had priorities from a few of the gang about the trains that they
would
like to see originating from Howrah. Sure that is what most of our
Railway
Ministers have been known for. Now, suppose you were in the redoubtable
Ms.Banerjee's shoes - what would you do ?
There has been so much talk about rail safety, outdated signalling
systems, rail
renewals, all of which seem to die down 60 days after major rail
mishaps. Then
there is Project Unigauge, which a lot of the gang think was just to
make the
Railways task easier. Then there is the glamour of faster, more
exclusive
trains. Then track electrification (what with the recent diesel price
hike!!),
track doubling, new rail lines, improvements in powers and rolling
stock,
freight movement computerisation.
The Railways are slowing loosing their ability to receive Central
funding. Maybe
Mamata wants to be see to be more benevolent to the proletariat than
Jyotida, So
will she go by the old conventional wisdom of cross- subsidising Sleeper
and
second class fares by upper class fares.
Believe me, these are tough choices. One thing is certain, all passenger
carrying trains run full the whole year round. You can push up passenger
fares
without affecting your utilisation percentage. Nor will you lose votes
if you
present you case for removing passenger fare subsidies. For example, the
Govt.raised diesel prices by 35 % and there hasn't been blood on the
streets.
But, it is in the freight sector that the Railways have lost out to
Roads. And
this is an area where the Railways have to get their act together. The
problem
is not so much equipment, as the attitude of the front-men that is very
putting-offish.
So, coming back to my question, what would you do as Railway Minister to
(a)
increase revenues, and (b) improve services, both of which as you know
constitutre a good old Catch-22 situation.
Maybe we can send her our action plans, if we feel something should be
done to
get IR up there among the best.
Regards
Raymond
From: S.Shankar <>
Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
Date: 13 Oct 1999 20:30:39 -0500
Sridhar Shankar wrote:
>
> Vijay,
>
> Really neat stuff. Can you include the arrival/departure timings at
the
> terminal stations?
> It is indeed sad to note that some trains take longer today than they
did
> 60 years ago.
> -Sridhar
Hello,
Yeah, tell me about it.
In the 1930s, the Deccan Queen used to do the Bombay-Poona journey in
2hr 45 min with the good old WCP/1s in charge. Now the Queen takes 3hr
25 min. It had slowed down even more in between.
Of course, it was a seven car train then.
Going not so long ago, the Jhelum, when it was introduced, used to do
the Poona-Delhi stretch in 24 hrs. This was increased to 30, then again
reduced to 27hrs.
Cheers.
Shankar
From: S.Shankar <>
Subject: Re: Info. from 1934 Bradshaw
Date: 13 Oct 1999 20:38:40 -0500
Hello,
W O W Vijay, that was fascinating stuff.
I adore those old names: tanna for thana, coorla for kurla, trichnopoly
for tiruchirapalli, chingleput for chengalpattu etc. There was a time
when poona was spelt pounah.I do not remember where I'd seen it though.
I wish we could archieve the oldies and put them into a book or
something.
I intend making a start with the irfca mail archieves, courtesy our dear
friend Shanku. After painstakingly going ove each post, I intend
printing the juicy ones like this.
If only I had more time!
Cheers, and keep it coming!
Shankar
Vijay Balasubramanian wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> Got a chance to look through my 1934 Bradshaw TT (courtesy Ajai
Banerji
> who is back in India). Is loaded with information and I doubt whether
I can
> do justice through email. Neverthless, let me attempt to share some
info.
>
> Let me start with the premier trains (note the station spellings).
>
> 1. 5 Up/6 Dn. Punjab Mail - Calcutta (Howrah) to Lahore - 1st class,
2nd
> class, Inter class, 3rd class for servants only - run time around 35
hrs.
> About 5 hrs. faster than the present Howrah-Amritsar Mail between
Howrah and
> Amritsar.
>
> Halts - Burdwan, Asansol, Madhupur, Jha Jha, Kiul, Mokameh, Patna,
> Dinapore, Arrah, Buxar, Moghal Sarai, Kashi, Benares Cant.,
Partapgarh,
> Rae-Bareli, Lucknow, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Rampur,
Moradabad,
> Najibabad, Lhaksar, Roorkee, Saharanpur, Ambala Cant., Rajpura,
Ludhiana,
> Jullundur Cant., Jullundu City, Amritsar, Moghalpur, Lahore.
>
> Used to take the H.B. Chord (not via Bandel). TT mentions about
dinner
> being served in the restaurant car (in the Howrah-Burdwan section).
>
> Just to give you an idea about the fares between Howrah and Amritsar
> (around 1950 km)
> 1st class - around Rs. 108, 2nd class - around Rs. 50, Inter Class -
around
> Rs. 25, 3rd class - around Rs. 13. So for long distance, charges
double as
> one goes to the next higher class.
> When was the Inter class abolished? I believe 3rd class was abolished
in
> the mid 70s and Inter class was 'adjusted' to the present 2nd class.
Am I
> on the right track here?
>
> Notable skips
> Durgapur - a rather unimportant station, only the Punjab Exp. used to
halt
> here. Ondal and Raneegunge were more important.
> Mihijam - now Chittaranjan. Only passenger trains halted here + the
> Sealdah-Delhi Exp. (predecessor of Upper India Exp.)
> Jasidih - only train to skip this one
> Dildarnagar - same as above
> Bhadohi - halt for pass. trains only
> Balamau - only train to skip this one
> Phagwara - Frontier Mail also ignored it.
>
> 2. 1 Up/2 Dn. Calcutta-Delhi-Kalka Mail. 1st,2nd,Inter, 3rd(allowed
for
> distances > 100 miles). About 40 mts. faster than present
Howrah-Kalka
> Mail. Nearly an hour faster between Howrah and Delhi.
>
> Halts - Burdwan, Asansol, Dhanbad, Gomoh, Hazaribagh Rd., Gaya, Sone
East
> Bank (now Sonnagar), Dehri-on-Sone, Moghal Sarai, Mirzapur, Allahabad,
> Fatehpur, Cawnpore Central, Etawah, Shikohabad, Tundla, Hathras,
Aligarh,
> Ghaziabad, Delhi, Subzimundi, Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra,
Ambala
> Cant., Dhulkot, Lalru, Ghaggar, Chandigarh, Surajpur, Kalka.
>
> Halt time of 30 mts. (Up) and 1 hr. 15 mts. (Dn.) at Delhi. Few
changes in
> the halt pattern - it now skips Sonnagar and halts at Sasaram instead.
> Surprisingly, the Bombay Mail via Allahabad used to skip Dehri-on-Sone
and
> halt at Sone East Bank. Why did the focus shift away from Sonnagar and
onto
> Dehri-on-Sone? Industries?
>
> Other notable skips - Durgapur, Koderma
>
> 3. 3 Up/4 Dn Calcutta-Bombay Mail via Chheoki (not Allahabad),
> 1st,2nd,Inter,3rd. A little over 2 hrs. faster than present Mail via
> Allahabad. Was the only train to skip Allahabad and halt at Chheoki -
so no
> directional reversal. Used to go via Bandel instead of the chord
line. As
> fast as the Kalka Mail between Howrah and Chheoki.
>
> Halts - Bandel, Burdwan, Asansol, Dhanbad, Gomoh, Hazaribagh Rd.,
Gaya, Sone
> East Bank, Sasaram, Moghal Sarai, Mirzapur, Chheoki, Manikpur, Satna,
Katni,
> Sihora Rd., Jubbulpore, Narsinghpur, Kareli, Gadarvada, Pipariya,
Sohagpur,
> Itarsi, Harda, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Bhusaval, Chalisgaon, Manmad, Nasik
Rd.,
> Igatpuri (only 6 mt. halt), Kalyan, Dadar (only towards Bombay),
Bombay VT
>
> A footnote says that trains will be stopped at Thana for passengers
when
> required. Dinner served in the restaurant car between Howrah and
Bandel.
>
> Notable skips - Durgapur, Raneegunge, Koderma, Dehri-on-sone, Maihar
(only
> train to do so), Nepanagar, Jalgaon (only train to do so), Devlali
> (conditional halt).
>
> Gadarvada (now Gadarwara) and Sohagpur were important stations with
all
> trains stopping here and both arrival/dep. times indicated. Of
course,
> there were only 4 trains between Allahabad and Itarsi.
>
> The abstract section also indicates an Imperial Mail that would run
from
> Howrah and Bombay (Ballard Pier, not VT) on Thursdays conveying first
class
> passengers and their servants only. In the Up dirn., it would leave
Howrah
> about 1 1/2 hrs. after the Mail. A footnote mentions that about five
hours
> after the P. & O. Mail Steamer (any more info. on this?) has been
brought
> alongside the Pier, Indian Imperial Mail train starts from Mole
alongside
> the Steamer. Accommodation is provided for 42 First Class Passengers
only.
>
> 4. 3/4 Frontier Mail between Bombay Central and Peshawar. Am not
sure
> about the Up/Dn here - I think this was Dn. from Bombay to Delhi and
then
> Up. 1st,2nd,Inter,3rd(for servants only). Run time of around 46 1/2
hrs.
> from Bombay to Peshawar, around 47 1/2 hrs. in the return direction.
Nearly
> an hour slower than the present Golden Temple Mail.
>
> Halts - Dadar (Dn only), Palghar, Bulsar, Surat, Baroda, Godhra,
Dohad,
> Rutlam, Nagda, Shamgarh, Bhawani Mandi (Up only), Kotah, Lakheri (Up
only),
> Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Bayana, Bharatpur, Muttra,
(intermediate
> halts not indicated), Delhi Main, Ghaziabad, Meerut City,Meerut Cant.,
> Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Ambala Cant., Rajpura, Ludhiana, Jullundur
Cant.,
> Jullundur City, Amritsar, Moghalpura, Lahore, Shahdara, Gujranwala
Town,
> Wazirabad, Lala Musa, Sohawa, Gujar Khan, Mandra, Chak Lala,
Rawalpindi,
> Taxila, Campbellpur (who was Campbell?), Attock, Nowahara, Peshawar
Cant.
>
> Halts that have been removed - Palghar (arr./dep. times indicated),
Bulsar
> (now Valsad), Lakheri, Rajpura.
> Halts that have been added over the years - Borivli (used to be
ignored by
> most exp. trains), Ramganj Mandi (removed for sometime and then added
> again), Shri Mahabiji, Beas.
>
> Bradshaw mentions that the Frontier Mail will leave from Ballard Pier
on
> Outward Mail Days (mail from Britain??). A portion of the Up Frontier
Mail
> will run direct to Ballard Pier on Saturdays carrying Homeward Mail.
>
> 5. 5/6 Punjab Mail between Bombay VT and Delhi. Run time of 26.5 / 27
hrs -
> nearly 1-1.5 hrs. slower than present Punjab Mail. Nearly 2 hrs.
faster
> than GT from Itarsi to Delhi - about 1/2 hr. faster than GT in the
return
> journey.
>
> Halts - Dadar (only towards Bombay), Kalyan, Kasara (only towards
Delhi),
> Igatpuri, Devlali (will stop here by Signal - ?), Nasik Rd., Manmad,
> Chalisgaon, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Hoshangabad, Budni,
> Barkhera, Bhopal, Sanchi (for 1st/2nd class passengers and their
servants
> when required), Bhilsa (now Vidisha), Bina, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Datia,
> Gwalior, Morena, Dholpur (arr/dep. indicated - all trains halted
here), Agra
> Cant., Raja-ki-Mandi, Muttra, Kosi Kalan, New Delhi, Delhi Main.
>
> Halts that have been removed - Budni, Barkhera (all trains stopped at
these
> two stations), Datia, Kosi Kalan (removed and then added - arr./times
> indicated with all trains stopping here).
> Quite a few halts have been added - Burhanpur, Khirkhiya, Harda,
Banapura,
> Habibganj (NO train used to halt here), Basoda (now Ganj Basoda),
Babina
> (only pass. trains halted here), Faridabad.
> Used to have a spectacular run from Bhusaval to Itarsi with just one
halt at
> Khandwa. Used to be the only train to ignore Burhanpur, Harda, Basoda
(even
> GT had a halt here).
>
> More later on the GT Exp., Bombay-Howrah Mail via Nagpur,
> Bombay/Howrah-Madras Mails
>
> Vijay
From: San-Ind <>
Subject: schedules of Frontier Mail in 1933
Date: 13 Oct 1999 21:27:16 -0500
Vijay Balasubramanian wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Apurva Bahadur [SMTP:iti@vsnl.email
> > Sent: Monday, October 11, 1999 2:31 AM
> > To: VIRAF P.. MULLA
> > Cc: San-Ind; Vijay Balasubramanian
> > Subject: Re: Want History Lessons?
> >
> > Viffy Boy, Mail only ONE copy to your dear friend in Pune and your
webpage
> > would be ready for the whole world to see. You always neglect to
think of
> > webpage as a method of reaching out.
> >
> Am looking forward to seeing this on the your webpage, Apurva. Will
dig-out
> my pre-independence Bradshaws soon and list the halt pattern for these
> premier trains.
>
> Vijay
Hello Everyone,
Somewhat from Rly. Museum Library i 'd got schedules of 1up/2dn.
Frontier Mail
from 1933 broadshow. i'm also comparing these shedules with current. I
think
from Steam to Electric there's not much progress speed wise........ But
one
sad
thing is that Politicians has changed its name..... U can see there are
almost
7-8 trains hauling from Amritsar which are ahving no name..... Instead
giving
this name to other train, they had Frontier Mail into History.
IN 1933 IN 1999
BCT d 21.40 21.30
RATLAM a 8.50 7.15
9.05 7.25
S. MADHOPUR d 15.15 13.05
BHARATPUR a 18.09 15.40
d 18.17 15.45
MUTTURA
(MATHURA JN.) d 18.44 16.40
DELHI a 21.30 New Delhi 19.00
d 22.20 19.15
MEERUT CANTT d 23.48 21.43
SRE d 1.52 23.45
UMB d 3.17 1.25
LDH d 5.15 3.30
JUC d 6.08 4.45
ASR d 7.32 6.00
LAHORE a 8.40 ---
d 9.10
PESHAWAR CANTT. a 20.55
Regards
Sandeep
____( \ .-' `-. / )____
(____ \_____ / (O O) \ _____/ ____)
(____ `-----( ) )-----' ____)
(____ _____________\ \____/ /_____________ ____)
(______/ `-.____.-' \______)
"A part of you has grown in me,
together forever we shall be,
never apart,
maybe in distance,
but not in heart"
~unknown
From: San-Ind <>
Subject: Change of Spellings/Name
Date: 13 Oct 1999 21:30:01 -0500
Hey !! Everybody
After Independence The spelling of Some Rly. Stations has changed :
Some are :
Old Name New Name
Muttura Mathura
Cawnpore Kanpur Central
Central
Gujjar Nangal Nangal Dam
Simla Shimla
So please Add on this list..............
Regards
Sandeep
____( \ .-' `-. / )____
(____ \_____ / (O O) \ _____/ ____)
(____ `-----( ) )-----' ____)
(____ _____________\ \____/ /_____________ ____)
(______/ `-.____.-' \______)
"A part of you has grown in me,
together forever we shall be,
never apart,
maybe in distance,
but not in heart"
~unknown
From: SHRINIVAS V. JOSHI <>
Subject: Rly. Minister
Date: 13 Oct 1999 22:01:30 -0500
Hi!
(Just a clarification to what Mike is thinking )
Mamata Banerjee is from Trinumul Congress, a faction of Indian Congress.
And this faction was supporting the BJP for last 2 years. But this time
they actually agreed to participate in formulating the Cabinet.
She and few from West Bengal broke off from Indian Congress, now led by
Italian born Sonia Gandhi.
Bye,
From: Krishna S. Dhir <>
Subject: Northeast Frontier Railway Magazine
Date: 13 Oct 1999 23:02:00 -0500
Hi Gang,
In the years of Northeast Frontier Railway's infancy, when its capital
in
Pandu (near Guwahati, Assam) and the Railway Colony in Maligaon, not far
from Pandu, were still being built, Roorkee-graduate Mr. D.C. Baijal was
General Manager (who later became the CRB). In those days, N.F. Railway
used to have a magazine, THE N.F. RAILWAY MAGAZINE. It carried excelent
general-interest articles, illustrated with superb photographs, about
the
areas serviced by NFR ... anthropology and sociological traditions of
the
various tribes, Khasis, Nagas, and so on; various flora, e.g., varieties
of
orchids easily seen from ones window seat, traveling from Guwahati to
Lido;
wildlife of Assam; and so on. The Magazine was published on glossy
paper,
and was of superior quality. Anybody still have copies of these? During
late 1959-early 1960 the Editor was my father, Mr. H.D. Dhir, who served
as
Deputy General Manager of NFR during that period. I would like very much
to
get my hands on copies. or on copies of the copies ... Any ideas?
Congratulations, Tim ... Excellent photograph ...
Cheers,
Krishna S. Dhir, PhD
School of Business Administration
Penn State University at Harrisburg
777 West Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA 17057-4898
Telephone: (717) 948-6153
Secy: (717) 948-6141
FAX: (717) 948-6456
WebSite: <A HREF="http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/k/s/ksd3/">http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/k/s/ksd3/</A>
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re:Fw: e-mail address of Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds)
Date: 14 Oct 1999 01:46:19 -0500
Sujanthan,
I do not know what the official view is, but these refunds are next to
impossible. I had cut short a journey and did the necessary paper work,
but
this was three years ago. I am yet to hear anything about the refunds.
My view is that the personal follow-up and the tension that one takes on
is
just not worth asking for a refund. Please forget about getting your
money
back. If you still want to take up the matter, it means personal visits,
threats, letters to various people and newspapers. This is one of the
less
palatable aspects of the Indian Railways. There is no email address of
any of
these officials.
One lead could be the Ernakulam loco shed's website which would give you
the
email address of the SR officials in the links. See if they could help
you.
Please do not lose belief in the railways, just regard the working of
the
commercial department with a suspicious eye.
Check out ERS shed webpage, the DRM is quite a friendly person.
<A HREF="http://business.vsnl.com/locomotive/">http://business.vsnl.com/locomotive/</A>
Apurva
>
> If you can guide me where to contact and how ? I have got all the
documents
> Xerox copies. I have lost belief in Railways. They never bother about
> passengers money. I have visited your website. It is really good.
Could you
> please help me in this regard.
> Awaiting to hear from you soon.
> Regards.
From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Green paint
Date: 14 Oct 1999 01:51:11 -0500
Tim & Anita Wakeman wrote:
> Hello,
>
> There was some talk a couple of weeks ago on the green and cream paint
> on somr IR locos. Is this a rare scheme? I have a photo of the 6204, a
> YDM4 that I took at Chittor AP. It was in such paint. Apurva, you
should
> like this one!
Green YDM 4s are quite common from the Golden Rock shed, It is the green
WDM
2s that are quite rare. My complements for the lovely picture.
Apurva
>
From: Anand Krishnan <>
Subject: Re: What will Mamata do ?
Date: 14 Oct 1999 02:19:48 -0500
Hi all,
I guess ER,NER,NFR will be the happiest to have her at the helm.
Will
SR, SCR get a raw deal? does she have a good rapport with allies in
South ?
that worries really for a diehard SR fan like me.
Kind regards
Anand
>From: raymond/Polaris@polaris.email
>To: irfca@cs.email
>Subject: What will Mamata do ?
>Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 08:13:46 +0530
>
>
>
>Dear gang,
>
>We have had priorities from a few of the gang about the trains that
they
>would
>like to see originating from Howrah. Sure that is what most of our
Railway
>Ministers have been known for. Now, suppose you were in the redoubtable
>Ms.Banerjee's shoes - what would you do ?
>
>There has been so much talk about rail safety, outdated signalling
systems,
>rail
>renewals, all of which seem to die down 60 days after major rail
mishaps.
>Then
>there is Project Unigauge, which a lot of the gang think was just to
make
>the
>Railways task easier. Then there is the glamour of faster, more
exclusive
>trains. Then track electrification (what with the recent diesel price
>hike!!),
>track doubling, new rail lines, improvements in powers and rolling
stock,
>freight movement computerisation.
>
>The Railways are slowing loosing their ability to receive Central
funding.
>Maybe
>Mamata wants to be see to be more benevolent to the proletariat than
>Jyotida, So
>will she go by the old conventional wisdom of cross- subsidising
Sleeper
>and
>second class fares by upper class fares.
>
>Believe me, these are tough choices. One thing is certain, all
passenger
>carrying trains run full the whole year round. You can push up
passenger
>fares
>without affecting your utilisation percentage. Nor will you lose votes
if
>you
>present you case for removing passenger fare subsidies. For example,
the
>Govt.raised diesel prices by 35 % and there hasn't been blood on the
>streets.
>But, it is in the freight sector that the Railways have lost out to
Roads.
>And
>this is an area where the Railways have to get their act together. The
>problem
>is not so much equipment, as the attitude of the front-men that is very
>putting-offish.
>
>So, coming back to my question, what would you do as Railway Minister
to
>(a)
>increase revenues, and (b) improve services, both of which as you know
>constitutre a good old Catch-22 situation.
>
>Maybe we can send her our action plans, if we feel something should be
done
>to
>get IR up there among the best.
>
>Regards
>
>Raymond
>
>
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From: Apurva Bahadur <>
Subject: Re: Green paint
Date: 14 Oct 1999 06:31:50 -0500
> Infact 2 months back i saw a mixed
> freight(wagons and coaches) load passing through Guindy station on the
new
> MAS-TRY BG line hauled by a green WDM2 presumably from GOC.
Interestingly
> there was one overhauled, old, flat sided inspection cars of yester
years
> attached to it. Wonder how easy it is to maintain those vintage
bogies.
Surprise ! I too saw these flat sided inspection coaches about an year
ago. But then
these were in a PRISTINE condition. My guess is that these were air
conditioned as
well. There were three of these and attached to the 1326 Passenger
towards Mumbai.
They were with a blood red livery !
Good news about the green WDM 2, come to think of it I did see a green
and cream GOC
or Erode Jumbo WDM 2 outside the CSTM electric loco shed, presumably the
KR 0111/0112
power.
Apurva
>
>
> Kind regards,
> Anand
>
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From: Don Mills <>
Subject: Re: Female Railfans
Date: 14 Oct 1999 08:31:19 -0500
I don't know but I think I posted several months back that my wife was
the
orginal railfan in our family, her father worked for the Chesapeake &
Ohio
Railroad in the States. She grew up playing on famous engines like
C&O's
1308 and their 490. Over here in the states many of the women railfans
are
the most zealous. If I remember correctly, Apurva's wife is also a
railfan. I seem to have a picture of her onboard a WDM engine.
Perhaps the women railfans seemingly are quieter as they know that we
will
do the grunt work and they will enjoy the fruits of our labor.
(Making
them the smarter of the two I might add.)
Don in WV