Valsad WCAM2 # 21866 at the head of the 4708 Down Ranakpur Express at Bandra terminus (BDTS) facing north. Note the dual headlamps retrofitted in the original nacelle and the heavy metal guard for the air brake angle cocks. The angle cocks can get damaged in accidents with cattle etc. and immobilize an otherwise fit locomotive, hence the guard. Note the hinged panel below the right windscreen, this could hide the driver - guard telephone line connector.
Tiny railfan checks out the loco? A view of the Bandra Terminus, this is the through platform — it is possible to leave the south end and join the WR mainline. Some trains leave MCT (which has short platforms and loops) and stop BDTS on this platform to add coaches. The other side of this platform is a dead end. The WR mainline is on the other side of the buildings on the right, about 300 meters away.
Views of the Bandra Marshaling yard (BAMY) as the Ranakpur express starts. This is the BAMY diesel shed, home to the orange WDS4 shunters with the 'going nowhere' livery.
The WP 7161 was homed in this shed in 2000 for many months, so I was hopeful of a small miracle, instead there seems to be a DMU-type thingy inside the shed.
One of the many 'high capacity parcel vans' in the BAMY. This one seems to be part of a 'named' service.
Another parcel van — these have air brakes and can run at 110 kmph, thus can be attached to any mail/express train. In the background is the overbridge of the Khar Road station — just to give an idea of where BDTS and BAMY are.
An AC/DC EMU runs parallel to our train. The BAMY is 10-12 lines across, while the main line is 5 lines across, hence there are a lot of railways here. Note the '25 KVAC' style insulators in this section, although the OHE here is charged to 1500 VDC. Have a look at the smaller 1500 VDC insulators in the 'WCG2 at Lonavala' pic on the earlier page.
The moment of truth: the Ranakpur blocks the two up lines and the down fast line to cross from the BAMY onto the WR main line. We had to wait many minutes at the exit of BAMY before a slot in the packed main line was available.
A WCAM2 # 21870 waits dead at Vasai Road yard for its next duty. Note the pronounced rain gutters on top of the side ventilators and the cab door/window.
The WCAM2 # 21866 at its home, Valsad. Most of the WCAM2s I saw have retrofitted double headlamps.
Valsad stable mates, the WCAM2 and WCAM1. Both are AC/DC locos that can work with the 1500 VDC found in Mumbai and 25000 VAC that is found north of Mumbai. Both the locos have the Alco pattern asymmetric bogie, while the third dual-voltage loco on the IR, the WCAM3 uses the 'high adhesion' bogie. The WCAM2 is hauling a BTPN rake (petrol), which has a 'non-hazardous' wagon (a BOXN in this case) attached at either end as a protection against collisions.
Two pics of the BTPN, note the extended walkway on the top which is used by the persons filling the tanks. I am not sure how the BTPN is emptied.
A (fuzzy) view of the switch/fuse box in the coach — the 110 VDC feeder from the coach battery comes from below — the negative pole is protected by a single HRC (high rupture capacity) fuse on the right, the many wires on the other side are the return conductors. The positive pole is fused in sections, (my guess) lighting circuit 1, lighting circuit 2, fans and general light section (toilets, night lights, lights over the exits). The circuits are switched by the rotary switches (with missing knobs) fitted on brown bakelite laminate. The shiny tin-plated copper busbars are used for the low drop distribution. I could unfortunately not get a clear pic of the connection diagram. Note the bakelite barrier between the positive and negative sections. Railfans, be prepared with a suitable knob or pliers to switch the sections if your coach lacks lights/fans. Some coaches have circuit breakers instead of HRC fuses + rotary switches and these do not require any tools/knobs to switch sections.
The mysterious 'hemisphere' found along railway lines that was discussed on IRFCA earlier. These may be junction boxes leading wires to the track circuited joint on the left. The insulated rail joint on the left has wooden sleepers while rest of the track has concrete sleepers + Pandrol clips, note the six bolts for fastening. There seems to be a piece of plastic insulator between the rail gap.
Bhagat ki Kothi (BGKT) shed WDM2A # 16838 brings in the 9112 Jammu - Ahmedabad express at Pali Marwad. The janata on the station are waiting for the Jodhpur - Ajmer passenger that is following this train.
