55753407 basic guide on train operation

Ba

sic

Gu

ide

on

Tra

in o

pe

rati

on

20

11

[

Ind

ian

Ra

ilw

ay

]

Basic Guide on

Train Operation

FRAIGHT. COACHING. YARD. LOCO. SIGNAL. RAILWAY OPRATION.

COLLECTED BY:-

Amar Singh J.E .-C&W

KOTA WC R

2

-Amar Singh (JE_C&W)

3

Freight Wagons

Q. What are the loading gauge restrictions (maximum dimensions) on IR wagons?

Please see the 1971 standards for rolling stock dimensions and also the older, 1929 standards for rolling

stock dimensions. Also of potential interest in this connection are the dimensions of tracks.

Q. How are freight cars classified by IR?

The following codes are used now for classifying freight cars. The classification scheme is not entirely

systematic. Older wagons especially have codes that are not easily explained in this way. But in general

an optional gauge code is followed by a type code which is followed by an indication of the coupler and

whether the wagon is air-braked.

Gauge code

o M : (prefix) MG

o N : (prefix) NG

Wagon type code o B : (prefix) Bogie wagon (sometimes omitted)

o BV : Brake van

o V : Brake/parcel van (see above for brake van codes)

o O : Open wagon (gondola)

o C : Covered wagon (boxcar)

o F : Flat car

o FK : Flat car for container transport

o FU : Well wagon

o LA : Low flat car with standard buffer height

o LB : Low flat car with low buffer height

o LAB : Low flat car, one end with low buffers, the other with high buffers

o R : Rail-carrying wagon

o T : Tanker (additional letters indicate material carried)

o U : Well wagon

o W : Well wagon

o K : Open wagon: ballast / material / refuse transport (older wagons)

o C : Centre discharge

o S : Side discharge

o R : Rapid (forced) discharge, bottom discharge

o X : Both centre and side discharge

o X: (also?) High sided

o Y : Low (medium?) side walls

o L : Low sided

o H : Heavy load

The ‘B’ indication is sometimes omitted as all new wagons are bogie stock.

Following the type code in the classification code a letter may denote the type of coupler, nowadays

optional, as all new freight cars are fitted with centre buffer couplers (CBC). An 'N' suffix is for

'pneumatic', or air-braked wagons. Most new stock that is air-braked also has CBC couplers, so the 'C' is

usually dropped. E.g., BOXN for air-braked BOX wagons, not BOXCN. Almost all the older stock is

vacuum-braked.

Coupler, brake, and other suffixes:

o C = Centre buffer coupler (CBC)

o R = Screw coupling only

o T = Transition coupler (CBC with additional side buffers and screw coupling)

4

o N = Air-braked

o M = (suffix) Military

Most wagons are made of steel, except for a few special-purpose wagons. Some specialized wagons

have been made with stainless steel or special steel alloys to reduce corrosion. Some Recently [12/04]

with the rising price of steel IR has been looking into using steel substitutes, and plans have also been

drawn up for the production of aluminum-body wagons (see BOBNAL, BOBRAL below). It is thought

that about 750 aluminum wagons will be built in 2005-2006. Interestingly, some of these are said to be

of a 4-wheel design. The tare weight is expected to be reduced by about 4.2 tones. A few aluminum

wagons are already in use on a trial basis. Aluminum wagons besides being of a lower cost and having a

lower tare weight also have the advantage of suffering less corrosion in many circumstances. A typical

rake with aluminum wagons instead of steel ones would carry almost 240t more goods.

As seen in the permanent way section, many BG routes have rails that allow axle loads of up to 25t, or

in many cases 22.5t. However, normal operating procedures on IR restrict BG wagons to 20.3t of axle

load. Now [3/05] it has been proposed that this be raised to 23t.

Descriptions of some wagon types follow below.

BOX High-sided bogie open wagon. Side discharge arrangement. 55 ton capacity, 25 ton tare. Used for

coal and other bulk goods. About 7,000 of these are in use [2006]; this class is in decline since the

advent of the BOXN and other variants. There used to be over 14,000 of these in the 1990s, and about

8,800 as late as 2005. BOXT, BOXR, and BOXC are the same with transition, screw, and CBC

couplers, respectively.

BOXNBOX variant: High-sided bogie open wagon with

pneumatic brakes, high tensile CBC couplers, CASNUB cast steel

bogies, cartridge tapered roller bearings. Perhaps the most

common wagon, there are around 64,000 or more of these in use

[2002-2006]. Used for bulk movement of material commodities

(coal, iron ore, stone, etc.).

Max. axle load 20.32t

Spring grouping per bogie - outer 12

Spring grouping per bogie - inner 8

Tare 22.47t

Payload (RDSO spec.) 58.81t

Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) 64+2 = 66t (RC 13/2007)

Gross load (RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) 81.28t

Gross load (revised, incl. tolerance) 86.47+2 = 88.47t

Capacity 56.3m3

Width 3.2m

Height 3.225m

Length over headstock 9.784m

Length over coupler faces 10.71m

Distance between bogie centers 6.524m

Standard rake size (2007) 59

Total train load (incl. BVZC, RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) 4809.3t

Total train load (incl. BVZC, CC+8+2) 5399.32 (BOXNM1) A.L. - 22.9 tt

Total train load (incl. BVZC, revised, incl. tolerance) 5233.53t

RDSO design speed (loaded) 60 (CC+8+2), 75 (CC)

5

RDSO design speed (empty) 80 (CC+8+2), 80 (CC)

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) 60km/h (CC+8+2), 75km/h (CC)

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) 80km/h (CC+8+2), 80km/h (CC)

AAR 'E' high-tensile coupler with high-capacity draft gear. CASNUB 22 NLB Cast Steel bogies. Air

brakes and parking brakes. Rated speed 80km/h (some older ones were rated at 75km/h).

BOXN-HA The BOXNHA type is a BOXN variant with improved bogies and higher capacity, fit for

100km/h. (Suffix 'HA' = 'high axle load'.) Uses IRF 108HS cast steel bogies with secondary suspension,

CBC couplers, and single-pipe air brakes. The wagon is similar to the BOXN wagon in length and

width, but taller by 225mm. Rake loads rise to 3783t from the 3411t of ordinary BOXN wagons.

These wagons were designed for higher speed (100km/h) operations with higher axle loads (22.1t for

coal, 23.5t for iron ore). 301 of these wagons were produced between Nov. 1999 and March 2000 and at

first allocated to the Hospet - Chennai section. However, the track on this section could not handle the

higher axle loads (the wagons required 52kg 90 UTS rails) and upgrade plans were dropped, so the

decision was made to run the BOXN-HA wagons with reduced loading and stop the manufacture of

more of them. About 400 more of them were eventually manufactured before production was halted

permanently. RDSO later developed the BOXN-HS variants (see below) which later became more

widely used for high-speed iron ore and coal loads. BOXN-HA production has not resumed although

now many main line sections have 60kg rails and are quite capable of handling the wagons' higher axle

loads. It appears that the poor condition of some bridges and other track structures may have been the

reason behind halting the BOXN-HA production. Had this wagon come into general use, freight rakes

of 5220 tones could have been run. These wagons number about 731 as of 2006.


Some variants 23.5t.



Tare 23.17t


Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) 66+2 = 68t

(RC 102/2007)


Gross load (revised, incl. tolerance) 91.17t

Capacity NA

Width 3200mm

Height 3450mm

Length over headstock 9780mm

Length over coupler faces 10713mm

Distance between bogie centers NA



Total train load (incl. BVZC, CC+8+2) NA


RDSO design speed (loaded) 60km/h (22.9t), 100km/h (20.32t)

RDSO design speed (empty) 65km/h (22.9t), 100km/h (20.32tkm/h

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) UP (22.9t), 75km/h (20.32t)

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) UP (22.9t), 100km/h (20.32t)

6

BOXN-HS BOXNHS wagons are converted BOXN wagons fitted with CASNUB HS high-speed

bogies raising the max. Speed to 100km/h. Developed by RDSO after the BOXN-HA wagons didn't

work out; it has an 8% lower capacity compared to the BOXN-HA. Many BOXN-HS wagons have

been seen [8/05] with a name, 'Pragati', stenciled on them. It is not known whether these represent some

sort of class name or a variant design.




Tare 22.47t



(RC 13/2007)



Capacity NA

Width NA

Height NA

Length over headstock NA

Length over coupler faces NA




Total train load (incl. BVZC, CC+8+2) 5399.32 (BOXNHSM1) A.L. - 22.9 tt


RDSO design speed (loaded) 60km/h (CC+8+2), 100km/h (CC)

RDSO design speed (empty) 65km/h (CC+8+2), 100km/h (CC)

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) UP (CC+8+2), 100km/h (CC)

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) UP (CC+8+2), 100km/h (CC)

BOXN-HL BOXNHL wagons are like BOXNHS wagons but about 250mm longer, and made of

stainless steel and cold rolled sections. Air-braked, CBC couplers, roller bearings.




Tare 20.6t


Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) 70t

(RC 29/2009)



Capacity 61.05m3

Width 3250mm

Height 3301mm



7

Distance between bogie centers 6690mm


(RC 05/2009)




RDSO design speed (loaded) 75km/h

RDSO design speed (empty) 100km/h

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) UP

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) UP

BOXNHL WAGON

BOXN-CR BOXNCR wagons are corrosion-resistant BOXN wagons built with 3CR12 stainless steel

(a proprietary version of grade 409 stainless steel). Only about 580 of these (10 rakes) have been built

so far [4/02] as part of ongoing service trials. Note: In 2006, IR's published statistics reported holdings

of only 286 of these wagons; it's not clear whether this is a clerical error or whether nearly 300 of them

have been retired/scrapped in recent years.

BOXN-LW The BOXNLW wagons are low-tare-weight BOXN wagons ('LW' = 'low weight') the tare

weight is reduced by 1.8t compared to BOXN wagons, and the payload correspondingly increased by

the same amount. This wagon has a stainless steel body to reduce corrosion. About 250 of these (4

rakes) have been bult so far [12/04] as part of ongoing service trials Air-braked, CBC coupler, roller

bearings..




Tare 20.41t


Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) -


Gross load (revised, incl. tolerance) -t

Capacity 61.09m3

Width 3250mm

Height 3341mm


8






Total train load (incl. BVZC, revised, incl. tolerance) -t





BOXN-AL BOXNAL wagons are BOXN wagons with an aluminum body on top of steel under frame.

The aluminum alloy is 'RDE-40', also used in the BOBR-AL wagons. These wagons are naturally

lighter and allow a higher payload to be carried for the same axle load.

BOXN-EL The BOXNEL wagons are BOXN wagons with 'enhanced loading' features, designed for

transporting coal, ores, etc. CASNUB 22NLC bogies, CBC couplers, single-pipe air brakes.

Max. axle load 25t



Tare 22.47t



(RC 109/2007)



Capacity 56.29m3

Width 3200mm

Height 3233mm








RDSO design speed (loaded) 45+5km/h

RDSO design speed (empty) 60+5km/h

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) 45km/h

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) 60km/h

BOXS BOX wagon with side discharge / flap doors, siding roof (rare)

??? (Code not known) [12/06] New low-height BOXN variants have been seen coupled in sets of 5

wagons just like the BLCA/BLCB formations (q.v.). Each coupled group of 5 wagons has a CBC at

either end. Within each group the wagons have slack less drawbar connecting them to one another. Like

9

the BLCA/BLCB, these are expected to allow IR to carry taller loads without running into problems

with height clearances.

BCN Bogie covered 8-wheeler wagon, CASNUB bogies, air-braked, CBC. Originally developed in

1984 for carrying bagged commodities. Original model had entirely riveted construction. This variant

has undergone some changes over the years. Newer ones have snubbers and nested coil springs under

bolster, elastomeric pads, with secondary suspension system.




Tare 27.2t

Older: 25.9t



(RC 13/2007)



Capacity 104m3

Width NA

Height NA






Total train load (incl. BVZC, CC+8+2) 3674.28 (CC+6+2)(BCNM1)

A.L. - 22.9t




CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) UP (CC+6+2), 75km/h (CC)


BCNA The BCNA wagon, also known as 'BCN/A', is a variant of the BCN design was developed to be

less long but increased height to keep the capacity the same. It has welded construction compared to the

original BCN which was riveted. BCNA wagons are covered bogie wagons (capable of being made

water-tight for delicate commodities) with cartridge tapered roller bearings, cast steel bogie, air brakes.

Two doors on each side. Uses BCN design's 2-tonne overload capacity. Also very common, there are

more than 42,000 of these in use [2006]. Used for foodstuffs, cement, etc. (but see the BCCN wagon

below, especially for cement transport, and BCX, which are also used for bulk food transport).

10




Tare 24.55t



(RC 13/2007)



Capacity 106.5m3

Width 3200mm

Height 4017mm

Length over headstock 13521m


Distance between bogie centers 9500



Total train load (incl. BVZC, CC+8+2) 3852.8 (CC+6+2) (BCNAM1)

A.L. - 22.9t




CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) UP (CC+6+2), 75km/h


AAR 'E' high-tensile coupler with high-capacity draft gear. CASNUB 22 NLB cast steel bogies.

Snubbers and nested coil springs under bolster, elastomeric pads, etc., with secondary suspension

system. Air brakes and parking brakes. Rated for 80km/h.

BCNA-HSBCNAHS wagons are a modified design of the BCNA wagons with CASNUB HS high-

speed bogies raising the max. speed to 100km/h. These wagons are characterized by a patch of

red/white horizontal stripes on the top left.

BCCN BCN variants for carrying bulk cement. Loading is through ports at the top; unloading via

chutes at the bottom.

11

BCCN/BCCNA/BCCNB Automobile Carriers

A few wagons also marked BCCN like the cement carrier class noted above are actually single- or

double-decker wagons intended for carrying automobiles; these have a low platform with 840mm wheel

diameter and are fitted with air brakes. Only about 50 of these are thought to exist [4/02]. The

explanation of the class code is that they are thought to have been made by taking old BCCN wagons

and modifying them. Also see 'NMG' below. They were built in 1997 by the Golden Rock Workshops

based on designs from RDSO, and were intended to carry Maruti brand automobiles. These come in two

varieties, 'A', and 'B', classified BCCNA and BCCNB. More recently [11/04] another variation,

BCCNR (BCCN-R), has been spotted - see separate entry below.

BCCNR Automobile carrier wagons introduced in 2004. these are single-deck covered wagons with 10t

capacity and 28.5t tare weight, and a low platform with 840mm diameter wheels. Some of these were

limited to 65km/h but later were apparently approved for 100km/h. These were designed to capture

more automobile traffic, especially from the south where many automobile plants are, following the

introduction of different car models by various manufacturers in recent years which could not be carried

on the original wagons (taller and bigger cars can now be carried). These were built starting in 2000

after some trials of in early 1999 of several variant designs proposed by RDSO. BCCNR wagons are not

thought to number more than about 35.

NMG These are not narrow-gauge wagons, despite the

classification code! These are usually single-decker automobile

carriers constructed out of old ICF and BEML passenger stock.

The design is not entirely uniform but generally all the windows

and doors are welded shut, and a new end door created to allow

vehicles to be driven into the wagon (or former coach!). Some

NMG wagons are made from old double-decker passenger stock

and are thought to allow double-deck carrying of automobiles. A few NMG units converted from old

12

BCCN (cement wagons) have also been spotted. The class code 'NMG' stands for 'New Modified

Goods'; but at the time of its introduction it was also common to hear the explanation that it stood for

'New Maruti Goods' (Maruti is an Indian car manufacturer).

Other Automobile Carriers

Several other converted coaches have been used for carrying automobiles. CONCOR has recently

[1/05] announced plans for a 'CARTRAC' service to carry automobiles. This appears to use the old

coaches from rakes of trains like the Gujarat Exp., formerly vacuum-braked, modified by welding the

side doors shut and adding openings at the ends to load cars. A movable ramp guides cars into one of

two decks and then folds away when the wagon is in motion.

BCX Water-tight covered high-sided bogie wagon with cast steel bogies. Cartridge taper bearings on

newer ones. Snubbers and nested coil springs under bolster, elastomeric pads, with secondary

suspension system. Used for food grains, cement, etc. (BCXT, BCXR, BCXC are variants with

transition couplers, screw couplers, and CBC) around 18,000 of these are in use. CASNUB cast steel

bogies. There are over 7,700 of these [2006]. The class is in decline - there were 9,200 of these in 2004.

Tare 27.2t

Payload 54.1t / 104m3

Axle load 22.9t


Height 3.79m

BOY Low-sided bogie open wagon, CBC 91.4 tone load. Used for iron ore transport, etc. There are

about 880 of these [2006]; the class is somewhat in decline - there were over 900 of these in the late

1990s.




Tare 20.71t


Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) 72+1 = 73t (RC 13/2007)



Capacity NA

Width NA

Height NA










CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) UP (22.9t ) 65km/h (20.32t)

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) UP (22.9t ) 80km/h (20.32t)

13

BOY-EL BOYEL wagons are low-sided bogie open wagons - a BOY variant for 'enhanced loading'.

Designed for transporting coal, ores, etc. CASNUB 22NLC bogies, CBC couplers, single-pipe air

brakes.

Max. axle load 25t



Tare 20.71t



(RC 109/2007)



Capacity 37.8m3

Width 3134mm

Height 2450mm












BOBS Open hopper car with bottom/side discharge (often used for ballast and ores) Similar to the

BOBR/BOBRN wagons, except that the discharge is to the side (clear of the tracks). Underside doors

on the wagons are operated pneumatically, and can be controlled by a line side triggering mechanism.

The various 'BOB' variants together number about 1,500 wagons.

Tare 30.4t

Payload 61.2t, 34m3

Length 11.6m, width of carbody 3.02m, height 3.3m. AAR 'E' high-tensile coupler with high-capacity

draft gear. CASNUB 22 NLB cast steel bogies. Air brakes and parking brakes. Rated for 100km/h.

BOBS-NM1 Open hopper car with bottom/side discharge, variant of BOBS with different suspension

and allowing a higher axle load of 25t. Used for ballast and ore transport. Several BOBS wagons were

converted to BOBS-NM1 in 2006-2007.

Max. axle load 25t



Tare 30.4t


14


(RC 109/2007)



Capacity NA

Width NA

Height NA







Total train load (incl. BVZC, revised, incl. tolerance) 5335t





BOBYN Open hopper car with side-bottom discharge, for carrying stone, track ballast, etc. These are

air-braked.




Tare 26.78t



(RC 13/2007 )



Capacity NA

Width NA

Height 3.05m







15




CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) -

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) -

These wagons have the usual CASNUB 22 NLB bogies and newer ones are provided with CBC,

although there are still many with transition couplers.

BOBC Open hopper car with bottom/centre discharge

BOBX Open hopper car with both bottom/side and bottom/centre discharge

BOBR Open hopper car with rapid (pneumatic) bottom discharge doors. Same as BOBRN (see below)

except that they have vacuum brakes and are rated for lower speeds (80km/h?).

BOBRN Open hopper car with rapid (pneumatic) bottom

discharge doors, air-braked. BOBRN and BOBR (see above) are

most often used for carrying coal to thermal power plants, and also

for ore, stone, track ballast, etc. Each wagon holds some 60t of

coal loaded from the top and unloaded from the bottom by means

of the pneumatically operated doors. The contents of the wagon

can be discharged completely in about 15 seconds.

The door-opening mechanism is triggered by lineside devices running on a 24V or 32V DC source. As

the wagons in a rake pass by the triggering devices, their doors open and their contents are unloaded

into the pits below the tracks (the 'merry-go-round' system). The versions used by the power plants have

12 bottom doors, whereas IR uses variants that have 8 doors.

Max. axle load (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 20.32t

Spring grouping per bogie - outer (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 12

Spring grouping per bogie - inner (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 8

Tare (CC+6+2)UP

(CC) 25.6t

Payload (RDSO spec.) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 55.68t

Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 60 +2 = 62t

(RC 13/2007 )

Gross load (RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 81.28t

Gross load (revised, incl. tolerance) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 85.6+2 = 87.6tt

Capacity 57.2m3

Width 3.5m

Height 3.735m




Standard rake size (2007) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 59

Total train load (incl. BVZC, RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) UP(CC)

(CC+6+2) 4809.32t

Total train load (incl. BVZC, CC+8+2) UP(CC)

5281.32t (CC+6+2)

16

A.L. -22.9 tt

Total train load (incl. BVZC, revised, incl. tolerance) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 5182.2t

RDSO design speed (loaded) UP (CC) 60km/h (CC+6+2)

75km/h (CC)

RDSO design speed (empty) UP (CC) 70km/h (CC+6+2)

70km/h (CC)

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 60km/h

(CC+6+2)UP(CC)

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) (CC+6+2)UP(CC) 65km/h

(CC+6+2)UP(CC)

Length over coupler faces 11.6m. AAR 'E' high-tensile coupler with high-capacity draft gear. CASNUB

22 NLB cast steel bogies. Air brakes and parking brakes. Rated at 100km/h. (Power plant versions

without air brakes are rated at a lower speed.)

Some BOBRN wagons have been made of aluminum (BOBRAL / BOBR-AL). In these, the under

frame is made of steel while the rest of the body is made of aluminum. The maximum axle load is the

same as that of the regular BOBRN (20.32t), but the tare weight is reduced by 3.2t and the payload

correspondingly increased by the same amount. The aluminum alloy used is 'RDE-40', and has 4% zinc,

2% magnesium, 0.35% manganese, and 0.15% zirconium.

BOST An open bogie wagon, for carrying finished steel products, but also used for coal, stone, etc.

BOST-HS is the high-speed version.




Tare 25t



(RC 13/2007)


Gross load (revised, incl. tolerance) 86+2 = 88t

Capacity NA

Width 3.1m

Height 3.08m



Distance between bogie centres 8.8m







CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) Under process (UP)

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) Under process (UP)

17

This has the usual CASNUB 22 NLB bogies (high-speed version fitted with CASNUB HS bogies), and

non-transition CBC. Air-braked.

BFK Early version container flat car

BKFX Container flat car for domestic 5-ton containers. Improved BFK with CASNUB bogies (not

much used now with the move to standard containers).

BFKI Container flat car for ISO containers, with retractable anchor locks. Originally fitted with

vacuum brakes. CONCOR bought about 1300 of these from IR in 1997-1998 and retrofitted them with

air-brakes and put them to use on its domestic container traffic routes ('Contrack'). The ones fitted with

air-brakes were generally reclassified 'BFKN' (see below). In all, there are about 1,571 of these now

[2006].

BFKN Converted BFKI flat cars with air brakes and CASNUB bogies. See 'BFKI' above.

??? (Code not known) Special flat wagon.

Tare 30t, payload 90t. Length 11.93m, width of carbody 2.8m, height 1.49m. AAR 'NT' CBC. UIC

bogies. No continuous brakes, parking brakes only. Rated at 25km/h.

BFNS Special flat wagons for transport of steel (coils, sheets, etc.) and also used for transporting rails.

Air-braked. CASNUB 22 NLB bogies. Max. speed 100km/h.




Tare 23.63t



(RC 13/2007)



Capacity NA

Width 3045mm

Height 2650mm



Distance between bogie centres 9144mm


Total train load (incl. BVZC, RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) 3265t


Total train load (incl. BVZC, revised, incl. tolerance) 3519t





??? 'Crop' wagon for steel plants. Flat platform for finished steel goods, with low sidewalls.

18

Tare 25t, payload 55t. Length 8.33m, width of carbody 2.66m, height 2.19m. Screw coupling, no

continous brakes (only parking brake). Diamond frame bogies. Limited to 25km/h.

BFR Bogie flat rail-carrying wagon (64 tonne load)

BFU Bogie flat type wagon : for transporting motor vehicles.

BOM Bogie open military wagon.

BRHBogie rail-carrying flat car with roller bearings. This has end-plates that can be removed.

BRHT Bogie rail wagon, heavy load (80 tonne load), with UIC bogies, transition coupler

BRN Developed in 1994 as an improvement on the older BRH wagon. Air-braked wagon with

CASNUB bogies, for rails and steel products and similar heavy loads. These were originally built with

58t capacity, but around 2,200 of them are being downgraded [10/02] to 48t capacity. BRNA-HS is the

high-speed version of these.




Tare 24.39t



(RC 13/2007)



Capacity NA

Width NA

Height NA



Distance between bogie centres NA


Total train load (incl. BVZC, RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) 3265t





19



BRNA A variant of the BRN wagon developed in 1992. Air-braked, CBC couplers, roller bearings.




Tare 23.54t



(RC 13/2007)



Capacity NA

Width NA

Height NA












BRST Bogie rail-carrying wagon, with transition coupler.

BTO Bogie tanker wagon for heavy oil, furnace oil, etc.

BTORX, MBTORX Bogie tanker wagon for vegetable oil, and its MG variant

BTP, BTPN

The most common bogie tanker wagon seen today. Used primarily for liquid petroleum products

(petrol, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, furnace oil, etc.), and also for molasses, vegetable oil, etc. An

enhanced version, the BTFLN, has been developed recently (see below). The payload to tare ratio for

this tanker is 2.0. There are about 7,300 of these [2006].

Tare 27.0t

Payload 54.28t / 70.4m3

Axle load 20.32t



Height 4.265m

20

Width 3.126m


Inside diameter of tanker is 2.85m. CASNUB 22 NLB bogies, CBC non-transition couplers. BTPN

variants are air-braked.

BTFLNImproved frameless bogie tanker wagon, successor to the venerable BTPN (see above) [2004].

Used primarily for liquid petroleum products (petrol, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, furnace oil, etc.), and

also for vegetable oil and other liquid cargo. The BTFLN wagon was developed by RITES in

collaboration with Azovmash of Ukraine. The tankers are frameless and have no center sill. The tractive

and buffing forces are taken up by the barrel body itself, so that it is subject to biaxial stresses. The tare

weight is lower than that of the BTPN by nearly 3.5t, and the payload is higher for the same axle load.

The payload to tare ratio rises to 2.4 with this tanker.

Tare 23.53t

Payload 57.75t / 76m3

Axle load 20.32t



Height 4.265m (?)

Width 3.126m


Inside diameter of tanker is 2.85m. CASNUB 22 NLB bogies, CBC non-transition couplers. BTPN

variants are air-braked.

BTCS Bogie tanker car for caustic soda.

Tare 26.0t

Payload 55.28t / 38.75m3

Axle load 20.32t


Width 2.56m, height 4.11m. Inside diameter 2.3m. CASNUB bogies, CBC.

BTSA?? Bogie tanker for sulphuric acid.

BTAP Bogie tanker car for alumina powder. Leakproof wagon with a special air fluidizing system for

discharging alumina powder from the bottom through pipes like a fluid.

Tare 27.9t

Payload 58t / 62m3

Axle load 20.32t


Length 12.32m, width of tanker 3.2m, height 4.3m. CASNUB 22 NLB cast steel bogies, AAR 'E' high-

tensile coupler with high-capacity draft gear. Air brakes and parking brakes. Rated for 100km/h.

BTAL Bogie tanker car for anhydrous ammonia

21

BTPGLN Bogie tanker, for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Tare 41.6t

Payload 37.6t, 79.4m3

Axle load 20.3t

Length over couplers 18.9m, width 3.05m, height 4.29m. Inside

diameter 2.4m.

BWH Well wagon (20.47m long, 22.9t axle load) with 3-axled bogies. These are used for loads like

heavy transformers, etc., up to 92t.

BWL, BWS, BWH, BWT, BWX Different kinds of well wagons (tall wagons with inward sloping

sides)

BWZ Heavy-duty well wagon, for loads up to 220t such as large transformers and power plant

equipment.

Tare 146t, payload 220t (some versions are limited to 180t). Length 37.81m, width of carbody 3.74m.

Screw coupling. Cast steel bogies. No continuous brakes on most (retrofitted on some?), parking brakes

only. Limited to about 40km/h.

BVZC Four-wheeled brake van for block rakes, with CBC

BVZI Improved brake van with max. speed of 100km/h, and some improved comfort features

compared to the BVZC. It uses friction snubbers instead of hydraulic dashpots for damping, and has a

bogie-mounted brake system in place of the conventional arrangement.

BVG, BVGT, MBVG, NBVG Brake van for non-block rakes.

BGVT is the same with a transition coupler. MBVG is the MG

version and NBVG is the NG version. 4-wheeled.

VVN (?)Milk tanker — these are special tankers for carrying milk

at 4 degrees Celsius. The milk is carried in an inner barrel of

stainless steel, surrounded by an outer barrel with insulation

between the two. Pasteurized and chilled milk remains cool

enough with such an insulated design so that it does not spoil on

fairly long journeys; there is no need for refrigeration equipment.

These tankers are attached to express trains and are treated on par

with passenger stock, and rated for higher speeds (110km/h) than most freight stock. They have

Flexicoil bogies.

A different kind of milk tanker were the small tankers donated by New Zealand that were in use in the

1980s, for instance on the Miraj-Pune Passenger. Two of these at a time were mounted permanently on

a flat car with Flexicoil bogies, creating a two-tanker milk wagon with a single base. These appear to

have been decommissioned now. Classification code unknown.

Tare 33.7t

22

Payload 1.2t, 40m3

Axle load 20.3t

Length 14.07m, width of carbody 2.91m, height 3.96m. Transition or screw couplers. CASNUB 22

NLB cast steel bogies. A buffer bogie is provided. Most have vacuum brakes, but some are air-braked.

Parking brakes provided. Rated at 100km/h.

BLAN/BLBN Bogie low-platform container flats, in mating pairs 'A' and 'B'. These have largely been

superseded by the newer designs used by CONCOR (BLCA/BLCB, below).

BLC/BLCA/BLCB BLC wagons are CONCOR's new [1995] container flats. (Also known as 'CCF',

Coaching Container Flats.) Low platform container flat wagons. These have light-weight welded

'skeletal' design underframes, automatic twist locks, a single-pipe air-brake system, and reduced wheel

diameter (for the low beds). The low platform allows them to carry high-cube or Tallboy containers on

routes where clearances would otherwise make this impossible.

These are mostly used for international container traffic from Mumbai. The wagons come in two

flavours. An 'A' type (BLCA, also BLC-A) has a normal (AAR 'E' type) CBC at one end and a slackless

drawbar at the other end. The 'B' type wagon (BLCB, also BLC-B) has only the slackless drawbar

couplers at either end. Usually 3, or sometimes 5 BLCB wagons are coupled together, with a BLCA

wagon at either end, forming a semi-permanently coupled formation of 5 or 7 wagons.

Being longer than most other wagons, a rake can only have about 45 of these BLC flats, which at the

rate of 2 TEU's per wagon works out to a carrying capacity of 90 TEU's per train. A lot of international

container traffic (especially from Mumbai) is carried on these. SR's Golden Rock workshops are

expected to take over manufacturing these wagons. Also see below. New versions [9/04] have

automatic load-sensing devices to provide optimum braking power with different loads.

About 1905 of these were obtained first (in two batches) [6/02] and a third batch of another 1320

wagons were procured around 2002-2003. Since then there has been a steady growth in these and now

[2006] there are about 4,700 of these in use.

Tare BLCA 19.1t, BLCB 18.0t

Length over headstock BLCA 13.625m, BLCB 12.212m

Height 1.009m

Width 2.1m

Wheel dia. 840mm

Distance between bogie centres BLCA 9.675m, BLCB 8.812m

AAR 'E' type CBC and slackless drawbar system. The slackless drawbar is lower than the normal

couplers, at 898mm, while the CBC are at normal height (1080mm). Bogies are cast steel CASNUB

bogies, a common variant in use now is denoted 'CONTR-LCCF-20(C)'. Air brakes, automatic load

sensors. Max. speed 100km/h.

Some refrigerated containers are also moved on BLCA/BLCB wagons. This service was introduced

recently [2004] between ICD Tughlakabad and JNPT / NSICT ports at Mumbai. These refrigerated

units have special power-packs for refrigeration power on the run. The containers are modified 40'

containers. Each power-pack serves 12 FEUs, and as many as three of them, serving 36 FEUs, have

been run by CONCOR on a single train.

BLLA/BLLB These are variants of the BLCA/BLCB container flats, with an extra-long 45' (13.7m)

platform. There are about 405 of these in use [2006]. They were designed by RDSO and RITES jointly,

for transportation of Indian standard 22', 24', and 45' containers as well as ISO standard 20' and 40'

23

containers. The bogie is the 'hybrid' LCCF 20(c) bogie, which along with small diameter wheels

achieves a low underframe height. The wagons have twist locks to secure containers.

the BLLA wagons are intended to be the outer wagons in a coupled group of 5 wagons, with the inner 3

being the BLLB type. The outer couplers for the BLLA are AAR 'E' type, and the inner couplers are

slackless drawbar couplers.


Spring grouping per bogie - outer NA

Spring grouping per bogie - inner NA

Tare 19.8t

Payload (RDSO spec.) 61t

Payload (revised, incl. tolerance) NA


Gross load (revised, incl. tolerance) NA

Capacity NA

Width 2200mm

Height 1008mm




Standard rake size (2007) 45 (18 BLLA with 27 BLLB)

Total train load (incl. BVZC, RDSO spec., excl. tolerance) NA


Total train load (incl. BVZC, revised, incl. tolerance) NA


RDSO design speed (empty) 100km/h<--

CRS sanctioned speed (loaded, SER) NA

CRS sanctioned speed (empty, SER) NA-->

TCT (Non-standard classification code) BG Long Covered Wagon, for defence use. Screw couplers

and side buffers, fabricated 4-axle bogie, manual brakes.

Tare 84.7t

Capacity 65.0t


Height 4246mm

Width 3200mm


HTC (HCT??) (Non-standard classification code) BG Long Covered Wagon, for defence use. Screw

couplers and side buffers, CASNUB 22NLB bogie, air brakes. Has a 'hood transfer mechanism'.

Tare 40.0t

Capacity 40.0t


Height 4042mm

Width 3100mm

24


MBC, MBCX MG bogie box wagon, 34 ton capacity, 13.4 ton tare

MBOC, MBOCX MG bogie open wagon (coal, etc.), 35 ton capacity

MBFU MG bogie well wagon

MBTPZ MG bogie petroleum products wagon

MBTW MG bogie water wagon

NOL NG open wagon, 21 ton tare

NCL NG covered wagon, 21 ton tare

NMG Not an NG wagon! See entry above under BG wagons.

DNMG ?? Heavy-duty flat car for military transport use (tare wt. 68 tonnes).

Descriptions of some older wagons are given below. These ae 4-wheeled non-bogie wagons unless

mentioned otherwise.

BT Ballast-carrying hopper wagon with bottom discharge.

C Covered rigid 4-wheeled wagon with ribbed body and hook coupling (old)

BC, MBC Early bogie version of the 'C' covered wagon, and its MG variant.

CA Variant of C, covered 4-wheeler ventilated wagon (for livestock)

CMR Variant of C, covered 4-wheeler cattle wagon

CG 'Covered Goods': covered 4-wheeler wagon rakes

CR Covered 4-wheeler wagon (rigid body (non-bogie), rather prone to derailment)

CRT, CRC These are CR variants fitted with transition couplers and CBC. These CR wagons are still

in wide use, and have been retrofited with newer couplers and improved suspension. [7/00] These

wagons are now scheduled to be withdrawn.

CSI Covered wagon (iron / general)

K Open low-sided wagon, coal / general (old)

KC Open high-sided unit wagon for construction material, refuse, etc. Now used for departmental rakes

to carry sleepers, etc.

KE Open wagon elephant truck (!)

KF Open wagon, low-sided, 'falling'

KL Open wagon, low-sided

KM K version for military use

25

BKM, DBKM Bogie versions of the KM military flat / low-sided wagons

BKC Bogie version of KC

BKHBogie open hopper wagon with side and centre discharge

(ballast transport)

BT Hopper cars with bottom discharge, used for departmental

rakes carrying ballast

O Open 4-wheeled wagon

OM, MOM Open military wagon. MOM is the MG version.

TA Tank wagon (acid)

TB Tank wagon (benzene)

TBT Tank wagon (bitumen)

TCL Tank wagon (chlorine)

TCS Tank wagon (caustic soda)

TE Tank wagon (liquid caustic soda)

TF Tank wagon (ammonia)

TG Tank wagon (LPG)

THA Tank wagon (hydrochloric acid)

TK Tank wagon (kerosene)

TL Tank wagon (heavy oil)

TM Tank wagon (molasses)

TOH Tank wagon (heavy oil)

TORX, MTORX Tank wagon (vegetable oil) and its MG version.

TP, TPR Tank wagon (petroleum), the latter with screw coupling?

TPGLN, TPGLR Tank wagon (petroleum/LPG products), the latter with screw coupling

TR Tank wagon (coal tar)

TSA Tank wagon (sulphuric acid)

TV Tank wagon (vegetable oil)

TW Tank wagon (water)

TX Tank wagon (liquid chlorine)

26

TZ Tank wagon (lubricating oil)

TOH Tank wagon (heavy oil, with heating arrangement)

In addition, annotations "WT" (water-tested) or "NWT" (not water-tested) may appear on wagons.

"Water-tested" means that the wagon has been tested to ensure that it is waterproof and can be used

safely with cargo that would spoil in contact with water.

Additional notes

Double-decker automobile carriers are made by Golden Rock workshops. These are coupled in 5-car

formations similar to the CONCOR container consists described below (the middle three cars having

low buffers). These are (confusingly) also classified BCCN. The A cars can carry 9 automobiles each,

and the B cars can carry 10 automobiles each, for a total of 48 for a 5-car formation.

Some older 4-wheel (non-bogie) tank wagons (TK, TP, etc.) are being re-used in an inventive way: the

tank and part of its base is fitted on to a frame that matches the shape of a half-size standard ISO

container frame and which is then carried on normal container flat wagons. This allows the tank and its

frame (which may still have years of useful life left) to be used even though the original 4-wheeled

wagon base is no longer in use. Picture

Special-purpose wagons of various kinds have been used by IR. Some 24-axle threaded beam well

wagons and 18-axle well wagons with integral brake vans at either end are used by BHEL for

transporting large transformers. BHEL, Trichy, has a 24-axle saddle wagon named 'Kaveri' for

transportation of large electrical equipment, and BHEL also has an 18-axle well wagon.

The Atomic Energy Commission has some 12-axle and 16-axle saddle wagons as do a few other heavy

industrial concerns, power companies, NPC, etc. A 20-axle well hole wagon was built specially for

GEC Alstom's use in transporting large electrical equipment. Several of these multi-axled heavy

wagons were built by Golden Rock workshops. 'Merry-go-round' wagons used at power plants and

mines can tilt sideways to unload their contents as each wagon in the rake passes by.

Passenger coaches, including EMU stock, have often been converted by IR for use in carrying goods,

by sealing the windows and removing all interior fittings.

Milk vans, because of the perishable nature of their cargo, have the curious privilege of being treated as

passenger coaching stock with corresponding speed limits. Milk vans are often attached to passenger

trains and are rated for 100km/h. Most are vacuum-braked; however, newer ones are air-braked.

Several of these wagons use 'CASNUB' bogies. These are cast-steel bogies with friction-damping

arrangements (hence the name, from 'CAst steel SNUBber equipped'). These come in some variants,

e.g. CASNUB HS is a high-speed variant allowing speeds up to 100km/h, CASNUB 22 NLB has

additional correction and friction damping mechanisms, CASNUB HA has higher payload capacity, etc.

Q. What are CONCOR container consists?

CONCOR is the organization that handles container traffic in India. More details here. CONCOR has

about 1905 BLC type low-bed wagons for fast container traffic. CONCOR also plans to acquire new

45-foot wagons to carry 22-foot domestic containers as well as 45-foot international containers, and

also to take over some BRN wagons from IR and convert them for use for high-speed container traffic.

CONCOR acquired, in 1997-1998, about 1300 BFKI wagons from IR, upgraded them with air brakes,

and deployed them for domestic 'Contrack' services. CONCOR still has many older container flat

wagons obtained from IR when CONCOR was created in 1988. These are limited in speed and less

reliable in transit.

27

Double-stacking is generally not possible because of clearances, and there are not many flat cars with

the requisite low bed height. For COFC, the general configuration is 6 trucks for 5 cars.

RCF has recently developed a new model of container flats that can carry 3 ISO 20' containers. These

are [12/01] undergoing trials by RDSO.

Q. How many freight wagons does IR have in its fleet?

As of 1998, IR had nearly 280,000 freight wagons.

PER Goods Wagons Until the mid-1990s or so, it was not uncommon to see wagons with the marking

'PER' in regular service in freight trains on IR, especially in the east. These were wagons from the

former East Pakistan (PER = Pakistan Eastern Railway) which were taken and deployed for use by IR

during the 1971 hostilities with Pakistan. Many of these remained in India afterwards, and were in use

until the 1990s, after which most of them were scrapped. As the PER stock was not particularly

different from the standard wagons used on IR, they could be used interchangeably with the normal

freight stock on the BG lines.

Q. Where are IR's freight wagons manufactured?

Most wagons today are manufactured by private firms such as CIMMCO, Texmaco, HDC, Besco,

Binny Engineering Works, Titagarh, and Modern. Public-sector organizations such as Burn Standard

Co., Braithwaite, Jessops, Bharat Wagon and Engg. Co. (these last four are held by the Bharat Bhari

Udyog Nigam, Ltd.), Bridge and Roof, Indian Standard Wagon, etc., also make some wagons. (Many of

these used to be private concerns but were taken over by the state.)

A small fraction of the wagons come from IR workshops such as those at Golden Rock, Amritsar, and

Samastipur. Golden Rock especially has built quantities of many different kinds of wagons over the

years, and in recent years have stepped up production to make large numbers of the BLCA/BLCB

container flats needed by CONCOR (see above).

CASNUB and other bogies for IR's freight wagons are made by Burn Standard, Bhilai Engineering

Corporation (BEC), Bharat Wagon and Engg. Co., and others. Mukund Ltd. is another company that in

the past supplied large numbers of cast bogies.

Brakes

Q. What kinds of brake systems do IR coaches and freight cars have?

In older stock, both passenger coaches and freight wagons, the continuous braking system consists of

vacuum brakes. Newer stock is almost always air-braked. The guard often has mechanical brakes acting

on his van. In addition, each piece of stock has mechanical parking brakes.

Continuous brakes were tried out by the various railway companies in the late 19th century. North

Western Railway was the pioneer with trials of continuous vacuum braking in the late 1880s and early

1890s. Vacuum brakes were chosen for the simplicity of design and lower cost. They also did not have

coupling cocks that could fail mid-train.

Early examples of the use of air brakes on IR include the Metro Cammell EMU stock delivered between

1951 and 1953 (and similar stock later delivered by other manufacturers), which featured the

Westinghouse twin pipe air brake system and electro-pneumatic application (the 1924 and 1928 EMUs

(CR and WR) were vacuum-braked). In the 1960s, the Deluxe Exp. (25 Down) and the Frontier Mail (3

Down) are also said to have had air brakes of the graduated-release kind. (This information has not been

verified -- it's likely that the Bombay Rajdhani was in fact the first long-distance train with air-brakes,

which it acquired in 1984.)

28

However, these were isolated examples and air brakes did not come into wide use until some time

beginning in the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Perhaps the most notable 'convert' of the time was the

Mumbai Rajdhani which switched to being air-braked in 1984, hauled by twin WDM-2 locos. The

Howrah Rajdhani also switched to being air-braked around 1986. Many express trains were vacuum-

braked until very recently (e.g., Madras-Howrah Coromandel Exp. was vacuum-braked until 1997.)

Air-braked rakes are now very common. Generally the blue-coloured livery that is now common on IR

for passenger coaches indicates air-braked stock. The air brakes are mostly of the twin pipe system,

with a feed pipe and a brake pipe. Air-braking (with dual pipes) is now standard for all

Rajdhani/Shatabdi and most other high-speed trains. (The twin pipe system fixes a problem with the

single-pipe system where the air in the auxiliary reservoir can be used up faster than the brake pipe can

charge it.)

On the broad-gauge network, only a few passenger trains running on low-speed lines are now left with

vacuum-braked stock, and most of these are being converted to air brakes rapidly. In some cases, as

with the Sahyadri, Maharashtra, and Koyna Expresses which were vacuum-braked until [2/02], there

was no convenient shed nearby for maintenance of air brakes (Kolhapur at the time did not yet have the

required facilities). These trains have been converted to air brakes now [12/04], as has the Dakshin

Express most recently, a vacuum-braked holdout for a very long time.

The Viramgam Passenger is still vacuum-braked [1/05], the only train out of Mumbai Central now. The

Tatanagar Passenger had 3 vacuum-braked rakes until recently [5/05]. The international Samjhauta Exp.

is another notable passenger train with vacuum brakes. The Toofan Exp. and the Bokaro/Tatanagar -

Alleppey Exp. may also be air-braked (uncertain) [12/04].

As of [5/04], about 7910 passenger coaches were vacuum-braked (out of the total fleet of 40,000

coaches). It is expected that the entire fleet will be converted to air brakes by March 2006 (about 4080

to be converted in the fiscal year 2004-2005). Most MG and NG coaches are still vacuum-braked,

though. (The MG EMUs that ran in Chennai until 2004 were also vacuum-braked.)

Dual-braked passenger coaches are rare, but some do exist, including sleeper coaches and AC 3-tier

coaches; most of these are not for general use but are saloons, inspection cars, or officer's cars, which

may need to be attached to either air-braked or vacuum-braked rakes.

With later freight stock (often colored green) single-pipe or dual-pipe air braking is becoming standard.

But there is still a lot of freight stock that is vacuum-braked. Much older freight stock is being

retrofitted with air brakes –– the workshops at Lallaguda (SCR), Parel (WR), and Matunga (CR),

among others, undertake such conversions.

Air brakes are among the most significant changes undertaken by IR in recent decades. They have allow

much higher speeds on most sections as trains can be safely braked in a shorter distance, leading to

better track utilization. Earlier, for instance, it was standard practice to begin braking at an Attention

signal (double yellow); now most trains speed past an Attention signal at the highest permitted speed

and begin braking only when a Caution signal is sighted. Safety has also increased with the power and

precision of air brakes.

Changing locomotives is now a matter of minutes - the angle cocks are closed, the locomotive is

detached, the new one attached and the cocks are opened once again. Earlier, disconnection of the

vacuum hose meant that all the brake pistons under the coaches went into emergency mode and had to

be manually released (by pulling a wire loop -- usually marked with a star -- under the coach). The

process of releasing the brakes easily takes around 15 minutes for vacuum-braked stock. On the other

hand air brakes do require more precise maintenance and care.

29

The standard BCN/BOXN/BPTGLN/etc. wagons have frame-mounted cylinders for the brakes, as do

the passenger coaches. Bogie-mounted brakes are only now [4/00] being introduced on passenger

coaches from ICF and RCF, and also being retrofitted on older passenger stock in some zonal railways.

BG EMU rakes have electro-pneumatic (‘EP’) brakes which are essentially air brakes, but where the

application is controlled electrically at each brake unit. BG EMUs have had air brakes for many decades

(see above). MG EMUs of the Chennai system were vacuum-braked. DMU rakes have standard twin-

pipe graduated release air brakes.

Brake blocks used to be made of cast iron. Later, various other materials were brought into use,

including asbestos-based materials. More recently [4/01] RDSO has developed new kinds of asbestos-

free composite materials for use in brake blocks. These are known as the 'L' type brake blocks and after

being introduced for BG have also been recently [2005] introduced for MG stock.

Q. What kinds of brake do IR's locomotives have?

Locos in India typically have air brake systems these days. As there is still a lot of freight stock, and

some passenger stock that is not air-braked, many locos do have dual braking capability where they can

deal with both vacuum braked and air-braked stock.

For instance, the original WDM-2 locos were vacuum-braked. As air braked stock came into wider use,

many of these locos were retrofitted with air brake systems as well, hence the WDM-2A locos have

dual braking capability. Later locos such as the WDM-2B and most WDM-2C units have only air

brakes.

Almost all new locos (WDG-4, etc.) have only air brakes as the original equipment in most cases,

although a few are now [9/01] being retrofitted with vacuum brakes because there is still a fair amount

of vacuum-braked freight stock in use. The presence of air brakes or dual-braking capability is indicated

by a number of ad hoc means, such as annotations ('DB', 'Dual Braked') or markings (thin blue stripes

running along the bottom of a loco, for instance). The annotations 'FP' and 'BP' on a loco indicate the

presence of the Feed Pipe or Brake Pipe, respectively.

Various forms of 'dynamic' braking are also used as supplementary systems where the kinetic energy of

the loco is used to generate electricity which is dissipated in some manner (resistive grids are common

('rheostatic braking' or 'dynamic braking'); some old EMUs in Bombay used electromagnets acting close

to the rails; some locos used the extra energy to heat water in tanks).

In some locos dynamic brakes are part of the original equipment, whereas in others they are retrofitted,

e.g., some WAP-4 locos that have had dynamic brakes with dissipation grids mounted on their roofs.

In a variant known as 'regenerative' braking, the energy is fed back to the overhead cables; this was

done by the DC locos (WCM series, definitely WCM-1 but not all of its successors). Feeding energy

back to the cables is more complex with AC power, but the latest WAP and WAG series locos do have

some provision for this.

Q. What are 'auto-emergency' brakes?

Many locos used in steep ghat sections also have an 'auto-emergency' ('AE' or 'AEB') brake system,

which consists of an additional safety circuit which monitors the speed and applies the brakes to slow

down or halt the locomotive if the speed rises above a certain threshold (sometimes 25km/h or so, but

this varies with the route and the working rules in effect).

There isn't a separate set of brakes, but rather, the loco brakes are applied independent of the driver's

control when the system is armed. The system is armed by using a key that the driver then hands to the

30

guard. If the brakes trigger automatically, the key has to be retrieved from the guard and used again to

get the train going (and a lot of paperwork has to be filed as well!).

AE brakes are used especially on the WDM-2/WDM-2C/WDG-2 locos from Gooty that work the

Braganza ghat. The AE brake system is armed when the locos are going in the downhill direction; its

use is mandatory as there are no other safety features such as catch sidings on this route.

Couplers

Q. What kinds of couplers are used on IR's trains?

IR passenger stock is mostly built with side buffers and screw couplers that have to be manually

connected. The side buffers have single helical spring elements. The notable exceptions are the new

[2/00] Alsthom LHB design coaches that have CBC (centre-buffer-coupler).

IR is now introducing tightlock CBC on passenger stock. This started as an experiment in the early

2000s. One rake of the Prayagraj Express was fitted with CBC as a trial. CBC overcome some of the

limitations of the screw couplers -- limited draft load and energy absorption capacity, lack of anti-

climbing feature, etc. CBC would also reduce the inter-coach distance. [12/05] More trains, such as the

Godavari Exp. and Charminar Exp. now have CBC rakes.

All new freight stock and container rake wagons for CONCOR, have CBC (MCB (or 'Janney' or

'knuckle' (US style) couplers). In particular newer freight stock has AAR type 'E' CBC usually with

high-capacity draft gear. But there are still some older freight cars which have hook couplers with side

buffers, as well as many with screw couplers.

Transition Couplers There are also 'transition' couplers, which have a CBC mechanism for coupling to

other CBC, but which also have a central screw coupling provision allowing coupling to wagons which

do not have CBC. There are two side buffers provided as well. These were useful when CBC were just

being introduced and there was a lot of freight stock that had screw couplers, but they have now

gradually lost their importance as more and more of the freight stock is fitted with CBC. These days

only locos and brake vans tend to have transition couplers. Older BOX wagons, older diesels (many

WDM-2's) and other older rolling stock had Henricot Transition Couplers with a double screw

arrangement. Somewhat newer rolling stock had the so-called Alliance or Clevis Transition Coupler.

This had a clevis to be locked under the knuckle before using the screw coupling. A locking pin

indicates whether the CBC portion is properly coupled or not.

Locomotives have transition couplers (see above) to allow them to hook up to either CBC or screw-

coupled stock, and they also have side buffers. RDSO has recently [2004] come up with new design

buffers for locos that have three times the energy storage capacity of the normal side buffers. These use

packs of four rubber compression springs instead of the usual helical spring elements for energy

storage.

Plate Couplers are temporary or short-run couplers that can be used to couple locomotives without

CBC couplers to CBC-fitted wagons. Pocket Couplers, similarly, are used for temporarily coupling

incompatible wagons. Both of these types of temporary couplers do not perform well in practice. They

were also generally in short supply at marshalling yards and elsewhere. The move to block rakes of

CBC wagons in the 1980s greatly reduced the demand for these temporary coupler types.

The Jones coupler (an adaptation of the Norwegian coupler) coupler is used on some MG and NG lines.

Also known as the chopper coupler, this uses a hook (the chopper) which fits into a yoke on the coupler

of the next car. A bar behind the yoke controls the tension in the coupler. MG wagons and coaches have

a the chopper at one end and the non-chopper coupler at the other end, hence a rake of MG wagons has

to have them all oriented in the same way.

31

MG locos have the choppers at both ends. When coupling a loco to a wagon, the loco's chopper is used

if coupling to the non-chopper end of the wagon, but the wagon's chopper is used if coupling to the

chopper end.

Jones couplers were developed in India and later spread to several east African and south-east Asian

railways. Some NG lines still use a basic Norwegian (or 'chopper') coupling, which has a square or

circular face with a slot coming down about half-way from the top.

Some NG lines use(d) the ABC Patent Coupling (ex-GIPR: Arvi-Pulgaon, Achalpulpur-Murtijapur-

Yavatmal, Daund-Baramati, etc.). This has a disk that rotates and latches on to a horizontal loop from

the mating coupler. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway uses a rudder coupling system to deal with the

severe curvature on some sections of its route. However, the Kishanganj branch of the DHR used

chopper couplers, as can be seen on the DHR C class Pacific at Mumbai and the lone Garratt made for

this line.

EMUs use Scharfberg couplers which are a centre-buffer type which automatically connect the

electricity and air links as well. The coupler face is rectangular (from above) and has semicircular ends.

A large pin projects from the end of the coupler, which mates with a corresponding hole in the coupler

of the other car. DMUs also use these couplers with regular twin brake pipes, although in some cases

(e.g. Jallandhar DMUs) they are modified to have different brake hoses than the integrated ones that are

part of the couplers. In IR parlance, these couplers are called 'Shaku' couplers.

Screw Coupler Limitations

The screw couplers in use on passenger stock have some pretty restrictive limits on the tensile force

they can handle. Below are the starting load limits specified for BG stock using screw couplers on

different gradients:

Gradient Rake weight

Level 7000t+

1 in 500 5000t

1 in 200 2800t

1 in 150 2250t

1 in 100 1700t

With gradients of 1 in 60 or 1 in 50, the allowable load is as low as 1000t or less, which means that

most Mail and Express trains running today, with 17-18 coaches or even longer rakes, need bankers for

such gradients.

Buffers

The side buffers typically used on locomotives, coaches, and wagons mostly use helical springs for

compression resistance. More recently, newer buffer designs have been brought into use that combine

the use of helical springs with rubber or synthetic compression elements, including some buffer designs

that rely entirely on multiple packs of rubber compression packs. Buffer capacity in the past was low, at

about 450kgf-m and the standard loco buffer having a capacity of 490kgf-m. Higher capacity buffers of

1030 and 1225 kgf-m have been introduced and RDSO's most recent design is for a buffer of capacity

1225kgf-m.

History of Couplers in India

Originally, Indian coupling consisted simply of chains -- one in the middle and one on either side as

back-ups -- and buffers that were extensions of the side structural members of the coaches ("dumb"

buffers) for freight cars. Passenger cars often had buffers filled with materials like horsehair.

32

Spring buffers were employed from about 1850, starting with under-wagon leaf spings, and evolving

into the modern coil-spring buffers that contain the spring mechanism inside the buffer body.

Five-link and 3-link chain couplings survived into the 20th century, especially for low-speed (under

40km/h) operations. The linking chains evolved to have a screw mechanism (hence "screw coupler") to

keep buffers of adjacent cars touching and slightly in compression so as to provide a smoother transition

on starting a train. By the 1920's chain couplings almost all disappeared, especially as vacuum braking

came into wide use.

The only steam class with automatic couplers were the WGx subclass used for heavy freights on SER.

In 1980, IR made the move to using block rakes of CBC wagons as far as possible for goods movement.

This meant that the problems of coupler incompatibility among wagons and among locomotives and

wagons at marshalling yards and elsewhere were greatly diminished.

Power Generation - Lighting and Ventilation

Early trains

The earliest passenger coaches had no lighting at all, and passengers were expected to bring their own

candles or lamps on board. In the later decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, the

most common lighting provision was through gas lamps (more common) or vegetable oil lamps.

Electric ighting in passenger coaches was introduced starting around 1897, although it had been tried

out experimentally a few times before that. The Jodhpur Railway was the first to make electric lighting

standard on all its coaches, in 1902, along with an electric bell system to alert an attendant or the guard

in case of an emergency. In general, only the first and second class coaches had lights and fans for

every compartment, the 'inter' or intermediate class had only lights, and the third class coaches had just

two lights, one at each end near the door. Provision of lights and fans as standard equipment in all

compartments was legislated in 1952.

It has been suggested that on some railways prior to 1950, steam locos were provided with 24V turbine

generators to provide power for lighting in the coaches, but it is hard to find confirming evidence for

this, and if true, must have remained confined to a few isolated experiments.

Non-Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains

Individual coaches are powered by axle-driven generators which charge storage batteries that power

lights, fans and other electrical fittings. Older coaches have 24V (less often 48V) circuitry and have

dynamos connected to the axles by belts. Newer coaches have 110V circuitry and use belt-driven

4.5kW, 110V alternators. Both systems use banks of 24V batteries (mostly lead-acid batteries of an

800Ah capacity) for back-up power. The old 1500V SIR MG EMUs used a separate 4-wheeled battery

car to supply power for lights when the pantographs were not connected to the catenary. LHB stock

uses 4.5kW alternators (6kW for air-conditioned stock).

In the 1990s, there was a big push to convert all old stock with 24V systems to the 110V system. A few

trains used a mid-rake generator car to supply power to the passenger coaches, but most of these special

generator cars have now been withdrawn as self-generating coaches and EMUs have become more

common; a few rare examples can be seen [9/01] on some MG trains (Mhow, Indore, Ujjain). These

generator cars are mostly for 24V or 48V systems.

Railbuses such as the ones manufactured by BEML use a 24V electrical system.

Regardless of the voltage, such an axle-driven generating system is referred to as Self-Generation

(SG).

33

Air-conditioned coaches

In older stock, for powering air-conditioning equipment, 11kW/15kW inverters were used to convert

the DC output of a set of batteries to 415V AC. For some time now, however, groups of 110V

alternators delivering 18-22kW each have been used to power air-conditioning equipment (the voltage

is stepped up to 415V). Most recently, RDSO has developed a newer 25kW 110V alternator with better

power circuitry. Lights and fans are often on a separate DC supply from batteries, or stepped down and

rectified from the alternators.

Many air-conditioned coaches are not self-contained with regard to the power supply. For such coaches,

a Mid-on generator (MOG) may be used; this is a 415V 3-phase alternator (either in one of the

coaches or in a separate 'power-car'), the output from which is used both for the air-conditioning, and

(stepped down to 110V and rectified) for the lights and fans. Some End-on generators (EOG) also

generate 415V 3-phase AC. Mid-on Generation has some disadvantages and IR is not currently

introducing it for any new trains.

A few express trains (Deccan Queen, for instance) have used separate end-on power generation cars,

although these days [3/00] separate power cars are used almost exclusively with Rajdhani / Shatabdi

type trains as discussed below.

Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains

In these trains and a few others like the Garib Rath Expresses, the provision of dedicated rakes allows

the use of a separate 'power-car' to supply electricity for all the coaches. There are usually 2 generators

in each power car; each generator (an End-on Generator (EOG)) generates 3-phase 750V AC power,

which is then distributed across the train, and stepped down to 415V AC (3-phase) for the air-

conditioning, or 110V (single-phase) for other appliances. The elimination of generation equipment also

allows the coach bogies to be designed with higher speeds in mind. The power car capacity is 250kVA

(older models) or 500kVA (newer models, 'high-capacity power cars'). For the higher-power EOGs,

often each power car at one end of the rake provides power when the train is running in one direction

while the other operates in the other direction. The lower power EOGs can usually power up to 18 AC

coaches, but their peak efficiency is at a load in the range of 7 to 12 coaches, and so for longer trains

both EOG cars are on simultaneously. The two EOGs and the coaches along the length of the train are

connected by two independent sets of 3-phase cables so as to be able to handle a failure in a cable. In

addition, there are usually 24V batteries in the coaches to power a couple of emergency lights at critical

points in the coaches.

These 250kVA power cars were introduced in 1992. Before that the power cars in use had a capacity of

125kVA and used 440V as the AC distribution voltage. With these, most Rajdhanis and Shatabdis

needed three power cars -- one at either end, and one in the middle of the rake, which split the rake into

two portions (termed 'Unit I' and 'Unit II'). As the power cars are (were) not equipped for anyone to

walk through, there was no way to get from one portion of the rake to the other while the train was in

motion.

A very small number of other trains also use such EOG cars for power; these EOG cars tend to be

different from the ones used for Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains (some are the older 125kVA versions). At

various times, trains like the Howrah-Amritsar Mail, Poorva Exp., etc. had their own generator cars.

Head-On Generation

Another system, Head-On Generation (HOG) has been under research by IRIEEN and RDSO but not

deployed yet to any trains. In this, power for the hotel load of the train is taken directly from the OHE

through a separate pantograph mounted on a power car, or through a special separate hotel load winding

tap provided in the main transformer of the locomotive. Locomotives such as the WAP-5 series already

have the provision for the hotel load tap. A separate power car is still needed when taking the

34

locomotive tap for hotel load power, because a transformer must still step down the power drawn for

distribution to the coaches.

If using a separate power car with a pantograph, the placement of the power car within the rake is likely

to be at the rear to ensure safe inter-pantograph distance between it and the pantograph(s) of the

locomotive and simultaneously to minimize coach shunting for forming the rake. Mechanisms like

Locotrol need to be used to raise and lower the pantograph remotely from the locomotive cab.

Whether the power is drawn from the OHE or from the locomotive tap, it still needs to be further

converted to 415V 3-phase / 110V 1-phase as required for the coach air-conditioning and lighting

systems. This can be done in a Bulk Coach Converter in the power-car, or in individual coach

converters provided in each coach (or in every two or three coaches.

EOG HOG

Traction Independent of traction Electrified lines only

Reliability Two power cars provide full back-up No back-up in proposed configurations

with single power car.

Environment Local noise and smoke pollution from

diesel generators

Pollution is referred back to the electric

power plant; far less noise.

Operating cost Diesel generation costs of electricity

are high Standard grid power costs

Maintenance Additional staff needed to maintain

diesel generators in power-cars

Maintenance by loco workshop possible

for power-car.

Economics -

Commercial space

Commercial space reduced - two power

cars in rake

Single power-car: higher commercial

space in train

Economics - Weight Dead weight from two power cars with

diesel generator sets Lower dead-weight

Power supply Continuous power Power interrupted at neutral sections

Catenary No impact to OHE OHE wear increased if multiple

pantographs used

EMUs/MEMUs/DEMUs

Mumbai EMUs take power from the overhead 1500V DC line, and use a motor generator to convert it

to 110V AC for powering lights and fans. Lights and fans are also powered in some cases (e.g. DMUs)

by auxilliary generators in the locomotive.

Chennai EMUs use the 25kV AC overhead supply, after stepping it down to 110V AC. Except for these

EMU instances, OHE traction power is never used to supply hotel power on IR.

Miscellaneous

Q. Freight stock often has the words "Not to be loose shunted" –– what does this mean?

In marshalling yards and elsewhere, a common technique of moving a wagon around is "loose

shunting", where the wagon to be moved is not coupled to the shunting loco, and simply pushed to the

correct location.

Usually, a rake that is being built up is on one of several sidings branching off from a section of track

where the shunting loco is working. The points are set to divert all wagons to the appropriate siding.

35

The shunting loco pushes the wagon and imparts it sufficient speed so that it travels over to the selected

siding under its own momentum. Once it reaches the rake that it is to be attached to, the "khalasi" staff

couple it up to the rake.

The loco driver has to judge the distances and the weight of the wagon precisely so that the wagon does

not stop short of the rake (which would necessitate using the shunting loco again to push it further), and

so that the wagon does not have too much momentum which would cause it to crash into the rake being

assembled with undue violence. Nevertheless, this process of loose shunting does involve a certain

amount of violent impacts on all the wagons involved.

Such impacts are not desirable for wagons that are carrying sensitive cargo, such as cattle, poultry, or

even human passengers in the case of sectional carriages being reattached to rakes, and extremely

dangerous in the case of cargo such as petroleum products where an impact can cause leakage and

ignition of the cargo with disastrous consequences. Hence, such wagons are marked "not to be loose

shunted", implying that they will always be shepherded gingerly into place coupled to a shunting loco.

Passenger Coaches and Other Coaching Stock

Q. What are the loading gauge restrictions (maximum dimensions) on IR coaches?

Please see the 1971 standards for rolling stock dimensions and also the older, 1929 standards for rolling

stock dimensions. Also of potential interest in this connection are the dimensions of tracks.

Q. How are passenger coaches and coaching stock in general classified by IR?

Coaching stock in general is divided into two categories, Passenger Coaching Vehicles (PCV)

(sometimes 'Passenger Carrying Vehicles') which are coaches that carry passengers, and Other

Coaching Vehicles (OCV), which include service coaches such as pantry cars, parcel vans, mail vans,

etc.

Coaching stock is classified using the codes shown below. Note that these codes are according to the

structural features and used for rolling stock management. Separate codes are used for indicating the

types of accommodations available in PCV coaches for ticketing and reservation purposes, etc. Those

coach designations and class indications are explained in the section on travel.

Prefixes o W : (prefix) Vestibuled

o Y : (prefix) Suburban

o G : Self-generating (lighting by axle generators) (omitted)

o E : 4-wheeled stock

o L : (prefix) LHB coaches

The 'W' prefix for BG is omitted in many cases (e.g., the new LHB coaches) since almost all

new stock is now BG. The 'G' code to indicate a self-generating coach is omitted for the new

LHB coaches, which get a '/SG' suffix. It is also omitted in other cases.

Classes of accomodation o F : First Class

o S : Second Class

o T : Third Class (obsolete)

36

o M : Military

Type of coach

o CN : 3-tier sleeper coach

o CW : 2-tier sleeper coach

o CZ : Chair car

o CD : Dining Car

o CB : Pantry/kitchen car/buffet car

o CL : Kitchen car

o CR : State saloon

o CT : Tourist car (first class) (includes bathrooms, kitchen, and sitting and sleeping

compartments)

o CTS : Tourist car (second class) (includes bathrooms, kitchen, and sitting and sleeping

compartments)

o C : (except as above) With Coupe

o D : Double-decker (?)

o Y : (not as prefix) With Ladies' compartment (usually 6-berth compartment with locking

door)

o AC : Air-conditioned

Parcel vans, etc. o L : Luggage van or luggage cubicle (suburban: motorman's cabin + luggage space)

o R : Brake van / guard van

o RA : Inspection carriage (administrative)

o RB : Inspection carriage (divisional officers), also Rail Bus

o RC : Inspection carriage (?)

o D : (suburban) Motorman's cabin (EMU/DMU)

o EN : Power supplied by end-on generator

o V : Brake van, ordinary goods

o VM : Brake van, medium goods

o VH : Brake van, heavy goods

o VP : Parcel van (8-wheeled)

o VPH : High-capacity parcel van

o VPAC : Air-cooled parcel van

o VK : Motor van (8-wheeled)

o VPU : Parcel van / motor car carrier composite (old, 8-wheeled))

o VF : Fruit van

o VE : Fish van

o VG : Poultry van

o VR : Refrigerated parcel / fish van

o VV : Milk van

o BV : Brake van (also BVG : brake van, goods; BVZI : extra-long brake van)

Postal facilities o PP : Postal Car (RMS/mail van)

o PPS : Full postal van

o PPT : Three-quarter postal van

o PPH : Half postal van

o PPQ : Quarter postal van

o P : Full postal unit: RMS coach -- mail carried, letters can be posted on the train (less

common now -- see PP codes above)

See the section on train services for more on RMS and postal vans. Newer full postal vans have

arrangements for some mail sorting, package sealing, etc.

Miscellaneous, less common codes

o A : Articulated coach

o D : Vendor's compartment (non-suburban)

37

o FF : Upper class (obsolete)

o HH : Horse box (rare)

o J : Ice compartment

o JJ : Refrigerator compartment

o K : Kitchen (obsolete)

o LL : Combined Luggage van and Lavatory (rare)

o M : (suffix) Equipped with generator

o N : Self-generating with diesel generator

o N : Non-vegetarian restaurant car (pre-1960's)

o Q : Attendants' compartment

o R : Restaurant, western style (pre-1960's)

o RQ : Staff van (training van)

o RR : (in combination) End-on Generator car for Rajdhanis, etc.

o RR : (by itself) Train crew rest van

o RZ : (by itself) Track recording car

o RU : (by itself) OHE inspection car

o S : Food stall on train (pre-1960's), also Special

o U : Kitchen car

o V : Vegetarian restaurant car (pre-1960's)

o W : Waiting Room (pre-1960's)

o ZZ : Self-powered: EMU, DMU, or Steam or Motor Rail car

LHB Coach suffixes

o /SG : Self-generating

o /EOG : Non-self-generating, requiring EOG for hotel power.

Codes may be aggregated to indicate composite coaches, E.g. FCS is a composite coach with first-class

with coupe (FC) and second-class (S). For suburban EMU stock, YSYL indicates a composite second-

class coach (YS) and a motorman's cabin / luggage coach (YL).

A gauge indication code (Y for MG, Z for NG) may be prefixed; it is usually omitted. Examples :

MEMU stock doesn't fit into this scheme. An MEMU trailer coach, for instance, may simply have the

indication 'MEMU/TC' on it. 'GSDMU' is a code often seen on DMU cars with General (GS)

accommodation.

SYLR Second Class Ladies Coach with a Luggage Cubicle and a Guard's Cabin

FC First-class coupe coach

FAC (WGFAC) First-class air-conditioned coach

FS First-class / second-class composite

FCS Composite of First-class with coupe / second-class

GS Second-class coach (self-generating), non-vestibuled. Note that 'GS' also stands for General

Second-class in accommodation types, and this can be confusing as SLR coaches also have GS

accommodation!

WGS Vestibuiled second-class coach (self-generating)

SC Second-class with coupe

ACFC Air-conditioned first-class with coupe

38

WAC Air-conditioned coach, vestibuled

WGSCN Vestibuled self-generating second-class 3-tier sleeper

WGSCNY Vestibuled self-generating second-class 3-tier sleeper with ladies cabin

WGSCZ Vestibuled self-generating second-class chair-car (used on InterCity Express trains)

GSCZAC Self-generating AC chair car second-class

WFSY Vestibuled first and second class coach with ladies cabin.

WGACCN Vestibuled self-generating air-conditioned 3-tier sleeper

WACCWEN Vestibuled AC 2-tier sleeper with end-on generated power supply

WGACCNW (Proposed) BG 2-tier / 3-tier AC composite

LACCN/EOG LHB AC 3-tier sleeper, non-self-generating

LACCW/EOG LHB AC 2-tier sleeper, non-self-generating

LACCW/SG LHB AC 2-tier sleeper, self-generating

LFAC LHB AC First Class

WGFACCZFirst Class Chair Car (Executive Chair Car)

WGFACCWFirst Class / 2-tier AC Sleeper composite

WGACCWAC 2-tier Sleeper

WGACCZAC Chair Car

LWLRRM LHB - EOG ??

LACCB LHB AC Pantry Car

SLR Second-class Luggage/parcel van + guard van ('G' missing). See note for 'GS' above.

SYLR SLR with ladies' cubicle

WGSCNLR BG 3-tier sleeper with luggage cubicle and guard's compartment.

YF Suburban first-class

YS Suburban second-class

YFYS Suburban first-class and second-class composite coach

YSYL Suburban second-class with motorman's cabin / luggage compartment

YTYL Suburban third-class (?) with motorman's cabin / luggage compartment

YSD Suburban coach, 2nd class, with motorman's cabin (older)

39

YZZ Suburban coach, 2nd class, self-propelled (i.e., with motor and pantograph)

SPPH Second-class / half postal van composite

SPPQ Second-class / quarter postal van composite

SRRM Second-class with brake van and generator

WCD Restaurant / dining car (vestibuled)

WCDN Vestibuled twin-set dining car

WCDAC Vestibuled air-conditioned dining car

WCB, WGCB Kitchen / pantry / buffet cars

CB Pantry services (no access on the run)

CD Non-vestibuled dining car (must enter and leave at specific stations)

WP Older RMS coach

VPU Older motor-cum-parcel vans (could carry 2 automobiles, with end ramps for loading/unloading).

GSR Second-class car with guard's van

WLRRMAC End-on Generator car for Rajdhani (??) (half for pantry facilities)

WLRRMEN End-on Generator car for Rajdhani (??)

MS Military special (obsolete?)

TLR Third-class with luggage cubicle and brake van (obsolete)

FSQ First and second class composite with attendants' van (obsolete)

EVP 4-wheeled parcel van

EVPU 4-wheeled parcel van with motor van

EVK 4-wheeled motor van

LR Luggage van / brake van composite

CTAC Tourist car, air-conditioned

ERA 4-wheeler inspection carriage

ERB 4-wheeler inspection carriage

ERC 4-wheeler inspection carriage

ERU 4-wheeler OHE inspection cars

RU 8-wheeler (bogie stock) OHE inspection cars

40

ECR 4-wheeler state saloon

MK Military coach with kitchen (obsolete?)

BVGT Brake van for goods, with transition coupling

BVGC Brake van for goods, with CBC coupling

BVZI An extra-long brake van for goods, developed by RDSO, providing greater comfort for the guard.

Max 100km/h.

HHVP Horse van / parcel van composite

WPCTAC Saloon car for Palace on Wheels

WRB Rail Bus

VPH High-capacity parcel van (23t, 130km/h).

VVN Milk van, air-braked (?)

WGD Double-decker coaches??

See also the section on travel for information on codes used for indicating coach accommodations, etc.

Pantry cars have various classifications. The standard pantry cars and kitchen cars are dedicated units

with equipment and facilities for food service but no passenger accommodations. A few combination

pantry or kitchen cars with passenger accommodation have been spotted. The Gharib Nawaz Express

used to run with a composite pantry car / chair car. A similar one was used in 2002 for the MG

Ahmedabad - Patan Intercity Express, marked GSCHCZ (number 81653). [12/03] The Egmore -

Madurai Vaigai Express runs with a composite pantry/chair car.

Q. How are coaches numbered by IR?

Coaches usually have a 4-, 5-, or 6-digit number, where the first two digits denote the year of

construction (e.g., 8439 denoting a coach built in 1984, or 92132 denoting a coach built in 1992). In

some cases the first two digits may represent the year the coach was transfered to the zonal railway, and

sometimes the year represented is the year the coach was rebuilt. One exception are some of the

Rajdhani rakes of Northern Railway, which have coaches numbered 1XXXX (15XXX). (Not all NR

Rajdhanis have such coach numbers; 2951/2, 2953/4 don't.)

An alphabetic suffix may also appear (see below). Many older coaches which had 3-, 4-, or 5-digit

serial numbers are being renumbered to conform to this scheme. Often the zonal abbreviation is

prefixed to the number, so that a coach may be ‘ER 89472 A’, or ‘SE 978052 A’ for instance.

From 2000 onwards, the year of manufacture is indicated ‘00’, ‘01’, etc., as expected, in the initial

digits, e.g., ‘SE 018051 A’. Occasionally, some combination zonal prefixes are seen, e.g., ‘SK 01252

AB’ (seen on a WGSCN coach of the Hazrat Nizamuddin - Vasco Goa Express [6/03]), where the ‘SK’

indicates a coach jointly belonging to / maintained by South Central Railway and Konkan Railway.

On SER, many coaches have 6-digit numbers (e.g., 898439/A) where an ‘8’ has been inserted as the

third digit into a 5-digit number in the above scheme. ‘8’ is the zonal number of SER in the train

numbering system. For some time (1998-99), ER and NFR also followed this pattern, adding a ‘3’ or ‘5’

as the third digit, respectively. Recently [3/05] it's been seen that some coaches with 5-digit numbers,

41

e.g., on WR, have been renumbered with an extra '0' at the end, e.g., 00452AB is now renumbered as

004520AB.

Following the first block of digits described above, the next 2 or 3 digits form a serially allotted number

within ranges that usually indicate the type of coach, as shown below. (Recent coaches all have 3 digits

for this (a 5 digit number on the whole), using a leading 0 for the 1-99 range.) The serial number is

allotted chronologically in the order in which the coach is received by the zonal railway, within the

range for the coach type.

001-025 : AC first class. On NER, some MG FC coaches from 2000/2001.

026-050 : Composite 1AC + AC-2T

051-100 : AC-2T

101-150 : AC-3T

151-200 : CC (AC Chair Car)

201-400 : SL (2nd class sleeper)

401-600 : GS (General 2nd class)

601-700 : 2S (2nd class sitting / Jan Shatabdi chair cars)

701-800 : SLR

801+ : Pantry car, VPU, RMS mail coach, generator car, etc.

So, for instance, a coach with number 92172 is the twenty-second AC Chair Car coach received by the

zonal railway in 1992.

If there are more coaches of a particular type than numbers available in the allotted range as described

above, the excess coaches are allotted numbers in the high 800's, usually 875 and above. For instance,

sleeper coaches have been spotted marked SR 96886A, and AC-3T coaches spotted marked SC

97906A. The ranges are also sometimes redistributed.

In 1999, ER was to get a lot of AC-3T coaches for Rajdhani rakes and the new Sealdah Shatabdi.

Hence, its only AC Chair Car of that year was renumbered ER 99181A, keeping 30 numbers between

151 and 180 free for AC-3T coaches (in the event, it turned out that these were not used after all).

Suffixes

An 'X' suffix indicates 110V DC electrical systems (upgraded from the older 24V systems). An 'A' or

'AB' suffix indicates air-braked stock (frame-mounted or bogie-mounted, respectively), especially for

coaches upgraded from vacuum brakes (see below for more). A 'C' suffix indicates CBC couplers (as

with the new LHB coaches). On WR, EMU coaches have alphabetic prefixes (A for YFYS coaches, B

for YSZZ, and C for YSYL). CR EMUs have 76xxx for YSYL, 70xxx for YSZZ and 72xxx for YFYS,

where ‘xxx’ is a 3-digit serial number.

Air-brake indication

An ‘A’ or ‘AB’ suffix (e.g., 92383 AB, or 93120/A) as mentioned above indicates air-brakes. 'AB' is

thought to be used for coaches with bogie-mounted air-brake equipment, and 'A' for coaches with the

air-brake equipment mounted to the bottom of the carriage. Sometimes symbols such as ‘/A’ or ‘/A-X’

are marked instead at either end or next to the coach serial number (as an additional annotation) to

indicate an air-braked coach. Recently [4/05] it's been observed that in a few of the zonal railways the

'A', 'AB', or '/A' suffix has been removed or omitted upon re-painting, possibly because it is now

considered redundant since the majority of coaches are air-braked, and/or because all newer coaches

have air brakes as original equipment. Update [7/06]: It appears that the trend of omitting the 'AB' or 'A'

suffix for air-braked coaches appears to be spreading and it has been observed that newly repainted

coaches of many zones have plain serial numbers. A few rare coaches that are dual braked have a suffix

42

‘A/V’ after the serial number. The newer dark blue / light blue livery also indicates air-braked stock,

and for recent ICF stock, may be the only indication of air brakes, since there is no alphabetic suffix or

anything else to indicate it. The blue on blue livery was introduced in the early 1990s or thereabouts;

air-braked stock from before that (8xxxx series) continued for a while in the older maroon livery even

after brake conversion.

Zone Indication

The railway zone that owns a coach is usually indicated by its standard initials in Roman characters and

Devanagari characters on the sides of the coach (e.g., NR, 'u re' for Northern Railway). After the

creation of new zones, it's been seen that in some cases rather than repainting the coaches, the zone

indication has been redone in an ad hoc manner, sometimes with an extra letter just squeezed into the

existing initials, e.g., 'N R' become 'NWR' or 'S R' becoming 'SWR', with similar contortions in the

Devanagari initials.

Q. What are the common configurations of IR coaches?

Please consult Royston Ellis's ‘Rail Across India’ or other travel guides for up-to-date and specific

information on different kinds of accommodation available on IR.

The BG 3-tier sleeper coach is very common, and provides accommodation for 72 persons. Each

compartment in it has 6 berths: 3 seats forming a bench on either side of the compartment; these form

two bunks, the back-rests of the seats fold out to become bunks at night, and lastly, there are two bunks

further up. Across the aisle from a compartment two shorter berths are provided along the length of the

coach. Air-conditioned 2-tier sleeper coaches have 46 berths (there is space for 48, but two slots for

berths are taken up by equipment, either overhead or on one side at one end. The LHB 2-tier AC

coaches have 54 berths. The AC 3-tier sleeper coaches have 64 berths while the LHB AC 3-tier coaches

accommodate 75. (Both the 2-tier and 3-tier AC conventional coaches have 8 bays or compartments

while the LHB versions have 9; non-AC sleeper coaches have 9 bays.) Jan Shatabdi second-class

sleepers accommodate 78, while the Jan Shatabdi AC Chair Cars accommodate 73 passengers. [12/06]

IR is contemplating introducing a newer version of the AC-3T coach that will accommodate 81

passengers.

First-class or AC chair cars have 64 seats. Until the late 1960s or so, they had three 2' windows for each

compartment (two for coupes); later first-class coaches have two extra-wide (3') windows (one for

coupes). The later first-class coaches are also more spacious with seats 560mm wide (510mm earlier)

and backrests 785mm high (645mm earlier). Older second-class chair cars have 72 seats (3 and 2 across

the aisle). Newer second-class chair cars, since 1995, are more cramped, with 108 seats in the same

space (seating 3 and 3 across)). Executive chair car coaches have seating and 2 on each side of the aisle.

Jan Shatabdi chair cars have a capacity of 103.

A sleeper coach with special accommodation for ladies ('Y' classification) usually has one compartment

(6 berths) partitioned off with the provision of locking doors to form the ladies' cubicle. These have

now generally been discontinued and are rarely seen.

First class AC coaches have compartments with doors for privacy; the compartments are all along one

side, without any seats or berths on the other side across the aisle. The first-class compartments are

either cabins (two facing sets of berths), or coupes (one set of berths).

The combination first and second class AC coaches (AC1 cum AC2T, also marked 'HA' in

accommodation charts) have 10 berths, two cabins and a coupe in first class, and 20 (rarely 22 or 24?)

berths in second class, arranged in 3 bays of 6 berths each and a 2 berths in a half-bay at the end. The 3-

tier cars have extra-wide (3') windows (one per compartment). AC 2-tier cars used to have normal

windows, A few AC 2-tier cars made by RCF had the extra-wide windows; now, since 2001, even the

ICF-built AC 2-tier coaches have extra-wide windows.

43

There are also a few composite AC first-class coaches with one section of the coach having sleeping

accommodation and the rest being a chair car. In the mid-1990s a few trains such as the Coalfield Exp.

had AC1 coaches with 2x2 sitting accommodation; these appear to have been short-lived experiments,

and have disappeared after this train, as with most others, was changed to have air brakes.

Two-tier sleeper cars (non-AC) are being discontinued in preference to the 3-tier sleeper cars which can

carry more passengers. [9/00] A new composite first and second class coach has been introduced, which

has two first-class compartments (one 4-berth, one 2-berth) in an otherwise second-class sleeper coach

with 59 berths (7 full bays + one 3-berth formation). There are only a handful of these, all on NR

(#12226A being one of them), and are seen occasionally [1/05] on trains like the Brahmaputra Mail.

These are different from the older First Class / Second Class composite coaches which had 10 First

Class berths with the rest being Second Class sleeper compartments. These are no longer in use now.

Earlier there used to be an odd mixed accommodation coach which was like a 2-tier sleeper coach but

provided sleeping accommodation only for some of the passengers in the upper berths (24); the lower

berths were seated accommodation only, for the remaining passengers for the night (48). A 64-

passenger version of this is also said to have been in use. In these the sleeping berth was often in a

different compartment within the coach than where the passenger was allotted his or her sitting space!

Some old 3-tier BG coaches could be seen until the late 1980s with wooden seats and accommodation

for 75 passengers (in contrast to the 72 in today's 3-tier coaches).

On MG, the composite AC1/AC2 coaches have 4+18 berths. First class (AC or non-AC) coaches have

showers. A few AC1 / non-AC First Class composites, as well as a few AC1 / AC Chair Car composites

are in service on a few routes. On MG AC1/FC composites have an AC coupe for 2, a saloon for 4, and

a First Class compartment for 6. These composites are now rare.

On NG, in addition to the usual Second Class sitting accommodation, there are a few First Class

coaches (seen on the Gwalior - Sheopur Kalan route, Nagpur - Jabalpur 1 NHJ / 2 NHJ, 1 Up / 2 Dn

Satpur Exp. and 1 BJ / 2 BJ Passengers between Jabalpur and Balaghat [2005]), as well as some air-

conditioned coaches (Jabalpur-Gondia Satpura Exp. had some). The Gwalior - Sheopur Kalan route

used to have overnight trains with Second Class sleeper accommodation as well -- the sleeping berths

were aligned longitudinally, along the sides of the coach. (These sleeper coaches appear to have been

withdrawn now.) In the First Class NG coaches three seat benches double as sleeping berths, and there

are a further two berths that open out from the coach walls. The coaches are of the non-corridor type,

with 4 to 6 berths per compartment and an attached bathroom.

Air-conditioned coaches

IR has many classes of air-conditioned accommodation, usually referred to by their acronyms:

Air-conditioned chair car: AC CC

Air-conditioned executive class: AC Exec

Air-conditioned three tier: AC 3T

Air-conditioned two tier: AC 2T

Air-conditioned first class: AC I

The ‘chair-car’ classes provide only seating accommodation, while the others have sleeping

accommodations as well.

LHB Coaches

(See below for more information on the Alstom LHB coaches.) The AC 2-tier and AC 3-tier versions of

the LHB coaches have 9 cabins instead 8 in the older stock. The GS and SCN versions have 10 cabins

instead of 9 in the older stock.

44

Q. What is the history of passenger stock and accommodations?

As railway operations in India were handled by a large number of companies at first, there was a lot of

variety in the kinds of stock used and the classes of accommodation provided. Larger railways tended to

have three or four classes of accommodation, from First through Fourth (and many special-purpose

luxury saloons and the like in addition).

Many smaller lines started with a simple division of Upper and Lower class (e.g., Bengal and

Northwestern Rly. (MG) and the Barsi Light Rly. (NG)) -- this economized on rolling stock, especially

if (as was often the case), classes other than First and Third were not well patronized. At the 1870

Railway Conference, there were even suggestions to have just a single class of carriage as with the

practice then in the USA, however, it was felt necessary to have at least two, perhaps more, classes to

accommodate social distinctions.

From 1874 onwards most large and medium railways standardized on roughly the same levels of

accommodations for each of the three classes First through Third. Fourth class carriages were

essentially like box cars as they did not have any seats, not even benches. Although most railways had

them at some time or the other in the 1860s, they were already going out of favour by the 1870s so that

by the early 1880s not many lines had Fourth class.

In 1885 Fourth class was generally abolished by the expedient of providing benches in the carriages,

and reclassifying the carriages as Third class. The existing Third class was then renamed the 'Inter' class

(for Intermediate). Inter class was seen as providing an economical form of travel for those Indians who

were better off than the poorer majority who could only afford the lowest class of accommodations, and

where they would not be bothered by the 'low-class' travellers (Indians or Europeans) travelling in Third

class. First class and Second class were generally the domain of Europeans, although very wealthy

Indians did occasionally travel in First class.

From about the 1930s, Inter and Second began to be provided only in Composite carriages, reflecting a

very low demand for the service. Some lines began to phase out Inter altogether, though this process

was far from complete by 1947. In 1955, there was another reclassification, and the Second class

became First class, and the Inter class became Second class. (Third remained Third.)

The old super-luxurious First class coaches survived but were phased out over time. These pre-1955

First class coaches were non-corridor coaches, so the compartment ran the full width of the car. They

had one 6-berth compartment, two 2-berth compartments, and three 4-berth compartments. Each

compartment had an attached shower and lavatory. These coaches usually also had one narrow

compartment at one end with a bench and sometimes a single berth above, for the travellers' domestic

servants; this was used as the compartment for cabin attendants later. Such coaches with these 'servant

quarters' were built as late as 1940. Some First class coaches were composites. They all had timber

bodies, on a 68-foot underframe.

1955 was the year that the ICF was established, and began producing the integral coaches on the 70-foot

body. (Interestingly, the prototype ICF coach actually had an Inter compartment.) The post-1955 First

class coaches are the corridor type which survive today. Some of the old wooden-bodied non-corridor

First class coaches were still running even as late as 1987 on MG, and some of the old composite First

class coaches until 1980 on BG. Non-composite pre-1955 First class coaches were seen in some

sections in the 1970s. In some ways, the successor of the old luxurious First class is today's air-

conditioned First class.

Second (ex-Inter) class was officially abolished on 1st July 1974, and the remaining Second Class

compartments were redesignated Third class, so that for a short while there were only First and Third

classes. But Third class was then renamed Second cass not too long after.

45

Wooden seats and berths were the most common until the 1970s in Second and Third classes.

Cushioned sleeping berths and seats began appearing in the late 1970s. The variations on air-

conditioned accommodations, and different kinds of chair-cars were introduced in recent years.

The older non-airconditioned First Class coaches are gradually being phased out and no new coaches of

this kind are being manufactured now [4/00]. They had much more spacious and well-appointed seating

and sleeping accommodations than the Second Class coaches. Seating capacity 28 per coach. Until

about the 1980's, there was still much old stock in use from the 1940's and 1950's where coaches were

configured as non-corridor first class coaches, giving a measure of privacy and spaciousness not seen

today.

Composite coaches (first class / 1AC) survived on MG for quite a while, and all first-class coaches are

still seen quite often on MG; these usually also had coupe and 4-berth compartments in addition to the

more standard 6-berth compartments.

There also used to be a few combined first-class / second-class coaches where half the coach was first-

class, separated from the rest by a door in the aisle, with 32 berths for the second-class section. Only a

few of the old first-class coaches have been retrofitted with air-brakes for use in air-braked rakes

employed by the fast trains today, and so only a few trains such as the Nilgiri, Pandyan, and

Kanyakumari Expresses have these coaches now.

Q. Who were the early manufacturers of IR stock?

Some early coaching stock was built in Great Britain and imported to India. This included 'pattern'

coaches of the 1850s, many prototype steel coaches from 1913 and much EMU stock well into the

1960s until ICF's production built up. However, most coaching stock was built on underframes which

had been imported ready-made or in completely-knocked-down (CKD) form from Great Britain.

Imperial preference excluded most other suppliers.

Virtually all railway workshops with a woodworking capability built coaching stock until well after

Independence. including Parel, (old) Perambur, Hubli, Gorakhpur, Moghalpura, and others. Many of the

smaller works did too, and there was much rebuilding and rebodying, which went on until the early

1950s at least. In fact some of the shops in Saurashtra were rebodying MG 4-wheel stock until the early

1950s!

A rebody can often be spotted because of its unusual size or shape. For example, the standard NG

carriage underframe is 34' 6", and new stock built since its adoption will be no longer than 35'. But

many lines have modern-looking stock which is anywhere from 29' 6" to 42' in length, showing that it is

a new body on an old underframe.

Incidentally, wagon building in India followed a similar path, except that steel wagons began to be built

around 1902, and three Calcutta firms, Martin Burn, Indian Standard, and Jessops, became dominant.

Eventually the only imported components were wheels, and even this changed after the Wheel and Axle

Plant took up production of wheels.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), at Bangalore, started producing all-metal railway coaches in 1950.

Many of the workforce that were assigned to the coach-building unit of HAL were skilled aircraft

engineers. HAL built about 10 coaches a month in the early 1950s. When the Toofan Mail suffered a

collision in 1950, the only coach that was not completely destroyed turned out to be an all-metal

indigenous coach built by HAL.

Q. When were barred windows on coaches first introduced?

A characteristic feature of most passenger stock on IR today [7/02] is the presence of welded bars on

the windows. These were apparently introduced at first on night trains to provide security against theft

46

by persons at stations, around the 1970s, but in the 1980s their use spread to most trains and now they

are almost universal. Very few older coaches remain that have windows that open fully.

The barred windows are obviously problematic in emergency situations, and IR is now introducing

windows that can be opened from the inside in an emergency. Older stock is still occasionally seen with

square windows and bars held in sockets on the side instead of being welded to the car body.

Q. Where are present day IR coaches manufactured?

Passenger coaches are manufactured at three principal places: Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at

Perambur, Railway Coach Factory (RCF) at Kapurthala, and Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) at

Bangalore. A few coaches are (or were) also manufactured by Hindustan Aircraft Ltd. (HAL) and

Jessop. Some auxiliary equipment and repair works are carried out at Liluah Carriage and Wagon

Workshops. The Amritsar workshops manufacture ICF and UIC bogies for passenger and freight stock.

[2007] A new coach factory with a capacity for producting 1000 coaches a year has been proposed to be

set up at Lalganj in Rae Bareilly district. As of [1/10] production had not yet started, and was slated to

begin in 2011. In 2010, plans were also announced for a new coach factory at Kanjikode, or Palakkad,

and another at Kanchrapara. There has also been mention of a possible site at Singur for a coach

factory.

In the past, coaches have been supplied by Burn Standard, Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon

works, Brush, GEC, Indian Standard Wagon Co., Richardson & Cruddas (Bombay), Braithewaters

(Calcutta), and other manufacturers as well. Kharapur Workshops manufactured many AC coaches.

Most recently Alstom LHB have supplied a rake of coaches for the Swarna Shatabdi to Lucknow under

a technology-transfer agreement with IR. (More information on these LHB coaches below.) The

Matunga workshops of CR have been refurbishing some EMU coaches with stainless-steel interiors and

new amenities. The Golden Rock workshops have built small quantities of various special-purpose

coaches and vans.

ICF accounts for most of the railway coaches seen in India today (more than 26,000 (?) of the 40,000+

regular coaches, and almost all (4,000+) of the suburban EMU coaches (4,600+). [2002]).

Spotting BEML coaches

ICF-built cars tend to have more rounded corners for windows, whereas BEML cars have sharper

corners for the windows (especially at the bottom). BEML car ends are slightly tapered (the body shell

tapers down at the ends). The roofs of the cars are also not as rounded as with ICF coaches, and have

sharper edges. [10/04] Some newer coaches have padded grab rails for easier access to the middle &

upper berths. They also sport grey upholstery instead of the normal blue.

On the whole, the BEML coaches also have their floor level slightly higher than the ICF/RCF coaches.

BEML coaches include GS and SLR units -- there used to be many GSCN coaches too, but most of

those have been decommissioned.

[12/08] A proposal to set up a railway coach factory at Rae Bareilly has been jeopardized by litigation

over land acquisition.

The history of BEML coaches Just after Independence, when the need for coaching stock was very

acute, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) entered into a deal with M.A.N. of Germany to produce all-

steel coaching stock for IR. Their first models were produced very soon after the War, and were

originally to the old 10' width, standard until 10' 8" was sanctioned around 1948. Models 404 and 407,

both centre-lav all-thirds on IRS standard underframes, were produced in large numbers. The first true

integral stock for BG was the 41x series, recognizable by the small high window on the toilets (also

47

found on 404/7) and by the bogies with swing-arm support for the axlebox. There was also a MG series,

of boxy Thirds with four windows, a door, eight windows, another door, and four more windows. They

were all 58' long, to fit the IRS MG standard underframes of 56' 6" length. The earliest version had lots

of external rivets, but later production was welded and presented a smoother surface. These had a very

flat side by comparison with the later and longer ICF integral stock. This part of HAL's business was

hived off to BEML sometime during the 1970s, hence the stock tends to be referred to as BEML, not

MAN/HAL, as it was in earlier years.

Q. What's an ‘integral’ coach?

The ‘integral’ coaches built by ICF have monocoque or single-shell bodies (based on a 1950's Swiss

design, ‘Schlieren’ Swiss Car and Elevator Manufacturing Co.) with the floor being part of the body; it

is an anti-telescopic design, which prevents coaches from being crushed lengthwise in the event of a

train collision. Since they were brought into use, they have substantially reduced the number of

passenger deaths in various cases of head-on collisions of trains. They are welded coaches fabricated

from steel.

The single-shell design features a stressed skin. The shell acts as a hollow girder - the underframe, the

walls, and the roof are joined with one another to form a single structural tube. The hollow girder offers

resistance to bending and torsional stresses with efficient use of material, allowing reduction in the total

weight of the coach compared to some earlier heavy designs that attempted to achieve strength and

stability simply through increased weight of the frame structures. The hollow shell also features high

resistance to compression stresses along the length of the passenger section. The compression resistance

is further increased by providing pressed grooves or welded ribs on the walls, and by the use of

corrugated sheets and carlines for the underframe and roof respectively. The end zones of the coach

(normally the vestibules and/or lavatory or utility areas) are intentionally designed to offer lower

resistance to compression. In the event of a collision, therefore, the areas at either end act as 'crumple

zones' and preferentially buckle and absorb the kinetic energy of the collision while the passenger area

of the coach remains safe from crumpling or telescoping.

Before these were introduced various other non-integral designs (with shell separate from underframe)

were in use (and continued to be in use for decades later too). Steel underframes were first introduced in

1885; prior to that coaches were entirely wooden. Wooden shells for coaches continued well into the

20th century.

Q. What other coaches have been used lately?

In the late 1990's RCF, under the auspices of a UN-assisted program, came out with some prototype

coaches of new designs, classified IRX/IR15 (IRW?), IRY/IR20, and IRZ/IR30. The first part of the

code (e.g., IRY) refers to the shell design, and the second part (e.g. IR20) to the bogie design.) The

IR20 bogies are based on the Eurofima design (in fact, they are said to be more or less an exact copy of

the design).

The IRW coach is said to have had a variety of passenger-friendly and track-friendly features such as

chemical toilets. As its production costs were projected to be too high, this design never entered serial

production. The sole coach of this design made by RCF never entered service with IR (and is still

[12/04] at RCF). The IRZ coach is said to have encountered various design problems and was

abandoned after a few trials.

The IRY/IR20 coach, which was designed for a max. speed of 140km/h, did enter serial production in

small numbers (more below). One or two isolated examples of other RCF-built coaches with features

different from the normal ICF coaches have been spotted on rare occasions (e.g., there is a report of one

3A coach used with the Grand Trunk Express in 2001), although information about these experiments

(which is presumably what they were) is very sparse.

48

Some of the IRY/IR20 coaches, with a ribbed or corrugated shell design for strength, were used for a

while ([2/02] and are still used occasionally) with the Amritsar Swarna Shatabdi. Another rake of

IRY/IR20 coaches was being used for the Bareilly Shatabdi. Apart from that these coaches do not seem

to be in use elsewhere [5/01]. Update [12/04]: One of the IRY/IR20 rakes is no longer in service, being

cannibalized as a source of spare parts for the second. Improvements in these IRY/IR20 coaches include

better ride quality, larger windows, improved noise reduction, improvements in the air-conditioning

system and ducts, and modified pantry equipment including trolleys, drink dispensers, etc. The bogies

for these (IR-20) will continue to be manufactured for use with MG coaches with service speeds of

100km/h, besides also being exported (Vietnam, some African countries). Meanwhile for coach

bodies/shells, RCF has switched to production of the LHB coaches (see below).

In November 1999, ICF manufactured an AC-2T coach fabricated out of stainless steel. This sole

prototype has not been followed up by more units.

Q. What are the maximum speeds at which IR passenger stock runs?

The typical maximum speed specification for passenger coaches in good condition is 100km/h. Older

coaches and those in poor condition can be seen with annotations restricting their maximum speed to

something lower, such as 80km/h. Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains and other fast trains of course have

stock that can be hauled at higher speeds. The newer LHB design coaches (see below) can also be

hauled at high speeds, 160km/h for the air-conditioned cars and 120km/h for the non-air-conditioned

ones. Recently [4/05] ordinary ICF integral coaches have been spotted occasionally bearing annotations

for a maximum speed of 120km/h (e.g., on the Jammu Tawi - Howrah Exp.)

Q. What are LHB coaches?

[2/02] In February 2000, IR received a consignment of new lightweight all-metal passenger coaches

from Alsthom LHB (Germany). The initial units were earmarked for the New Delhi - Amritsar Swarna

Shatabdi, but later [5/01] allotted to the new New Delhi - Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi.

The coaches are approximately 2.2m longer than the standard ICF-built integral coaches (two additional

rows for the chair cars, one additional sleeping bay for the sleeper coaches). The AC coaches are

expected to carry 78 passengers. The body is by Alsthom LHB, with a stainless steel construction,

mounted on Fiat bogies with disc brakes. The chair cars are lighter about 10% lighter than the standard

IR integral coaches, having a tare weight of 40.3 tonnes.

Improvements for the passengers' comfort include better air flow for the air-conditioning, larger

windows, lamps for all seats, and sound insulation. The coaches are also provided with 'anti-climbing'

features to reduce casualties in case of collisions. As a move to greater cleanliness at stations, the toilets

are designed to allow waste discharge only when the train is in motion.

LHB coaches have an IGBT-based battery charger. The air-conditioned stock uses a 6kW alternator

while the non-air-conditioned stock uses a 4.5kW alternator. Air-conditioning equipment is roof-

mounted.

These coaches are not compatible with existing designs of ICF/RCF coaches, having two sets of brake

and feed pipes and a different electrical coupler, and hence will initially be run in block rakes consisting

entirely of the new coaches, until RCF begins producing them with modifications to make them

compatible with existing passenger stock.

A total of 24 new coaches are expected to be imported initially (19 second-class AC chair cars, 2 AC

chair cars, 3 generator-cum-brake vans), following which a technology transfer arrangement will enable

RCF, Kapurthala, to manufacture these models. Later shipments from Alsthom will include composite

first-class / AC sleeper coaches, second-class AC sleeper coaches (2-tier and 3-tier), and AC buffet

coaches. (See above for some information on the interior arrangements.)

49

RDSO had the task (starting in June 2000) of developing specifications for all the variant designs of the

LHB coaches. In addition to the layout of the compartments and specifications for the passenger

accommodations, RDSO also worked on the design for the suspension, alternator drives, and other such

details. The design of the General Second Class (GS) coach was done by July 2002, and by 2003 ten

variants of the LHB coaches had been designed by RDSO. These include self-generating versions as

well as versions powered by end-on generator cars, of air-conditioned first class, 2-tier, and 3-tier

coaches, as well as general second class sitting and sleeper coaches.

The speed potential for all the AC variants of the LHB coaches is 160km/h, while the non-AC variants

have a speed potential of 120km/h.

Now [2/03] ICF Perambur is also expected to produced these coaches. [1/03] Prototype versions of the

AC 3-tier LHB coach have been spotted at New Delhi and are [3/03] undergoing trials on the New

Delhi - Kanpur and New Delhi - Moradabad - Lucknow sections. [11/03] The second LHB rake,

thought to be meant for the Mumbai Rajdhani, has been spotted around Mumbai (Jogeshwari yard, etc.).

Update: [1/05] LHB rakes are used for the Mumbai Rajdhani as well as the August Kranti Rajdhani.

In late 2001 the LHB coaches were taken out of service following a series of incidents where the

couplers parted. They were brought back into service on Jan. 1, 2002. Some problems also developed

with certain bearings used by these coaches, which were later resolved. Now [3/03] they are expected to

also be brought into use for trains other than the Swarna Shatabdis, such as the Mumbai Rajdhani.

Comparison of ICF and LHB coaching stock -- passenger carrying capacity

EOG = Coach needs power from end-on generator car; SG = self-generating.

Type Passengers - ICF Passengers - LHB

AC-1 (EOG) 18 24

AC-2 (EOG) 46 54

AC-3 (EOG) 64 72

AC-1 (SG) 18 24

AC-2 (SG) 46 54

AC-3 (SG) 64 72

SCN (SG) 72 78

GS (SG) 90 99

SLR 24 36

See below for dimensions of LHB stock (and comparison of dimensions with ICF stock.)

Q. What are the various marks and annotations on a passenger coach?

There are a great many indications, marks, and annotations that can be found on the typical coach. The

most prominent, of course, are the indications of the accommodations (class, whether sleeper or not, air-

conditioned or not, etc.) along with the coach serial number that is on the side of the coach, above the

windows. Small destination boards usually have the train termini or the name of the train on them; these

are also above the windows, near the roof.

On the ends of the coach the classification code of the coach may be found ('WGSCNY', etc.) along

with annotations of the base shed that is responsible for its maintenance (e.g., 'BASE: JAT'). 'CDO'

stands for 'Coaching Depot'; a notation such as 'CDO/MYS' indicates that the rake belongs to the

Coaching Depot at Mysore. Overhaul dates are also shown ('IOH' followed by a date for intermediate

overhaul; and something like 'R-9/03' for a periodic overhaul date (the 'R' stands for 'Return').

50

Some other technical details and electrical data may also be found stencilled on at the ends. An

annotation such as, e.g., '70T' refers to the 70-tonne rating for the couplers. On the ends, or near the

ends on the sides of the coach, there are sometimes some annotations like 'Fit for 110km/h', 'Not to

exceed 75km/h' or 'For passenger train only', etc. These are usually restrictions noted based on the age

and condition of the coach. (Similar restrictions can sometimes be seen on older locomotives as well.)

At the bottom left on the end of the coach, a small patch of yellow diagonal stripes indicates the coach

has anti-telescopic construction. Larger patches of diagonal yellow stripes on the sides of the coach,

above the last window indicate a general, unreserved second-class coach. Except that for EMUs,

diagonal yellow (and red) stripes generally indicate first-class coaches!

SR and SCR coaches sometimes have notations such as 'RAKE1', 'RAKE2', or a specific train number

or numbers stencilled on them. These very likely indicate that the rakes in question have been

earmarked for specific trains.

A paint scheme indication is often seen. 'MAROON' is used when the coach is painted in the former IR

standard rust-red colours. 'VIBGYOR' is used when the coach has the newer blue-on-blue livery,

although it is not clear why the colours of the rainbow are mentioned here! Other annotations are used

for other paint schemes. The date of the last repainting is also indicated.

Q. What are the dimensions of IR's passenger coaching stock?

Length

The IRS standard underframe for BG, adopted in 1925, was 68' long over headstocks. Side buffers are

always 2' 2", giving a total length of 72'4" (22m) over buffers. After World War II, some stock was

built on this underframe to 70' (21.3m) length, but most before that date was 68' or a fraction over. The

ICF integral stock, and the similar all-steel stock built by Jessops and HAL/BEML was all to 70'

(21.3m) length. BG EMU coaches are slightly shorter, at 66' or 18.2m.

Width

Up to the adoption of the new wider dimensions in the late 1940s, all IR stock was built to a maximum

body width of 10' (3m), with an absolute maximum of 10' 6" to allow for projections. The new

dimensions, which apply to nearly all modern steel stock, are 10'8" (3.25m) body width, with a tiny

allowance for projections (about 2 inches) and requires all handrails and similar projections to be

recessed.

Height

The height from rail level to cantrail before the 1940s was standardized at 11' 2-1/2"; it became 11'6"

maximum. The first series of ICF coaches, with the centre lavatories, were 12'9" from rail level to

rooftop; later this dimension was increased to 4025mm (13'2-1/2"), to provide increased space for water

tanks.

Comparison of ICF and LHB coaching stock -- Dimensions

ICF coaches LHB coaches

Length over Body 21.77m 23.54m

Length over Buffers 22.28m 24.70m

Width of Body 3.245m 3.240m

Inside width 3.065m 3.120m

Windows 1.220m x 0.610m 1.180m x 0.760m

51

Q. How many passenger coaches does IR have in its fleet?

As of 2003, IR had over 40,000 passenger coaches, in addition to almost 4,500 EMU coaches.

Q. Are there any double-decker coaches in use today in India?

Much of the information here is likely out of date! Double-decker coaches are found on several WR

trains such as the 9021 dn Flying Ranee running between Surat and Mumbai Central (WR), Saurashtra

Exp., the Bharuch-Virar shuttle, Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Anand Passenger, and the Valsad Fast Passenger.

The Pune - Daund Passenger on CR had double-decker rakes until late 2001 or early 2002.

The Flying Ranee double-decker rake is air-braked. Recently [2/02] The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Gujarat

Express acquired some double-decker coaches in its rake. These are believed to be vacuum-braked.

Newer [3/03] reports are that around 12-14 double-decker coaches are allocated to the Gujarat Exp.

rake. [1/04] The Gujarat express no longer runs with double-decker coaches.

In the past, the Deccan Queen has briefly run with double-decker passenger stock; the double-deckers

were meant for monthly pass-holders. The Gujarat Mail from Ahmedabad and the Saurashtra Mail also

had double-decker coaches as general coaches.

The Sinhagad Exp. ran for quite some time with double-decker coaching. The Sinhagad's rake (10

double-decker coaches) is now used for the Pune-Daund-Baramati shuttle, and the Sinhagad has

reverted to a normal 18-coach rake. There were proposals for an air-conditioned double-decker rake for

the Sinhagad but these came to naught.

The Sahyadri Exp. (7303 down) ran with two double-decker coaches between Bombay and Pune; the

coaches were re-used in the up direction by attaching to the Sinhagad rake. The Panchavati Exp. also

ran with double-decker stock for some time. The Brindavan Exp. also ran with double-decker coaches a

few times (dates?). The Howrah-Dhanbad Black Diamond Exp. also had double-decker coaches (until

1994); the double-decker rake used to be stabled at Asansol. It was condemned at Bally yard and sold

for scrap by 1995.

Another train that had double-decker coaches at one time was the Ernakulam-Trivandrum Vanchinad

Exp. (around 1981, for about 3 years). The Venad Express is also said to have had double-decker

coaches at one time.

The double-deckers in use today are ICF designs and modified from the basic integral shell used for

most coaches. They have a single level at either end, with the double-deck portion forming most of the

middle of the coach. The underframe of the coach has a well that gives the lower deck sufficient space.

RCF is currently [2/02] working on producing new double-decker coaches based on a newer design (but

still with the integral shell design which is used for most IR coaches). These newer coaches will have a

seating capacity of 136.

Double-decker rakes in general were never very popular for a variety of reasons (too cramped -- not

enough space for luggage, restrictions on using the windows, too hot in the upper deck, inconvenient

access from the windows to platform vendors, etc.).

In 2010, IR started on a new push for double-decker coaches, with RCF manufacturing a new design of

air-conditioned double-decker coaches seating 128 passengers and capable of being run at 160km/h.

The shell design is said to be new. Suspension uses Eurofima bogies with air springs. The coaches are

made of stainless steel. The overall height is about 4.5 inches more than that of normal coaches. Among

other things, these coaches have controlled-discharge toilets and several safety-related features as well.

Apart from these recent onces, the East Indian Railway tried out double-decker coaches in 1862. The

BBCI Rly. also experimented with these in the 1860s (an illustration of one of these appears in several

52

books on IR). These designs used 4-wheel stock with very limited headroom on both decks because of

restrictions from the loading gauge. A vice-regal carriage was also in use which was a double-decker

carriage, with the lower deck being an extremely constrained space for servants. In the 1890s, a double-

decker using bogie stock was designed by Mr Pearce, the C&W Superintendent of the EIR, but this was

never manufactured.

Q. When were through vestibuled trains introduced in India?

The GIPR's Poona Race Special trains had vestibuled rakes back in 1906. Later, the prestigious Deccan

Queen (Bombay - Poona), starting in 1930, regularly had a vestibuled rake.

Today most long-distance trains are vestibuled. NG trains, because of the short lengths of rakes (6-8,

sometimes just 4 coaches) are not vestibuled, the sole exception being the 'Royal Saloon', a tourist train

run by the SECR's Nagpur division.

Q. What are the 'X' marks or concentric circles painted on the ends of some coaches?

A large yellow 'X', or a series of concentric circles (yellow or white) are painted on the end of a coach

which is used as the last coach in a rake -- it allows station crew or signalmen to visually check that the

rake is intact by sighting this last vehicle indication. At night, a small red lamp is used at the end (this

used to be an oil lamp in days past), and sometimes a board with the words 'Last Vehicle' can also be

spotted.

Q. What kinds of special-purpose coaches exist on IR?

There are several kinds of special-purpose coaches that may be spotted on IR. There are various kinds

of inspection cars and manager's saloons used by railway officials on their travels. These may often be

spotted stabled at sidings off from the main tracks at various stations. Two very special coaches are the

Presidential Saloon coaches.

There are several variations on cars with pantry or kitchen facilities, accident relief vans and medical

relief vans, tool vans, etc. The typical accident relief medical rake is configured with two coaches, one

of which has rescue and repair equipment, a kitchen, a tool compartment, and a diesel generator set; and

the other which has an air-conditioned operation theatre and 12 hospital beds and space for medical

supplies. It is self-propelled with a diesel-hydraulic transmission and an underslung powerpack

Various military cars can be spotted on IR. They range from minor variations on general coaches for

troops, to luxuriously appointed saloons for officers and their families. Railfans please note that,

understandably, security is very tight around these, and attempts to inspect them or photograph them

may land you in trouble, regardless of permits or other papers you may have.

The military also runs its own versions of medical coaches, known as ward cars; these have 34 beds for

injured personnel and have double-leaf doors for easy movement of stretchers. Finally, there are various

flavours of OHE inspection cars, the NETRA car, tower cars, etc. See the multiple units / self-

propelled units section for more information on these.

Air Conditioning

Q. When was air-conditioning introduced in IR?

The North-Western Railway introduced air-conditioned stock in the late 1930's (the earliest was

probably the Frontier Mail in 1936 or 1937). BBCI Railways also experimented with air-conditioning at

about the same time. By the early 1950's, air-conditioning was available on several long-distance trains.

For example, in 1952-53 there were air-conditioned services between Bombay and Howrah, Delhi and

53

Madras (Grand Trunk Exp.), Bombay and Delhi, Bombay-Amritsar (Frontier Mail), Bombay-

Viramgam (Saurashtra Mail), and Bombay-Ahmedabad (Gujarat Mail).

These all used AC units that were mounted beneath the coach body (underslung), interconnected by

pipes. Self-contained roof-mounted units appeared much later (1980's?).

The first fully air-conditioned train was introduced in 1956 between Howrah and Delhi. Popularly

known as the AC Express, it ran on the Grand Chord; later there were two, one running on the Grand

Chord and the other on the Main Line. Another train popularly known as the AC Express was the

Dakshin Exp. between Madras and New Delhi in the 1960s.

AC Chair Car stock was introduced around 1955. Until about 1979, air-conditioning was available only

in these and in AC First Class cars. Around 1979 the first two-tier AC coaches were introduced. The

first 3-tier AC coaches were introduced in 1993 (RCF) and used on the Howrah Rajdhani via Patna.

(The first such coach was ER 2301A, later changed to ER 94101A.) The first 60 or so of the three-tier

AC coaches had 67 berths each, while all later ones have 64 berths.

Q. What's the history behind air-conditioning in IR?

Prior to the 1930's, various arrangements for cooling the interiors of passenger coaches existed, mostly

for the first-class coaches. From the 1860's onwards, it was quite common to hang moistened mats of

khas to cool the air by evaporation.

In 1872, the Saunders system was introduced, which consisted of a long duct running along the length

of the coach and beneath it, with a funnel for air intake on one side, and multiple sheets of wet khas

matting in the middle, which both filtered the dust out of the air and cooled it by evaporation; the cooled

air was admitted into the coaches by apertures in the floor.

Often, the simple expedient of placing large blocks of ice (in bamboo or wicker containers) in the

compartments was adopted. After electric fans were introduced, this method of cooling continued to be

in use, with the ice placed in the path of a fan's air-stream. As late as 1958 on the Vijayawada division,

for instance, passengers could rent an open zinc-lined box that carried a hundredweight (114lb, ~50kg)

block of ice. The electric fans of the compartments would then be trained on it, and bottles or other

containers could also be cooled in the box.

The ice could be replenished at any major station en route, and in fact the Conductor/Guard (the

equivalent then of the Train Superintendent) would check on the ice blocks now and then and notify the

station ahead if replenishments were needed. This was a popular service because it was easier and

cheaper than riding in the air-conditioned cars (which often cost as much as twice the normal fare,

besides rarely having space available).

Most air-conditioned stock of recent decades was built with underfloor machinery with blowers located

near the ends of the coaches. Newer air-conditioned coaches (since about 1999) have the machinery

located on the roof, with an air-distribution duct that goes along the roof of the coach with diffusers in

every compartment, providing a much more uniform cooling effect.

Q. Are there / were there any meter-gauge or narrow-gauge air-conditioned coaches?

A rarity and curiosity on IR, NG air-conditioned coaches do exist, and were (perhaps are still?) used on

the Gondia-Jabalpur Satpura Express. MG air-conditioned coaches were comparatively more common.

AC Chair Cars were present on the Tiruchi - Tambaram Cholan Exp., the Chennai - Madurai Vaigai

Exp. (1977-1997), chennai - Tiruchirapalli Pallavan Exp. (1985-1997), Pink City Exp., Ashram Exp.,

Bangalore - Mysore Tipu Exp., Bangalore - Mysore Chamundi Exp. A newer version of the MG AC

Chair Car Coach with a roof-mounted AC unit was introduced in 2005.

54

Q. Who uses saloons on IR today?

Saloon cars, commonly used for luxury travel by the nobility and high-ranking officials in the past, are

now far less common. A few air-conditioned saloon cars are kept for the exclusive use of General

Managers of zonal railways and members of the Railway Board. Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs)

have exclusive use of a non-air-conditioned saloon at the divisional level. Other officials such as the

ADRM, Senior DEE, Senior DME, Senior DOM, Senior DEN, Senior DPO, and others usually have to

share one other non-air-conditioned saloon at the divisional level. (Also read about the presidential

saloon.)

Preserved rollling stock

Q. Where can I see some preserved coaches, wagons, and other rolling stock?

The National Railway Museum has the following:

Broad gauge

Oudh and Rohilkund Railway Saloon of 1890 4 wheel saloon

Oudh and Rohilkund Railway Covered wagon 148 Central Workshops Alambagh, Lucknow

1879

Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway Saloon Parel workshops of BBCI 1886

MSMR 6 wheel Saloon built by Southern Railway at Perambur

EIR Sheep wagon Lilluah Workshops 1929

GIPR Dynamometer Car WRK2483 Met Cammel 1930

BBCI hand crane Ransome and Rapier 1883

PWD Punjab 4WG (chain drive) Sentinel 6273/1926

Meter gauge

BBCI Armoured Train Ajmer Workshops. wagons built 1886-1890

Nilgiri Railway Composite Coach Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co

Rajputana Malwa Railway Prince of Wales Saloon Agra Workshops of RMR 1875

Mysore State Railway Maharaja's saloon, Bangalore Workshop 1899, at Morbi (Morvi)

Maharaja's saloon from the old Gondal Railway, at the Palace Guest House hotel in Gondal

(between Rajkot and Jetalsar). The saloon is used as guest accommodation by the hotel.

BBCI Viceregal Dining Car Ajmer workshops 1889

Bikaner State Railway ET-1445 4 wheel 3rd class carriage Bikaner workshops 1902

The following Palace on Wheels carriages are in the museum:

CT3 Bikaner 1889

CT9s Navanagar built 1922 at Bhavnagar Workshops

CT17 Jaipur 1913

CT34756/56 Hyderabad 1917 for Nizam's State Railway

CT3457/814 built for Maharajah of Porbunder in 1907

2'6" Gauge:

Barsi Light Railway Composite brake/third BLR-32 Metropolitan Amalgamated

Railway Carriage and Wagon Co 1905

Mourbhaji Light Railway 8 wheeled composite coach

2' Gauge:

55

Matheran Light Railway Carriage-852 (3rd class) 4 wheeled

Matheran Light Railway Carriage -812 1st class

DHR 3rd class carriage ET/119 Tindharia workshops 1902

The Mysore Railway Museum has the following:

South Central Railway Patent centre/side discharge wagon. Leeds Forge Company 1913

Southern railway Travelling Crane 033993 5 ton hand crane by Cowans Sheldon 1885

SR FD 034013 Crane support truck

SR ECE 07327 inspection car Mysore workshops 1901

SRVH 38163 Brake van Stableford 1923

Mysore State Railway CR 7342 Maharani's saloon

Mysore State Railway CR 7345 Dining/Kitchen car

Mysore State Railway SR TLR No 45 coach of 1927

An old riveted wagon with striker castings with SIR number C 30178 and plate number 1853 has been

preserved at Golden Rock Workshops.

In addition to these, there are a number of old coaches, saloons, and special-purpose cars that are still

maintained in working order and used now and then for special runs (often steam-hauled), heritage

excursions, or even as luxury saloons for VIPs. Two very special coaches are the Presidential saloon

cars.

56

Locomotives

Chittaranjan Loco Works, Chittaranjan, West Bengal

Inaugurated on Jan. 26, 1950, CLW produced its first locomotive by Nov. 1, 1950 (a WG loco, #8401,

named 'Deshbandhu' for Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, an Indian freedom-fighter; incidentally it was

57

his widow, Basanti Devi, who inaugurated the works). CLW, originally named just the Locomotive

Manufacturing Works, was located near a village called Mihijam, which was shortly afterwards

renamed Chittaranjan. It is said that originally the locomotive works, which were under planning even

in the mid-1940s, were to be set up at Kalyani near Howrah, but a concern about losing such a strategic

asset in the foreseen partition of British India resulted in the shift to Chittaranjan, on the border of West

Bengal and Bihar (Chittaranjan railway station is in Bihar).

CLW became a major producer of steam locomotives, producing a large number of BG and MG steam

locomotives through 1972 (total count – 2351). The last BG steam loco made in India, a WG (#10560,

'Antim Sitara' ('The Last Star') was delivered by CLW on June 30, 1970, and the last steam loco made

in India was the MG YG classloco (#3573), delivered on Feb. 5, 1972.

CLW started early on the manufacture of electric locos, building the WCM-5 series DC locos starting in

1961. The first one was named 'Lokamanya', and delivered on Oct. 14, 1961. A few years later it began

production of AC electric locos, starting with 'Bidhan', a WAG-1 class loco delivered on Nov. 16, 1963,

which was also notable as the first fully Indian-built electric locomotive. Since then CLW has

manufactured ever more sophisticated generations of electric locomotives, most recently delivering the

advanced WAP-5 and WAP-7 3-phase AC locomotives. It has a capacity of around 200 or so electric

locomotives a year.

CLW has also manufactured many diesel locos, mainly diesel-hydraulic shunters such as the WDS-4

class (begun in 1967-1968, although large numbers were produced only in 1969). In the '70s and '80s it

built some diesels in the ZDM series and some YDM-2 units (diesel-electrics). Total diesel loco count –

over 660 BG diesel shunters, over 140 NG diesels, and over 40 BG mainline diesels.

Diesel Loco Works, Varanasi

DLW was set up in 1961 and rolled out its first locomotive on Jan. 3., 1964 – a WDM-2, assembled

from an Alco kit. It has evolved into an integrated diesel locomotive manufacturing plant, capable of

building all components of the locomotives in-house, including the engines, superstructures, fabricated

bogies, and underframes.

With technology transfer arrangements from manufacturers such as GM-EMD, DLW today produces

advanced diesels with high efficiency and low maintenance costs. DLW has supplied a large variety of

diesel locomotives (mostly diesel-electrics) to IR and numerous public-sector concerns (steel plants,

power plants, ports, etc.). DLW has also exported locomotives to other countries such as Tanzania,

Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. Recently [2004] it has also got orders for 1350hp Cape

gauge locos for Sudan (3), 1350hp MG locos for Myanmar (11), 2300hp Cape gauge locos for Angola

(6), etc. It has also branched out into manufacturing non-railway items such as 2.4MW diesel generator

sets (based on the Alco 251 engine!) to offset a recent decline in orders from IR. (Although,

simultaneously, it has helped DMW (see below) and Parel Workshops (see below) to gain expertise in

assembling locomotives as it hasn't been able to keep up with the demand for some classes of locos,

especially industrial shunters.) DLW's production capacity is around 240 locomotives a year.

Diesel Modernization Works, Patiala

DMW, Patiala, formerly known as the Diesel Component Works(DCW) was set up in October 1981 for

the manufacture of diesel and electric loco spare parts. DCW manufactures large components such as

traction motors and locomotive power packs, rebuilds engine blocks, traction generators, etc. They have

more recently been upgrading WDM-2 locos to WDM-2C class.

Parel Workshops, CR

Parel Workshops of CR have been manufacturing diesel shunters (WDS-6 class, mostly) using

components produced by DCW and DLW, since 2006. The workshops are also a leading establishment

58

for repairs and overhauls of locomotives. Established in 1879, they were engaged in steam locomotive

repair and overhaul and since 1972 (after the decline of BG steam) switched to diesel locomotives.

Today they also overhaul electric locomotives, and MG/NG locomotives and miscellaneous rolling

stock such as cranes and breakdown equipment, as well as rehabilitation and conversions of coaches,

and manufacture of some small diesel components.

Rolling Stock

Integral Coach Factory, Perambur

ICF was set up in 1955 with the collaboration of the Swiss Car and Elevator Manufacturing Co. of

Schlieren, Switzerland. The factory was set up originally with a capacity to produce 350 coach shells

annually. ICF over the decades became very successful in producing the signature integral design

(underframes, sidewalls, and roof integrated to form a single tube structure) anti-telescopic coaches of

IR, in many different configurations. It now has a capacity of over 1,300 coaches a year, and has thus

far manufactured over 35,000 coaches for IR. ICF currently maintains production capability for 170

different kinds of coaches.

In addition to coaches ICF also produces diesel railcars, EMUs, DMUs, and special purpose rail

vehicles such as track recording vehicles and overhead equipment monitoring vehicles.

It has also exported coaches to many countries ([6/03] 425 since 1971; 60 to Myanmar, 45 to South

Africa, 113 (+100?) to Taiwan, some to Thailand, Tanzania, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lankaetc.)

History

Indigenous manufacture of railway coaches had been contemplated for some time, with the first

significant proposal being made in 1948 by N Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, then the Minister for Transport

and Railways. Even earlier, however - in 1947 - interest had built up in the Schlieren company

following a visit there by B Venkataraman, a senior mechanical engineer in the railways who was

attending the International Railway Congress in Europe. Venkataraman was extremely impressed by the

Swiss firm and made arrangements for apprentices from Indian Railways to train at Schlieren and study

the technology of coach-building. However, it took some time before Venkataraman's report to the

Railway Board and the results of the apprenticeship program resulted in Swiss Car and Elevator being

picked for the technology transfer project.

An initial agreement was signed on May 28, 1949. In 1951, a detailed proposal for a coach-building

factory capable of producing 300 unfurnished coaches annually was laid out. (The capacity was

eventually raised to 350 by the time ICF was inaugurated.) Supplemental agreements with Swiss Car

and Elevator were concluded on June 27, 1953 and October 2, 1953. The production unit was

inaugurated on October 2, 1955. The integral design of coaches this company made was radically

different from that of the wooden-framed coaches that had been used in India until then. Accordingly, a

Technical Training School was established at Perambur on March 20, 1954, with a capacity to train

around 75 personnel annually on the new technology. Swiss trainers were in charge of the technology

transfer until 1961, when the school was eventually shut down. By then over a thousand coaches had

been produced by ICF. Manufacture of coaches started with the import of shells and other components

for seven third-class coaches in February 1956.

On August 14, 1956, the first all-indigenous coach was commissioned. From 1958 ICF started

furnishing the coaches it produced; a separate furnishing unit was added to ICF on October 2, 1962. In

1966, ICF began producing air-conditioned coaches. EMU production begain in 1962 with EMU trailer

coaches, and motor units were produced from 1963. These were AC units. DC EMUs were

manufactured starting in 1968. MG coaches were produced starting in 1963-64.

59

Note: Some sources (and ICF's own web site) say that production started with 12 coaches in 1955,

while other sources say it started in 1956. It is thought that '1955' refers to the fiscal year for the

production unit.

Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala

RCF was set up in 1987 (although the proposal for it came up in 1985) to augment the supply of

passenger coaches to IR. The first coaches from RCF were delivered on March 31, 1988. In 1991, RCF

started producing air-braked coaches, and coaches with a newer air-conditioning design with roof-

mounted AC units. In 1997, it began production of MEMUs.

It also undertook the design and development of new lightweight IRY coaches using the high-speed

IR20 bogies. These have been used for some of the high-speed trains such as the Amritsar Swarn

Shatabdi, although it appears that more recently their development has been put on hold following the

introduction of the new lightweight high-speed coaches from LHB Alstom. Having been set up with a

capacity of 1000 coaches annually, RCF manufactured around 900 or so coaches a year in the 1990s

and is now [6/10] manufacturing around 1,400 coaches annually.

Jessop & Co.

Jessop & Co. is a private-sector manufacturer, originally formed from a merger in 1820 of two

concerns, Jessops of Great Britain (formerly Butterfly Co., estd. 1790) and Breen & Co. of Calcutta

(estd. 1788). Jessop & Co. has manufactured a large variety of railway products including many kinds

of wagons, carriages, etc. In addition they have also built bridges, ships, waterworks, and other civil

engineering works. Jessop's has also built one steam locomotive, delivered to the Nawab of Oudh in the

19th century. Jessop's has also delivered many EMU units used in IR's suburban systems. Their main

workshops are at Dum Dum.

[4/02] More recently, the company, which was nationalized in 1973 and made a subsidiary of the Bharat

Bhari Udyog Nigam Ltd., a public-sector holding company, is being considered for privatization.

Burn & Co.

Burn & Co. was a private-sector manufacturer, with its origins in 1781 as an English firm. Their first

Indian workshop was set up at Howrah in 1901 to manufacture carriages and wagons to Indian railway

companies. Apart from wagons and coaches, Burn & Co. have built trolleys, special-purpose saloon

cars and luxury carriages, permanent way fixtures, signalling equipment, locomotive turntables, bogies,

and underframes.

It was merged with the Indian Standard Wagon Co. to form Burn Standard Co. Ltd. (BSCL), and taken

over by the Indian government. It has manufacturing units at Howrah, Burnpur, and Jellingham, of

which the first two are engaged in manufacturing railway rolling stock. It is now a subsidiary of the

Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Ltd., a public-sector holding company.

Braithwaite & Co.

Braithwaite was set up in 1913 by the English firm Braithwaite & Co. Engineers. In 1934 it started

manufacturing railway wagons. In 1976 it was taken over by the Indian government. It is now a

subsidiary of the Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Ltd., a public-sector holding company.

Bharat Wagon & Engineering Co. (BEWL)

The Bharat Wagon & Engineering Co. Ltd. was set up in 1978 when the Indian government took over

Arthur Butler & Co. and Britannia Engineering Co. Both those companies, located in Bihar (at

Muzaffarpur and Mokameh) were manufacturing wagons and other engineering products from British

60

times. (?? Dates uncertain). In 1986 the combined company became a subsidiary of the public-sector

holding company Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Ltd.

Titagarh Wagons Ltd.

Titagarh Wagons is one of the few private manufacturers of wagons (perhaps the only one currently

[2/05]), manufacturing a wide range of freight wagons including the common types BOXN, BCNA,

BOST, BOBRN, etc., the container flats BLCA/BLCB, and specialty wagons for industrial and defence

use. Titagarh also manufactures Bailey Bridges, prefabricated shelters, and other such systems for the

railways and for the defence sector.

Axles & Wheels

Wheel and Axle Plant (now Rail Wheel Factory)

WAP was set up in 1984 at Yelahanka, in Bangalore, for the manufacture of wheels and axles, since

other local manufacturers such as the Durgapur Steel Plant were unable to satisfy IR's needs, and

imports were costly. WAP uses some advanced techniques such as pressure-moulding of wheels. A lot

of WAP's products are made from scrap metal generated by IR itself.

WAP has a capacity of around 40,000 wheelsets, over 170,000 wheels and over 60,000 axles, annually.

Workshops

Jamalpur Workshop

This was the first full-fledged railway workshop facilities in India, set up on Feb. 8, 1862 by the East

Indian Railway. (There was an earlier attempt to set up workshop facilities at Howrah, but it proved

unsuccessful because of problems with procuring supplies and getting skilled labour.) The Jamalpur site

was chosen for its proximity both to the Sahibganj loop (which was the main trunk route at the time),

and to the communities of gunsmiths and other mechanical craftsmen in Bihar who would prove to be

adept at picking up the skills required in a railway workshop.

Another, possibly apocryphal account, though, has it that one of the Agents of the EIR Mr D W

Campbell, was annoyed that the fitters and workmen of the then Howrah workshop were spending too

much time away from their work in places of recreation in Howrah, and resolved to move the workshop

facilities to a place far away where there would be no such distractions.

At first the Jamalpur shops were merely repairing locomotives and also assembling locomotives from

parts salvaged from other, damaged locomotives. By the turn of the century, however, they had

progressed to producing their own locomotives. The first one, CA 764 'Lady Curzon', was produced in

1899.

Jamalpur has always had extensive workshop facilities. In 1893, the first railway foundry in India was

set up there. It also had a boiler workshop for repairing and building boilers. Today it has foundry and

metallurgical lab facilities, extensive machine tool facilities, etc., in addition a captive power plant of

5MVA, making it fairly self-contained. It used to have a rolling mill of its own (set up in 1870, now

closed).

In addition to various repairs of wagons, coaches, cranes and tower cars, and locomotives, Jamalpur

also undertakes repair and (small-scale) production of permanent-way fixtures. It also manufactures

some tower cars (Mark II, Mark III) and break-down cranes of 10, 20, and 140 tonne capacities, besides

various kinds of heavy-duty lifting jacks.

61

Finally, it also manufactures wheelsets for coaches and wagons. In the past it was a significant supplier

of cast-iron sleepers as well. Starting in 1961 it produced several rail cranes. It has also produced

electric arc furnaces, ticket printers and other ticket machines (slitting, counting, and chopping). The

high-capacity synchronized lifting jacks known as 'Jamalpur Jacks' were also produced by this

workshop.

The school attached to the Jamalpur workshops eventually became the IR Institute of Mechanical and

Electrical Engineering.

Alambagh Workshop

The Alambagh workshop, near Lucknow, was set up in 1865 by the Oudh and Rohilkhand Raiilway. It

started off doing minor maintenance and periodic overhaul of coaches and wagons, and eventually

became one of the top workshops engaged in overhaul, repair, and restoration of carriages and wagons.

Today the workshop specializes in the new high-speed coaches (LHB Alstom, IR20/IRY, etc.), air-

conditioned coaching stock, etc.

Charbagh Workshop

Construction for this workshop was started by the Oudh and Rohilkhand Rly. in 1867 to prepare for its

needs of locomotive and carriage maintenance in the Lucknow area after it secured a contract to build a

large BG railway system in the area north of the Ganga. 1867 was also the year that the company had

finished construction of the light MG line between Lucknow and Kanpur.

Originally almost all the staff of the Charbagh workshop was from Great Britain, however within a few

years a large number of Indians were also employed, including many from Bihar and also the Jamalpur

workshop.

After Independence, the big locomotive overhauling facility in the north, at Moghulpura (belonging to

the North-Western Railway), went to Pakistan. Charbagh workshops were therefore upgraded with

manufacturing and major overhauling capabilities for locomotive. The workshop became the pre-

eminent steam loco maintenance and overhauling workshop of NR through the 1960s and 1970s, but

thereafter lost ground with the ascent of diesel and electric traction. The workshop switched to diesel

loco maintenance in 1975, and to electric loco maintenance in 1985.

In recent years, the workshop has found an additional niche in restoring steam locomotives for various

special runs and for preservation, exhibitions, etc. For instance, the WP locomotives at the NRM being

used for special excursions on the occasion of IR's 150th anniversary were completely overhauled at

Charbagh.

Ajmer Workshop

Work on setting up the Ajmer workshops was begun in 1877 by the Rajputana-Malwa State Rly. The

workshops were early on charged with a wide variety of repair and overhauling jobs, including

permanent-way work. In 1895, the workshops achieved the distinction of building the first indigenous

locomotive from India, an 'F' class 0-6-0 MG locomotive (#F-734).

One notable feature of this workshop is the existence of a network of about 5km of 18"-gauge tram

lines for transport of material among the various facilities.

Liluah Workshops

When the first EIR workshops at Howrah were found to be inadequate for locomotive maintenance, the

bulk of its facilities were moved to Jamalpur as noted above. The remainder of the facilities at Howrah

62

continued to perform carriage and wagon repair after 1863 and eventually were moved to Liluah, about

7km from Howrah.

The workshop manufactured many kinds of rolling stock. Wagons were manufactured until about 1947,

and coaches were manufactured until about 1972 (total coach count – over 3000). During World War II,

the workshops also contributed to the Allied war effort by manufacturing road vehicles (ambulances,

water cars, armoured vehicles, trucks, etc.) and machinery.

Liluah workshops now form IR's biggest carriage and wagon workshops. They are engaged in periodic

overhaul of all kinds of coaches and wagons, conversion of coaches to DMUs, and repair and overhaul

of components such as alternators, transformers, motors, and generator sets. They have also undertaken

one-off jobs such as building tourist rakes (Great Indian Rover, Buddha Parikrama) or other special

trains (Exhibition-on-Wheels, etc.).

Golden Rock Workshops

The South Indian Railway Co. set up its major workshops at Nagapattinam, on the east coast. When

new and expanded facilities were required, these workshops were moved to Golden Rock near

Tiruchirapalli in 1928. The workshops here are equipped to deal with locomotives and carriages,

carrying out overhaul, repair, and restoration work.

They are today IR's premier workshops for restoration and rebuilding work for locomotives that are

severely damaged in accidents. Many public-sector concerns also send their works shunters to Golden

Rock for overhauling from locations all across India (10-15 locos annually).

Carrying on with the experience from steam days, Golden Rock also carry out the periodic overhaul of

the 'X' class locos of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. They have also been working on developing the

new oil-fired replacements for the 'X' class locos. Two such locos have been turned out so far.

Golden Rock also built some DMU rakes from old coaches. They have also repaired and (since 1962)

built various wagons (BLBN/BLAN, BCCN (double-decker automobile carriers), box and covered

wagons, special-purpose multi-axled heavy wagons, and many others), and performed conversion of

wagon types (BOXC to BKH, etc.). In recent years they have taken on expanded manufacturing of

BLCA / BLCB container flat wagons for CONCOR.

Golden Rock has also restored YDM-4 MG diesel locos for export to places such as Myanmar,

Malaysia, etc. More recently it has been working on regauging some YDM-4 locos to Cape gauge for

export to Sudan.

Kharagpur Workshops

Kharagpur is the largest integrated workshop on IR with facilities to service all types of rolling stock

and locomotives.

The Bengal and Nagpur Railway had sanctioned the building of the workshop in 1900. The workshop

began to operate from 1904. It took over all the BG maintenance work from Motibagh Workshop at

Nagpur.

The workshop is spread over an area of 610,000 square meters, 260,000 of which are covered, the

workshop handles POH for Diesel-Electric and Electric locomotives, EMU trailer and Motor coaches,

freight wagons, coaches and even Diesel cranes. Besides this, it carries out rewinding of traction motors

and traction generators and a lot of other related work. The massive workshop underwent massive

modernization in 1979 and again in 1985 with a combined outlay of around 400 million rupees.

The Workshop went to SER after division of SER into SER, SECR and ECOR.

63

Motibagh Workshop, Nagpur

This workshop was originally set up by the Nagpur Chattisgarh Railway in 1879 to service its metre

gauge stock. It was later taken over by the Bengal Nagpur Railway in 1887. When conversion of the

Nagpur - Rajnandgaon MG line to BG was completed in 1888, the workshop was altered to cater to BG

stock requirements in the area. From 1887 to 1908, Motibagh Workshop was the prime workshop

facility of the Bengal Nagpur Railway.

The Nagpur Chattisgarh Railway company would get locomotive kits at Mumbai port and then ship

them to Motibagh via the GIPR route from Bombay to Nagpur. These locomotives would then be

assembled and commissioned at the Motibagh Workshop. BNR used a similar system in the initial years

of its formation. After the Nagpur - Asansol BG line was completed, the locomotive kits would be

brought in to the Damodar rail head by river. At a makeshift workshop there, the shell was assembled

and wheeled so that it could be moved on its own wheels. This skeleton would then be moved to

Motibagh via the BNR route for full assembly and commissioning. This practice continued till the

extension of the Nagpur - Asansol line to Howrah and completion of facilities at Shalimar terminus for

unloading ships. When the NG Satpura lines were built, Motibagh Workshop regauged two BG

locomotives to NG for working on the Satpura lines.

The importance of Motibagh diminished soon after establishment of the Kharagpur Workshop in 1904

as BNR decided to shift all BG work to Kharagpur and Motibagh continued to handle only the NG

locomotives and stock. However, Motibagh is known to have done some BG work intermittently since

then. The workshop still has BG-NG dual gauge track leading inside.

Today, Motibagh Workshop overhauls NG locomotives and rolling stock from all over Central India

and even from several other lines.

Tindharia Workshop

This is the workshop catering to the steam locomotives of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The

extreme resourcefulness and ingenuity demonstrated by the staff of this workshop has kept the 'B' class

locos of the DHR working today despite their age. The workshop was set up towards the end of the 19th

century, but moved to its current location in 1913.

Coonoor Steam Shed

Coonor, Rewari and Tindharia of the DHR, are the only active steam sheds of IR. This shed caters to

the maintenance of the 'X' class rack steam locos of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Others

Rail Spring Karkhana

A specialized manufacturing unit for the production of coil springs for IR. Set up in 1989 in

collaboration with Ernst Komrowski & Co. and Grueber (both of Germany), the plant produces about

4,200 metric tons of springs

64

Sheds and Workshops

Contents

Home Shed Markings

Western Region

Central Region

Southern Region

Northern Region

Eastern Region

Konkan Railway

Marshalling Yards

Locomotive Sheds

Q. How can I tell which home shed a loco belongs to?

Home sheds for locos are often, but not always, indicated somewhere on the loco itself. For instance,

the station code of the home shed may be painted on the side of the loco, or the full name of the shed

may appear on the front. Some sheds have elaborate logos, whereas others may just bear stylized

renditions of the shed names. Logos often appear on the front, but are sometimes on the sides of locos

(e.g., Erode, Lallaguda, Vadodara). Some sheds don't use any logos, e.g., Santragachhi, Mughalsarai.

Station codes often appear near the buffers on one side. For many sheds (e.g., Howrah, Kanpur,

65

Mughalsarai) the shed station code appears in Roman letters on one side and the full name of the shed

in Devanagari on the other.

Many Pune shed locomotives, esp. diesel, bear a navy blue disc shaped logo up front with the full name

'Pune' painted thereon, in the local language Marathi. Erode has a flying deer logo. Itarsi based engines

also have the 'Itarsi' displayed in full. Baroda locos have 'BRC' painted on with to-and-fro arrows above

and below it. Some flat-faced steam locos used to have station codes of their sheds painted (sometimes

in a stylized manner) at the centre of the face of the loco, e.g., Baripada (BPO) and Nainpur (NIR) locos

(ZD's, ZE's).

However, not all locos have home shed indications. Many CR locos have no indication of their home

sheds. Golden Rock locos are often unmarked when on test runs or after being rebuilt (major

overhauls).

Q. Where are the loco sheds, workshops, and trip sheds?

Given below are some of the more important loco sheds.

Western Railway

Shed Type Loco / MU's Comments

Ratlam Diesel WDS-4, WDS-6, WDM-

2, WDM-3A, WDG-3A

Formerly home for the

double-headed diesel-

hauled Rajdhanis' locos.

Vatwa (for Ahmedabad) Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-3A,

WDM-3D, WDG-3A,

WDS-4, WDS-6

Homes locos for the

Swarna Jayanthi Rajdhani

Express.

Gandhidham Diesel WDS-6, WDM-2

Used to have a large fleet

of YDM-4's but they have

been transferred/

scrapped. This shed used

to have MG (YDM-1)

locos and later, when

YDM-1's were phased

out. Also used to be a trip

shed for Vatva WDS-4,

WDS-6 shunters, some of

which were permanently

transferred here when

Kandla port traffic

increased. WDM-2 are

marked WDM-2S and

used for only shunting

duties. Westernmost

shed.

Sabarmati (for

Ahmedabad)

Diesel (MG), (had a

steam shed too) YDM-4

Used to have one of the

largest holdings of YDM-

4 locomotives. However

many have been

transferred to Phulera and

Mhow sheds owing to the

isolation of lines towards

Udaipur. [6/04] Nine

YDM-4 locos from here

66

have been sold to

Togorail SA and shipped

to Togo.

Mhow Diesel, MG YDM-4

As many as 40 YDM-4s

have been transferred

from other MG sheds to

restart Mhow [3/05].

Locos now service the

isolated MG section from

Akola to Indore. Was a

steam shed till the early

90's. Also homes a few

MG DMUs.

Valsad Electric WCAM-1, WCAM-2,

WCAM-2P, WAG-5

Shed created in the 1970s

specifically to home dual-

power locos, but now has

pure AC locos as well. 20

WAG-5's transferred

from Itarsi in 2004 to

cater to the container

traffic from JNPT,

Mumbai. Now holds

more than 30 WAG-5

class locomotives. A few

WCAM-1's run in AC

mode only. Holds 100+

locos (03/08).

Vadodara Electric WAM-4, WAP-4,

WAG-5

The main electric shed at

Vadodara homes both

passenger and freight

locos. There is a trip shed

attached to the main shed,

used for passenger

electric locos (this trip

shed can accommodate

WAP-5/7 locos), and

there is a separate trip

shed used for freight

electrics. Used to have

WCAM locos until the

mid-1990s; also had

WAP-1 locos. Holds

130+ locos (03/08)

Vadodara Electric - MEMU MEMU units

Close to the main

Vadodara electric shed,

provides for services

towards Ahmedabad and

Surat.

Bandra Marshalling

Yard (BAMY) AC/DC trip shed WCAMx locos

Officially known as

Electric Loco Shed,

BAMY, Khar Road

Bandra Marshalling

Yard (BAMY) Diesel WDS-4

Trip shed for some out-

station WDM-2 and other

67

locos. May have had

some WDS-1, WDS-6

locos. Used to home

some DMU units.

Mumbai Central Trip shed for some

Valsad locos

Mumbai Central Car shed for WR EMUs (Also known as

Mahalaxmi car shed)

Kandivali Car shed for WR EMUs

WR's dual-power AC-DC

EMUs are homed and

maintained here.

Pratapnagar NG Diesel ZDM-5

Does most of the POH /

maintenance on its own

locos, however

sometimes locos are sent

to Motibagh.

Jetalsar MG Diesel YDM-4

"Sub-shed" of Sabarmati

but handles all primary

maintenance of locos that

operate in isolated MG

pockets of Saurashtra

(Veraval, Wansjaliya,

Delvada etc;). Locos are

marked "Sabarmati".

WR's EMUs are stabled at: Churchgate (8 rakes [6]), Mumbai Central (7 rakes [4]), Mahalakshmi (1

rake [1]), Mahim (5 rakes [4]), Bandra (6 rakes [2]), Andheri (14 rakes [5]), Kandivali (11 rakes [6]),

Borivali (11 rakes[6] and Virar (7 rakes [7]). The figures in square brackets indicate 12-coach rakes

with respect to total holdings.

WR Workshops

Lower Parel Periodic overhaul of BG coaches.

Mahalaxmi

Periodic overhaul of EMU, traction motor rebuilds. More recently, [4/00] EMU

conversion to AC/DC. Used to house the air-conditioned EMU coaches? Only one

coach with an AC section there now [9/04].

Ajmer Loco workshop (MG diesel) and a carriage and wagon workshop (BG/MG).

Dahod

BG electric locomotive workshop; POH for WAM-4/WAG-5 locos. Formerly WR

mechanical workshop and also a BG steam POH workshop. Carries out rebuilding of

WAM4 / WAG5 locos with advanced features like Dynamic Brakes, Microprocessor

Control, Static Converters etc.

Pratapnagar Maintenance of BG and NG wagons/coaches, and BG oil tanker wagons.

Bhavnagar MG passenger coach maintenance

Junagadh MG wagon maintenance

Mumbai Central Coaching depot

Kandivali AC-DC EMU carshed

North Western Railway


Bhagat ki Kothi

(for Jodhpur)

BG Diesel

(was MG)

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDG-3A,

WDG-4

Former MG shed converted to BG in the 1990s. Some

WDM-2's are marked 'Jodhpur'. [1/09] Received first

WDG-4. Some 50+ units are expected over the next two

years. Currently holds 100+ locos.

Abu Road Diesel WDM-2, Formerly premier shed for YDM-4s (MG); converted to

68

WDM-3D,

WDG-3A

BG in the 1990s. Home to some of the most distinctly

liveried locomotives. Has had WDM-3D locos from

March 2007. Holds around 85 locos.

Phulera Diesel

(MG) YDM-4/4A

For NWR/NR MG lines in Haryana / Rajasthan. Holds

around 60 locos.

NWR Workshops

Ajmer

Opened in 1876 it is one of India’s premier workshops. Loco workshop (MG diesel) and a

carriage and wagon workshop (BG/MG). BG C&W Workshop maintains the Palace on

Wheels rake. Also performs POH of MG locos, DHMUs, Railbuses & other rolling stock.

Bikaner

(Lalgarh) Commissioned in 1926. POH of MG coaches and wagons.

Jodhpur Established in 1986, it was formerly an MG workshop. Currently performs POH of BG

passenger coaches.

Central Railway


Kurla (for

Mumbai) Diesel

WDS-4, WDS-6

shunters Had WDS-2 shunters earlier.

Kurla / LTT DC, AC-DC trip

shed

Located near Vidyavihar. Mainly serves trains

from LTT.

Kalyan (for

Mumbai) Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3D,

WDG-3A, WDS-

6

Locos usually marked 'KYN', or the name

Kalyan in Devanagari. Mostly old WDM-2

(180XX), the second WDM-2 imported from

ALCo. (18041) is here. Some WDM-2 locos

relegated to shunting duties and marked 'WDS-

2'.

Kalyan (for

Mumbai)

Electric (AC, DC

and AC-DC)

WCG-2, WCAM-

3, WCAG-1,

WAG-5, WAG-7

Locos usually marked 'KYN' or the name

Kalyan in Devanagari. Kalyan had WCM-1,

WCM-2, WCM-5 locos until the mid-1990s

which have been decommissioned. POH

facilities for WCAM-3 / WCAG-1 locos;

WCAM-1 and WCAM-2 locos are sent to Parel

for POH (perhaps also Vadodara?). WCAM-3

and WCAG-1 locos go to BHEL, Jhansi, for

POH. WAG-5 and WAG-7 added recently to

handle banking duties on the Kasara-Igatpuri

AC section. Used to hold two WCM-6's but

these have now been coverted to pure AC and

transferred to Bhusaval.

CSTM (for

Mumbai)

DC, AC-DC loco

trip shed

Pune Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-

3A, WDM-3D,

WDG-3A,

WDS-6

Locos usually marked with 'Pune' in

Devanagari script. Homes only one DLW built

WDM-3A, rest of the 3A fleet are rebuilts.

Pune DC, AC-DC trip

shed

WCG-2, WCAM-

3, WCAG-1

WCM-1, WCM-2, WCM-5 locos until the mid-

1990s, now these have been decommissioned.

Performs light maintenance for WR WCAM-

1/WCAM-2 locos in addition to the CR AC-DC

locos.

Pune Trip sheds (2) One for WDS-4

shunters and

69

another for Pune-

Lonavla EMUs.

Bhusawal Electric

WAM-4,

WAP-4, WAG-5,

WAG-7, WCM-6

Bhusawal used to be the largest steam shed

(after WW 2). Had WAP-1 locos until recently,

as well as the rare Mitsubishi WAG-2's. The

WAP-1 locos here were not converted to WAP-

4 locos as elsewhere; they were eventually

transferred to Ghaziabad. Received WAP-4

locos in 2005 and WAG-7 in 2006. WAG-5

locos handle banking duties on some CR

sections. [11/07] Jhansi's entire fleet of WAP-

4's were transferred here. WCM-6 locos from

Kalyan converted to WAM4 specifications &

used for departmental duties. 135+ locos

(03/08)

Igatpuri Electric trip shed Separate sheds for AC locos and AC/DC locos.

Ajni (for

Nagpur)

Electric shed, diesel

trip shed WAG-7, WAG-9

[11/03] Up to 15 WAG-9 transferred from

Gomoh. [9/04] Shed got three new WAG-9s.

[5/07] Now holds more than 30 locos of this

class. [6/02] Had some WAM-4, WAG-5,

which appear to have been transferred

elsewhere (possibly Bhusawal). Some of the

WAG-5 locos used to be marked 'Nagpur'

earlier; all were later marked 'Ajni'. There is

also a trip shed for WAM and WAG series

locos here, as well as for visiting WDM-2's.

Used to have a steam shed; electric shed opened

on 1992-04-06. Carries out POH of some of its

own locos.

Murtazapur NG diesel

ZDM-4 (#213),

ZDM-5 (#515,

#516)

Maintains locos for the famous 'Shankuntala'

route. About 80km from Badnera on the

Bhusawal - Nagpur line.

Neral NG diesel and Steam

NDM-1 (2),

NDM-6 (5), and

one ex-DHR B-

class steam loco

The DHR B class is being used for steam trials

on the Neral-Matheran line [2002]. POH of

locos done at Parel.

Kurduwadi NG diesel ZDM-4

Loco's used to service the famed Barsi Light

Railway (Miraj-Latur). [09/08] Holding is now

3 locos.

Sanpada EMU carshed for

Harbour Line

Kalwa (near

Thane) EMU carshed

Kurla EMU carshed

Wadi Bunder

Decommissioned,

was a DC loco trip

shed

formerly WCG-1

locos

Lonavla DC trip shed WCG-2 bankers

Manmad Electric trip shed

CR Workshops

Matunga Periodic overhaul of BG coaches and EMUs. Also workshop facilities for major repairs to

70

diesel locos; used by other zones too, even WR (many 'unusual' locos can be seen coming to

Mumbai for this).

Kurla Periodic overhaul of tank wagons.

Parel

Periodic overhaul of DC and AC/DC locos (from CR and WR), and Alco diesel locos. They

also have facilities to repair emergency equipment such as the 140-ton cranes. Many locos

from other zones come here for high-end repairs. Neral-Matheran NDM-6 locos and some

CR ZDM locos come here for POH. One of the really old loco workshops; earlier specialized

in the 1.5kV DC locos of the Mumbai area. Workshop now assembles WDG-3A locos which

have been sent in kit form by DLW.

Nagpur Coach maintenance workshop

Ajni Goods wagon repair facility

Bhusawal

Wagon repair workshop, also carries out POH on 3-phase locos and conversions of WAP-1

locos to WAP-4 from all over the northern and central parts of the country. One of the oldest

loco workshops, from the steam days when Bhusawal had a large steam shed. It also

specializes in rebuilding fire-damaged locomotives.

West Central Railway


Tughlakabad

(for Delhi) Electric

WAG-5, WAG-

7, WAG-9

This shed is a WCR shed on NR territory! It belongs to the

Kota division. This was a WR shed until 2003. The shed

was originally built to handle locos for the freight traffic on

the busy New Delhi - Bombay route. Has received a few

WAG9 starting 02/08. Locos used for hauling the priority

Container Rajdhanis (ConRajs) between Delhi & Mumbai.

Close to large marshalling yard and inland container depot.

140+ locos (03/08)

Itarsi Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3C,

WDM-3D,

WDS-6

Was in CR until 2003. Shed serves routes all across central

India, with locomotives going all the way to Bangalore

with the Karnataka Express. Holds 120+ locos.

Itarsi Electric WAM-4, WAP-

4, WAG-5

This shed came up in the 1980s. Was in CR until 2003.

Some WAM-4 locos transferred here from Vadodara. Its

WAG-5 locos perform banking duties on the Budni -

Barkhera ghat section. Shed has the largest WAM-4

holdings. Has received WAP-4s in starting June 2008.

Katni Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDG-3A,

WDG-3C

This is located at New Katni Jn. (SECR), but the diesel

locos always carry the marking that says simply 'Katni' (in

Devanagari) or 'KTE'. This is one of IR's biggest diesel

sheds. This is a separate shed about 3km from the Katni

electric shed (below). It is on the Itarsi-Allahabad line. The

shed used to be in CR until 2003. Holds the only WDG-3C

‘Cheetah’

New Katni Jn. Electric WAG-5, WAG-

7

Located at New Katni Jn. The shed used to be in CR until

2003. Had WAM-4/WAM-4P until the early 1990s or so.

Electric locos are marked 'NKJ' (for New Katni Jn.) in

contrast to the diesels (above) that say just 'Katni'. The

shed is about 3km east of the diesel shed, near the junction

of track going to Singrauli and Bilaspur. It has a large

marshalling yard attached. 120+ locos (03/08)

WCR Workshops

Kota BG wagon repair workshop

71

Bhopal BG coach rehabilation workshop. Handles rebuilding and overhaul of old passenger stock.

South East Central Railway


Bhilai Electric

WAM-4,

WAG-5,

WAG-7

Shed used to be in SER until 2003. Some WAM-4's ex-

Tatanagar. Bhilai also has an MEMU carshed. Known for its

distinct liveries, the shed used to have elaborate suffixes for its

WAM-4 locos e.g. WAM-4P-6D-HS+ABC! One of the largest

sheds with 150+ locos (03/08)

Raipur Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3D,

WDG-3A,

Shed used to be in SER until 2003. WDS-6 in dark blue / red

livery, not standard shunter colours. [2/05] All locos now

painted in red-cream livery. Holds WDM-3A and WDG-3A

from 2004. Has received a few WDM-3Ds as well.

Motibagh

(for Nagpur)

NG

Diesel

ZDM-2,

ZDM-3,

ZDM-4A

Has an NG yard. Refuelling facilities for BG diesel locos. A

steam shed here was recently [2001] demolished. However it

does have [7/02] a working Bagnall steam locomotive used for

special heritage runs. Carries out POH/maintenance for its own

locos and also for other NG sheds. Was in SER until 2003.

SECR Workshops

Motibagh A very important NG/BG workshop. It performs POH on NG coaches and locomotives from

all over central and south-eastern India.

Southern Railway


Erode Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-

3A, WDM-3D,

WDG-3A

Also had WDM-7 locos, now at Tondiarpet.

Many WDM-3A and WDG-3A transferred to

Ernakulam and other sheds. Holds one of the

largest fleets of WDM-3D locos. Has modified

WDM-3D #11121 with a full cab forward

design.

Erode Electric WAG-5, WAG-

7, WAP-4

Erode Electric shed came up in the late 1990s.

WAP-4 locos transferred here in 2001 from

Arakkonam. Now home to the second largest

fleet of WAP-4's on IR, the shed handles some

of the longest routes for electric trains in the

country.

Ernakulam Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDS-6

All WDM2 locos fitted with Anti Collision

Device (ACD). Southernmost loco shed.

Originally the only shed to have WDM-7 locos

(now transferred to Tondiarpet). Has received

many WDM-3A locos from Erode.

Arakkonam (for

Chennai) Electric

WAP-4, WAM-

4, WAG-5

variants

This electric shed came up in the 1980s, but

Arakkonam had a big steam shed earlier. This

shed had 5 WAP-1 locos until 2002, were

transferred to Ghaziabad. It later got WAP-4

locos -- the entire SR fleet -- which were then

moved to Erode/Lallaguda. New WAG-7 locos

72

were acquired but later transferred to Erode.

Started receiving new WAP-4's in late 2004.

Holds more than 10 WAP-1 locos transferred

back from Ghaziabad. Total holding 130+

(03/08)

Golden Rock (for

Thiruchirapalli)

Diesel BG and

MG

WDM-2, WDM-

3A, WDP-3A,

WDG-3A,

YDM-4

One YDM-4 loco retrofitted to run on bio-diesel.

Recently [05/06] home to WDG-3A

locomotives. Used to hold YDM-2 locos.

Tondiarpet (for

Chennai) Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-

7, WDS-4B,

WDS-6,

WDM-7 locos were transferred here from

Ernakulam and serve the Chengelpet-

Arakkonam passenger trains [4/04]. [6/07] Some

WDM-2's from Erode have been transfered here.

Also refuelling point for WDM-2's and WDP-2's

coming to Egmore.

Shencottah Diesel YDM-4

Shed created recently [10/06] to cater to the

isolated Punalur-Shencottah-Tirunelveli MG

section. Holds 12 locos, all transferred from

Golden Rock.

Coonoor Steam, Diesel 'X' class (steam)

and YDM-4 Serves the Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Basin Bridge (for

Chennai) Electric trip shed

Egmore Electric/Diesel

trip shed

This was an important MG shed with several

YDM-2's stabled here, but now the lines out of it

are BG, and the shed stands demolished.

Tondiarpet Electric trip shed

[2/04] Recently created to lessen load on Basin

Bridge. Also serves as crew change point for

freights.

Jolarpettai Electric/Diesel

trip shed

Royapuram Electric New electric shed under construction.

Commisioning expected in early 2009.

SR Workshops

Golden Rock near

Thiruchirapalli

IR's premier diesel loco restoration and rebuilding workshop; also undertakes

the POH of diesels from all over the south. Currently [3/05] it handles both

BG and MG, but the MG repair facilities (which have been here for a

century!) will likely soon be shifted to Tiruvarur as gauge conversion leaves

Tiruchy entirely on BG. Another facility may also come up at Pollachi.

Carriage and Wagon

Workshops, Perambur

(Aynavaram), Chennai

BG coaches and wagons

Locomotive Workshops,

Perambur (Chennai)

This was the premier BG steam loco repair shop in the south; now it deals

with repair and maintenance / POH of electric locos from all over the south.

SR, SCR, SER, and other zones' locos are often repaired here and sent for

POH; sometimes locos from even farther afield such as from Tughlakabad

can be seen being worked on. KR's DMU sets also come here for their POH.

Also performs yearly overhaul of the Fairy Queen steam locomotive.

Aynavaram Locomotive

Workshops (Chennai) POH, recabling, dual brake conversion, etc.

Mysore Central BG coaches, railcars

73

Workshops,

Ashokapuram

Tambaram Former electric shed and home to the YAM-1 locomotives. Now a BG EMU

maintenance and car shed.

Avadi BG EMU maintenance and car shed.

Arakkonam Engineering workshops

Basin Bridge Carriage maintenance works

South Central Railway


Gooty Diesel

WDG-3A,

WDG-3B,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3D

One of the largest sheds (120+ locos). Most

WDM-2 locos were rebuilt as WDM-3A's

and later transferred to Guntakal. Many

locos fitted with Auto Emergency brakes for

service on Braganza Ghats in Goa. Also

handles routine maintenance on WDG-4

locos. Received WDM-3D locos in 8/06.

Gooty used to be a BG steam shed.

Guntakal

Diesel,

BG and a

few MG

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3C,

WDM-3D,

YDM-4A

Serves passenger traffic on SCR / SWR

routes sector. Many old WDM-2 units

rebuilt to WDM-3A specs. Large batch of

WDM-3A's transferred here from Gooty in

2005. Former MG shed; BG shed was

inaugurated in 1995 after gauge conversion

of the Guntakal and Hubli divisions.

Remaining MG locos serve the

Dharmavaram - Pakala line.

Lallaguda (for

Secunderabad/Hyderabad) Electric

WAP-4, WAP-

7,

WAG-5(HA),

WAG-7,

WAG-9

Built on the site of the former steam shed

and inaugurated in Sep 05. Some WAP-4s

are ex-Arakkonam. Had 15+ WAM-4 locos

until about 2002 which then moved to

Vijayawada. Interestingly, Lallaguda WAG-

5 locos are actually CLW-built WAG-5HA

locos, but Lallaguda is the only shed that

doesn't show that classification code on the

locos. Received new WAG-9 locos startng

2007. WAP-7 locos are also being homed

here starting Jan. 2009. 110+ locos (06/08)

Sanatnagar (for Hyderabad)

Diesel and

Electric

trip sheds

A diesel refuelling point (with Indian Oil

bulk terminal near it).

Kazipet Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-2A,

WDM-2B,

WDM-3A,

WDG-3A

Had 27 WDM-2C locos (the 'original'

models of this class); [4/02] moved to Gooty

and Vishakhapatnam. [6/07] Many WDM-

3A transferred here from Guntakal. Ex-

Gooty WDG-3A locos moved to service the

Sanathnagar-Raichur sector. Had WDP-1

locos, transferred to Vijayawada.

Kazipet Electric WAG-7

Inaugurated in 2006, it received all but eight

WAG-7 locos based at Lallaguda. Has

received new units as well. 100+ locos

(05/08)

74

Vijayawada Electric

and Diesel

WAG-5,

WAM-4, WDS-

4, WDP-1,

DEMUs (30+)

and 2 Railbus

WDP-1 locos transferred from Kazipet.

WDS-4 units were to be decommissioned

and/or scrapped by late 2001. However 6

were transferred to Kurla (CR) and the rest

retained [8/04]. Home also to 2 BEML

railbuses that run on the Kakinada - Kotipalli

line. Many WAG-5 locos are re-fitted and

used for passenger operations only including

the modified #23989 'Krishnaveni'. The

electric shed here was inaugurated in April

1980 with a capacity to maintain 100 locos.

Electric shed is among the largest holding

170+ locos (06/08).

Renigunta

Diesel

shed,

Electric

trip shed

Maula Ali (for

Secunderabad)

Diesel &

EMU car

shed

WDM-2, WDS-

4, DHMUs (3-

car & 6-car) (9)

and EMU's

Former MG shed; converted to BG in the

late 1990s, completely converted to BG in

2003. YDM-2 and YDM-4 transferred to

WR/NWR sheds. WDM-2 locos: 10 old

units (182xx series from GY/GTL/KZJ)

were assigned in for shunting duties, out of

which 6 have been decommissioned. Later,

more WDM-2 locos were transferred from

other sheds for mainline duties on the

northern Hyderabad & Nanded division

routes. [9/08] Holds 12 WDS-4 locos.

Electric shed caters for suburban EMU

service.

Hyderabad Electric

trip shed

Rajahmundry Electric

(MEMU)

Has SCR entire fleet of MEMU cars.

Handles primary maintenance and rebuilding

of damaged units. Setup on the site of the

erstwhile steam shed.

SCR Workshops

South Lallaguda Coaches and wagons

Rayanapadu Wagons

Tirupati Coaches

ROH depots for wagon maintenance at Gooty, Vijayawada, Ramagundam, Sanatnagar, Raichur and

Bellampally

Coaching maintenance depots at Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Kacheguda, Nanded, Vijayawada, Tirupati,

Guntur, Kakinada, Narsapur, Purna, Kazipet, Guntakal and Machilipatnam.

South Western Railway


Hubli Diesel

WDG-4

(150+), WDP-4

(10)

Initially received all the new EMD locos.

Transferred all but 4 WDP-4s to KJM in

2005 and later WDP-4 and WDG-4 to the

newly Siliguri Jn in 03/07.

Krishnarajapuram Diesel WDS-6, WDM- Shed opened in 1983, holding 9 locos, after

75

(for Bangalore) 2, WDM-3A,

WDP-4, WDG-

3A, WDG-3B

construction began in 1980. Initial holding

capacity was 60 locos; in 1990 this was

improved by providing covered shed

facilities for holding all 60 locos. Capacity

raised to 65 locos in 1993, and to 125 locos

in 2003; eventually the shed is to hold 150+

locos. [3/05] WDP-4 locos (starting with

#20023) have been homed here. First 5

WDM-3D units were homed here; these

were later transferred to Erode. Was in SR

until 2003.

Bangalore City Diesel, electric trip

shed Electric Trip shed. Was in SR until 2003.

Bangalore

Cantonment Diesel WDS-4 Was in SR until 2003.

Mysore Decommisioned

MG diesel shed YDM-4 Locos had a distinctive dark green livery.

SWR Workshops

Hubli Coaches, ROH depot for wagon maintenance, coaching maintenance depot.

East Coast Railway


Vishakhapatnam

(Waltair) Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-

3A, WDG-3A,

WDS-6

One of IR's largest sheds it used to be on SER until

2003. There was a shed at Simhagiri which shut down

and the new diesel shed at Waltair took over. Rarely,

diesel locos can (could) be seen with Simhagiri

markings [2001].

Vishakhapatnam

(Waltair) Electric

WAG-5 (100+),

WAG-6A/6B/6C

(12?), WAM-4

This shed used to be on SER until 2003. Most electrics

from here work on the Kirandul-Kottavalasa heavy

mineral freight line and are rarely seen elsewhere. The

shed does not have any locos for passenger operations

[3/03]. The WAG-5 locos are quite old, converted from

the original 211XX series of WAM-4B locos. [1/04]

The WAG-6 classes are now back in service after

being idle for want of spares and maintenance. Carries

out POH for WAG-6A/6B/6C locos; others are sent to

other sheds, such as Kanchrapara. WAM-4 originally

intended for Angul, were transferred here.

Angul Electric WAG-5

Started life on paper as a diesel shed but soon

converted to an electric shed. Received locos even

when the shed building was not complete. Received

WAM-4 and WAG-5 locos from other sheds (notably

from GZB). After a short while, all WAM-4 were

transferred to VSKP. Currently (4/08) retains nearly 50

WAG-5.

ECoR Workshops

Mancheshwar Carriage repair workshop. Commissioned in Nov. 1981. Performs POH maintenance on

about 100 coaches a month ([5/10] to be expanded to 150/month).

Northern Railway


Ghaziabad (for Electric WAM-4, WAP-1, This shed was originally built to cater to

76

Delhi) WAP-4, WAP-5, WAP-

7, WAG-5HA

passenger traffic in the Delhi area.

Received the first WAP-1s. Some WAP-

4s were transferred to Arrakonam shed

in 2007. Retains 47 WAP-1 locos as of

04/2008 including the beautifully

decorated #22021 'Babasaheb'. Used to

have WAP-3 locos, including the first

#22005, which had been been converted

*back* to a WAP-1. [3/05] Received

new WAP-4 locos and older ones from

other sheds like Kanpur & Howrah.

Retains only 1 WAM-4 and 14 WAG-5

locos (04/2008).

Tughlakabad

(for Delhi) BG Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-3A,

WDM-3C, WDM-3D,

WDP-1, WDP-3A

Large shed homing more than 150 locos.

One of only sheds on IR to home the

WDP-1 and WDP-3A locos. Locos also

serve the prestigious Palace on Wheels

train. [6/07] WDM-3D's being added to

the roster.

Shakurbasti

(for Delhi) Diesel

WDS-4A/4B/4D (92),

some DEMUs, WDM-2

Also a BG/MG trip shed for WDM-2,

WDG-3A & YDM-4 locos. WDS-

4A/4B/4C/4D shunting locos are sent

here for annual / semi-annual

maintenance. Homes DMUs for Delhi

region including the country's first CNG

run DMU which was converted in-house

from diesel. The first WDS-4A

('Indraprastha', #19057) is homed here

[10/05]. This shed had some (16) WDM-

2 locos for a brief period, about 6

months or so, before they were sent on

to Tughlakabad, Ludhiana, and Bhagat-

ki-Kothi sheds. Currently has only 1 or 2

WDM-2 used for local duties.

Ludhiana Diesel WDM-2, WDM-3A

WDG-3A

A large shed: 175+ locos [3/03]. Locos

serve a large swathe of Northern and

North-western India.

Ludhiana Electric WAM-4, WAG-5,

WAG-7, WAP-4

Commisioned in 2001 when most GZB

WAG-5's transferred here. Newer

WAG-7s since 2003 with some locos

transferred from Kanpur. Retains only 1

WAM-4. 10 WAP-4s, mostly transferred

from Ghaziabad.

Lucknow Diesel WDM-2, WDM-3A,

WDM-3D

'Alambag Diesel Shed'. 130+ locos

including the first 3300hp WDM-3A

rebuilt by DMW Patiala (earlier DCW).

Locos seen in blue-grey livery with the

words 'Prabal' written in Devnagari

script on the side.

Mughalsarai Diesel

Decommissioned. Had

WDM-4 locos (was at

the time the only shed

to have these).

This shed was an NR shed on ER

territory! This was just adjacent to the

(still existing) ECR (formerly ER) diesel

shed. It lost the role it had earlier as the

77

WDM-4's were phased out, and more

recently [2001] was decommissioned.

Ambala Diesel WDS-4

Shunters have minor maintenance

carried out here but are sent to

Shakurbasti for major maintenance or

repairs.

Pathankot

NG Diesel, also BG

trip shed. WDS-

4A/4B shunters are

kept here for long

periods.

ZDM-3, ZDM-4/A

Northernmost shed. WDS-4A, belong to

Shakurbasti, but kept here for long

periods. Received some ZDM-4 locos in

2007, possibly from CR/WR.

Chakki Bank

(for Pathankot)

Was a steam shed,

now diesel. [5/04]

Steam shed now

decomissioned.

Kalka NG diesel ZDM-3, ZDM-5 Carries out POH of these NG NR locos.

Rewari Steam WP, YP, YG, AWD

[3/02] The Rewari steam shed has been

restored and houses BG and MG steam

locos.

New Delhi Trip shed Caters to visiting electric and diesel

locomotives with maintenance for both

Jalandhar Diesel (DMU and

Railbus)

IR's first and biggest DMU shed. Holds

90 units that service much of rural

Punjab and Haryana. Also holds two

BEML built railbuses which operate on

the Beas-Goindwal Sahib line.

Jammu Tawi Diesel trip shed WAP-4, WAG-7

Trip shed for visiting locos. WDS-4

homed at Shakurbasti are retained here

for long periods.

Chipyana

Buzurg

Electric (EMU and

MEMU) EMU and MEMU

Shed located near Ghaziabad. [9/08]

Holds 216 EMU cars and 221 MEMU

cars.

NR Workshops

Charbagh Locomotive workshops. Performs POH and other maintenance on many locos from NR,

WCR, etc.

Jagadhari Carriage and Wagon workshop, Bridge workshop

Amritsar POH of WDS-4 and breakdown cranes, bogie manufacture

North Central Railway


Kanpur

Central Electric WAP-4, WAG-7

Shed used to be in NR until 2003. Had some older WAP

models earlier. Homed the last WAG-2 and WAG-4

locos. Some WAP-4 transferred to Bhusaval, Ghaziabad

and Lallaguda.

Jhansi Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-3A,

WDM-3B, WDG-3A,

WDS-6

Shed used to be in CR until 2003. Received the WDM-

3B class mid 2006. Shed holding 105 locos +

Jhansi Electric WAG-5HA /

WAG5HB, WAG-7

150+ locos [6/08]. Shed used to be in CR until 2003.

Home to IR's entire WAG-5HB fleet, since these were

manufactured by BHEL, and BHEL's Jhansi unit

maintains the WAG-5HB locos. First shed to receive

78

WAP-4 locos before some were transferred to Lallaguda

& Arrakonam. In late 2007, all remaining WAP-4

transferred to Bhusaval shed.

Gwalior NG

diesel NDM-5, Railcars Locos marked 'GWL'. Carries out POH of these locos.

Dhaulpur NG

diesel ZDM-3 Locos for Dhaulpur – Tantpur / Sirmuttra section

Agra Diesel WDS-4

Diesel shed here homes 32 WDS4. The shed caters to the

loco requirement for shunting at major NCR stations and

the Jhansi Workshop.

NCR Workshops

Allahabad Engineering workshops

Gwalior Coaching workshop for NG stock

Jhansi Largest POH workshop for freight wagons on IR. Reputed to handle more than 20% of

wagon POH on IR.

North Eastern Railway


Gonda Diesel

WDM-2, WDM-3A,

WDM-3B, WDM-

3C, WDM-3D,

WDS-6, YDM-4

Has one WDM-1 (not working). Locos seldom seen

far from shed; sometimes at Allahabad and at Delhi.

The last WDM-2 made by DLW (#16887) is homed

here. Received WDM-3B class in late 2006 and

WDM-3D in early 2007.

Izzatnagar (for

Bareilly)

MG

Diesel

YDM-4 and some

other YDM series

locos

For NER trains on the MG network

Chhapra

Kachehri

MG

Diesel YDM-4 Loco's are mostly from Izzatnagar.

NER Workshops

Izzatnagar Workshops for both MG coaches and diesel (YDM-4) loco overhaul

Northeast Frontier Railway


Malda Town Diesel WDM-2,

WDM-3A This shed is an NFR shed on ER territory!!

New Guwahati

(NGC) Diesel

WDS-6, WDG-

3A, WDM-2,

WDM-3A

BG holdings started with a few WDS-6 shunters in

the early 1990s. Used to be an MG shed for YDM-4

locos; those were transferred to Lumding. The shed is

located within the Guwahati Goods Yard, about 5km

east of Guwahati (GHY) station towards Lumding.

Locos fitted Anti-Collision Device(ACD).

Lumding MG Diesel YDM-4

When the MG line from Guwahati to Lumding /

Tinsukia / Dibrugarh was converted to BG, the

Lumding - Badarpur (and beyond) section became

isolated and at the same time the MG diesel shed at

NGC was closed, with the locos from there

transferred here. Easternmost shed of IR.

Badarpur MG Diesel

trip shed YDM-4 Trip shed only. Locos home at Lumding.

Siliguri Diesel YDM-4, WDP-

4, WDG-4,

BG shed inaugurated in 3/07 with WDP-4 and WDG-

4 locos transferred from Hubli. Also homes the

79

WDM-3D famous WDP-4 #20012, ‘Baaz’.

Rangapara North MG Diesel YDM-4 Locos used for operating the line to Murkongselek

and Tezpur. Units transferred from New Guwahati.

Eastern Railway


Howrah Diesel WDM-2, WDM-

3A, WDS-6

Locos serve mail / express trains north and west of

Howrah.

Howrah Electric WAP-4

Commissioned at the end of 2001. Had 18 or so WAP-1

locos that were sent to Ghaziabad later. One of the

largest WAP-4 sheds in IR with 70+ locos of the class

stabled here. Most WAP6 locos from Asansol shed

converted to WAP4 snad transferred here. Also an

electric trip shed for Asansol, Mughalsarai, Gomoh

locos.

Bamangachi (for

Howrah) Diesel

WDM-2, WDS-

4, WDS-6

Locos are marked 'HWH'. Also an EMU car shed here.

One WDS-4 unit fitted with vacuum equipment for

station apron cleaning, named ‘Swachhata’.

Belaghata (for

Sealdah) Diesel

Andal Diesel

WDS-6, WDM-

2, WDM-3A,

WDG-3A

Has the first WDM-2 manufactured by DLW, No.

18233

Burdwan Diesel

WDG-3A,

WDM-6, WDM-

2, WDM-3A

The only two WDM-6 units ever built are here.

Burdwan also has parking slots for EMUs. Locos haul

the trans-border 'Moitree Express' between Kolkata and

Dhaka.

Jamalpur Diesel WDM-2, WDM-

3A, WDS-6

Has a large workshop, one of the oldest; BG diesels

from many parts are sent here for POH.

Asansol Electric WAG-5, WAM-

4

This shed used to have the WAM-1/2/3/4, WAG-3/4,

and WAP-4 locos. It also had the only (?) 4 WAP-2

locos, and the only WAM-3 locos: #20333, #20337.

[1/08] Asansol also had 16 WAP-6 locos which were

converted and transferred Howrah. [6/08] Some old

WAM-4's from Mughalsarai have been tranferred here

recently. This is the oldest electric shed of IR.

Liluah (for

Howrah?) Diesel

Sealdah Diesel Not a separate loco shed but shared space in the

passenger coach shed.

Narkeldanga

('NKG', for

Sealdah)

Electric

trip shed

Used to have some WAM-1, WAM-2 locos. This is not

a separate loco shed but an EMU carshed now used to

stable some locos and for loco maintenance.

Gholsapur

(Majerhat)

EMU car

shed

Barasat EMU car

shed

Bandel EMU car

shed

Howrah EMU car

shed

80

Sealdah EMU car

shed

This is the EMU car shed at Narkeldanga Canal, which

also houses some locomotives.

Sonarpur EMU car

shed

Tindharia Steam 'B' class tanks,

etc.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. All POH and

maintenance for the DHR 'B' class locos happens here.

ER Workshops

Jamalpur Locomotive Workshops

Established in 1862, Jamalpur was assembling

locos very early, and began manufacturing locos

from scratch by 1899. Established in 1862,

Jamalpur was assembling locos very early, and

began manufacturing locos from scratch by

1899. Also manufactures 140 tonne cranes ,

BOXN/H wagons and other equipment.

Liluah Carriage & Wagon Workshops Maintenance & POH of passenger coaches,

freight wagons & PW vehicles

Kanchrapara

POH on BG AC locos from all over the east

(Howrah, Santragachhi, Mughalsarai, Asansol,

Gomoh), including the WAG-7 locos. One of

the oldest loco workshops setup in 1863;

originally was the site for 3kV DC electric locos

of the Calcutta area.

Bamangachi Coach maintenance

Tikiapara Coach maintenance

East Central Railway


Mughalsarai Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDS-5

There was also an NR diesel shed at

Mughalsarai just adjacent to this one which was

decommissioned 200. One of the only two

sheds to home the rare WDS-5 shunter class.

Mughalsarai Electric

WAM-4,

WAP-4,

WAG-7 (70+)

First shed to get the WAG-7. WAP-1 locos

from here were transferred to GZB. Holds some

units converted from WAP-1 to WAP-4 (e.g.

#22064) many WAP-4 locos were also

transferred to Howrah. Holds 150 + locos

(06/08)

Gomoh Electric WAG-7, Had WAG-5A locos (1990s?). Was in ER until

81

WAG-9,

WAP-7

2003. Some WAG9 units transferred to Ajni.

WAP-7 locos serve the prestigious Howrah

Rajdhani link. Shed holding 125+.

Patratu (for

Adra/Purulia/Gomoh) Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3D

On the Katni - Chopan line, Central Indian

Coalfields (CIC) section, Dhanbad division,

Jharkhand (near Barkakana and Gomoh). Was

in ER until 2003. Locos are very rarely seen

further afield.

Samastipur Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDG-3A

Former MG shed converted to BG in the 1990s.

Locos rarely seen far afield; observed

sometimes at Allahabad, very rarely at Delhi.

Used to be in NER until 2003.

Narkatiaganj Diesel (MG) YDM-4 Shed was setup with transferred locos from

Siliguri and Izzatnagar.

ECR Workshops

Harnaut (near

Patna)

A new railway coach maintenance workshop is under construction here [6/03], which

will have the capacity to repair and refurbish 500 coaches or more every year.

Mughalsarai IR's largest wagon repair workshop.

South Eastern Railway


Kharagpur Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3B

With the electrification of the SER tracks upto

VSKP, locos mainly serve routes south west

and north west of KGP and freight.

Bondamunda Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A,

WDM-3D,

WDG-3A,

WDS-5,

Had a few of the WDM-1 class, now

withdrawn. Also home to the rare WDS-5

class of shunters. WDM-3D's inducted in early

2007.

Bondamunda Electric WAG-5, WAG-

7

One of the largest sheds with a holding of

160+ locos. Has the largest holding of WAG-7

locos. Slated to WAG-9 class as well.

Tatanagar (for

Jamshedpur) Electric

WAM-4,

WAG-5, WAG-

7

Holds SER’s entire fleet of WAM-4 locos. The

shed once had WAP-4 locos: #22253, #22254,

the first of the class with SER were here in

Jan. 1999 when the Super Deluxe Exp. was

inaugurated. These were later transferred to

Santragachhi. Received WAG-7 locos in 2002.

[6/07].

Santragacchi Electric WAP-4

Came up in 1999. Used to have WAM-4s.

Also outstation / trip shed for SER electrics

near Howrah, and for Kharagpur locos. Shed

holding 50+ locos.

Bokaro Steel

City Diesel

WDM-2,

WDM-3A

Also large yard for Bokaro Steel Plant. Loco

spotted in a distinctive green/red livery.

Nimpura (for

Kharagpur) Electric

82

Dongargarh (for

Nagpur)

BG diesel, now

decommissioned

Was in use until a few years ago (late '90s). All

SER diesels for Nagpur are now from Raipur

shed. Would have been in SECR territory.

Tikiapara (for

Howrah) EMU carshed

Panskura EMU carshed

Kharagpur EMU carshed

SER Workshops

Kharagpur Loco and C&W Workshop Locomotive, carriage, and wagon overhaul

Santragachhi Rake maintenance

Konkan Railway

Shed Type Loco /

MU's Comments

Panvel Diesel [decommissioned] Was in use for Panvel, Roha, Pen,

Uran, JNPT traffic earlier

Verna Diesel [planned but later 'cancelled';

construction was never completed]

KR currently does not have locos or sheds of its own. It uses locos from Ernakulam, Golden Rock and

Erode [SR]; Pune and Kalyan [CR]; and Gooty [SCR]. There is currently only diesel traction on this

railway.

KR Workshops

Verna C&W

Workshop

Workshop for carriage maintenance at a site close to the still-born loco shed

site.

Madgaon Rake maintenance

Q. What's the ‘tractive effort’ of a locomotive?

The ‘tractive effort’ is a measure of how large a load the loco can pull and set in motion from a

standstill — the maximum force it can exert at the drawbar or coupling. While the raw horsepower

rating of the loco is important, it is not the whole story. The loco's weight also comes into play, as a

heavier loco can pull a larger load without its wheels slipping. Once the wheels begin slipping, the force

that can be exerted by the loco drops dramatically. (Slipping occurs more with the front wheels because

the front of the loco tends to lift slightly due to the reaction torque exerted by the rails on the loco.)

Modern locos tend to have electronic slip control to control the power applied to each axle separately to

minimize slip and maximize the tractive effort under different conditions.

Q. What's the method that IR uses to couple together multiple locos? or, What's ‘Locotrol’?

Two to four or so locos can usually be coupled together to operate automatically, without any special

provisions, with the crew manning only one of them. (This mode of operation is known as ‘Multiple

Unit’ operation, or ‘MU’.)

Using more than about 4 or 5 locos together without some form of automatic control for them is

problematic because couplings come under excessive strain and break. A system known as ‘Locotrol’ is

used on IR, which couples 3 to 5 locos at the head of a train, and one or two somewhere in the middle

of the train, and possibly another two or three at the rear. The locos at the middle and rear of the train

are radio-controlled by the crew at the head of the train. This system is used in some places for heavy

freight sections. It was introduced with WDM-2's on the Kirandul-Kottavalasa line (near

Vishakapatnam) in 1988 by SER. That line is now electrified and multiple WAM or WAG formations

are used instead. Locotrol is (or was) also used on the Kulem-Londa section.

83

With multiple locos lashed up for MU operation, there are MU cables that pass between successive

locos, which carry the control signals between the manned loco and the others. WDM-2 locos have a

single MU cable, whereas the older WAG and WAM series use three MU cables, which also carry two

connections for the tap-changers in the locos. The newer WAP-5 and WAG-9 locos use a single MU

cable. The absence of this MU cable indicates manual coupling of locos -- in this case, each loco is

manned by crew, and they use horn or hand signals to communicate across the locos. Such non-

automatic coupling can also be used for incompatible classes of locos, e.g. to couple a WDM-2 with a

WAG loco in rare instances where the required electric loco wasn't available. Even with some of the

newer locos, coupling may not be possible for different classes of locos: e.g., a WAG-5 and a WAG-7

cannot be MU'd together and require separate crews for operation.

In some cases the local loco sheds or workshops have carried out experimental modifications to locos to

allow multiple unit operation even in cases where the locos were not designed for MU'ing originally.

The Moula Ali shed of SCR, for instance, carried out an experiment in the 1990s to MU WDS-4

shunters to allow MU'd pairs of these to shunt long (24-coach) passenger rakes (SCR had an especially

high number of 24-coach train services and not enough shunting power to match). Normally a single

WDS-4 can only shunt up to about an 18-coach passenger rake. The experiment with MU'd WDS-4 did

not work despite a lot of improvization and experimentation by Moula Ali and eventually this was

dropped, as old WDM-2's, and even WAM-4 or WAG-5 locos started being retired from mainline

operations and becoming available for tasks like shunting.

IR never adopted the practice of designating locos as ‘A’ or ‘B’ units for coupling. All locos could be

used as either a master or slave loco in coupled configurations. A few pairs of locos were sometimes

kept in fixed-formation (mostly WDM-2 pairs); in such cases, both locos in the pair are usually oriented

with their short hoods facing outwards (i.e., so that the short hood leads no matter which direction the

locos travel in). (This is not universal practice, however, as lash-ups the other way around have been

seen.)

Often, different locos may be seen coupled together, such as a WDG-2 with a WDM-2A.

Q. What's the cause of the characteristic jerk or momentary loss of power felt when a WDM–2

accelerates?

The WDM-2 loco, like most diesel-electric locos, has several configurations of its traction motors that

are used as the loco accelerates from rest (Series Parallel - Series Parallel Shunt - Parallel - Parallel

Shunt, and weak field configurations). There are three important transitions: At 30.8-39km/h 2S-3P Full

Field to 2S-3P Weak Field, at 48-55km/h 2S-3P Weak Field to 6P Full Field, and at 88-90km/h 6P Full

Field to Weak Field. For the transition at 39km/h (it can actually happen anywhere between 30km/h and

45km/h), the generator's fuel supply is cut and it is momentarily switched off to avoid sparking and

strain on the switchgear. This momentary loss of power can usually be felt throughout the entire train,

and is very characteristic of this loco. It is much stronger than the jerks or blips in the acceleration felt

at the other transitions of the motors. (This is also seen in other similar Alco models; railfans have

reported the same distinct jerk in Alco diesels used in Greece, for instance.) The WDP-2 loco has one

transition at 55-62km/h although it is not quite as pronounced.

Q. Why do trains sometimes feel like they are momentarily rolling backwards (or forwards) just

after coming to a halt?

Today, almost all braking of trains moving at speed is done using the train brake system which activates

(air) brakes along the length of the entire rake. The loco brake system is not used for bringing the train

to a halt. However, as soon as the train comes to a halt, most drivers switch immediately to the loco

brake system to hold the train at a standstill, and release the train brakes so as to give the system the

maximum time to recharge. In the instants between releasing the train brakes and applying the loco

brakes after the train has been brought to a standstill, the train may sometimes move a small amount if

the place where it has been stopped is on a gradient.

84

Q. I've heard that some locos have 'cruise control'. What does this mean?

Some locomotive classes such as the WAP-5 and WAP-7, as well as the WAG-9, have controls in the

cab that can 'lock' the train to travel at a certain speed (the speed at the time the control or button is set).

The button is known as the 'BPCS' button. The computerized loco controls then manage the tractive

effort and braking effort and attempt to keep the speed to within +/- 2km/h of the desired speed. In this

mode, the driver does not have to do anything further except to respond to the alerter system (see

below) within the stipulated intervals, and to use the horn as appropriate. Older locomotives without

computerized controls do not have any such provision for 'cruise control'.

Q. What driver vigilance or driver alertness systems are used by IR in its locomotives?

Several loco classes have speed limiters with buzzers that go off when the prescribed speed is exceeded.

In some cases these may also result in the application of brakes. Some WAP-4 locos have the buzzer

system and it is set for a speed of 130km/h although they are capable of going faster, while a few

WAM-4 locos have it at 110km/h (although not all WAM-4 locos have the buzzer system as it requires

a relatively more recent speedometer assembly to be retrofitted in them). Some WAG-5 locos and

others also have such warning systems. The WCAM-3 loco, limited to 105km/h by its bogies, has the

buzzer set to its top speed.

The newer loco classes (WAP-5, WAP-7, WAG-9) have provisions in their original designs for setting

a speed limit, which, if exceed results not only in the warning buzzer/light going off but also apply the

emergency brakes to slow down to below the prescribed speed. This system, however, is not thought to

be actually deployed in any of the locos currently in use. The top speed limit can be set in software

(160km/h for WAP-5, 140km/h for WAP-7, 100km/h for WAG-9). In the WAP-5, WAP-7, and the

WAG-9, the driver's job is easier in terms of not having to worry about exceeding the speed limit

because these locos have provision for cruise control (constant speed settings) -- see above. However,

the driver does have to activate the vigilance system periodically, as explained below, even when the

cruise control is on.

Vigilance systems in the form of 'dead-man pedals' are provided in some locos, such as the WAP-7. In

the WAP-7 system, the vigilance pedal (PVEF) has to be depressed periodically; alternatively a button

on a panel can also be depressed. If this is not done, and if the master controller is not being used for

braking or acceleration, and if the A9 or SA9 (train / loco brakes) are not being used (any of which

temporarily override the vigilance system), an alarm is sounded. This must be acknowledged by the

pedal or switch; if acknowledgement is not provided with 60 seconds, power to the traction motors is

cut. If there is no acknowledgement within 10 seconds after this, the main circuit breaker (DJ) is opened

and the brakes are applied bringing the loco to a halt. Resetting this afterwards involves a number of

manual steps at the main computer unit ('HBB') and re-building brake pressure. A similar system is

provided in the WDP-4 and WDG-4, as well as in the WAP-5 and WAG-9.

Q. How are locomotives 'run in' to prepare them for service?

New locomotives are run in for a period of time after being commissioned from the factory in order to

shake out any possible initial manufacturing defects and for all the components to settle into normal

wear and usage patterns. In order to give the loco a reasonable load and much starting and stopping

opportunities, usually the new loco is run in by hauling a passenger train rather than running it by itself

(which also avoids the need to free up block sections for the light loco).

Normally an ordinary stopping passenger is used and not a mail or express train since the latter are less

'tolerant' of delays and breakdowns if any, and also since the running speeds on them tend to be higher.

The normal loco for the passenger train is usually coupled in with the train too, but left unpowered, to

allow it to take over in case the new loco develops a fault. Sometimes some passenger trains are

specially designated for the running in of new locos (e.g., the Tata Passenger which often carries new

locos from CLW towards Lallaguda, Erode, Bhusawal, Ajni, etc. The Kazipet Passenger is used for

85

taking locos from Nagpur to Kazipet). These trains are often also the ones that are usually used for

coupling dead locos for transport back to sheds.

Freight trains are usually not used for such movement of new or dead locos since they tend to run

without stops for long periods, and also because delays due to coupling or uncoupling the additional

loco(s) would in some cases be excessive.

Q. What does 'microprocessor control' for a locomotive mean?

'Microprocessor control' can mean a few different things. A few of the newer electric locomotive

models such as the WAP-5 or WAG-9 with complex 3-phase AC drives have circuitry and equipment

controlled by microprocessors. In these, the microprocessor or computerized control is an integral part

of the locomotives' design. Some of the newer diesel locos such as the WDG-4, WDP-4, WDM-3D,

etc., also use a fair bit of microprocessor control for their onboard systems. These advanced

locomotives can be truly described as being computer-controlled or microprocessor-controlled.

However, the term 'microprocessor control' is also widely applied to certain models of WAP-4 and

other locos that have been retrofitted with a monitoring system that uses computerized circuitry to

replace some of the electromechanical relays and switches that were part of the original design of these

locos. Systems monitored by the microprocessor circuits include the DJ, silicon rectifier, battery

chargers, etc. The advantage of this is that the status of the monitored equipment is displayed on an

LCD panel in front of the driver and he does not have to look around and inspect the state of each relay

or switch behind him manually. In such cases the microprocessor does not actually control anything.

Typical relays replaced by the monitoring circuits are QV60, QV61, QV61, QV63, QV64, QV65,

QVLSOL, etc. Among the WAP-4 locos, 'Yugantar', #22591, was the first one to get such a

microprocessor-based monitoring system (all later locomotives in the series seem to have been

produced or retrofitted with this). Many sheds (Kanpur, Vadodara, etc.) display the annotation

'microprocessor controlled' very prominently on the loco itself. A few older locos (e.g., #22547) have

also been retrofitted with the microprocessor monitoring. Apart from WAP-4 locos, some WAG-7 locos

(Jhansi, Kanpur) have also been retrofitted with such systems.

Q. What does 'Static Converter Fitted' or similar annotation mean on a locomotive?

Locos traditionally had a rotary converter (of Arno make) to generate 3-phase AC on board to power

auxiliary equipment such as traction motor blowers, compressors, exhausters, etc. Starting in the 1980s

static converters using solid-state circuitry to generate 3-phase AC on board have been used instead of

the Arno converter, driving up efficiency and reliability by eliminating the moving parts that the Arno

contained.

Static convertors and microprocessor control have now become standard kit for all new production

WAP-4s beginning from the 22640 series. Static convertors have become standard for all new WAG-7's

too. This has also meant that the new locos may not carry the 'Static Convertor' or 'Microprocessor

Fitted' markings despite being equipped with these systems. These locos are now being distributed to all

sheds.

Q. What kinds of bogies (trucks) are used by IR's locomotives?

For mainline BG locomotives, there were, until the 1980s, two main alternatives. The venerable WDM-

2 which existed (exists) in vast numbers, along with the WDS-6, WAM-4, WAG-5, and some of the

WCAM-1/2 locos used an Alco design asymmetric trimount (Co-Co) cast bogie design. Most other

mainline BG locos used some variant of the GM-EMD 'Flexicoil' design, starting with the 'Mark 1'

version for the WAP-1 and WAP-4 locos as well as the EMD-designed WDM-4 locos (export model

SD-24), and variants known as 'Mark 2' or 'Mark II', 'Mark 3', etc., for other electrics such as the WAP-

3. These were all cast bogies. RDSO experimented a lot with the designs of these bogies, to improve top

86

speed, ride characteristics, etc., so that many variations can be found. The Flexicoil model was

originally designed by GM-EMD and used in the American SD-7 locomotive of the 1950s. The

innovation of the Flexicoil design at the time it was introduced was the isolation of lateral vibration by a

swing hanger.

A newer generation of the Flexicoil design was introduced later in the form of the 'Mark 4' ('Mark IV')

model which had a fabricated bogie frame assembly. This was used for the WAP-6, WDP-3A, and

some other classes. These bogies were supposed to work up to 160km/h but turned out to be unsuitable

for Indian track conditions at such high speeds and were restricted to 105km/h or so after initial

oscillation trials. WDP-3A locos are now allowed to run at 120km/h on select sections such as the

Konkan Railway stretch and the WR trunk route. The Mark IV Flexicoil bogies have some adhesion-

increasing characteristics and have a rated top speed of 140km/h. The WAP-7 and WAG-9 locos use an

ABB freight bogie design and have been tested and approved for speeds up to 140km/h.

Alco High-Adhesion bogies (which have a fabricated bogie assembly) were also introduced in the

1980s, and are used for the WDG-3A, WAG-7, WCAM-3, WDM-3D, WCAG-1, WCM-6, and other

locos such as the Sri Lankan export model of the WDM-2. They are said to have several enhanced

characteristics for providing high adhesion and good damping of vertical and lateral oscillations.

In addition there are some odd home-grown models of bogies such as the fabricated Bo-Bo bogies seen

on the WDP-1 (based on a variant of the Flexicoil design) and WDM-6 locos. MG and NG locos have

their own bogie designs, in most cases carried forward and adapted from the original imported loco

models -- there has not been a lot of active work at RDSO on developing new bogie designs for these

narrower gauges.

Q. Were/are battery-powered electric locos used in India?

Yes. Western Railway inherited from the BB&CI Railway two broad-gauge battery-powered shunters

that were used in a yard that was not electrified (and where the use of steam or diesel locos was thought

to be too noisy). There is a picture of one of these in Jal Daboo's book. These were locomotives built in

England in 1927, and for their time were among the most powerful battery-electrics.

The NBM-1 class of 2' gauge locos are battery-driven, in use by CR on the NG network around

Gwalior. They were manufactured by BHEL in 1987, and have a fairly modern thyristor-based AC

motor drive. There were only 3 of them in use. (Are these still being used?)

Battery locomotives have also been used by some industrial concerns and mines or collieries. English

Electric supplied two dual overhead/battery electric locomotives to a colliery in Ballarpur in the early

1930's. Several battery locomotives have also been supplied by Indian manufacturers.

Q. Serial numbers: How are/were locomotives numbered in India?

Prior to 1940 or so, each railway company had its own system of numbering different classes of

locomotives. Beginning in the early 1940s, the state began taking over several of the railway

companies, and newer locomotives acquired thereafter were allotted numbers based on the ‘IRS’ (and

later ‘IGR’) classes; but numbers were duplicated across the different railways well into the 1950s.

Some effort was made (especially by NR and WR) after 1952, when the zonal railways were set up, to

avoid duplication of locomotive numbers across the zonal railways.

In 1957, new ‘all-India’ numbers were issued for most working locomotives in all the zonal railways to

establish unique numbers throughout the country. The all-Indian numbers had blocks for each class of

locomotive: e.g., numbers 22301 - 22500 were reserved for the BG XD class locos, and numbers 1000-

1500 were reserved for MG diesel shunters. Some locos, such as the WCG-1 shunters, continued to be

numbered with their old numbers together with the all-India numbers (e.g., 20038 (4513) where the

number in parentheses might be, for instance, the old GIPR loco number). Over the years, the decline of

87

steam and the growth in diesel and electric motive power has led to the reuse of numbers from blocks

originally meant for steam locomotives for various diesel or electric locos.

A locomotive which has undergone extensive repair work (perhaps following a collision) usually has an

‘R’ suffixed to the serial number. The ‘R’ suffix is also used for mid-life reconditioning overhauls such

as those performed by DCW, Patiala or Golden Rock workshops. DCW, Patiala always used the 'R'

suffix for overhauled WDM-2 locos (not upgraded to WDM-2C) before March 2000. Later, they used

to renumber locos with the 'R' suffix even when they carried out the class upgrades to WDM-2C /

WDM-3A (starting with 18690R). However, in recent years it's been seen that as these upgraded locos

are repainted by the various loco sheds where they are homed, sometimes the 'R' is omitted. E.g.,

Lucknow shed's WDM-3A #18476, the oldest (1968) loco converted to a WDM-3A, no longer [2004]

sports the 'R' suffix. Such locos (which had the 'R' in the serial number but later lost it) will always be in

the shed-specific livery and not in the standard DCW livery.

If a loco, coach, or wagon is condemned (perhaps following severe damage in an accident), or not

working well enough so that it is notionally written off, it may nevertheless be used after repairs in

some limited circumstances; for example, condemned locos have been put to good use as shunting

engines in yards. In such cases, a ‘0’ is prefixed to the serial number.

From about 1999, some sheds of IR (perhaps only on SR?) have begun the practice of adding a 2-digit

year of manufacture in large stencilled numerals next to the road number for some electric locos, such

as WAP-4's or WAM-4's. E.g., some SR WAP-4's sport road numbers like 22219/97, 22536/02,

22626/05, etc. (the first two from Erode, the last from Arakkonam [7/06]).

Serial numbers were earlier painted or stencilled on in small numerals on the side of the loco cab; for

locos up until the 1950s, usually the initials of the old railway company were painted on much larger.

Since the late 1970s or early 1980s IR has been painting the serial numbers in large numerals on the

sides of the loco bodies. Often the numerals are enclosed in a stylized oval or hexagonal frame that

connects up to a stripe or stripes running along the length of the body.

This no longer applies to newly produced locomotives. New diesels do not have numbers painted on the

long hoods. WAP-5s and WAP-7s do not have numbers painted on the sides. WAG-9s starting from the

3106x series again have standard sized numbers painted on the sides. Earlier WAG-9s had road

numbers painted near cab doors under the yellow band in half the standard size. This was done away

with for a few units starting 3104x and 3105x.

Serial number ranges for diesel and electric classes are in the loco specifications section.

Serial numbers are not always serial! Sometimes locos in the same class are assigned numbers out of

sequence. The most recent example is that of the indigenous WAP-5 locos from CLW; the first was

30011, the second was 30013, and the third was 30012.

Hugh Hughes' books are probably the best source of detailed numbering information for locomotives in

India up till 1990.

Special-purpose units have various numbering schemes. E.g., EMU and DMU units sometimes have

numbers such as ‘MC 0004’ where the MC stands ‘motor coach’. Accident relief vans are numbered,

e.g., as ‘ARMV 5101’ etc. (ARMV = Accident Relief Medical Van). Cranes, diesel-electric tower cars

for maintaining the OHE, and other such vehicles are numbered separately. DMUs of various kinds

have their own numbering system which resembles the road numbers of locomotives in consisting just

of digits without any alphabetic prefixes or suffixes. The 1400hp HPDMUs have been seen numbered in

the 14xxx and 15xxx range.

Locomotive Plate Numbers Almost every IR locomotive has a manufacturer's plate with information

such as the date of manufacture on it, along with a number (also known as a works number), although

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html

88

the works number is often missing for electric locos. The plates are usually located on the side of the

loco, either on the main body or on the cab. On several of the early imported locomotives, the original

plates have been removed or lost over time, or painted over so that they are now unreadable. Different

manufacturers use different conventions for plates. The convention for Alco / DLW plate numbers is

explained below. WCM-1 and WCM-2 DC electrics have / had plates with their dates of manufacture

along with the English Electric / Vulcan Foundry works numbers. CLW and BHEL loco plates only

show the maker's name, without any works number or other similar information. New plates are

sometimes attached to a loco when it undergoes serious overhauling. The information on these new

plates may then just show the date of the overhaul, and may even show the new class code for the loco

if the classification has changed since the loco was originally built (e.g., WDG-2 being re-classified as

WDG-3A). This can create some confusion (for railfans!) in assessing the chronology of different locos.

Alco/DLW (WDM-2) plate numbers (Explanation from Sheldon Perry, adapted.) A typical plate

number for a WDM-2 locomotive may be I-3389-03-0292. The "I" stands for India. The "3389" is a

portion of a larger Alco order numbering system. (The DLW order is also referred to as D3389.) For

example, (G)3388 was a Goodwin order for DL500's. (M)3390 was a cancelled MLW order for RS-

18/DL718's, and so on. (DLW also has/had another order number, I-6026. This was applied to DL535's

(YDM-4's). You probably won't find this number on any of the plates though.) The "03" is believed to

be some kind of phase in the WDM-2 production series. There are also plates that read I-3389-01-xxxx

(the very first WDM-2 locos started with I-3389-01-001) and I-3389-02-xxxx. It is not generally known

where these different phases or series have their transitions. The last four digits ("0892") represent the

on-going numerical sequence of works numbers. Again, it is worth emphasizing that the works number

analysis here applies only to particular Alco/DLW locos (WDM-2 class). Other loco classes have

different schemes for their works numbers.

The very first locos built by DLW with parts from Alco had plates that said: 'INDIAN RAILWAYS --

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE WORKS -- VARANASI (UP) INDIA -- MANUFACTURED IN

COLLABORATION WITH ALCO PRODUCTS INC USA'.

Public-sector locomotives

There are numerous locomotives (WDM-2, WDS-6, and other models) that are used by various public-

sector units — power plants, steel or cement plants, collieries, mines, etc. for their internal freight-

hauling and marshalling operations. These may have various additional markings or serial numbers, e.g.

"BSP" followed by a number indicates a loco of the Bhilai Steel Plant; "NTPC" followed by numbers

indicates a loco of the National Thermal Power Corporation. A loco belonging to the Rihand thermal

power plant has been seen with the number 'RhSTPP-II No. 04'. There is a rich variety here, which is

unfortunately not very well documented anywhere, and is not treated by any of the more detailed works

on Indian locomotives such as the books by Hughes, or Simon Darvill's Indusrial Locomotive List.

These industrial locomotives can often be seen on IR mainline routes as they travel to and from their

maintenance and overhauling facilities which are usually at the bigger regional IR sheds.

Industrial locomotives

Please consult reference works such as Hughes' books for detailed information on the numbering of

locomotives used by private industry and public-sector industrial concerns. Hughes' books have a lists

of many locomotives sent to the public sector concerns and approximate serial number ranges or years

of manufacturers for those manufactured by DLW or CLW. Also see Simon Darvill's Indusrial

Locomotive List.

Q. How many locomotives does IR have in its fleet?

As of 1998, IR operated a fleet of about 4,400 diesel locos, and about 2,550 electric locos. In mid-1997,

it still counted 85 steam locos in its fleet, although most of those are not in service any more (see the

section on the last of steam. In 2005, IR had about 4,800 diesels, 3,065 electrics, and 44 steam locos.

http://www.irfca.org/docs/locolists/industrial/index.html



http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-steam.html

89

Q. Does IR have push-pull operations?

Push-pull operations are seen in a few places. The Bangalore-Mysore Passenger has a loco at one end

and driving trailer cab at the other end for true push-pull operation. The trailer cab is sometimes seen in

the middle of a rake instead of the very end (Bangalore-Arsikere-Nanjangud Passenger)

[7/02] The 6057/6058 Sapthagiri Express between Chennai Central and Tirupati (via Renigunta) has a

WAM-4 permanently coupled to the rake at one end, with a cabin in the last coach at the other end

which has all the controls of the WAM-4 replicated.

Though not strictly push-pull, some suburban or short passenger services are operated with a loco in the

middle of a rake instead of at the end (e.g. Diva-Vasai, Solapur-Bijapur). The Diva-Vasai Passenger has

4 coaches on either side of the locomotive; the end coaches are special-purpose modified units and have

a driver's cabin, a ladies' compartment, and a luggage compartment. A few trains have a loco at one end

and a DMU at the other end, e.g., Diva-Roha.

Q. Which locos are the rarest ones on IR?

The situation is changing all the time with many old locos reaching the end of their useful lives. The list

below shows the loco classes that can be considered as being really rare on the IR network [1/05].

YAM-1 : Only at Tambaram (SR), decommissioned and probably scrapped by now [2006] but

were occasionally used for departmental duties as late as 2005.

YDM-2 : Only at Golden Rock (SR) and Gandhidham (WR).

WCAM-1 : Only at Valsad (WR).

WCAM-2, WCAM-2P : Only at Valsad (WR).

WCAM-3 : Only at Kalyan (CR).

WCM-6 : Only one left.

WCG-2 : Only at Kalyan (CR).

WCAG-1 : Only at Kalyan (CR).

WDP-1 : Only at Tughlakabad (WCR) and Vijayawada (SCR).

WDP-2 : Only at Tughlakabad (WCR) and Golden Rock (SR).

WDM-3D : Only at Krishnarajapuram (SWR) and Erode (SR).

WDM-6 : Only two were built, #18901, #18902; both at Bardhhaman (ER).

WDM-7 : Only at Tondiarpet and Ernakulam (both SR).

WDS-5 : Only at Mughalsarai (ECR) and Bondamunda (SER).

WAG-6A, WAG-6B, WAG-6C : Only at Vishakhapatnam (ECoR).

WAP-6 : Only at Asansol (ER).

WDG-4 : Only at Hubli (SWR) -- more are expected to be built.

WDP-4 : Only at Hubli (SWR) -- more are expected to be built.

WAP-5 : Only at Ghaziabad (NR) -- more are expected to be built.

WAP-7 : Only at Gomoh (ECR) and Ghaziabad (NR) -- more are expected to be built.

WAG-9 : Only at Gomoh (ECR) and Ajni (CR) -- more are expected to be built.

WP : The premier passenger locomotive in steam days is now found only at the Rewari steam

shed

WL : This steam loco is now found only at the Rewari steam shed.

Other steam : Steam as a whole rates as being very rare on IR's network today. The 'X' class

locos are found only on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway line (Cooonoor shed), and the DHR 'B'

class locos are found only on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Tindharia shed). The Rewari

shed has some other steam locos, including some MG steam, YG, AWD, etc. A few other steam

locos (WP's, WG's, etc.) are found in other zonal railways and used for special excursions. See

the section on steam.

Q. Were Garratts used in India?

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-steam.html

90

Yes. Bengal Assam Railway had 2-6-2+2-6-2 Meter Gauge Garrats made by Beyer Peacock & Co.

Manchester, the same maker of the earlier Garrats in Burma. A B/W picture of Garrats from Bengal

Assam Railway appears on page 19 of Indian Locomotives, Part 2 (Meter Gauge) by Hugh Hughes.

There were also a few 4-8-2+2-8-4 MG Garratts in use. One is plinthed at the Guwahati steam shed.

The Bengal Nagpur Railway had several BG Garratts, of classes P (4-8-2+2-8-4), N (4-8-0+0-8-4), NM

(??), etc. These were quite powerful, and could haul 2400-ton loads on 1:100 gradients without any

problem.

The DHR had a 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt (‘class D’, essentially two class B locos put together) built by

Beyer Peacock in 1910, on its 2' NG line until 1948. (? Some reports suggest it was working into the

mid-1950's.)

Consult Hughes' books for more details of Garratts used in India.

And elsewhere in or around the subcontinent:

Burma

Of the total 12 pre-war Garrats in Burma, only 10 were active in 1947. Twelve 2-8-2+2-8-2 were added

in 1943 and nine 4-8-2+2-8-4 were added in 1945, all made by Beyer & Peacock. Post war Garrats in

Burma were of two types. 12 locos were 2-8-2+2-8-2 and 9 locos were 4-8-2+2-8-4. Four 4-8-2+2-8-4

were transferred to Tanganyika (Tanzania) in 1948 and five 4-8-2+2-8-4 were transferred to East

African Railways (Kenya) in 1952, according to Hughes, Indian Locomotives Part 4 page 85.

Nepal

Garratts were in operation on the Janakpurdham-Jaynagar line until fairly recently.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka had BG & NG Garratts. One BG Garratt is now at the Ratmalana Works, Colombo, and

another at the Dematagoda Running Shed, Colombo; neither is operational.

Q. What about other articulated locomotives?

Other than the Garratts mentioned above a few articulated locos were used in India. Perhaps the best

known are the WCG-1 (EF/1) 1.5kV DC locos ('Crocodile') and the NDM-1 dual-engined diesel loco

for the Neral-Matheran hill run. The bonnets of both these types of locos were able to swivel around.

Other articulated locomotives used in the past:

NWR's MAS class #460 Mallet (broad gauge)

WIPR's IM class Mallets (meter gauge)

ISR's double Fairlies, 4 of which went to the Nilgiri under the NMR (meter gauge) (Hughes,

part 2, p.70)

NWR's KST TS class #180, #181, Kitson-Myers

Q. What is bio-diesel? What are bio-diesel locomotives?

Biodiesel is the name given to various fuels or diesel fuel mixtures that incorporate varying amounts of

oils derived from plants. While in western countries interest has centred on soybean oil and other crops'

oils for use in diesel engines, in India, local plants such as 'Ratanjyothi' (Jatropha curcas), 'Karanjia'

(Pongammia pinnata), and 'Neem' trees have proven useful as sources of oil suitable for use in diesel

fuel. The benefits of such fuel mixtures are lower levels of polluting emissions, and lower fuel costs

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#WCG-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-diesel-mg.html#NDM-1

91

with large-scale cultivation of the plants. Byproducts include oilcake and glycerine. The characteristics

of the diesel fuel have to be carefully balanced when these bio-diesel additives are used in order to

maintain engine performance.

IR has been conducting trials with bio-diesel for some time now. A YDM-4 locomotive hauled the

Trichi-Tanjore Passenger with a blend of 5% bio-diesel several times in July 2004 and later. Even

earlier, the New Delhi - Amritsar Shatabdi Express was hauled by a 5% bio-diesel fueled locomotive on

December 31, 2002 as a one-off experiment. Some other such trials are being carried out [4/04]. YDM-

4 #6225 is now run by SR using a 10% biodiesel mixture, as is WDM-7 #11008. IR has plans for

cultivation of the plants involved. A pilot plant capable of producting 150 liters of bio-diesel daily has

been set up at the Loco Workshop in Chennai.

Q. What other alternative fuels does IR use?

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is another fuel that IR has experimented with. [1/05] Trials with a

stationary diesel engine modified to use CNG were carried out at Shakurbasti station. More recently

[5/05] two diesel railcars have been modified to run on CNG. A DEMU rake (one diesel power coach

and three trailer coaches) has been modified for CNG use and has been running for several months on

NR (the DEMU rake is homed at Shakurbasti shed). Seating capacity on the rake has been reduced from

384 to 354. Early trials used up to 50% CNG in the fuel mix; in the field trials the rake is running with

35% CNG. It is expected that the resulting savings in fuel costs will pay for the modifications within

about 20 months of regular use. It is expected that a CNG DMU rake with 14 coaches will be run on the

Delhi-Rewari line, and later on to include Shamli and Rohtak.

Q. Where can I find diagrams of locomotives?

In the UK, diagrams from major locomotive manufacturers are preserved at several libraries:

Mitchell Library, Glasgow (drawings from North British Locomotive)

University Library 'Business Archives', Glasgow (also NBL)

Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester (Beyer Peacock drawings)

National Rail Museum, York

In India, diagrams and other data are preserved at:

National Railway Museum, Delhi. Not many engineering drawings, but the NRM does have a

large, if haphazard, collection of diagrams. Recently [4/02] a separate section called Indian Rail

Archives has been set up at the NRM, with many diagrams and other material available to the

public for perusal.

Research, Design, and Standards Organization of IR

Production units and major repair workshops might still have some of the engineering drawings

of older locos. A personal visit to a workshop with authorization from the CME is the only way

to get access to these.

It may also be possible to get information and specification sheets from manufacturers such as TELCO

or BHEL directly. Overseas too, information may sometimes be obtained from manufacturers or firms

that are successors to the original manufacturers. (CLW -> Bombardier, SLM -> DLM, etc.)

A diagram of a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 'B' class loco that originally appeared in the Railway

Board's Technical Bulletin No. 58 (1899 or so) has been much reprinted in DHR-related publications.

Other drawings of 'B' locos are:

A & B class 0-4-0Ts, drawings by D. John & S. Bell. Indian Railway Study Group Newsletter,

No. 6, July 1992, pp. 8-9. Great detail.

92

Roche, F.J., "Darjeeling-Himalaya(sic) Railway 0-4-0 Tank," (Class B) Railway Modeller, Vol.

8, No. 85, November 1957, p. 259. 4mm scale. These have several errors.

Back, N.T., "Darjeeling-Himalaya(sic) Railway Class B 0-4-OST," Model Railway News, Vol.

43, No. 508, April 1967, pp. 180-181. 7mm scale.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Supporters Association of Australia provides members a

comprehensive list of DHR loco diagrams.

A primer on notations for Wheel Arrangements

Wheel arrangements and other technical design features of locomotives can be found in many sources.

See, for instance, Jal Daboo's book or Hugh Hughes' books on Indian locomotives, which provide

exhaustive coverage. Here, only an explanation of the general notation is provided.

Q. What do the notations such as '2-4-2' mean?

Traditionally, steam locomotives have been classified by their wheel arrangements. The system most

widely used was the Whyte system. In this, the loco's leading non-powered wheels, the (usually

coupled) driving wheels, and the trailing non-powered wheels are indicated separately. Indian practice

(following the UK) was to count wheels and not just the axles.

Hence, ‘2-4-2’ refers to a loco with two wheels (1 axle) in the front, 4 driving (powered) wheels in the

middle (2 axles) and 2 wheels (1 axle) trailing. A suffixed ‘T’ indicates a tank engine (variants include

‘ST’ for saddle tank, ‘WT’ for well tank, ‘PT’ for pannier tank, etc.). Garratts and other articulated

locos are usually indicated by juxtaposing the wheel arrangements of each individual component of the

compound loco: e.g., 4-8-2+2-8-4. A loco may have two or three sets of coupled powered driving axles;

in which case the notation might be something like 2-8-8-2 indicating two sets of 4 driving axles each,

or 2-6-6-6-2 for three sets of 3 driving axles each.

In European texts, one finds often that axles are counted, so 2-4-2 is replaced by 1-2-1, sometimes

writtein 121, or even (as in France sometimes) 1B1.

Q. What does 'Bo-Bo' or 'Co-Co' mean?

Diesel and electric locos' wheel arrangements are described using a system where the axles of a loco are

counted, with powered axles being described using letters and the unpowered axles (if any) indicated by

digits. A set of two independently powered axles on a bogie is indicated by ‘Bo’, and a set of three

independently powered axles on a bogie is indicated by ‘Co’.

Hence, a loco with two bogies, each having two separately powered axles is classified ‘Bo-Bo’; with

three such bogies it would be ‘Bo-Bo-Bo’; with two bogies each with three powered axles it would be

‘Co-Co’. Sometimes locos have some leading or trailing unpowered axles too, so for instance a loco

with two bogies, each having three powered axles and one unpowered one is indicated ‘1-Co-Co-1’.

The ‘o’ in the powered axle description is left off to indicate that the axles are not independent, but

coupled mechanically – the same motor drives all axles in the bogie (‘B-B’ instead of ‘Bo-Bo’).

A single powered axle on a bogie is indicated by ‘A’ a set of 4 powered axles is indicated ‘D’ or ‘Do’;

there don't appear to be any locos in India using such arrangements, but outside India arrangements

such as ‘A1A-A1A’, ‘1-D-1’, etc. have been used. A ‘+'’ may be used to separate trucks of articulated

locos. Multiple unit locos are shown by parenthesizing the unit specifications and prefixing a number

corresponding to the number of units, e.g., 2(1-D-1) for a 2-unit loco, each unit having one unpowered

leading axle, one unpowered trailing axle, and a 4 coupled powered axles.

A primarily European variation is to use apostrophes to mark each bogie instead of using hyphens to

separate them. So, "Co‘Co" is the same as "Co-Co".

93

Goods Sheds

Q. Where are the important goods sheds?

Shed Trivia

The distribution of sheds seen on the map is not all that uniform and reflects the greater need for

locomotives in some areas compared to others. The Howrah-Dhanbad-Gomoh corridor is especially

dense, having six sheds within a stretch of about 289km (Howrah, Bardhhaman, Andal, Asansol, and

Gomoh). This is not surprising as the section caters to a lot of freight traffic including the heavy ore

rakes from this mineral-rich area.

Guntakal and Gooty are an odd pair of sheds, being amazingly close -- just 26km or so apart!

Q. Where are the important goods sheds and transshipment points of IR?

Here are the goods sheds attached to major centres:

Agra: Raja-ki-Mandi

Ahmedabad: Sabarmati

Bombay (Mumbai): Carnac Bunder, Wadi Bunder, New Mulund, with additional freight yards at

Bandra, Sion, Vashi, Kalyan, Borivli, Wadala / Raoli Junction; Wadala and Trombay have oil

sidings. Turbhe in New Bombay (Navi Mumbai) deals with some parcel freight traffic.

Asarva (?)

Calcutta: Shalimar

Delhi: Shakurbasti and Sabzi Mandi; container depots at Pragati Maidan and Tughlakabad

Hyderabad: Secunderabad, Sanatnagar

Jaipur: Durgapura

Madras (Chennai): Royapuram, Salt Cotaurs

Bangalore: Whitefield, Yeshvanthpur

94

Nagpur: Ajni (has CONCOR depot sidings)

Khapri (CR): Oil rake yards

Borkhedi (CR): Oil rake yards

Pathankot: Chakki Bank (much military freight)

Pune (Poona): Gadital; additional yards at Hadpsar and Chinchwad; oil sidings at Loni Kalbhor;

container depot at Chinchwad; military sidings at Khadki and Dehu Road

Guwahati: Amingaon

Khapri: Rail transhipment terminal

As usual, further information is welcome...

Additionally, there are large marshalling yards at Daund, Mughalsarai, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Tondiarpet

(Chennai), Wadala (Mumbai). Some of these see a large amount of freight traffic. Also see the list of

CONCOR terminals below. There was a huge MG freight marshalling yard at Tambaram for Chennai,

but that has since closed. See also

CONCOR Terminals

Q. What are CONCOR depots and where are they located?

CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) operates several container depots throughout the country.

As of [1/00] there were 31 Inland Container Depots (ICDs) with facilities for international freight and

connected to ports. These are classified based on whether or not they have a Container Freight Station

(CFS), and whether they are equipped to handle port freight. A CFS facility allows freight to be loaded /

unloaded to or from containers, and aggregated or distributed; at an ICD without a CFS, containers can

only be routed to different destinations without being opened and loaded or unloaded.

There are 9 depots with facilities only for domestic freight, known as Domestic Container Terminals

(DCTs). Some of the depots are purely road-fed (Pithampur in Indore, Mulund in Mumbai, Milavittan

in Tuticorin, Babarpur in Panipat, and Malanpur in Gwalior), but the rest are connected to IR's rail

network. Some 35-40 rail corridors on IR have been identified for fast containerized goods services

(CONTRACK).

Some of CONCOR's container depots are listed below (this is not a comprehensive list!):

Inland Container Depots with CFS (Container Freight Stations) o Tughlakabad (New Delhi)

o Whitefield (Bangalore)

o Sanatnagar (Hyderabad)

o Coimbatore

o Nagpur

o New Mulund (Mumbai)

o Mulund (Mumbai)

o Belaganj (Agra)

o Tondiarpet (Chennai)

o Amingaon (Guwahati)

o Anaparthi

o Guntur

o Chirala

o Moradabad (at site of former steam shed)

o Sabarmati (Ahmedabad)

o Madurai

o Pithampur (Indore)

95

o Malivitan (Tuticorin)

o Baburpur (Panipat)

o Daulatabad (Aurangabad)

o Malanpur (Gwalior)

o Mandideep (Bhopal)

o Mirzapur (UP) [2006]

o Sonepat (Haryana) [2006]

o Dhapad (Punjab) [2006]

Inland Container Depots without CFS (Container Freight Stations)

o Dhandarikalan (Ludhiana)

o Wadi Bunder (Mumbai)

o Chinchwad (Pune)

o Cochin

o Cossipore (Calcutta)

o Surat SEZ

Port-side Container Terminals o Madras Harbour

o Kakinada

o Kandla

o Cossipore Road (Calcutta)

o Haldia (Calcutta)

o Shalimar (Calcutta).

Domestic Container Terminals o Tughlakabad (New Delhi)

o Dhandarikalan (Ludhiana)

o Whitefield (Bangalore)

o Salem Market

o Tondiarpet (Chennai)

o Cossipore Road (Calcutta)

o Shalimar (Calcutta)

o Kankaria (Ahmedabad)

o Wadi Bunder (Mumbai)

o Fathua (Patna) [1/03]

Proposed container terminals... [2/02]

o Balasore

o Bhusawal

o Raipur

o Vadodara

o Kanpur

o Jamshedpur

o Jaipur

o Jodhpur

o Rajkot

o Turbhe (Mumbai)

o Miraj

o Dadri

o Ankleshwar

o Shalimar / Kolkata (proposed additional ICD)

o New Delhi (additional terminal)

o Arakkonam (under construction)

o Pondicherry (under construction)

96

o Tatanagar (under construction)

Proposed container terminals... [5/05] o Varanasi

o Vishakhapatnam

o Khodiyar (extension of Sabarmati ICD)

Recently [4/10] an International Container Traffic Terminal (ICTT) has been opened at Vallarpadam

near Kochi.

Marshalling Yards

Q. Where are the important marshalling and stabling yards?

Most of the bigger stations that are junctions or termini for various routes have large yards for stabling

and marshalling rakes. E.g., Chennai Central homes rakes for many trains originating from there. Pune

has a fairly large yard, as does Ernakulam. The Juhi marshalling yard is pretty big as well.

Mughalsarai is the biggest marshalling yard in Asia, capable of handling over 6,000 wagons a day. It

may also be the biggest marshalling yard in the world; it appears [need confirmation] that the only one

bigger was the one at Ulm, Germany, which was destroyed in Allied bombings in the second world war.

A (partial) list of marshalling or classification yards follows [12/01]. Those marked with '?' are based on

uncertain information. Numbers indicate the numbers of tracks available for classification operations.

'Flat' indicates a classification yard known to be flat (not a hump yard). Marshalling / classification

yards (especially hump yards) for freight wagons have been in decline since the 1980s with the

increasing tendency to use block rakes for goods. (See below for a list of closed yards.)

Ambala Cantt.?

Andal (mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Bardhaman (flat)

Bayappanahalli

Bhilai (mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Bhusawal (16+14)

Bokaro Steel City (40, may have retarders?)

Bondamunda (27, mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Chitpur (flat)

Cuttack?

Dankuni (flat)

Daund

Erode?

Ghorpadi (flat; hump closed)

Hirarpur?

Itarsi?

Jamshedpur (mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Jasai (near Uran; flat; for petroleum tankers)

Juhi (18)

Kalyan? (for Mumbai)

Kurla (for Mumbai)

Mangalore?

Marippalam? (for Vishakhapatnam).

Maula Ali? (BG)

Mughalsarai (48+37, mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Naihati (18) (flat; hump yard closed)

New Katni Jn.

97

Nimpura (mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Pune

Ratlam?

Sanatnagar (for Secunderabad)

Shalimar

Surat?

Tikiapara

Tondiarpet Dn (hump)

Tughlakabad (mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Vijayawada (mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Wadala (for Mumbai)

Wadi

Waltair (Vishakhapatnam)

ER's Dhanbad and Asansol divisions' coal yards have small hump yards, (Pathardih, Kusunda,

Kathrasgarh, Sitarampur, etc.), which are becoming obsolete as coal (as is the case with other freight)

now moves increasingly in block rakes.

Q. Have any marshalling yards been closed down?

Yes, many marshalling yards have been closed over the years, especially since the 1980s, with the move

towards using block rakes that do not need to be broken up and re-classified all the time. A list of closed

yards is given below.

Central Railway

Amla (BG)

Agra Cantt (BG)

Wardha (BG)

Nishatpura (BG)

Balharshah (BG)

Bina (BG)

Jabalpur (BG)

Eastern Railway

Kiul (BG)

Gomoh Dn (BG)

Barwardih (BG)

Barkakana (BG)

Naihati Hump (BG)

Jha Jha Hump (BG)

Danapur Up (BG)

Garhara Hump (BG)

Burdwan Dn (BG)

Malda Town (BG)

Sahibganj (BG)

Rampur Hat (BG)

Howrah Goods (BG)

Asansol East Hump (BG)

Mughalsarai Up (BG)

Garhara (Transhipment and sorting) (BG)

Northern Railway

98

Prayag Ghat (BG)

Jammu Tawi (BG)

Chakki Bank (BG)

Rewari (MG)

Ratangarh (MG)

Churu (MG)

Sadulpur (MG)

Sirsa (MG)

Hanuman Garh (MG)

Bhagat Ki Kothi (MG)

Shakurbasti (MG)

Khan Alampura (BG)

Kanpur (GMC) (BG)

Bhatinda (BG)

Lucknow (BG)

Firozepur (BG)

Moradabad (BG)

Allahabad (BG)

Tundla (BG)

Chheoki (BG)

Jaunpur (BG)

Faizabad (BG)

Varanasi (BG)

Bareilly (BG)

Laksar (BG)

Roza (BG)

Shakurbasti (BG)

Ghaziabad (BG)

Jakhal (BG)

Ludhiana (BG)

Jallandhar City (BG)

Amritsar (BG)

Merta Road (MG)

North Eastern Railway

Manduadih (MG)

Chupra Key (MG)

Kasganj (MG)

Kanpur Anwarganj (MG)

Mailani (MG)

Aishbag (MG)

Nakha Jungle (MG)

Samastipur (MG)

Saharsa (MG)

Darbhanga (MG)

Garahara (MG)

Northeast Frontier Railway

Siliguri (MG)

Southern Railway

Tondiarpet Up Hump (BG)

99

Virudunagar Flat (MG)

Jolarpettai (BG, mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Baiyyappanahalli (MG)

Yesvantpur (MG)

Tambaram Flat (MG)

South Central Railway

Vijayawada (BG, mechanized hump yard with retarders)

Kazipet (BG)

Guntakal (MG)

Maula Ali (MG)

South Eastern Railway

Bilaspur (BG)

Western Railway

Vadodara (BG)

Bandra (BG)

Exploring India's Marshalling Yards

by Ravindra Bhalerao, 2008

Related pages: Yards and Sheds, Freight operations

It is a shame that the average rail enthusiast who finds his heart beating faster with a growing sense of

excitement at the sight of the Grand Trunk Express pulling into a station, is only mildly stirred as he

watches a freight train moving endlessly as it draws out of a yard. But it is not a mere lack of interest

that characterizes this phenomenon. There is something about the freight train that seems to be

positively repelling. It conjures up pictures of labourers carrying bags of cement, lines of lorries queued

up beside a goods shed, and fierce looking merchants crowding around goods clerks eager to book their

consignments. It is a dull and uninteresting picture of the world of trade, commerce and labour.

Dale Carnegie once said that, "if you are interested in it now, it is because you have learned a new and

strange fact about it -- the entirely new is not interesting; the entirely old has no attractiveness for us.

We want to be told something new about the old." If we are to profit by this piece of advice we must

turn back to the past and take a look at what goods train working was like in earlier times. And we must

strive to learn something new that we didn't know before, hoping, as we do so, to discover something of

value that will help to rekindle the spark of enthusiasm for a subject long regarded as dull and tiresome.

Let us then turn our attention from the lorries waiting at the goods shed and devote ourselves to gain an

understanding of the types of goods traffic that existed sometime during the pre-independence era. The

railway enthusiast is sure to find something of interest here; besides, this preliminary exercise will pave

the way for a clearer understanding of marshalling yards which we take up at a later stage.

Goods Trains in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

The goods train of today has a feature that brings it one step closer in similarity to a passenger carrying

train. The railways have discovered that it is more remunerative to transport goods in block loads, or

block rakes as they are known. The system of splitting up a train into two or more parts in a goods yard

and dispatching them to different destinations still persists but only in a limited way. Quite a few of our

100

marshalling yards have actually closed down; some have even been dismantled. Those that remain see

very little activity as compared to the past, and are a wistful reminder of a vast and elaborate set-up that

once served the object of allowing different kinds of goods services to be operated to meet the needs of

various types of traffic.

Classically, there were four broad categories of goods trains in the first half of the twentieth century :

(A) Departmental Trains which are trains meant for the carriage of railway material such as ballast,

sleepers, rails, or even coal.

(B) Through Goods Trains: A Through train is a term used to describe a goods train which runs from

one goods yard to another without having to attach or detach wagons, or load and unload parcels at

stations en route.

Consider for example a goods train originating at Bombay, with 25 wagons bound for Katni, the

remaining 25 booked for Jhansi. Can this be termed a through train? The route for both destinations is

the same up to Itarsi, so the train is a through train from Bombay to Itarsi. Once it reaches Itarsi, the two

halves are uncoupled and shunted onto separate tracks in the marshalling yard. Katni bound wagons

have to wait till other wagons bound for the same destination materialize. When a full train load (about

50 -60 wagons) has accumulated, it is dispatched as a through train from Itarsi to Katni, and a similar

thing can be said of the other half bound for Jhansi.

(C) Section Trains: Through trains are generally formed for the conveyance of goods in bulk over

varying distances, an example being a train on its way to a power plant carrying wagons laden with coal

from a colliery. However it would be nonsense to imagine that goods of each class will materialize at

the loading point in such quantities as to make up a train load at a time. A merchant , for example, may

have a consignment of apple crates numerous enough to fill up two wagons which have to be delivered

to a point a few stations down the line. To handle goods items of this kind a special kind of service was

run known as a Section train, also known as a Shunting train.

A section train runs over short distances (usually from one marshalling yard to the next, e.g., Nagpur to

Itarsi), and consists of a mixture of wagons bound for different wayside stations along the route. The

main feature of these trains is the geographical, or station-wise order in which the wagons are

marshalled. Thus, if A, B, and C refer to successive stations along the route, the first two wagons next

to the engine will be for station A, the next one for B, the following three wagons for C, and so on. This

arrangement is essential so that when the train halts at a place, it becomes a simple matter for the engine

to extract the wagons for that station before depositing them at the goods shed for unloading.

Not all wagons deposited at the goods shed will be loaded ones - some of them could be empties too.

For example, when a station master finds that a consignment large enough to form one or more wagon

loads has been booked at his goods shed, he informs the Control office saying that he needs so many

empty wagons for loading. Control which receives several such requisitions for empties, consolidates

the data and passes on the information to the yard which forms the train giving them instructions to

attach the appropriate number of empties to the train for distributing at various points.

How does the train crew know how many wagons should be deposited at a station along the way? The

answer lies in a document in possession with the guard known as a Wagon Way Bill. A way bill is

prepared by the yard where the train originates and contains details of each wagon such as the starting

point and destination, wagon number, whether loaded or empty, name of the owning railway and so on.

When the train arrives at a station, the station master scrutinizes the way-bill and proceeds to prepare a

shunting order for the crew which gives details of the various shunting moves the engine needs to make

to deposit the wagons at the goods shed. Shunting may also involve picking up one or more wagons

already lying at the goods siding. When the process is finally accomplished, the station master makes

amendments to the way-bill, deleting entries for wagons that were detached and adding on particulars of

those that were picked up from the goods shed.

101

As the section train moves along it deposits its load at stations along the way, simultaneously picking up

wagons - some loaded, others empty. The progress it makes often amounts to a leisurely exercise for a

section train is given the lowest priority when deciding on crossings and precedences. Halts at

intermediate stations are unpredictable, sometimes lasting as long as 10 hours, so it is not uncommon to

find an exasperated driver and guard nearing the end of their duty shift while the train lies stalled at a

station. A phone call made to Control will bring relief in the form of a new set of crew who have arrived

by an express; the previous staff now thankfully hand over charge and proceed to return to the nearest

station that has a running room facility. This method of working means that the speed of a section train

is necessarily low : the average speed can work out to be as low as 5 - 8 kmph, with a run of a few

hundred kilometers taking as long as 4 - 5 days.

By the time a section train reaches its destination yard, the original set of wagons it started out with

have been left behind at intermediate stations. The train now consists of a different set of wagons picked

up along the way, with loads bound for stations distributed randomly across the length of the train. It is

now left to the marshalling yard to rearrange these wagons (together with those arriving on other section

trains) to form appropriate groups, each group consisting of loads for a certain route arranged in station-

wise order.

(D) Road Van Trains: These trains, also known as Smalls Quick Transit or SQT trains, were goods

services specially designed for the clearance of goods items which are not large enough to make up a

full wagon load. Items of this kind are generally termed as 'smalls' ; they include such consignments as

a crate of tea leaves, tins of sweet oil, a cupboard, a few sacks of foodgrain, or a box packed with

stationery.

A road van train is made up of around 45 wagons one of which is a 'rest van' carrying an extra set of

crew (driver, firemen and guard), so that while one crew operates the train the other can take rest. The

rest van also carries a van goods clerk together with a set of hamals. No detaching of wagons is

involved at wayside stations: the train is admitted to a platform where loading and unloading of parcels

is done by the hamals while the van goods clerk has the job of supervising operations and taking care of

the commercial side of the work.

All this is straightforward enough, but the interesting part comes when we pause to think that a van train

may carry packets for scores of destinations. If you survey the goods shed at the loading point where the

train originates, you will find the platform strewn with thousands of parcels, neatly arranged in heaps

according to destination. Clearly, some kind of a system is needed for loading these parcels onto the

train so as to prevent unnecessary confusion and wastage of time in handling on the way.

A loading foreman at the starting point sits at his desk on the platform and studies the summary of

goods which shows the number of packets for each station as well as their weight and other details. If

the foreman finds that there are enough parcels for a certain station to form a full wagon load, he

instructs his hamals to pack these items into a wagon and seal it to the point of destination. Such a van,

known as a Through Sealed Van (or TSV), will have to be opened only at the destination station for

unloading, no further operations being required on the contents en route.

The foreman does his best to prepare as many TSVs as he can. When no further TSVs can be formed,

his next concern is to see if parcels for any two stations along the line can be combined to form a wagon

load. A van of this sort need be opened at only two unloading points, and is called a Two Station Sealed

Van or TSSV, whilst sundry packets to be delivered along the line are packed into what is known as a

Collecting Road Van, or CRV.

The main object, of course, of preparing such vans is to utilize each wagon to its full capacity and

minimize the amount of handling on the way, but no matter how intelligently the work is done, it is

almost certain that a group of consignments will be left over which doesn't fit into any of the categories

above. Packets of this kind are generally those meant for far flung places, or perhaps stations that lie on

a branch line beyond the next marshalling yard. As such miscellaneous items cannot be left out, they are

102

dispatched on the same train in one or more wagons labeled as 'Junction Sealed Vans' or JSVs, which

are to be dealt with further at the next main station.

Once the train is on the move the van goods clerk, though seated in his rest van, has a full time job to

do. Packets collected at intermediate stations are loaded by the hamals into empty wagons that have

been attached to the train at the starting point. As more and more consignments picked up from wayside

stations begin to materialize, these packets together with those already being carried in Collecting Road

Vans stand a much better chance of being sorted out into more convenient groups. The van goods clerk

must therefore closely study the goods summaries and plan out things while on the run so that when the

train halts at a station, he unloads these packages onto the platform, sorts them out according to his

plan, and reloads them so as to form as many TSVs and TSSVs as he can. Repacking work of this kind

at wayside stations was a regular feature when Road Van trains were in operation.

When a road van train pulls into a marshalling yard, Junction Sealed Vans for that station (also loosely

referred to as Repacking wagons) are uncoupled and shunted away to a spacious platform with tracks on

either side known as a 'Repacking Shed'. The work done at a repacking shed is quite similar to what was

done at the goods shed at the starting point. Junction Sealed Vans coming from various directions are

lined up at the platform, parcels are unloaded and a foreman moves around studying the goods

summaries to decide how best to 'repack' the wagons. The object, as before, is to reload the

consignments systematically, forming Through Sealed Vans, Two Station Sealed Vans, and other kinds

of vans that will be ultimately dispatched by various van trains leaving the yard.

The Need for Marshalling Yards

An American writer once said that "marshalling yards are the heart that pumps the flow of commerce

along the tracks." In saying this the writer has made a comparison which could scarcely be improved

upon, but for those who are new to the subject this may sound like one of those pompous utterances that

are often made to rescue from obscurity something that is insignificant and raise it to a place of supreme

importance.

Let us refrain from any further arguments. It is easier to understand what a subject is all about after you

have studied it in full than by engaging in a debate over what it is all about and what it is not.

Nevertheless, for those who are technically minded and who feel a certain pleasure in having everything

clearly spelt out and defined, here's the definition:

A marshalling yard is a place where goods trains and other loads (such as wagons coming in from a

nearby goods shed) are received, sorted out according to a plan, and new trains formed and

dispatched onwards.

Marshalling yards were indispensable in earlier times, and were built at all strategic junctions and

intersections. Their need arose due to an inherent feature of goods transportation by rail, namely, that

goods arriving at a loading point don't always materialize in such quantities as to make up a full train

load at a time, and even when a train-load of traffic is offered, the material may not all be booked for

the same destination.

Now that the reader is familiar with the different types of goods trains that were in operation earlier, it is

easy to see why these trains had to be split up and sorted in yards. Road Van trains (carrying smalls

traffic) entering a yard needed to be broken up so that Junction Sealed Vans could be hustled off to the

repacking shed. And at the end of the repacking process, these wagons had to be attached to various

Van trains leaving the yard. Secondly, section trains (carrying wagons loads of traffic) needed extensive

shunting to rearrange wagons in geographical order. Even those very convenient, long-distance through

trains (carrying block loads of traffic) would often need to be split up and rearranged to allow different

portions to be dispatched in different directions.

103

To digress a bit, it will be helpful if the reader is clear at this stage about what is meant by a block load.

A train loaded entirely with coal from a colliery headed towards a power plant is an example of a block

load. A block load is essentially a train load of wagons which move from one point to another without

having to detach or attach wagons en route. Earlier, we had seen an example of a train originating at

Bombay, with 25 wagons for Katni and 25 wagons bound for Jhansi. This train will travel undisturbed

upto Itarsi, as we saw before, so this constitutes a block load for Itarsi.

The model railway enthusiast who owns an ambitious layout offering both passenger and freight

services can easily rearrange and marshal his trains by lifting his rolling stock bodily from the track. On

the real railways, an arrangement that is speedier and more convenient is called for.

Kinds of Yards

Marshalling yards, depending on the kind of shunting they employ, may be classified into the following

three types :

1. Flat yards

2. Gravity yards, and

3. Hump yards

Below in Figure 1 we see an example of a flat yard which shows the three basic ingredients of every

yard, namely, the reception yard, the classification yard (also known as the sorting yard), and the

departure yard. On arrival, a goods train is received in the reception yard and the engine is sent to the

loco shed (not shown). Adjacent to the reception yard, we see the classification yard, where each line is

reserved for wagons going in a particular direction. The subject of nomination of lines is dealt with in

greater detail at a later stage; for the present it is enough for us to know that the process of sorting

consists of breaking up a train and depositing wagons in the sorting yard on lines nominated for various

destinations.

To sort a train that has arrived a shunting engine attaches to the train from the left end in the figure and

draws it out of the reception yard onto the shunting neck AB. The first four wagons remote from the

engine have to be deposited on line No.3, let us suppose, so the pointsman on duty uncouples these

wagons and signals to the driver. The engine pushes the train towards the sorting yard after which it

draws back into the shunting neck. The 'first cut' of wagons at the front which have been set rolling

move into the nominated line where they are brought to rest by brake porters who run alongside the

wagons pinning down the handbrakes. How do the men operating the sorting yard points know which

line a 'cut' is to be sent to? There are various methods employed for this, one of which we shall describe

shortly.

104

A second push-pull operation will deposit another set of wagons (i.e., the second cut) on the appropriate

line in the sorting yard. The push-pull method is employed in flat yards where the whole layout is built

on level ground. This is the simplest arrangement, but it also turns out to be more costly to operate as

the shunting engine continually moves up and down while sorting is in progress. Flat yards have been

traditionally used on the metre gauge in Indian Railways; they may also be found on the broad gauge at

places where goods traffic is light. Though simple in construction, they are incredibly slow in operation,

with an average goods train with about 50 cuts taking as long as 2 - 3 hours to sort out.

Another kind of yard is the gravity yard where a gentle slope on the shunting neck falling towards the

sorting lines assists wagon cuts in rolling down by themselves without engine assistance. Gravity yards

are considered ideal, but topographical features often do not favour such an arrangement.

The best compromise is the hump yard. This is illustrated in Fig. 2 below which shows reception lines

joining up into a single line which slowly begins to ascend an artificially made 'hump' or hill. When the

track has risen to a height of around 8 - 10 feet it levels off and begins to descend towards the sorting

yard. The descent grade could be anywhere from 1 in 25 to 1 in 35 up to the first point of divergence

which is known as the King point. Beyond this is a gentler grade (1 in 80 to 1 in 200) which eases off

into a still gentler grade of 1 in 400 to 1 in 600 where the fans of lines commence. The entire sorting

yard is thus laid on a downward grade.

The sorting yard points were operated from a set of ground frames, although in later days these came to

be replaced by a single elevated cabin. It will be seen that the yard above doesn't have a shunting neck

as in the flat yard shown earlier. The shunting neck is not needed in this case as the reception and

sorting yards are in continuation and a train can be directly pushed from the reception area onto the

hump for sorting work.

The process of sorting a train in a hump yard in earlier days was as follows:

The Assistant Yard Master (AYM) who sits in an elevated cabin with windows all around prepares a

'cut list' for the train showing the number of wagons in each successive cut and the line on which the cut

is to be sent. A copy of the cut-list is given to the shunting master operating from the same cabin, who

uses the document to issue orders on loudspeakers (some of them of the talk-back type) placed at

strategic locations within the yard.

Each shunting master has under his charge a shunting engine and a set of pointsmen. Under directions

from the shunting master, a shunting engine attaches itself to the rear of the train and begins to push it

out of the reception area towards the hump, movements taking place at normal shunting speed.

The shunting master has a full view of what is taking place from his look-out cabin and when he finds

that the leading wagon is nearing the summit of the hump, he issues his first order on the microphone:

105

"Chaar gaadi kato ... saat line par dalo!" (uncouple the first four wagons and send them rolling down

line No. 7).

A pointsman stationed on the hump signals to the driver to slow down, the signal being picked up by a

relay pointsman standing midway down the line who transmits the message to the driver. When the

train has slowed down to a snail's pace (about 1 kmph) the hump pointsman steps between the wagons

crouching under the buffers and disengages the coupling link, while another pointsman a little way off

pins down the hand-brakes partially so that the wagon cut doesn't hurtle down the incline at dangerous

speed. In the mean time, those at the ground frames (or cabin as the case may be) have set the points on

hearing the announcement, while the brake porter will have moved to the appropriate line in the sorting

yard in readiness for the wagon-cut as it comes gently rolling along.

Despite the application of handbrakes by brakeporters stationed at the appropriate place, wagons

hurtling into a sorting yard would often bang against those lying further down the line. Loose shunting

of this kind, when carried out roughly, often led to troubles such as loads on open wagons shifting out

of place, or hot axles occurring at a later stage. Brake porters often carried with them a mechanical

contrivance known as a skid used to further slow down a rolling wagon. The action of the device is

simple : when a wagon wheel comes across a skid clipped onto the track, it rides on top of it and drags

it along, the skid preventing any further rotation of the wheel.

Humpyard sorting can be quite a slow process, a train with 40-50 cuts taking about half to one hour's

time to sort. But it is still quicker and requires less engine movement when compared to a flat yard. The

humpyard design is thus ideally suited for places which deal with a substantial number of wagons each

day.

The Marshalling Yard Layout

There are two ways in which a marshalling yard layout can be planned. In one arrangement, known as a

multiple yard, there are two sets of reception, classification and departure yards, one for the Up

direction and the other for the Down direction, lying side by side. With the exception of the New Itarsi

and New Katni yards and a few other places, Indian Railways have traditionally followed this design on

its layouts.

From 1930 onwards, most European countries abandoned the idea of multiple yards and changed over

to the idea of single yards. A single yard, as its name indicates, has just one set of reception,

classification and departure yards serving both up and down directions. A yard of this type requires less

space to construct, and saves not only on capital cost but also on staff. It is also a lot more easy to

understand.

Single Yards

To see how a yard works consider Fig. 3 below. This is a single (or unitary) yard with reception, sorting

and departure yards in series, having connections as shown. An up train arriving from the left enters the

reception area where the engine detaches and returns to the locoshed using connection B. For a train

arriving from the right, entry will be via the dotted line, the engine leaving for the shed using crossover

A.

To the right side of the sorting yard we see a shunting neck which allows wagons to be drawn out of the

sorting yard and placed at 'local installations' such as the repacking shed, sick yard and weigh bridge.

The shunting neck is usually a short piece of track since only a few wagons have to be drawn out at a

time.

106

The first and foremost of these local installations is the sick yard (see inset), the place where wagons are

brought in for repairs. On arrival in the reception yard, a train is first examined and wagons needing

repairs are marked out. During sorting operations on the train, defective wagons are thrown on one or

more lines in the sorting yard which are specially reserved for this purpose. Light repairs are carried out

in the sorting yard itself, whereas wagons needing more extensive treatment are drawn out via the

shunting neck and placed in the sick yard. As repair work in the carriage & wagon workshop may take

some time, the usual procedure is to shunt these wagons to a platform known as the transhipment

platform where hamals are employed to transfer the contents of defective wagons on one side of the

platform to another set of wagons lined up on the other side. Following transhipment of goods, the

newly loaded wagons are returned to the sorting yard whilst those which needed repairs, now empty, are

shunted away to the workshop.

At break-of-gauge junctions a transhipment platform of another kind may also be found having tracks

of different gauges alongside, this facility allowing goods arriving on one gauge to be transferred to

wagons of the other gauge before they can resume their onward journey to their final destination.

Repacking wagons arriving on road van trains are laid out on a separate line in the sorting yard from

where they are periodically drawn out and deposited at the repacking shed, an engine shunting them

back into the sorting yard when repacking has been done. A weighbridge is also illustrated, the position

indicated being suitable for occasional wagons that need weighing. However, at places where each

wagon entering the yard needs to be weighed, a more suitable location for the weighbridge would be

somewhere on the hump itself.

Wagon cuts deposited on sorting lines are generally separated by gaps of varying lengths. Once a train-

load of wagons have accumulated on a line, the cuts are coupled, a guard's brake van added, and the

train is shunted to the departure yard. For an up train (proceeding towards the right), an engine from the

locoshed makes its way along the loco line entering the departure yard from the right hand end, attaches

to the train, and draws out. An analogous procedure exists for a down departing train which is left as an

exercise for the reader.

Those who are familiar with railway working will have noticed that the layout above doesn't show a

goods shed. A goods shed is essentially a loading - unloading point : a place where consignments

107

arriving by road transport are unloaded, booked, stored and finally loaded into railway wagons,

facilities also being provided for the reverse process, namely, unloading of wagons and handing over

the material to the consignee. The railway goods shed which serves this function is usually situated in

the vicinity of the passenger station area. If you are wondering why there is no goods shed in the figure

above, the reason is simply that the layout above is an example of a yard located a few miles away from

the passenger station area. It is not unusual to find such a configuration : at Nagpur, for example, the

marshalling yard is at Ajni which is a good 2 kilometers from the main station. Another example is the

Itarsi New Yard.

When yard and railway station are remotely situated, a daily shuttle service is introduced between yard

and shed. During hump-shunting, goods shed wagons (for the town in question) are collected on a line

in the sorting yard, and at the appointed time, an engine picks up these wagons and proceeds towards

the passenger station area, often without a brake van, to deposit them at the goods shed for unloading.

Then picking up loaded wagons from the shed, it returns to the yard where the wagons are hump-sorted

and placed on the appropriate lines in the sorting yard.

Multiple Yards

The single yard described above has all the essential features that will be found in a marshalling yard.

On Indian Railways, though, the system, as noted earlier, has been to have separate installations for up

and down directions. A multiple yard will consist of the following key elements : (1) Up reception,

sorting and departure yards laid usually in continuation, (2) Down reception, sorting and departure

yards laid alongside and parallel to the up yard, and pointing the other way, (3) separate humps for up

and down yards, (4) connections between the two yards for the movement of cross-traffic and, (5)

various auxiliary installations such as locoshed, sick yard, transhipment platform, repacking shed,

weighbridge, goods shed, etc., each of these having suitable connections with the yard.

Marshalling yards can show an almost infinite variation in the way the constituent elements can be

grouped together. Consider for example a case in which a yard is to be designed with limited funds in

hand. If the traffic passing through the station is low the general procedure would be to adopt a flat yard

design, combining the reception and departure yards into one unit. Below we find one such example.

This flat yard has separate up and down yards, each made up of reception-cum-departure lines, and

sorting lines which are dead end sidings. Once a train is formed in the sorting area it is carried to the

reception-cum-departure yard where it awaits departure. In the example below, the yard is attached to

the passenger station. The passenger platform area and station building are sandwiched between up and

down yards, and can be reached by the foot overbridge. To keep things simple, we have omitted the

repacking shed and transhipment platform, however it is worth noting that the goods shed is within the

yard area, thus doing away with the need for a special shuttle service connecting yard and goods shed.

108

The Sorting Process

The hub of every marshalling yard is the classification yard where trains are broken up routewise. The

number of lines here will depend, in general, on the amount of traffic handled by the yard. There may

be as few as 5 or 6 lines, while at the other end, in a large yard where traffic is dense there may be as

many as two dozen lines in the sorting yard.

The actual number of lines needed is worked out at the time when the yard is in the design stage. Each

line is set aside for a certain purpose, and when the yard becomes operational every effort is made so

that the nomination is not altered.

As an example, let us suppose that an analysis of traffic passing through a station is made and it is

found that each day enough wagons arrive on incoming goods trains to form (a) one full train load for a

certain destination A, and (b) two full train loads each day for another destination B. Then one line in

the sorting yard will be reserved for destination A, and two lines for B. In an actual yard the nomination

of lines could be something like this :

Line No. 1 Long distance wagons for destination A

Line 2 and 3 Long distance wagons for destination B

Line 4 Section train wagons for route 1

Line 5 Section train wagons for route 2

Line 6, 7 and 8 For sorting section train into geographical order

Line 9 Repacking wagons

Line 10 Goods shed wagons

Line 11 Coal wagons for loco shed

Line 12 Sick wagons needing light repairs

Line 13 Sick wagons to be sent to sick yard

Line 14 Guard's brake vans

The table above should be regarded with caution for it can easily convey the feeling that a sorting yard

needs at least a dozen lines in it. In practice, when traffic is low, two or more kinds of wagons are often

allotted to a single line in the yard.

109

Sorting is a continuous process and may be compared to a man who's receiving a steady stream of

coloured lollipops, and must pack them in boxes, red ones in red boxes and so on. He must pack each

box to capacity before he can pass it on for delivery, and what is more, he must keep pace with the

volley he is receiving. If more lollipops arrive than he can handle in a given time he'll find his room

getting congested and must therefore halt the process so that he is able to clear out his room.

Bearing this analogy in mind we turn to the yard where we find that a section train has arrived in the

reception area, awaiting sorting. A shunting engine attaches to the train from the rear and begins to push

it up the hump. The Assistant Yard Master has full details of the train with him, and he has prepared his

cut-list so that (a) section wagons for route 1 are sent to line 4, (b) section wagons for route 2 are sent to

line 5, (c) any long distance wagons go to line 1, 2, or 3, as the case may be, (d) goods shed wagons are

dispatched to line 10, (e) sick wagons, if any, are sent to 12 or 13 as the case demands (see table above),

and (f) the guard's brake van rolls into line 14.

It is important to realize that all that this process has accomplished is to isolate section wagons route-

wise : wagons for route 1 are all on one line, but they are still mixed up as far as stations along the route

are concerned. When enough section wagons have accumulated on a line, the next thing to do is to

arrange them in station-order. Making its way to the sorting yard the shunting engine picks up these

wagons and draws back into the reception yard using a line which bypasses the hump, for a second

round of hump shunting. Five or six (or even more) 'humping operations' may be required to juggle

these wagons (using lines 6, 7 and 8) before they are all on one line in geographical order. This

secondary sorting is usually done in the main classification yard itself but in some cases a separate yard

is built for detailed classification work of this kind. This is known as a subsidiary yard.

In the meantime the shunting engine is running short of water, so it makes its way to a nearby line

having an ash-pit, coal stack and water column. This arrangement can save a good deal of time as the

shunting engine doesn't have to make its way to the loco shed every time it needs to be coaled or

watered.

While all this is in progress a shuttle service has arrived from the station goods shed with 5 wagons for

destination A, and 4 wagons for wayside stations along route 2. The shunting loco picks up the rake and

in one humping operation deposits the first 5 wagons on line 1 (for destination A) and the rest on line 5.

Long distance trains consisting of loads for destinations A and B are dealt with in a manner similar to

the procedure described above.

Coal wagons meant for the loco shed are reserved for line 11. On completion of its shift of duty, the

shunting engine picks up these wagons and makes its way to the shed. As yard operation takes place

round the clock, another engine at the shed takes over, picking up empty coal wagons from the shed and

returns to the yard.

While the process of sorting forms the principal function of a yard, it is by no means the only object of

concern. Each yard has to deal with a large number of empty wagons held in storage on lines close to

the sorting yard. Empties are attached to section and van trains for clearing traffic booked at wayside

stations. In addition, most yards are required to fulfill certain marshalling commitments such as

supplying a fixed number of empties each day to a cement factory or colliery. Any shortage of wagons

will mean that one or more train loads of empties will have to be ordered from a nearby division which

has a surplus. While standing on an overbridge watching an empty goods train rumble by, it is good to

bear in mind that the movement of empty wagons from one place to another is as much a vital link in

the transportation of goods by rail as anything else.

As sorting work progresses in a yard, wagons begin to accumulate on various lines - long distance trains

on the lines appointed, section trains, and so on. How long does it take to form a train? This depends in

general on the way the wagons are distributed within the yard. A railway official I spoke to recently

said that once a train has arrived you can never say with certainty when it will resume its onward run.

110

Another factor that creeps in is the availability of sufficient load : are there enough wagons on a line to

dispatch the train? A train may be dispatched underload, but this practice, if continued long enough, can

prove to be uneconomical as we are not making full use of available engine power. Wagons bound for a

certain direction may thus have to be left waiting in the sorting yard till such time as a sufficient

quantity of load materializes.

Some Thoughts on Goods Loading and Unloading Points

The goods train of today is composed of BOX wagons, some closed, others open, each running on

pivoted bogies and coupled together with center buffer couplers. Prior to the 1950s, BOX wagons were

unknown ; most wagons were simple 4 - wheelers. There were specially designed wagons with

appropriate ventilation for carrying livestock, other kinds for perishables, and oil tankers, all running on

four wheels. If you were to move around in a yard you would most certainly discover that the railways

have a tremendous job to perform, moving goods from one place to another.

Statistics indicate that about 60 -70 percent of the total earnings of the railways come from the

movement of goods. Have you ever stopped to wonder where do all these loaded wagons originate, and

how do they find their way into a marshalling yard?

Goods loading points can be broadly classified into the following 3 categories :

1) Railway Station Goods Sheds

The amount of traffic booked here will depend in general on the size of the station. At large stations and

important junctions 10 - 15 wagons may be booked each day. On the other hand, at smaller stations

along the way, the number could be 4 or 5, or even less, depending on conditions of trade.

At large stations which have a marshalling yard, wagons loaded at the station goods shed are taken to

the yard, sorted and attached to various section and through trains, as we have seen earlier. At wayside

stations the procedure is somewhat different. Wagons loaded here are picked up by a section train when

it comes along, and conveyed to the next yard down the line where they are sorted and attached to

various trains as appropriate.

Scattered Loading and Unloading Points Around a City

An industrialized area may have several production units and factories scattered around a city, each

with its own siding together with connections leading to the main line. For loading and unloading,

shuttle services (also known as pilots) are run connecting the marshalling yard with these units. Wagons

containing raw material arrive by train and are laid aside on a marshalling yard siding from whence they

are picked up and taken (together with any empties needed) to the industrial siding for unloading of

material. The engine then picks up wagons loaded with finished goods and returns to the yard where the

load is attached to various trains and dispatched onwards.

Large Industrial Sidings, Railway Goods Terminals, and Collieries

These are places distinguished by the fact that train loads of material are loaded and unloaded each day.

Let us take the case of a steel plant. Train loads of iron ore arriving in the nearest marshalling yard are

taken to the plant and unloaded. The wagons, now empty, are loaded with finished steel goods and

returned to the yard for onward dispatch.

Large sized railway goods terminals work in much the same way. Wadi Bunder railway goods shed,

which is close to Bombay Victoria Terminus, is perhaps the finest example. This is no ordinary goods

shed with a single platform and four wagons parked in a row. Wadi Bunder, in earlier days, had a total

of 14 sheds for loading and unloading of commodities. The main yard that serves the Bombay area was

111

at Kalyan where two lines converge : one coming from Igatpuri, the other from Poona. The function of

Kalyan marshalling yard was to receive incoming trains, sort them out, and dispatch loads to (1) Wadi

Bunder, (2) Bombay Port Trust Railway, and (3) send trains/pilots to unload goods at Byculla and other

places lying to the south of Kalyan.

Each day something like 4 - 5 loaded trains were dispatched from Kalyan towards Wadi Bunder. As

there is dense suburban traffic on the Bombay - Kalyan route during the day, these trains would have to

be dispatched only during the night. Unloading would begin at Wadi Bunder during the early hours of

the morning. Following this, the wagons were shunted into place for loading of goods, and train loads

dispatched to Kalyan the following night where they were sorted and dispatched onwards.

While this is an oversimplification of what actually took place at Wadi Bunder, it does give the reader

the feel of what goes on in a large railway goods shed where material is handled each day in train loads.

We have been laboring over a seemingly unimportant issue here, trying to discover the source at which

goods items actually originate. But this exercise, though apparently pointless, is meant as a drill for the

beginner who is finding himself muddled and who wishes to have his concepts cleared. The first thing

that emerges is that a marshalling yard is by no means a place where goods are loaded or unloaded.

Loading is always done at a railway goods shed, industrial siding, colliery, oil refinery, a food godown,

or some such place. The principle is the same almost everywhere : wagons loaded at one or more of

these places are carried to a marshalling yard, sorted out and attached to various loads (section and

through trains, etc.) depending on the destination booked for.

Secondly, when a train is formed in a yard for the purpose of dispatch, it is said to start from the yard.

After it has travelled a certain distance and pulls into a yard where it is broken up, it is said to terminate

at this yard. Termination therefore occurs at a place where the train is split up, some parts resuming

their onward journey on other trains, while some will make their way to a goods shed or siding for

unloading of material.

David St. John Thomas, a noted authority on railways, said in one of his books that most goods trains

begin and end their careers in a marshalling yard. The reader who has followed the reasoning so far will

have no trouble in seeing what John Thomas means.

Yard Operation

At the heart of a marshalling yard organization is the Yard Master having a number of Assistant Yard

Masters under him working in 8 hour shifts. At multiple yards dealing with heavy traffic, separate

Assistant Yard Masters are assigned to up and down yards. AYMs need to be fully conversant with the

yard layout, the procedures to be followed, and the general programme followed each day : a yard could

easily turn into a hopeless mess were it not for these men who hold charge of all that takes place which

includes sorting, formation and dispatch of trains together with all the necessary planning done in

consultation with the Control Office.

Shunting work is performed by Shunting Masters working under the direction of the AYM on duty.

Each such shunting master is in charge of a shunting engine and is assisted by 3 - 4 pointsmen allotted

to hump sorting and other related work. Besides this, there's other staff to take care of various auxiliary

functions : the Train Examiner and his men, repacking shed foremen, transhipment clerks, carriage &

wagon repair staff, cabinmen, call boys, brake (or skid) porters, and others.

The staff above comprises the executive side of the yard organization. Together with the executive staff,

the Yard Master has another organization under him known as the Trains Branch, made up of a Head

Trains Clerk, one or more Assistant Head Trains Clerks and several Trains Clerks. The trains branch is

solely concerned with statistical work which involves daily stock taking of wagons, entering wagon

particulars in yard registers, and preparing marshalling yard statistics.

112

Let us try to follow the sequence of events when a goods train (or a shuttle) has arrived in the reception

yard. The first thing to do is to send the engine to the shed. Loco sheds are protected by a cabin which

control both entry and exit; the AYM therefore phones the CASM of this cabin informing him of the

arrival of the train. The CASM in turn phones the loco foreman and on getting permission, he will set

the points and lower the signals for the engine to return to the shed. In the meantime, the Guard has

made his way to the AYM's office where he hands over the wagon way bill before signing off duty.

Trains are generally sorted in the order in which they arrive, and it may be several hours before the load

will be backed up on the hump for shunting. Meanwhile, there are other important things to do, such as

number taking and train examination.

If you are standing in the reception yard, you will find a man slowly moving along the length of the

train taking down particulars from wagon labels in a handbook he is carrying. This is the trains clerk (or

number taker as he is known), and he is noting down details of each wagon - wagon number and type,

owning railway, starting point and destination, tare and gross weight, and whether loaded or empty. He

will also record the load of the train and net tonnage (e.g., 60/2000) together with the position of

wagons carrying livestock or perishables, if any. Following the process of number taking the load is

subjected to an intensive examination by the train examiner and his staff. A memo issued by the TXR

tells the Assistant Yard Master which of the wagons were found sick so that they may be placed on the

appropriate lines in the sorting yard during humping operations on the train.

In the meantime, the TNC will have handed over his record to the trains branch where wagon

particulars will be entered in various yard registers maintained in the office

Yard and Control

As a through train moves from starting point to destination it often calls on intermediate yards, halting

only briefly for engine watering and C & W examination. At these yards, therefore, only a limited

number of trains are broken up, and the main activity revolves around passing through trains. On the

other hand, there are yards whose geographical position will mean that nearly every train that arrives

has to be broken up and new trains formed.

Bhusaval, which was a multiple yard with separate up and down humpyards, makes an interesting case

for study. This can be seen in the map appearing in Figure 6, which shows the areas for which trains

were formed by Bhusaval UP yard.

Like every other yard, Bhusaval UP yard developed a certain fixed pattern of traffic over the years.

Thus, each day the yard would receive terminating through trains containing a mixture of loads, sort

them out, and form through trains for the following destinations: (1) Wadi Bunder, (2) Bombay Port

Trust Railway, (3) South of Kalyan, (4) Raichur, (5) via Hotgi, and (6) beyond Sabarmati, etc. Lines

were therefore allotted in the sorting yard for each of these destinations.

A word of explanation is in order here. A term such as South of Kalyan means wagons meant for

various goods sheds and industrial sidings in the Bombay area. In a similar way, via Hotgi is used to

denote loads bound for stations beyond Hotgi: these will travel together as a through train right up to

Hotgi where they are sorted out and dispatched onwards.

Since the destinations and vias for which trains are formed constitute a fixed pattern, it will be helpful if

the yard maintains particulars showing the total number of wagons it has in each group. Thus for

example, Bhusaval Up Yard, at a certain time, may contain a total of :

120 wagons for Wadi Bunder (WB load)

60 wagons for Bombay Port Trust Railway (BPT)

75 wagons for South of Kalyan (SOK)

45 wagons for via Hotgi

113

75 wagons for Raichur

20 section wagons for Manmad - Dhond

130 wagons for beyond Sabarmati

------------------------------------

125 empty wagons

8 wagons for Bhusaval goods shed

3 wagons for Bhusaval repacking shed

4 coal wagons for Bhusaval loco shed

5 sick wagons

7 goods brake vans

Tabulated data of this kind showing the current yard composition is available in a register maintained in

the yard known as the Running Balance Register. Each time a train arrives in the yard, a TNC goes out

and takes down wagon details which are counted up and added to the appropriate columns of the

register. In much the same way, when a train is about to leave the yard, wagons details are noted by a

TNC which will be counted and figures subtracted from the columns.

The current yard composition is relayed to the Control Office at 4 hourly intervals or more often as

required. Control requires this data for the following three reasons: (1) to study the loads lying in the

yard and see if there is sufficient load for a certain train, (2) to check and see if there is a sufficient

stock of empties in the yard, and (3) to keep a constant watch on the total yard balance ; this figure is

important, for if it goes beyond the working capacity of the yard, congestion sets in and work comes to

a standstill.

Control, with its ever watchful eye, acts as the nerve centre that coordinates the activities of various

yards within the division. Each day in the morning, the control office prepares a table known as the

Divisional Wagon Balance. This is an extensive table prepared with the help of particulars collected

from various stations and yards during the night. The divisional wagon balance is usually recorded on a

blackboard in the control office and shows the number of wagons in different marshalling groups (e.g.,

Wadi Bunder wagons, Raichur load, empty wagons, etc.) for each of the yards and line sections of the

division. An example of a divisional wagon balance table, in shortened form, can be seen below:

114

The divisional wagon balance tells us at a glance what is the position with respect to different wagons

groups both on trains which are running on various sections, as well as those in yards within the

division. This information is vitally important for it enables the officials in charge to see what is taking

place all over the division and plan out things accordingly. The balance will tell for instance whether

there is a sufficient number of empty wagons at a break-of-gauge transhipment point, and in case of a

shortage, from where empties could be ordered. More importantly, the divisional wagon balance

enables the officials in charge to work out a tentative schedule for the whole of the day: the trains to be

run over the division, their composition, what time they are expected to arrive at various yards, and so

on.

Turning now to the yard, we find that number - taking is done both for trains as they arrive in the yard

and those that are ready for departure. Besides this, a line-to-line position is also taken at the beginning

of each shift of duty and relayed to control.

On reporting for duty, the first thing an AYM does is to study the line position which tells him about the

trains in the reception yard, the loads lying in the sorting yard, and trains awaiting dispatch in the

departure area. To take an example, Bhusaval UP yard could have a line position at a certain time as

depicted below:

It is clear that each line in the reception yard holds a full length train : line number 2, for example, has a

load consisting of 10 wagons for Bombay Port Trust Railway (all together, of course) and 50 wagons

for Raichur, together with the goods brake van. The line position is meant to assist the AYM in

assessing what he has in hand and plan out things accordingly. He must also get in touch with control

over the phone to discuss which trains are likely to arrive during his shift of work, what loads can be

formed in the sorting area, and so on.

The idea underlying planning is a simple one and its purpose is to decide how best to recombine the

wagons lying in the reception area with those in the sorting yard so as to (1) form through trains to the

farthest possible destination , and (2) dispatch loads lying in the yard with the least amount of detention.

An example should make this clear. Each day, Bhusaval UP yard forms a through train for each of WB,

BPT, South of Kalyan, via Hotgi, and Raichur (see line position and map above). It also dispatches a

115

train-load of wagons for the Manmad-Dhond section ; these travel as a through train to Manmad where

they are sorted and dispatched onwards as a section train headed towards Dhond.

Today, however, it turns out that owing to a slump in trade, only 15 Manmad-Dhond wagons have

materialized at Bhusaval. When control sees that there is no prospect for more wagons in this direction,

it is likely to advise the Bhusaval AYM to attach these 15 wagons on line 6 of the sorting yard to the

Wadi Bunder load on line 1 and dispatch it as a through train to Manmad (see map above). Once the

train reaches Manmad, these 15 wagons are detached and what fate awaits them will now depend on the

circumstances. But at least they have reached Manmad, and this is better than to lie idle, perhaps for

several weeks, in the Bhusaval up sorting yard.

Local Traffic in a Yard

About 40 % of the total number of wagons in a yard turn out to be local wagons, or home loads as they

are known. These are wagons for which the yard serves as a terminal, and include coal laden wagons for

the loco shed, goods shed wagons, repacking wagons, and sick wagons. Experience shows that home

loads show a tendency of increasing to alarming proportions unless they are dealt with promptly, so in

most yards a programme is drawn up to expedite work. This would mean, for instance, that when a new

batch of staff report for work in the morning, the first thing to do is shunt sick wagons which have

accumulated in the sorting yard to the sick yard. Similarly, at a preset time repacking wagons would

have to be taken to the repacking shed, and brought back after the repacking foreman has issued a

memo certifying that his work is accomplished. Even goods shed wagons are picked up from the sorting

yard according to the programme laid down.

Drawing up a programme is a fine thing ; keeping to the schedule is another matter and requires

sustained effort. An AYM of a large yard is likely to find that it is almost impossible to deal with local

wagons according to the guidelines laid down. He then has to do the next best thing, and that is to see

that posting of local traffic is not postponed indefinitely, for a yard is essentially a place where traffic

flows, and wagons left stagnating in one place, if not dealt with on time, will sooner or later lead to

trouble at some other spot.

Ordering a Goods Train

An assistant yard master has four main functions to perform:

(a) Receive incoming trains without detention. For this, he must expedite sorting work so that room is

made in the reception yard to receive an incoming train.

(b) Form trains according to the 'marshalling orders' of the yard in consultation with control.

(c) Dispatch trains, again in accordance with instructions laid down by control.

(d) Deal with local wagons, as far as possible according to the programme laid down by the yard.

On reporting for work, an AYM will find a certain number of trains awaiting departure in his yard.

These were formed during the previous shift of work. The loads which our AYM will form during his

shift will be shunted away to the departure yard and will be dispatched by the AYM who next turns up

for work. How does our AYM decide what time a train is to be dispatched?

It works something like this. Once a train is formed in the sorting yard, the cuts are coupled up, a brake

is added and the load is hauled into the departure yard. Control is informed that a load has been formed

to a certain destination, and having done this, the AYM can take his hands off the matter and turn his

attention to other things.

116

Control now turns to the important task of fixing a suitable time for departure. This is a matter that will

be influenced by two main considerations. To begin with, the Power Controller who is in constant touch

with loco sheds in his area, has to check and see when an engine is available. Secondly, a goods train

has to be dispatched during the interval between two consecutive passenger trains, and certain 'gaps' can

be highly undesirable. For express through trains, controllers generally select a gap that will give a clear

run of several miles before the train is held up on the way for precedence. The progress that a train will

make when dispatched at a certain time is often worked out graphically and is known as a 'path'. Each

day several such paths are worked out in advance. 'Very good paths', giving a clear run of several miles

are reserved for express through trains, whereas 'normal' paths are meant for ordinary through trains.

There are paths for section and van trains, as well as 'uneconomic' paths where a train would make very

poor progress, and are to be used only in emergencies.

Having decided on a suitable time, control now issues a 'train notice' to the yard and shed. The process

is known as 'ordering a train' and consists of issuing written (or more often telephonic) advice to the

yard and locoshed stating the time at which the load is to be dispatched. A train notice will say for

instance that : "Raichur load will leave as C-30 (i.e., at 3-30 hours) ; book driver and guard to work on

C-30 with Engine number." Details of the notice are taken down by the loco foreman, as well as by the

trains clerk in the yard in a register known as the train notice register. Together with the departure time

and date the notice also specifies the engine number : clearly then, the notice could be issued only after

control has finalized matters with the loco foreman concerning the engine that is to work the train.

In earlier days, no train could ever leave the yard without being ordered in the manner described above.

Even a goods shuttle had to be ordered by control before it could make its way from yard to goods shed.

Section trains were generally ordered to leave sometime near about midnight, while Road Van trains

were ordered during the day. A goods shed shuttle would be ordered during the night.

A train notice is generally issued 3 - 4 hours prior to the departure of the train. This generous space is

allowed so that the following things may be done :

(i) The AYM's office books a guard to work on the train. In booking a guard (as well as a driver) the

criterion followed is that the person who was the first to return after completing a stretch of duty will be

booked out first, provided he has received at least 12 hours rest. A call boy makes his way to the guard's

home with a call-book some 3 hours before departure, so that the guard may be able to report for duty

well in time and sign-on in the duty register.

(ii) The loco shed books a driver who has to report at the driver's lobby in the shed about an hour and a

half before the engine leaves the shed.

(iii) A TNC goes out and takes down wagon details in his handbook - these will be used to update the

Running Balance Register, and also to prepare the Wagon Way Bill to be given to the guard of the

outgoing train.

(iv) The AYM issues a memo to the train examiner (TXR) asking him to examine the train. This is

again an elaborate examination taking nearly an hour or two during which everything from wheels and

brake-blocks to couplings and vacuum connections are checked. The men will also check up open

wagons to see if any of the loads have shifted due to rough shunting, whether wagons doors are

properly closed, seals are intact, and so on.

Once the engine is 'on the load' it is customary for the driver and guard to walk along the length of the

train to see if everything is in order. The driver also checks the vacuum on the train and when he is

satisfied with the reading on the gauge, both he and the guard sign a vacuum certificate furnished by the

TXR. Carbon copies of this certificate are given both to the driver and the guard, while the original

remains in possession with the Train Examiner.

117

Armed with the vacuum certificate, the TXR is now in a position to inform the assistant yard master

that the train is ready to run. On receipt of this message, the AYM phones the end cabin asking the

CASM in charge to take line clear from the station ahead. Once line clear is granted, the cabin sets the

points and signals and the goods train is ready to move out.

Mechanised Yards

A mechanised yard is a term used to describe a humpyard that has been upgraded by the addition of

appropriate electrical and electro-pneumatic control devices so as to speed up the rate of sorting of a

train. Mechanisation can thus be looked upon as a refinement that allows more trains to be sorted in a

given period than would be possible in a yard of conventional design.

The principal features of a mechanised yard are as follows:

(i) A hump with a height ranging anywhere from 10 to 20 feet (it was 11 feet 6 inches at Mughalsarai).

Increasing the height of the hump means that wagons will roll down towards the sorting yard at faster

speed.

(ii) A weigh-rail a little beyond the apex of the hump with coil springs and pressure transducers below

which give a visual indication to the control cabin of the weight of the wagons passing over the hump.

(iii) A set of retarders to slow down wagon cuts rolling down the hump. A retarder is an electro-

pneumatic device operated from the control cabin and consists of two pairs of horizontal brake beams at

track level, one pair for each rail. When operated, beams of each pair draw closer gripping the wheels of

a passing wagon at their lower extremity in a nutcracker fashion, thereby slowing down the movement

of the vehicle.

(iv) The points are set electro-pneumatically. Switches on a panel in the control cabin allow routes to be

set individually for each successive shunt as it comes rolling along. Alternatively, a perforated tape is

prepared which when fed into a machine, sets the routes automatically without the need for intervention

from the operator.

118

The first yard in India to be upgraded was Mughalsarai UP yard which was mechanized in May 1962.

In a mechanised yard, wagons are not uncoupled as they go over the hump. Instead, the train is split up

while it is still in the reception yard. Following the process of train examination, a shunting jamadar

walks along the length of the train, uncoupling wagons as he goes along and enters details (e.g., first

two wagons go to line 7, etc.) in a tally. This is checked by the office and a tele-typed copy sent to the

control cabin which prepares a perforated tape for automatic route setting for successive shunts.

Two WG class engines were used at Mughalsarai to push the train continuously up the hump. The speed

was around 3-4 kmph, which meant that a 60 vehicle train could be broken up in about 10-12 minutes

thus making it possible to sort about 40 trains each day. As wagons pass over the weigh-rail, bulbs light

up in the control cabin giving the following indications :

X (extra light) up to 9 tons

L (light) 9 - 15 tons

M (medium) 15 - 24 tons

H (heavy) Over 24 tons

These indications are for the operator so that he can decide on the extent of application of the retarder.

The correct use of the retarder, however, is a job that requires some skill as the amount of braking

needed will also depend on the distance the shunt has to move before coming to halt on a sorting line.

Despite the use of retarders, wagon shunts acquired speeds of around 25 kmph in rolling down the

hump : skids were therefore employed additionally to prevent violent collisions.

Finally, each sorting line has axle counters fitted which give an indication of the space left on the line in

terms of number of wagons, the figure changing with each vehicle that is deposited on the line.

A Peek at Mughalsarai

"If you are interested in it now," said Dale Carnegie, "it is because you have learned a new and strange

fact about it." This brief treatise on marshalling yards is meant to do just that : to fire the reader's

imagination and arouse in him a new sense of enthusiasm for the multitudinous activities that took place

in a goods yard. If you are one of those who are beginning to find the adrenaline rushing at the mere

sight of a goods train winding its way out of a station, here's something that will send your pulse racing

still further. You have been waiting for ages to see what it was like, and now it's there for you to browse

and study at will, to move around amongst the labyrinth of lines and turnouts, and marvel at the piece of

wizardry devised by those grand old men of the railways.

Have a good day exploring Mughalsarai yard !

Mughalsarai Marshalling Yard. Click for a larger view.

Some other yards

119

A few scanned photographs of Howrah and Mughalsarai yards in years past, provided by Harsh

Vardhan.

Howrah Marshalling Yard. Click for a larger view.

Howrah Marshalling Yard. Click for a larger view.

Mughalsarai Marshalling Yard. Click for a larger view.

Mughalsarai Marshalling Yard seen from the road, Feb. 28, 1979. Click for a larger view.

120

Another view of Mughalsarai Marshalling Yard seen from the road, Feb. 28, 1979. Click for a larger view.

Freight trains - general information

Q. What are the typical freight loads carried by IR?

IR carries the entire gamut of goods, ranging from parcel traffic and small consignments, agricultural

products, raw materials like iron ore and petroleum, and finished goods like automobiles. Over the last

few decades, IR has made an effort to move away from small consignments or piecemeal freight, and to

increase the number of block rakes where a shipper contracts for an entire rake assigned to carry a

shipment. These are more profitable for IR as the rake does not have to be split up into or amalgamated

from individual wagons going to or coming from different points, saving on marshalling time, transit

time, and scheduling. Most of IR's freight revenue now comes from such block rakes carrying bulk

goods such as coal or cement. A typical load (full rake) consists of 40 BCN wagons (2200t). Sometimes

half loads (mini-rake) of 20 BCN wagons (1100t) are also available for contracts (see below for more

on the mini-rake scheme).

In late 2004, some of the specifications for wagon loading were modified, so as to allow greater loads to

be carried. For materials such as iron ore, an additional 4t can now be loaded, allowing a BOXN wagon

to carry 62t.

Of course, IR does also carry container traffic and also smaller consignments, and there has been talk

recently [10/01] of possibly re-entering the piecemeal freight business actively. Some dedicated parcel

trains have been introduced. Parcel vans are still used a lot for small consignments; these vans are

generally attached to passenger trains. They used to be more numerous in the past, but had been

diminishing in importance in the 1980s and 1990s as IR focused on larger loads of freight.

[4/00] High-capacity parcel vans ('Green Parcel Vans') have been used in special-purpose rakes

intended for carrying fruits and vegetables. The high-capacity parcel van carries 23t as opposed to the

ordinary parcel van which carries 18t of goods. Single high-capacity parcel vans have been seen

attached to passenger trains (e.g., GT, Lokshakti and Karnataka Exps., Saurashtra Mail, Flying Ranee);

the vans are marked 'Blue Parcel Service' and have a dark-blue livery. Recently [1/03] new parcel vans

formed by converting old general passenger stock (GS coaches) have been spotted at various places.

These are being used for transporting cars and other automobiles.

Refrigerated parcel van service is available on a few sections. One such service proposed [2/03] for the

Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi will have a refrigerated parcel van that can accommodate

5t of frozen goods at -20C and 12t of chilled goods at +4C. This coach, manufactured by RCF, has a

maximum allowable speed of 130km/h and has a diesel-powered refrigeration unit that can run for 15

days without refuelling. Similar services are expected to be introduced on most major routes. RCF plans

to produce 9 of these refrigerated vans in 2003. CR and WR are also introducing such services. Now

[10/04] IR has around 10 of these new design refrigerated vans.

121

In addition, a mini-rake scheme has been introduced [7/03] where loads smaller than full freight rakes

(usually half-size, i.e., 20 wagons, also known as half rakes) are booked for transport by IR at full

train-load prices, for distances up to about 300km with connecting services for transshipment to road

transport. Not only is the half-rake service more convenient for many industrial concerns, the number of

sidings at goods sheds and transshipment points where half-rakes can be loaded or unloaded is much

larger than the number of sidings where full rakes can be handled.

Bulk freight transport rates also vary based on the number of times a rake may be loaded or unloaded. A

so-called two-point rake is one that can be loaded or unloaded at two points, usually a half-rake at a

time, at approved combinations of two loading or unloading locations.

Some freight rakes are used continuously in dedicated operations over a closed loop journey. These are

known as closed-circuit rakes, and typically consist of 40 BCN or BCNA wagons (cement), or 58

BOXN wagons (coal), or 48 BTPN tankers (petroleum products). Much of the bulk goods movement of

SCR, for instance, occurs on such closed-circuit rakes. These rakes are often also subjected to a more

rigorous maintenance regime, known as the super-intensive examination, and have brake power

certificates (BPC) issued for 6000km / 35 days at a time.

The 'Green Bogey' (Green Bogie) service provides for the transport of perishable agricultural products

(fruits and vegetables) in refrigerated and non-refrigerated wagons attached to passenger trains.

There are a few other timetabled and guaranteed delivery time parcel operations run by IR, such as the

'Tej Shree Parcel Sewa' services (introduced [9/09]) run by NR between Patel Nagar (earlier,

Tughlakabad) to Vapi and to Howrah. The parcel trains run on the allocated route, and customers can

book parcel vans ('VP') for attachment/detachment at specified stations along the route.

Q. What is 'Scale R' or 'Scale S', etc., in the context of parcel service?

IR has several freight rate scales for parcel traffic. Scale R or Rajdhani Parcel Service is applicable to

parcels carried on the Rajdhani Express trains and thereby being assured of the speediest delivery of all

IR's services. Scale P (Premium Parcel Service) applies to parcels carried on certain Shatabdi Express

trains, certain other Mail/Express trains, and all Special Parcel trains (including the Green Parcel vans,

Blue Parcel Service, etc.). Scale S (Standard Parcel Service) applies to all parcels carried on other

passenger trains. There also used to be a Scale E (Economy Parcel Service) which was applicable to

parcels carried on ordinary passenger trains, but that has since been abolished [3/05] and the category

merged with Scale P. Newspapers, magazines, and certain other goods always get classified as Scale S

traffic (earlier, Scale E).

How are freight trains scheduled?

Some goods trains are run as pre-scheduled or timetabled services (Link and Crack trains, Quick Transit

Service, etc.). The majority of goods trains, however, are run as requirements arise. The process of

arranging for a goods train to run is known as ordering a goods train. Ordering a goods train involves

the issuance of written advice to the yard or station and loco shed that a certain train will run, starting

from the station or yard at a certain time and running to a certain schedule. The written advice is known

as the Train Notice. The train notice is normally issued at least 3 hours before the advertised departure

of the train, so that the rake can be marshalled and the locomotives prepared for the trip. Once the train

departs, it is under the control of the section controllers until it reaches the next goods yard (where the

next section controller picks it up). Apart from coordinating with station staff for through running on

the main or loop lines, normally goods trains run without attention from station staff.

Q. How are freight trains numbered or named?

The rakes are assigned names in alphabetic sequence starting with a name that begins with an 'A' for the

first formation out of a marshalling yard after 0100 hrs, along with a number. This designation can

122

change if the rake is broken up at another yard and regrouped. Thus, freight trains have names such as

'Ahmedabad 10', or 'Bombay 21', or 'India 38'. The letters 'J' and 'U' are not used, so that there are 24

letters available, one for each hour of the day. The number following the alphabetic part of the name

indicates the time (minutes past the top of the hour) when the train departed the yard; e.g., 'India 38' is a

freight train that left the yard at 0938 hrs. Trains leaving between midnight and 0100 hrs use the letter

'Z'. The words used to signify the letters of the alphabet are not standardized; 'Z' could be indicated by

'Zebra' or 'Zimbabwe'.

Some special freight trains are named differently (e.g. the Shalimar Special out of Mumbai (Wadi

Bunder to Shalimar near Calcutta), or the 'Salt Cotours' freight (Wadi Bunder to Salt Cotours near

Chennai)); these tend to be 'privileged' trains and they carry goods with guaranteed delivery schedules.

The 'Ahmedabad Arrow' used to run between Bombay and Ahmedabad. Other such named freight trains

(past and present) include the 'Green Arrow', 'Blue Flame', 'Red Star', 'Black Gold', and 'Green Bullet'.

Other special freight trains include the 'Freight Chief' and the 'Super Link Expresses'. CONCOR

introduced several new dedicated timetabled container trains in 2000 (Shalimar - Chennai, Shalimar -

Hyderabad, Cossipore - New Delhi) and 2001 (Cossipore - Haldia, for international container freight),

with more planned (Shalimar - Mumbai, Shalimar - Nagpur).

Recently [12/00] special timetabled parcel trains have been introduced by SER. One is the 'Dakshin

Parcel Express' between Calcutta and Chennai, and another is the 'Pashchim Parcel Express' between

Calcutta and Mumbai. These run at 90-105km/h. The 'Millennium Parcel Express' is slated [5/01] to run

between Chennai and New Delhi, and also perhaps Shalimar - Ahmedabad, Shalimar - Sanatnagar,

Sanatnagar - Tughlakabad, and Turbhe (New Bombay) - Shalimar.

Q. Who carries container traffic in India?

Most rail container traffic in India is handled by CONCOR (the Container Corporation of India) which

until recently was the only such organization. CONCOR is a public-sector concern, but it maintains its

own fleet of wagons and other assets that are separate from IR's, although the traffic moves on IR's

tracks.

Recently [2/06] the government has given approval to the Pipavav Rail Corporation (PRCL) to offer

container services in India. It is expected that PRCL will run container services from the ports of

Pipavav, Mundra, Chennai/Ennore, Vishakhapatnam, and Kochi (Cochin). PRCL is a joint venture

between IR and the Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd. Originally, PRCL was set up to construct and operate a

270km BG railway line between Pipavav port and Surendranagar on the Western Railway.

Private operators [8/07] Private companies have only very recently been given approval to operate in

India. Generally speaking the private companies are given limited licences to operate container services

on specific routes and for a specific number of years. In April 2007, Boxtrans Logistics, belonging to

the JM Baxi Group, became the first private player to operate container services, with a rake of 45

Texmaco flat wagons running between Cossipore (ER) and Loni near New Delhi and Mundra port

(Gujarat). The initial runs carried about 90 TEUs. Boxtrans also expects to run services on the Loni -

Vishakhapatnam route. Its licence allows it to run on all routes except the premier New Delhi - JNPT

route. It is expected to maintain 3 rakes of its own. Another company, APL (formerly American

President Lines), belonging to the Singapore-based Nepture Orient Lines began container operations in

May 2007 with a rake from Loni to JNPT. APL holds a so-called 'Category 1' licence allowing it to run

container services on all routes in India, for a period of 20 years. APL is initially buying seven 45-flat-

wagon rakes from Titagarh Industries. A joint venture between Hind Terminals (of the Sharaf Group,

UAE) and MSC Agency (belonging to the Mediterranean Shipping Company, Geneva) also has a

Category 1 licence. Another private operator, Innovative B2B Logistic Solutions, has a limited licence

to run container services on some routes. Other licensees include Reliance Infrastructure Engineers,

Adani Logistics, Central Warehousing Corporation, and Delhi Assam Roadways Corp. Other private

opearators are gradually entering the field. Arshiya International, a supply-chain management company,

123

began operations in Jan. 2009 with dedicated rakes and custom-built containers to carry freight for

Vedanta Aluminium Ltd.

Q. What are CONTRACK trains? And ConRaj trains? And CARTRAC?

Recently [1999] CONCOR has begun running some fast (up to 100km/h) guaranteed delivery container

freight trains on certain routes (35 rail corridors have been identified as suitable for such service). The

rakes consist of 5-wagon groups of flat cars; the flat cars are low flat cars which allow loading 'Tallboy'

containers.

A particular freight service of this kind inaugurated recently [6/00] goes by the name of CONTRACK

and is a time-tabled weekly train between Shalimar Terminal and Tondiarpet (Chennai).

Some of the fast (up to 100km/h [8/00]) freight trains, especially on the Mumbai-Delhi route, are

informally named 'Con-Raj' (for Container Rajdhani). Some of these even go straight through Vadodara

without a halt, with crew changes only at Valsad and Godhra.

CONCOR has obtained several high-speed flat wagons which are rated for service at 100km/h. (These

are also known as 'low belt container flat wagons', and abbreviated 'BLC'.) These have several advanced

features, such as automatic twist locks, slackless drawbars, and small-diameter wheels allowing a low

bed height. These are currently [12/00] in use on the Tughlakabad-Mumbai container route for the Con-

Raj trains mentioned above. More are being ordered, under the auspices of a World Bank loan and the

IBRD. Newer versions [9/04] have automatic load sensing devices to allow optimum braking under

varying loads. The wagons have a single-pipe air-brake system.

CARTRAC is the name given to CONCOR's automobile transport service. It uses converted passenger

coaches to hold automobiles in two decks. A typical CARTRAC rake has about 21 such modified

coaches.

Q. What is the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)?

The Dedicated Freight Corridor is a project for new railway lines exclusively for carrying freight

isolated from normal IR traffic and passenger trains. Conceived in 2004-2005, planning began in 2006,

and in 2007 initial proposals have been drawn up. The entire DFC project will include 2,700km or so of

exclusive freight lines (new construction), and about 5,000km of feeder lines that will include some

new construction and many existing lines that will be upgraded.

In the first phase, the Western Corridor will connect the Jawaharlal Nehru Port to New Delhi via

Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Jaipur, and Rewari and further on to Tughlakabad and Dadri. There

will also be a link between Dadri and Khurja, and feeder routes connecting other ports of Gujarat. There

will also be four logistic terminals, one each near New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahemdabad, and Vadodara. The

Western Corridor is expected to carry mainly container traffic. The Western Corridor is expected to be

unelectrified, using diesel traction.

The Eastern Corridor is expected to connect Ludhiana to Sonnagar via Ambala, Saharanpur, Khurja,

Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, and Mughalsarai. The primary feeder routes for this will be from

Sonnagar to Durgapur via Gomoh, Sonnagar to Tatanagar via Garhwa Road, and Barkakana to Bokaro

via Chandrapura. Eventually the Eastern Corridor will be extended to Dankuni, near Kolkata, where

there will be a new freight terminal, and to a new (to be built) deep-water port off the coast of West

Bengal near Kolkata, with a total length of 1,805km. The Eastern corridor will be single line on the

Ludhiana-Khurja portion (426km) and double line on the remaining portions. The Eastern Corridor is

expected to carry more heavy mineral traffic and less container traffic. The Eastern Corridor is expected

to be electrified. Work on the Eastern Corridor was inaugurated on Feb. 10, 2009, with construction

commencing on a 105km section between New Ganjkhwaja near Mughalsarai to New Karwandia near

Sonnagar.

124

It is expected that trains running on the DFC lines will be up to 1.5km long (100 wagon rakes) and

running at up to 100km/h. Double-stacking of containers is expected to be the rule, especially on the

Western Corridor which will be unelectrified. Transit time for freight between Mumbai and New Delhi

is xpected to drop to about 36 hours from the current 60 hours. In the busiest freight routes such as

Ahmedabad - Marwar, the number of freight trains running is expected to rise from 15 each way each

day (currently) to 72 each way; between JNP and Vadodara the increase will be from 9 to 49. Expected

completion time for the first phase of the DFC project (the routes described above) is around 5-7 years

(i.e., completion by 2012-2014). RITES is the agency carrying out the initial feasibility studies for the

project.

Q. International freight: Are there direct freight trains running between India and neighbouring

countries?

Freight trains run regularly between India and Pakistan via the Attari (Punjab) - Lahore route. The

Munabao - Khokhrapar route is under consideration [2007] for goods traffic (it is currently only used

for the Thar Express passenger traffic). Freight trains have also been running regularly between India

and Bangladesh on the Gede-Darshana and Petrapole - Benapole routes. Another route connecting India

and Bangladesh is Singhbad (India) - Rohanpur (Bangladesh). The Bongaon (India) - Jessore

(Bangladesh) direct BG route has been proposed, and needs a 10km link constructed between Akhaura

and Agartala. Nepal is connected to India by rail by the Birgunj - Raxaul line. See the international

section and also the international links list.

Q. How heavy are the freights carried by IR? What are the heaviest freights?

[3/99] Among the heaviest freights regularly hauled in India are the 4700+ tonne loads hauled by two

(sometimes one, depending on the gradient, etc.) WAG-9 locos in the Dhanbad Division. Earlier, these

freights required multiple WAG-5 locos to haul them. Typical heavy freight trains in many sections use

two or three WAG-5's at the front and two or three WAG-5's at the rear. Iron ore trains on the Kulem-

Londa section, as well as other heavy freights in other sections such as on the SER can have up to 7

locos, for instance with 3 at either end and 1 in the middle, connected and operated through a system

known as 'Locotrol'. The Kirandul-Kottavalasa line, before it was electrified, often had many freight

rakes hauled by 5 or 6 diesel locos (1960s). (Today 2 or 3 WAG-5 locos are usual for these.)

[5/01] On May 17, 2001, a single WAG-9 achieved a top speed of 100km/h while hauling a rake of 58

BOXN-HA wagons (4700t) on the Sonenagar-Mughalsarai section of ER. The 123km section was

covered in 100 minutes, at an average speed of 72km/h.

Trials have been conducted with a single WAG-7 hauling a 6000 tonne rake on level track near Gomoh;

5500t rakes have sometimes been hauled double-headed by WAG-9 locos; and 5500t rakes have also

been hauled by two or three WAG-7 (?) locos. In 1998 a single WAM-4 hauled a 9000t (!) rake near

Ghaziabad. In the early 1990s, a kilometer-long coal rake for NTPC's Dadri power plant was hauled on

the Grand Chord.

Diesel traction: a single WDG-4 has been used to haul a 4700t rake (58 BOXN wagons).

'Midhaul' operations where locomotives are used in the middle of a rake are not common in IR. Locos

are more often added at the front and rear of a rake. SCR has run [2/02] some trials using up to 7

locomotives (3 in the front, 3 at the rear, and one in the middle) for a 54-wagon rake on the Castle Rock

- Kulem ghat section. Trials on the Hassan-Mangalore section with 58-BOXN wagon rakes were carried

out with six WDG-3A locos, 3 in the front and 3 at the rear. Even though the newer locomotives such as

the WAG-9 or WDG-4 can haul these heavy loads singlehandedly, many of the older bridges and other

structures on IR's lines cannot withstand the higher longitudinal stresses that these locos exert, hence

often these loads are hauled by multiple lower-powered locos. Brake power is also an issue on

gradients. Three WDG-3A locos are said to be able to keep a fully-loaded 58-BOXN rake at 30km/h on

a 1:50 down gradient using train brakes and dynamic brakes.

125

The BOXN-HA wagons (see the section on wagon types) was planned for heavier axle-loading and

would have eventually allowed the routine hauling of 5220t rakes without the need for longer sidings or

loops; however the experiments with this wagon type didn't work out and they were never manufactured

after the initial batch of about 301.

Top Speeds : [Times uncertain here] For 4700t loads on level track: A WDG-2 can attain 68km/h in

about 56 minutes (? not certain); a WDG-4 can reach 82km/h in 30 minutes; a WAG-5 can attain a top

speed of 80km/h in 33 minutes; for a WAG-7, the figures are 92km/h and 38 minutes (or 70km/h in 15

minutes); and for a WAG-9, 100km/h and 17 minutes. In 2000, successful trials were conducted of

running BOXN wagon rakes at 100km/h on the Gomoh-Mughalsarai section, and even up to Ghaziabad.

Goods trains on mainline BG routes are generally restricted to 75km/h, with a few exceptions and

special operations. (Parcel vans and milk vans or refrigerated vans for perishables attached to passenger

trains can of course go faster.) the average speeds of goods trains on the main trunk routes are around

40-45km/h. There is now [9/04] a proposal to raise the maximum permissible speed limit for goods

trains to 100km/h on the trunk routes connecting New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. These six

routes (the quadrilateral and its diagonals) total about 10,000km, about 15% of the total IR network, but

they account for 75% of the total freight traffic. The raising of the speed limit is expected to raise the

average speed to 55km/h, which can potentially increase the utilization of the track substantially.

Q. Do double-stacked container trains run on IR?

IR has only recently [3/06] begun running a few double-stacked container trains. This is primarily

because most of IR's main routes are electrified and raising OHE clearances is not permitted under the

present Schedule Of (moving) Dimensions. (But see below.) Other reasons include low axle loads

permitted on certain lines and types of wagons (20.32 tonnes on most lines and for most wagons, and

22.9 tonnes for few routes and type of wagons).

RDSO has been exploring the possibilities for double-stacking and some trials have been run. Normally,

BLCA and BLCB flat wagons used for 9.5' high containers have 840mm diameter wheels with a floor

heigh tof 1009mm above the rails. A single rake (45 BLCA/BLCB) can carry 90 20' long ISO

containers or 45 40' long containers and this standard configuration can run at 100km/h on most of the

important IR routes. In late 2003, RDSO ran trials on the Sidhapur - Umerdasi section of WR using

double-stacked 40' long (and 9.5' high) containers on unmodified BLCA/BLCB wagons. Satisfactory

ride characteristics were observed up to 85km/h on straight track, and also at lower speeds in yards,

over complex points, and on 2-degree curves. The vertical clearance needed for double-stacking is a

minimum of 6809mm from rail level, or about 7m. RDSO has submitted reports on this to the Railway

Board and occasionally [2004, 2005] IR has made reference to the possibility of double-stacking, but

this had not materialized anywhere except for extremely limited trials until 2006, when the first double-

stacked container service was begun between Jaipur and Pipavav (starting on March 24, 2006). Jaipur -

Pipavav was chosen because of the lack of electrification which eliminated the height constraint, and

easy elimination of other obstructions which might have infringed on double-stacked train moving

dimensions (and of course the availability of container freight from Pipavav port). The Jaipur-Pipavav

section uses the usual BLCA/BLCB flat wagons for the containers. It is likely that other sections where

double-stacking is introduced will see the use of different wagons with lower floors to allow vertical

clearances to be met. Axle loads are expected to rise to 32.5 tonnes for double-stack container trains.

CONCOR is [8/07] in an agreement with Gateway Rail Freight, Pvt Ltd., to construct and operate a rail-

linked double-stack container terminal at Garhi Harsuru near Gurgaon in Haryana, connecting the

National Capital Region to the western ports.

[6/07] The proposed new wagon factory to be set up at Dalmia Nagar in Bihar is expected to

manufacture 32.5 tonne axle-load wagons which will be used for double-stack container trains.

126

[7/08] Trials have been run (July 6-9, 2008) between Jakhapura and Tomka on the Jakhapura-Daitari

section of East Coast Railway with double-stacked containers cargo hauled by electric locomotives,

under a high catenary (where the OHE clearance is 7.45m). This section was sanctioned for

electrification in January 2007. In June 2008, Stone India developed a special pantograph for IR which

can handle the high catenary. For comparison, the catenary height for double-stacked container

movement in China is 6.6m, and in the USA it is 7.1m. The plan is to eventually have double-stacked

container traffic running under electric traction on a larger number of routes, especially including the

Dedicated Freight Corridor stretches.

[4/07] Even triple-stack container trains with special-purpose automobile-carrier containers have been

proposed for the New Delhi - Pune route. The railway ministry announced [4/07] a pilot project to run

such triple-decker container trains to carry cars, scooters, and motorcycles in preparation for the

eventual operation of such trains on the western section of the proposed Dedicated Freight Corridor

(Mumbai - Ahmedabad - Palanpur - Rewari). The triple-stack trains are expected to be hauled by diesel

locomotives as this western freight corridor is (in the initial planning stages, anyway) expected to be

unelectrified.

Q. How has IR developed its hauling capacity?

Rakes of the old freight wagons, classified 'CG', for Covered Goods, consisting of the old 4-wheeled C

or CR wagons) up to 1850 or so tonnes (2350t for some types of wagons). With the introduction of

bogie stock, mixed CRT/CRC/BCX rakes became more common and brought the maximum up to 2750

tonnes. As noted above, even today the standard load for a typical shipment by a 'full rake' of

miscellaneous goods is about 2200t.

The introduction of bogie wagons and air-braked stock has allowed larger and heavier formations to be

hauled, and 3660t rakes of box wagons became common. The so-called 'Jumbo' rakes, consisting mostly

of BCX and similar bogie stock are up to 3500-3750 tonnes (these are air-braked today, but vacuum-

braked rakes of this size have been used), and beyond these are what are known in IR parlance as

'Super-Jumbo' rakes, carrying up to 4500-4700 tonnes. The super-jumbo rakes consist entirely of the

newer BCX/BCN/BCNA/etc. wagons and are air-braked.

The 'Green Arrow' rakes have only BCN/BCNA wagons, up to about 40 of them. The name comes from

the green paint scheme used for these air-braked wagons. Forty BCN wagons are about the limit for

most parts of IR's network because of the restriction imposed by the lengths of loops where freight

trains can be diverted to allow passenger trains to pass. The standard loop length is 650m, although

many places are now getting loops of 900m to cope with freight formations that are up to 850m long.

BOXN formations up to 58 cars are also common (again, this is the maximum length allowable on most

loop lines). The 'Green Bullet' trains have BOXN rakes usually carrying a bulk commodity like iron ore

for thermal power plants. (The ones carrying coal are often known as 'Black Bullet' trains.) BCNA rakes

can be up to 58 cars too, but more commonly 40+ cars or so. BCN wagons being a bit longer, only 40

cars or so are formed into a single rake.

In several places, IR has run, as experiments, longer freight trains formed by combining two or three

freight rakes for part of a route and then splitting them later as they go on to their respective

destinations. However, when running combined the extra-long rake has to be scheduled carefully as it

places severe constraints on the movement of all other traffic on the same track because it cannot fit on

any loop at any station, and any problem with the rake can result in major delays.

Upgraded versions of the BOXN wagons (class BOXN-HA, see the section on wagons) with payloads

of 66t (and axle loads of up to 23.5t are planned to be run on several sections after track upgrades.

Sixteen sections have been identified for this [4/05]:

Gua-Barajamda-Rajkharasawan-Sini-Chandill Gardhrubeswar-Joychandpahar-Damodar-Burnpur-

127

Asansol, Bondamunda-Sini-Adityapur, Bolanikhadan-Barajamda, Bondamunda-Barsuan, Bimalgarh-

Kiriburu, Bhilai-Dalli Rajhara, Damodar-Kalipahar, Padapahar-Banspani, Bondamunda-Nawagaon-

Puranpani, Bhilai-Ahlwara, Waltair-Kirandul (the 'KK' line), Vasco-Hospet-Guntakal-Renigunta-

Chennai, Nawagaon-Hatia-Muri-Bokaro, Purulia-Kotshila, Daitatri-Jakhapura-Paradeep and

Sambalpur-Titlagarh-Rayagada-Vijayanagaran-Visakhapatnam.

Q. What is the state of intermodal transportation in India? Are roadrailers, road trailers on rails,

etc. used in India?

Currently [7/00] a trial Wabash / Kirloskar roadrailer runs between Konkan Railway (or JNPT) and

Nagpur. Konkan Railway has also made some trials of TOFC (trailer on flat car). Intermodal cars are

used quite a bit. They are configured with 6 trucks for 5 cars, but double-stacking is not used as the

floor height of the cars is usually the same as for regular COFC (container on flat car) services.

CONCOR does have flat cars with low bed height for Tallboy containers. (Currently [2/02] around

1875 flat cars in its fleet; to increase by another 1000 or more in 2002.)

Spine cars, well cars, freight DMUs, CargoSprinter, etc. are not in use in India currently. [7/00]

Konkan Railway pioneered the 'roll-on, roll-off' ('RORO' or 'RO-RO') concept in India on its route

between Mumbai (Kolad) and Goa (Verna). Starting in 1999 with 5 trucks being transported at a time,

today [1/05] the service handles 50 trucks on its route each day. In this service, trucks belonging to

commercial private trucking companies loaded with their goods drive on to a rake of flat cars and are

carried (trucks and their cargo, and their drivers!) by train to the destination where they simply drive off

the train; this obviously eliminates a lot of time lost in intermodal transshipment. Loading and

unloading at either end can be as short as 10-15 minutes. The RORO rake normally achieves speeds of

about 75km/h. The Kolad-Verna stretch takes about 10 hours with RORO while it can be a full day's

driving or more if the trucks take the road instead. The trucks are restricted to 25 tonnes for 2-axle

trucks and 40 tonnes for 4-axle trucks. RORO service is also available now until Mangalore (Surathkal)

on the KR route. Recently [7/04] it was proposed that KR get monopoly rights to operate such RORO

services on the rest of the IR network. Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Kochi are said to be among

the routes being considered for this.

Q. How are the different kinds of freight cars classified?

.... And information on brakes, couplers, etc.

Please see the section on freight cars in the page on rolling stock for more details on wagons and their

features, freight consists, etc.

Wagon Pooling

What is Wagon Pooling?

Each zonal railway of IR has a fleet of freight wagons that it owns. Of necessity, most freight trains

traverse through territory of more than one zonal railway, and wagons of one railwy may end up outside

their home zone after a run. Wagon Pooling refers to the practice of allowing other zonal railways to

use the wagons for their own freight trains. In effect, the wagons from all zonal railways are 'pooled'

together and scheduled for goods trains indiscriminately, without a zone giving preference to wagons it

owns. Pooling generally increases wagon utilization, since it avoids transshipment from one zone's

wagons to another zone's wagons at zonal boundaries, and also avoids having wagons return empty to

their home railway. It also minimizes shunting as a result and improves yard and siding utilization.

Generally speaking, most wagons used for long-distance freight are pooled wagons and participate in

the pooling. See below for non-pooled and local traffic wagons which do not participate in wagon

pooling.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-stock.html#freight

128

Wagon pooling is also applied outside IR. Wagons may be pooled with non-IR organizations such as

industrial plants (power stations, collieries, mines, cement works, etc.). Additional, wagons are also

pooled with foreign railways such as Bangladesh Railway and Pakistan Railways. IR wagons venture

on to the Pakistani and Bangladeshi networks as part of cross-border goods traffic, and similarly

wagons from those railways enter IR's network. These wagons do not have to return immediately, and

may be used for goods movements outside their home railways - but usually these are returned fairly

soon.

Obviously, with wagon pooling a concern that arises is how wagons are to be maintained and

overhauled. As a general rule, wagons are to return to their home railways every 3 years for periodic

overhaul (POH). This is usually indicated as a stencilled notation, e.g., 'Return 7/93' indicating a return

required to the home railway by June 1993. Ordinary inspection and most minor maintenance at yards

and at stations en route is of course carried out by whichever railway happens to have the wagons at the

time. (In fact, wagons cannot be interchanged if they have serious defects; the railway which has the

wagon at the time then must fix the defect.)

The Directorate of Wagon Interchange (DWI) under the IRCA is responsible for coordinating all

wagon interchanges across IR. Officers in charge of wagon interchange are assigned to each nodal point

where interchange occurs.

Each railway's wagons are enumerated and kept track of. Based on the goods traffic needs of a

particular railway, it may require more or fewer wagons than it actually owns. A creditor railway is

one which needs fewer wagons than it needs, so that its surplus wagons are, in effect, 'loaned' out to

other railways. A debtor ralway, similarly, is one which needs more wagons than it has, so that it has

to 'borrow' wagons from the wagon pool for its operations. For the privilege of using wagons over the

number that a railway owns, it has to pay rental charges. These hire charges vary by type of wagon. As

an example, 4-wheeled BG wagons had hire charges of Rs 66 a day in the 1970s. Currently [2010] they

are around Rs 387 a day. Industrial (non-IR) users were charged Rs 1038, Bangladesh Railway Rs 665,

and Pakistan Railway Rs 1000. Hire charges for MG wagons are around Rs 204 a day, for non-railways

users Rs 464, and for BR, Rs 290.

The DWI computes the Pool Target for each zonal railway which is the number of pooled wagon it can

have at any time in order to run its expected goods operations smoothly. These are often denoted

relative to the number of wagons the railway owns: A pool target of +2000 implies that the zonal

railway must do with 2000 fewer wagons than it owns, and therefore must be a creditor railway.

Similarly, a pool target of -2000 implies the railway is a debtor railway and will use 2000 more wagons

than the number it owns. As excessive holdings of wagons by a particular zonal railway leads to

inefficiency, the DWI is empowered to instruct railways to reduce their holdings, and impose fines

when pool targets are not maintained.

At each Interchange Point, or junction where interchange occurs between railways, goods traffic needs

to be regulated to maintain traffic flow, as well as to ensure adherence to pool targets. For this purpose,

Junction Quotas are determined, which specify the number of wagons to be interchanged each day

between individual railways at the interchange point, in each direction. Junction quotas in the case of

highly asymmetric traffic routes may specify a particular number of empties to be returned in the

reverse direction. The railway that works the junction or interchange point is known as the Working

Railway, and the other railways interchanging their wagons at that junction are called the Using

Railways. A wagon is interchanged between the working railway and the using railway when it enters

or leaves the junction. Equalization is the process of ensuring that the flow of wagons between two

interchanging railways is equal in both directions at the interchange point. This is not always the case,

when traffic flows are not symmetric. Overequalization refers to a railway handing over more wagons

than it receives in return; the opposite situation is Underequalization. For instance, NR hands over coal

wagons from ER to WR at Agra East Bank, and is overequalized with WR, because WR does not return

the wagons to NR by the same route. WR hands over the released empties to CR in the return direction -

it is overequalized with CR; the empties pass over CR to Ajni and Katni to SER and back to the colliery

129

regions. The situation can be more complex if the wagons are not returning empty but being used for

some other highly directional goods traffic on the return trip. The DWI issues instructions regarding

junction quotas and equalization. Strict equalization is not always required - railways often overequalize

with another railway at one junction but underequalize by a matching amount at another.

As the working railway is placed at a disadvantage since it holds wagons at its junction even though it is

not utilizing them, a Junction Allowance used to be specified to compensate for the extra wagon hours

at the junction; this has since been dispensed with.

An Interchange Message noting the total numbers of wagons interchanged over a day may look like

the following (example from Railway Operation by Francis DaCosta).

MGS 5/1

RAILCON-NDLS C/-COPS NDLS CCC DS

NR

20 JN - Interchange midngiht ending 4.1.80

AD 2813 CL 1073 CE 28 OL 1709 OE 3

DA 3085 CL 493 CE 826 OL 1125 OE 641

In the above interchange message which records the total interchanges as of midnight following the

working day, A stands for ER, and D for NR. C = Covered wagons and O = Open wagons. L = Loaded,

E = Empty.

In addition to the aggregate information about numbers of interchanged wagons, individual car

movement records are also maintained, so that overdue or missing wagons can be identified easily. The

divisional wagon balance is calculated as of midnight each day.

At each interchange junction, wagons to be interchanged are inspected. A defect found in a wagon may

be classified as a Penalty Defect in some cases, and is racked up as a debit to the railway offering the

wagon. A defect that is serious enough that the wagon cannot be used is classified as a Rejection

Defect and the wagon remains with the offering railway, which may offer it again after fixing the

problem. No actual monetary fines are levied; but the statistics on defects provide an indication of the

level of maintenance of wagons by a railway. Rejection defects increase the holdings of wagons on a

railway's books, and therefore may render it liable for fines if it exceeds its pool targets as a result.

History: Originally, with the separate railways that existed in India, there was no concept of wagon

pooling. Each railway useds its own wagons on its lines, and wagons from foreign railways were

operated only by specially negotiated agreements among the railways. For instance, much coal loaded

by the East Indian Railway was done on its own wagons, and transshipped to wagons of other railways

at transshipment points. The inefficient utilization of the wagons in the prevailing system became very

apparent during World War 1 when the demands of goods traffic rose sharply. Emergency orders were

issued allowing indiscriminate loading of goods on any available wagons regardless of which railway

owned them. The Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA) carried out a review of the new

practice and after further experiments, in 1925 it was decided as a policy that wagons should generally

be pooled. The IRCA was given control over the wagon interchange policies and procedures.

Wagon pooling at first applied only to BG wagons. As there were many more - and very small -

railways operating on MG, it took longer to coordinate the arrangements for wagon pooling among

them. The MG network of northern India had wagon pooling from 1939, and the southern MG network

had wagon pooling from 1950.

Where are IR's wagon interchange points?

130

There are many interchange points between zonal railways for BG goods wagons - practically any

junction near a zonal boundary which sees significant BG goods traffic counts as one. For MG wagons,

there are four principal interchange points: Khandwa for SCR/WR, Himmatnagar for WR/NWR, Purnia

for NFR/ECR, and Forbes Ganj for NFR/NER. International interchange points include Attari for NR

with Pakistan Railway, Ranaghat and Petrapole for ER with Bangladesh Railway, Singhabad for NFR

with Bangladesh Railway (all BG), and Radhikapur and Mahishasan for MG interchange between NFR

and Bangladesh Railway.

What are non-pooled wagons and local traffic wagons?

These are wagons that do not participate in wagon pooling. Some wagons may be marked as Non-

Pooled Wagons (usually stencilled 'N.P.' on the wagons) - these are usually some special-purpose high-

capacity wagons used by various railways that generally earmarked for some particular operations on

that railway or on particular routes. They do travel to other zones, but are not scheduled for further trips

by the other railways. When they are loaded to adjoining railways, they are usually marked to be sent

back to a station on the route they took, or back to their home railway by any route.

A few other wagons in each railway may also not participate in wagon pooling - these are local traffic

wagons, which are usually low-capacity wagons used for internal movements such as departmental

trains and which do not venture outside their home zone.

Types of Freight Trains

Q. What are the different types of goods trains?

Goods trains are classified into a few different categories. Departmental trains are trains run for

internal purposes of the railway, such as track maintenance or conveying equipment. They may be

ballast trains or other material trains. Breakdown trains and other special-purpose trains for dealing

with accidents are also considered to be departmental trains.

Work trains are trains used for short-distance movements of freight, especially small packages

('smalls') transshipped from long-distance freight trains. Shunting trains are used for moving wagons

to different stations in a section, and are involved only in attaching and detaching such wagons. They

are also known as section trains (especially on CR) and pick-up trains elsewhere. They are known as

pilots if they run for a very short distance, for just a few stations. Trains with wagons that are actually

loaded or unloaded with smalls at various stations are called Road Vans, or transship trains (CR) or

smalls quick transit (SQT) on ER. Road vans are a vanishing breed these days with the widespread

use of block rakes and container traffic and increasing reliance on transshipment of goods from freight

terminals to road transport for onward delivery rather than transporting smalls by rail.

Through goods trains are freight trains transporting goods from one goods yard to the next without

stoppage at intermediate points. Long-distance goods, also known as solid trains include various

special long-distance freight trains that get precedence, such as the Freight Chief or other Express

Goods trains with timetabled operations and guaranteed delivery time (including QTS or Quick Transit

Service goods), Jumbo trains, and Sherpa trains. The remainder of the through goods trains, which

run at lower precedence, are known as Ordinary Through trains.

Q. What's a 'mini-rake'?

A half-size goods rake (20 wagons), available for booking under special tariffs. See above.

Q. What's a 'jumbo' or 'super-jumbo' rake?

The term 'jumbo' originated when longer and heavier freight rakes could be hauled as better wagons

(bogie stock), more powerful locos, and air-braking begin to come into use. A 'jumbo' rake is usually a

131

BCX/BOY/etc. rake of up to 3500-3750 tonnes, which is much larger than the old 'CG' rakes which

used to be limited to 1800 tonnes or so. All air-braked rakes of BCN/BCNA wagons up to 4500-4750

tonnes are known as 'super-jumbo' rakes. See the section on freight.

Q. What are Link Trains?

Among goods trains, Link Trains are or were those with a pre-specified regular weekly or daily

schedule (the 'link' for the train). Often, these goods trains had dedicated sets of crew, and these trains

were usually given priority by the controllers as well. High utilization is achieved by extended running

with longer distances between rake examinations. Today, the term is not used much, and there are a

variety of high-priority timetabled goods services that use the same management principles.

Historically, the introduction of Link Trains was a significant step in improving the efficiency of goods

services.

Very early, in steam days, generally the Assigned Crew system was followed, where a single set of

crew members (one driver and two firemen) were attached to a locomotive permanently, and travelled

with it on all trips. The sense of ownership and dedication resulted in the crew taking very good care of

the locomotive, and the system worked while goods traffic requirements remained low. However,

utilization was lower than it could be, since the locomotive had to remain stabled any time the crew

were resting, as required for instance by the rules around hours of running duty. In the 1930s, the

Pooled Crew system was introduced, where crew were not assigned permanently to a locomotive, but

instead assigned to an engine when it was ready to run. This increased the utilization of the engines.

With the outbreak of World War II, there were greatly increased demands for goods traffic, there was a

shortage of spares, and many junior staff on account of large numbers of promotions given to cope with

the need to run more trains. All this combined, especially on CR, to lead to massive congestion of goods

traffic, and average goods train speeds dropped to below 30km/h. It was in an effort to alleviate this

situation that Link Trains were introduced. Daily paths were set up - these schedules were known as

links. The link trains were organized so they would skip some intermediate stops for coaling/watering.

A few sets of crew members were allocated to each locomotive. When a link train was to be run, one set

of crew would run the loco all the way to the destination point (the out-station), and sign off there, and

another set would make the return journey. The first link train on this system was run in 1942, using

two XP engines to haul goods ont he 395km Bhusaval-Nagpur section. The engines were able to log

9500km a month, far higher than the typical engine utilization of the time. In 1945 the system was

extended to the then new and powerful AWE engines on the Bhusaval division. Five goods trains were

run on fixed links using 9 AWE engines from Bhusaval to Igatpuri. The system was further improved

by using extended engine runs that used lineside coaling and watering facilities outside the sheds to

allow engines to skip sheds and save time. Trains were not remarshalled at intermediate points. This

was used for instance on the approximately 400km route between Daund and Raichur, and between

Jhansi and Delhi. Watering stations were staggered, so that successive trains on a route used alternating

watering stations - this was especially helped by the introduction of WG and YG locomotives with high

tender water capacity. C&W examination was also extended to happen only once in 360km or so.

Engines and rakes were allowed to run 800km after an extended examination, and 300km yard to yard

after a 'safe-to-run' examination.

Even today, Jumbo rakes and other high-priority goods rakes are allowed to run without detailed

examination at intermediate points. Of course, with the introduction of diesel and electric traction

considerations of watering and coaling points are no longer a concern.

Q. What are Crack Trains?

Crack Trains were introduced on ER for similar reasons as for Link Trains on CR. A crack train is run

on a link system (scheduled engine and staff). However, as ER is a dense and relatively compact

railway zone where extended runs are difficult (200km might constitute an inter-divisional movement),

the idea was to run these trains with one set of crew for the outward and homeward journeys, by having

a very quick turn-around (1 hour or less) at the out-station. The outward and homeward journeys

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-freight.html

132

together constituted just one cycle of duty for the crew. The turn-around was done if possible in the

outstation yard itself without visiting the outstation shed. A goods rake for the return journey was kept

ready and waiting in the other portion of the yard so that the engine could be coupled to it and start on

its return journey as soon as possible. Because the same crew comes back on the homeward journey, the

entire trip has to be fairly short, within about 10 hours to comply with regulations on running duty

hours, and definitely within 12 hours. None of the other refinements of CR's link trains such as

staggered watering stations were used. The first crack train was run on March 30, 1958 between Gaya

and Mughalsarai. On this section, 25 to 30 goods trains ran daily - 24 through goods trains on the Gaya

- Son Nagar section and 29 on the Son Nagar - Mughalsarai section. The speeds of these trains in 1958

had come down to about 20km/h. The introduction of crack trains raised the average speed by the end

of March 1958 to 40km/h. Crack engines had utilizations up to 9500km per month. Later the system of

crack trains was introduced on NR on the Kanpur - Tundla (230km) route, and Mughalsarai - Allahabad

(150km). The former was covered (460km round trip) in 12 hours with 40 minutes of outstation

detention. To motivate the crew and ensure high performance, crew were made eligible for higher

payments when running crack train (in addition to the higher mileage earnings accrued). However, bad

performance was punished by summary removal from the roster of crack train crews. In addition, cabin

crew and other lineside staff were instructed to be extra vigilant in checking for hot axles and other

problems on these crack trains. Special procedures were introduced to detach a wagon with a hot axle

within 20 minutes. It is said that an IR officer, MS Gujral, who was familiar with how much more

effective and popular among soldiers military marches were when they included returning home to

barracks on the same day rather than camping out or at remote barracks, was the one who came up with

the key idea behind crack trains.

Crack trains persisted in large numbers until about 1973 when the 10 hour rule on running duty was

introduced, which led to shorter cycles that were sometimes not as effective. Also, the increasing use of

diesels and electrics, where the emphasis was on utilization measured in other ways, slowly led to the

diminishing importance of crack trains. They continued to be used on SER for a long time. Special

freight trains such as the Rockets, Green Arrow, etc., were all operated on the crack train principle.

Later the term 'crack train' was extended to include trains operated on the link train principle (fixed

schedule for engine and staff) and skipping at least one locomotive changing station without change of

crew, even if the crew did not make the trip back with the same engine right away.

Link trains and crack trains both represent landmarks in goods train management in India.

Miscellaneous

Q. Why does a goods train sometimes move backwards briefly before starting to move ahead

from a stop?

There are a few different reasons that this happens. One reason (and the official one stated in working

timetables) has to do with ensuring the couplers (CBC's) along the rake are all engaged and locked

before starting off. The backward push forces the couplers to engage if they are loose, not fully

engaged, or if the coupler pins had been inadvertently (or maliciously) lifted while the train was

stopped.

Another reason is to compress the couplers along the length of the rake, so that when the loco starts

moving forward, it has an easier time setting the wagons at the front in motion first before the rear

wagons as the slack in the couplers plays out along the length of the rake -- it doesn't have to set the

entire train in motion all at once. This is more important with poor track conditions where the loco

cannot develope its full tractive effort before its wheels slips, or with older style bearings on the wagons

which have much higher starting friction than the rolling friction encountered when on the move. Bad

or older designs of bearings can also stick or bind and increase the starting resistance.

133

A third reason for the backward push is to release brakes where the blocks have stuck to the wheel

treads (brake binding); once released by the backward push, there is no further resistance to forward

motion. This was more of a problem in the vacuum brake days with poorly maintained brakes. Lastly, in

the age before walkie-talkies, the backward push was a way to inform the guard at the rear end that the

train was about to set off -- with really long rakes and noisy environments, horn signals might not

always work.

Q. Why are there sometimes empty (or water-filled) tankers or other wagons at the end and

beginning of rakes carrying petroleum products or other inflammable substances?

These empty or water-filled tankers or other wagons are known as 'guard wagons' and are intended to

provide a safety buffer for the tankers carrying inflammable cargo. They are intended to take the brunt

of any minor collision so that the tankers carrying the inflammable substances are not themselves

damaged leading to possible explosions or major fires. At the head of the rake, next to the loco, another

reason for providing guard wagons is to prevent inflammable vapours from the tankers from catching

fire either from the hot diesel exhaust from the loco, or sparks at the pantograph from electric locos.

Q. Where are IR's goods yards, marshalling yards, etc.?

See the section on goods marshalling yards, CONCOR depots, etc.

Classification of Locos

Q. What do the designations such as 'WDM-2' mean?

Locos, except for older steam ones, have classification codes that identify them. This code is of the

form '[gauge][power][load][series][subtype][suffix]'

In this the first item, '[gauge]', is a single letter identifying the gauge the loco runs on:

W = Broad Gauge

Y = Meter Gauge

Z = Narrow Gauge (2' 6")

N = Narrow Gauge (2')

The second item, '[power]', is one or two letters identifying the power source:

D = Diesel

C = DC traction

A = AC traction

CA = Dual-power AC/DC traction

B = Battery electric(rare)

The third item, '[load]', is a single letter identifying the kind of load the loco is normally used for:

M = Mixed Traffic

P = Passenger

G = Goods

S = Shunting

L = Light Duty (Light Passenger?) (no longer in use)

U = Multiple Unit (EMU / DEMU)

R = Railcar (see below)

The fourth item, '[series]', is a digit identifying the model of the loco. Until recently, this series number

was simply assigned chronologically as new models of locos were introduced.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-yard.html

134

Revised class notation for diesels, 2002: However, starting in 2002, for diesel passenger, goods, and

mixed locos, i.e., WDP, WDG, and WDM sequences, (and only for them, apparently, not for electrics,

nor for diesel shunters), the series digit identifies the horsepower range of the loco, with '3' for locos

with over 3000hp but less than 4000hp, '5' for locos over 5000hp but less than 6000hp, etc. This new

scheme will be applied to all passenger/goods/mixed-haul diesel locos starting in June 2002, except for

the WDM-2 and WDP-1 classes of locos.

The fifth item, '[subtype]', is an optional letter or number (or two of them) that indicates some smaller

variation in the basic model or series, perhaps different motors, or a different manufacturer. With the

new scheme for classifying diesel locos (see above), the fifth item is a letter that further refines the

horsepower indication in 100hp increments: 'A' for 100hp, 'B' for 200hp, 'C' for 300hp, etc. So in this

scheme, a WDM-3A refers to a 3100hp loco, while a WDM-3F would be a 3600hp loco.

The last item, '[suffix]', is an optional indication that indicates something special about the loco, such as

a different gearing ratio or brake system than usual.

So, a WCM-2 is a broad-gauge (W) DC electric (C) mixed traffic (M) engine, model 2. Likewise, a

WDS/5 is a broad-gauge diesel shunting engine, model 5, and a ZDM-5 is a narrow-gauge diesel

mixed-traffic model 5 loco. YAU-1 is the old series of MG EMUs run on the Madras-Tambaram line.

The subtype indication of minor variations is not very systematic. Often successive variants of a model

are given subtypes 'A', 'B', etc. in alphabetic order, e.g. ZDM-5A, WAM-4A, WAM-4B, etc., but not

always. For many loco classes (WDM-2A, WDP-2A, notably), the 'A' also indicates dual braking

systems (capable of hauling air-braked and vacuum-braked stock). But in some, such as the WDM-

2CA, the 'A' indicates a loco with only air-brakes. A WAM-4R is a faster version ('R' for rapid?) of the

WAM-4, and WAM-4P is a version of the WAM-4 designed specifically for passenger use ('P'). But a

WAM-4 6P is a version regeared and allowing all-parallel operation of the traction motors. A WDM-2P

is a prototype version of a WDM-2 class.

Similiarly, a WAG-5HA is a WAG-5 with Hitachi motors ('H') built by CLW; a WAG-5HB is the same,

but built by BHEL. A WAG-5P, interestingly, is a WAG-5 loco (a goods loco in its original design, as

indicated by the 'G') which has been modified by re-gearing to haul passenger trains (the 'P' indicates

'passenger')! An 'E' suffix often indicates a variant that is purely air-braked (WAP-1E, WAM-4E, etc.,

but redundant with a WAP-4E.).

[5/02] As indicated above, a new system of classifying mainline diesels has been introduced. The new

scheme got off the ground with rebuilt WDM-2C locos being reclassified as WDM-3A (as they have a

power rating of 3100hp). It is likely that the new classifications will coexist with the old ones for some

time.

With the optional suffix, things get even less predictable and less systematic. A WDM-2 5PD is a

WDM-2 with a different gearing ratio (the '5P', usually a 'P' in such a suffix indicates a gearing ratio

suitable for passenger service). On the other hand a WAM-4 6P indicates all 6 traction motors

permanently connected in parallel — in electric locos 'S' and 'P' often stand for 'series' and 'parallel'

combinations of traction motors. Dual brake systems ('D'); similarly with a WAM-4 6PD, another

common designation. (It's been reported that the 'PD' in these may actually refer to suitability for push-

pull operation...??) A WAP-1 FMII is a variant of the WAP-1 using Flexicoil Mark II bogies.

Ad hoc combinations of many such suffixes are possible, as with 'WAM-4 P HS DB 6P' (HS = high

speed, DB = dual-brake compatible, P = regeared for passenger operations, 6P = all 6 traction motors

may be placed in parallel operation). The WAM-4 locos, in particular, are notorious for having

countless minor variations as CLW and various workshops keep making minor experimental changes to

them. Some sheds follow their own schemes too. Bhusawal shed, for instance, adds 'DBC' or 'ABC' to

loco classes to indicate locos that have undergone conversion of the braking systems ('dual brake

converted', and 'air brake converted').

135

The model numbers are assigned chronologically as new loco types are brought into use in IR, but there

are some exceptions. Sometimes model numbers are assigned to some experimental locos which are

never brought into regular use, e.g., WAG-8.

Some sheds have been known to use non-standard classifications; marking a WDM-2 loco as a 'WDS-2'

to indicate it is used only as a shunter is perhaps one of the more egregiously confusing practices seen

in some sheds. 'WDM-2S' is another notation seen at some sheds for WDM-2 locos relegated to

shunting duties.

[4/09] Golden Rock Workshops has embarked on a program to convert old MG engines (YDM-4's?) to

broad-gauge; these are designated 'WCDS-6' where the 'WC' presumably stands for 'Broad-gauge,

Converted'.

Some classification codes break the system above: e.g., 'RD' is used as a code indicating the power and

the load for diesel railcars, and not 'DR' as one might expect: YRD-1 is a series of MG railcars, NRD-1

similarly an NG series of railcars. Railcars used on the Tambaram line were classified simply 'RU'. 'RB'

is used for railbuses, e.g., the WRB railbuses built on Ashok Leyland bus frames operating between

Bangarpet and Kolar.

EMUs followed this system for some time through the 1950s, but for quite some time now have not

done so. There are numerous different models of EMUs with minor and major variations in use in the

Mumbai system and in other systems, and they are no longer distinguished by 'WCU-xxx' class codes

for them. See the DMU/EMU section for more information on types of these multiple units.

There are many ways in which the classification code appears in IR documents, painted on locos, etc.:

WDM 2

WDM – 2

WDM / 2

WDM2

The Hindi version is usually a phonetic transcription of the way the classification code would be

pronounced in English ('double-you-dee-em') with the series number in Hindi.

The last few models of steam locomotives used in India had this system of classification too, with one

change, which was that the 'power' code was dropped. Hence: 'WG' = BG Goods steam loco, 'WP' = BG

passenger steam loco, 'YP' = MG passenger steam loco, etc. However, there are literally hundreds of

types of steam locomotives that have been used in India, and locos classified 'WG', 'WP', etc. are the

exception rather than the rule. Steam locos were classified in a myriad of ways in India, with different

systems used by different railways. Some standardization began with the IRS classifications (see

below). Note: Sometimes these steam locos had additional notations, e.g., WGx referred to WG locos

fitted with CBC couplers for working block freight rakes.

The serial number of a particular loco usually follows the classification code on the sides and the front

or rear (between the buffers) of the loco. See the item on numbering below.

Q. What is the history of the classification schemes for locos?

Early locomotives in India had a bewildering variety of classification schemes. Regional railways had

their own classification schemes too. For more details on this, refer to reference works such as Hugh

Hughes' classic 4-volume work on Indian locomotives.

The first BESA standard classes appeared in 1903. The HPS, SPS, HGS, and SGS steam loco classes

were quite popular. HP = Heavy Passenger, SP = Standard Passenger, HG = Heavy Goods, SG =

Standard Goods. In these, the suffix 'S' stands for 'superheated'. An alternative suffix 'C' indicates a

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-mu.html

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2.html#numbering

136

conversion to superheating, e.g. SGC. A suffix 'M' was sometimes used to mean 'modified', for variant

designs. However, these classification codes were by no means universally adopted, and various

railways had their own schemes.

In 1924, when IR decided to classify engines, the initial notation was:

X for broad-gauge

Y for meter-gauge

Z for 2' 6" narrow-gauge

Q for 2' 0" narrow-gauge

The IRS (Indian Railway Standard) classes XA, XB, XC, XD, XE, and others in the 'X' series for BG;

YA, YB, YC, YD, and YE for MG; and ZA, ZB, ZC, ZD, ZE, ZF for 2'6" NG; and QA, QB, QC for 2'

NG, were all adopted as standards by the Locomotive Standards Committee by 1925 or soon thereafter.

In fact the Q classes were never built, and of the Z classes, only ZB and ZE (and a modified version of

ZF to agree with existing locos) classes were built. Not all locos of a given class were built by the same

manufacturer. Some of these class designations were re-used later (e.g., ZD). In 1945, 'IRS' became

'IGR' (Indian Government Railway Standard), although the class notations remained the same.

'W' was used for broad-gauge instead of 'X' soon after World War II, with the introduction of the WP

and WG locomotives. 'Q' was also replaced by the 'N' code. Some early electrics had codes beginning

with 'E' (EF, EM, EG, etc.), but after about 1945, when diesel and electric locos were included in the

scheme, the codes for motive power were added (D, A, C, CA, B), which have remained unchanged.

Post-independence history of 'mixed' vs. dedicated loco models

In the early days locos were classified strictly according to the load: goods engines (G) (e.g. WG, YCG,

WCG, WAG, etc), or passenger engines (P) (e.g. WP, WCP, etc). Then the trend was towards a whole

fleet of mixed traffic (M) engines (e.g. WDM, YAM, WAM, WCM, etc.) Between 1960 and 1985 or

so, almost every loco design was of the 'M' variety, with the only two exceptions being the WCG/2

(built 1971 or so) and the WAG series (WAG - 5/5B/5HA/6A/B/C/7). The introduction of the WAP

engines in the early '80s indicated a reversal of IR policy in dedicating engines exclusively for

passenger operations once again. Some dedicated diesels (WDP, WDG series) are also now under

development.

Locomotive Manufacturers

Q. Where were/are locomotives used in India manufactured?

Early locos (late 19th century) were almost all imported. The first steam locomotive was built in India

in 1895 at the Ajmer workshops.

Details of some of the more important manufacturers are to be found in the section on production units

and workshops.

Domestic Manufacturers

CLW: Large-scale loco production in India did not begin until the establishment of the Chittaranjan

Locomotive Works (CLW) in 1950. More details on CLW here.

DLW: The Diesel Loco Works set up at Varanasi began producing diesel locos in 1967, and has since

then produced a large number of mainline and shunter diesels. Variants of various classes in the WDS

and WDG series are supplied to industrial concerns as well. More details on DLW here.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html#clw

http://www.diesellocoworks.com/

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html#dlw

137

BHEL: Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) supplied some WAG-5 and three NBM-1 units in the

'80s, and more recently has suplied WCAM-2's, WCAM-3's, WAG-8's, and NDM-6's. BHEL also

makes electrical transmission components, traction motors, alternators, and other components for both

three-phase and tap-changer locomotives. The locomotives are made at BHEL's facilities at Bhopal and

Jhansi. Recently [2008] BHEL has entered an agreement with IR to supply several dozen high-

horsepower locomotives. As its expertise extends currently only to 6,000hp diesel locos, BHEL is

exploring foreign partnerships with GE, Toshiba, and others for production of 10,000hp locomotives.

DCW: Diesel Components Works, Patiala - now renamed the Diesel Modernization Works or DMW,

supplies components for some locomotives to DLW. It also works on rebuilding and upgrading locos

(e.g., older WDM-2's being converted to WDM-3A locos). NGEF and Crompton Greaves are other

domestic suppliers of traction motors, alternators, etc.

TELCO: Tata Electrical and Locomotive Co. (TELCO) supplied some YP and YG units in the 50's and

60's.

Cummins India makes the diesel engines for DMU's, HPDMU's, and some MG locos.

Suri and Nayar (SAN), located in Bangalore, have supplied some shunters and other locos, and parts

such as transmissions.

Ovis Loco, based in Hyderabad supplies some shunting locos (mainly for industrial customers).

Venkateshwara Transmissions (Ventra) of Medak (Andhra Pradesh) is another manufacturer who

supplied some locomotives and locomotive parts to IR.

ICF: Integral Coach Factory has been making EMUs for suburban systems (e.g., the YAU-1 MG 4-car

EMU) since 1966. It also makes some self-propelled special-purpose units, such as the diesel Medical

Relief Van and diesel-electric tower cars.

Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) Formerly a state owned enterprise, Bangalore-based BEML

manufactures heavy engineering products, including a wide variety of Railway vehicles made at its

Bangalore and Mysore facilities. BEML makes coaches based on the standard ICF type design. A recent

addition to the company's lineup were high tech trainsets (broad gauge and (as of [8/09]) standard

gauge) destined for the Delhi Metro. DMRC rolling stock is manufactured in technical collaboration

with the Korean firm ROTEM. In addition, BEML also manufactures Railbuses, OHE vans and track-

laying equipment. BEML had manufactured coaches for the now scrapped MG EMUs service in

Chennai. The company is very likely to supply coaches for planned Metro systems in Bangalore,

Mumbai and other places.

Bombardier Transportation makes train-sets for the Delhi Metro at its plant in Vadodara, Gujarat.

The Jamalpur Workshop of ER manufactures diesel self-propelled units such as cranes for clearing

wreckage and construction work. More details on Jamalpur here.

The Izzatnagar Works manufactures railbuses and railcars using Ashok Leyland Iveco engines, and

Hindustan Motors or Kirloskar Pneumatics converters and transmissions.

Jessop & Co., an engineering company founded in 1788 (and now in the public sector) has

manufactured wagons, cranes, and EMU rakes (many of the old EMU rakes in the Calcutta and Mumbai

systems were built by Jessop). More details on Jessop here.

Parel Workshops of CR has been assembling BG diesel locomotives since 2006, mostly WDS-6 class

shunters, using components from DLW, DCW, and elsewhere. Between 2006 and 2009 it manufactured

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html#jamal

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html#jess

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shop.html#parel

138

about 88 such locomotives, about half of which went to private companies (industrial shunters) while

the others were purchased by IR.

[2007] A new diesel locomotive production facility has been proposed to be set up at Marhora

(Marhowra) in the Saran district of Bihar, near Chhapra. IR is expected to procure 1000 diesel locos of

varying power capacities (4,500hp-6,000hp) from this factory over 10 years. This is expected to be a

joint venture with a private (foreign or Indian) manufacturing entity - GE and EMD are considered

candidates [2/09].

[2007] A new electric locomotive production facility has been proposed to be set up at Madhepura in

Bihar, with a capacity to produce 120 locos a year. IR is expected to procure 800 electric locos of

12,000hp power capacity from this factory over 10 years. This is expected to be a joint venture with a

private (foreign or Indian) manufacturing entity - Siemens, Alstom, and Bombardier are considered

candidates [2/09].

Foreign Manufacturers

There are many foreign suppliers of early locos: dozens of manufacturers are represented, including

Bagnall, Beyer-Peacock, Vulcan Foundry, Nasmyth Wilson, SLM, Kerr-Stuart, Henschel, Hunslet,

Dubbs & Co. (Glasgow), Metropolitan Carriage and Wagon Works, Sentinel Carriage and Wagon

Works (Shrewsbury), Freid Krupps, Sharp Stewart, Kitson-Meyer, Kawasaki, General Electric, etc.

More recent foreign suppliers of locos include Alco (WDM-1, some WDM-2, some YDM-4), GM

(WDG-1, WDM-4, YDM-3, YDM-5), English Electric (WCM-1, WCM-2), Henschel (WDM-3),

Maschinenbau Kiel (WDS-3, ZDM-2), Montreal Loco Works (YDM-4A), Hitachi (WCM-3, WCM-4,

some WAG-2), Mitsubishi (WAM-2, WAM-3, YAM-1, some WAG-2), Asea Brown-Boveri (WAP-5,

some WAG-9), Toshiba (some WAG-2), Krupp (some WAM-1), Alsthom (some WAM-1), Kraus-

Maffei (some WAM-1), General Motors EMD (WDP-4, WDG-4, some WDM-4), and Arn. Jung

(NDM-1).

Cranes and other equipment have been supplied by Gottwald, Sheldon, ABB, etc. Jamalpur workshops

makes many kinds of break-down cranes.

Tower cars and track and OHE inspection vehicles are manufactured by CLW and Jamalpur

Workshops.

Industrial locomotives of various kinds were supplied by Andrew Barclay, Brookville, Baldwin,

Henschel, Canadian Loco. Co., Greenwood Batley, Ruston & Horsnby, TELCO, Arn. Jung, Kraus-

Maffei, GE, and many others.

Soviet Locomotives Post-Independence India had a pretty close relationship with the USSR, and had

access to a wide range of Soviet technology in many fields. Interestingly, though, Soviet influence was

extremely limited in the area of locomotives, which was dominated by European and American

suppliers as mentioned above. The Soviet Union helped build some of the steel plants and other

industrial sites in India in the 1950s and 1960s, and a few industrial locomotives did seem to have made

their way to India from the USSR. In particular, 36 type TEL Bo-Bo DE locomotives, of 5'6" gauge,

variants of the TGM-3 750hp end cab switchers are listed in some locomotive compilations as intended

for India. These were built around 1957 at Lugansk. A TEV version appears to have been built at 1958,

also at Lugansk. While it is not entirely certain, it seems likely these were intended for the Bhilai Steel

Plant which was built with Soviet help and commissioned in 1959. Iron ore for the plant was mined at

Dalli-Rajhara and transported over a 85.5km railway line to Bhilai, which opened on May 14, 1958. A

20km line connected Bhilai to Ahiwara where limestone was quarried; this line was opened on April 1,

1960.

(Information from the WDL mailing list, posted by John Middleton. Reference: Vitaly Rakov,

Locomotives of our country's railways, 1995, Moscow, ISBN 5-277-00821-7.)

139

Early non-steam locos

Q. Which were the earliest diesel locomotives in the Indian subcontinent?

In 1915, a 2'6" gauge diesel loco was supplied to the India Office by Avonside (Bristol). This is

presumed to have worked on some tea plantation in Assam.

In 1921, a 2'0" gauge 0-4-0 diesel loco built by Baugleys of Burton-on-Trent was delivered to Bengal.

In 1923, two diesel locos built by Ruton Proctor of Lincoln were used on the Barsi Light Railway.

In 1929, a 2'0" gauge 0-4-0 diesel loco was supplied by Maffei (Germany) to C K Andrew, London, for

delivery to India. Their ultimate use and disposition in India is not known.

Two 420hp (or 350hp?) dual-cab BG diesel shunters from William Beardmore (with electrical

components from GEC) were used by the North-Western Railway (now in Pakistan) in 1930.

In 1934, an Armstrong-Whitworth diesel-electric railcar was delivered to NWR for use on the 2'6"

Kalka-Simla.

In 1935, two 1200hp BG diesel-electric locos with 8-cylinder Armstrong-Sulzer engines, built by

Armstrong-Whitworth, were obtained by NWR for trials on the Karachi-Lahore line in preparation for a

proposed new Karachi-Bombay route. They had a 1A-C-2 wheel arrangement. None of these

experiments proved successful and the locos were in all cases withdrawn very soon.

Ceylon Government Railways obtained one diesel-electric shunter and two diesel-electric mixed traffic

locos in 1934 from Armstrong Whitworth. The two mixed traffic locos were actually made for the

Indian State Railways (as they were then known) but turned out to be of too low a power for their

requirements and were sold to CGR. These proved unsuitable and were sent to Argentina in 1937, and

ultimately scrapped soon thereafter.

Between 1930 and 1940, various Indian industrial concerns obtained 14 diesel locos. Bagnall in

conjunction with Duetz supplied a 4-speed 22-25hp diesel loco (Duetz PM 2117 design) in 1934 to

Bundla Beta Tea Co., Assam for the Pengarie-Digboi trolley line. It had a top speed of about 15km/h. In

1936, BBCI obtained one diesel-electric shunter from Armstrong-Whitworth which survived into the

1950's. In 1940, the Jamnagar and Dwarka Railway obtained one MG diesel from Brookville (USA).

In the mid-1930s, the Nizam's State Railways obtained a few diesel railcars from Ganz. These were in

use until the 1950s or so. Ganz supplied NWR in 1939-40 with some diesel railcars as well. Some of

these were allocated to India when NWR assets were split following the partition of British India.

In 1944-45, the USATC supplied 15 GE-built BG Bo-Bo diesel locos with Caterpillar engines to WR.

These were mid-cab machines with short and narrow hoods on either side. Several of these were

working until about 1990, when they were withdrawn and scrapped. One is preserved at the Diesel Loco

Works, Varanasi.

In 1949, a few MG diesel-mechanical locos built by Fowler were imported by IR for use in the arid

regions of Saurashtra. One of these is preserved at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi. In 1955, 20

'DY' diesels by North British were imported for use, also in Saurashtra (MG). The locos of the second

batch were reclassified as YDM-1's, and a few still survive [1/00].

Q. Which were the earliest electric locomotives in India?

Two MG electric locos using overhead electrification were supplied to the Mysore Gold Fields in 1910

by Bagnalls of Stafford. Electrical equipment for these was supplied by Siemens.

140

Electrically operated rail trolleys (patented by T A White, an EIR engineer, and hence known as White's

Patented Rail Motor Trolleys) were used in a few places beginning in 1910. EIR's Liluah Carriage and

Wagon works used one between Liluah and Howrah; the Oudh and Rohilkand Rly. also used one for

track inspections. In the following years Jessop and Co. supplied a few more of these to various

railways.

In 1922 an electric loco (unknown gauge) using overhead electrification was supplied to the Naysmyth

Patent Press Co. in Calcutta by British Electric Vehicles.

Q. Other than diesels, were there other internal-combustion locos used in India?

For contemporary applications, see the section on alternative fuels.

In 1905 Kerr Stuart delivered a 12hp 0-4-0 petrol-driven 2'6" loco to Morvi Railway and Tramways.

In 1909, a railcar with a Dodge petrol engine was supplied to the Matheran Light Rly.

In 1909, a 0-6-0 petrol-driven MG loco was supplied by McEwewn Pratt and Co. of Wickford in Essex

to Assam Oil Co. In 1910, Morvi Railway and Tramways obtained a 30hp 0-4-0 petrol-driven 2'6" loco

from Nasmyth Wilson. In 1910 and 1911, a few petrol-driven parcel delivery vehicles were supplied to

EIR by Thornycroft. Another 13 petrol-driven locos were delivered by various builders up to 1920, and

a further 75 between 1920 and 1930. Their use started declining after that, and only 27 more were

ordered later (until 1940).

Some petrol-driven railcars were built by the Motor Rail and Tram Co., Ltd., and supplied to the South

Indian Rly. in 1925. Their engines were rated 65bhp at 1000rpm; a railcar seated 85. They were refitted

with diesel engines in the late 1930s.

The Shahdara-Saharanpur 2'6" Light Railway had a petrol railcar supplied by D Wickham Co. in 1935.

A Brookville petrol locomotive was used by the Matheran Light Railway in 1928. Two railcars (one

seating 8, the other seating 14) with Dodge petrol engines and chain drives were also used by this

railway (1909, 1927).

Three alcohol-fuelled MG locos with mechanical transmissions were supplied by Davenport

Locomotive Works (Iowa, USA) to some unknown Indian industrial concern in 1949.

Locomotive Specifications

Data shown here is mainly drawn from "Diesel and Electric Locomotives of Indian Railways" by Jal E

Daboo, published by the British Overseas Railways Historical Trust (BORHT), with updates and

additions from the IRFCA mailing list. Permission is granted to copy this document in whole or part for

any non-commercial (non-profit) uses only. Please see the disclaimer text below. This notice and the

disclaimer text below must be retained in any reproduction of this document. Questions and comments

may be directed to [email protected].

A Palm OS PDA version of this database is also available.

Class names for mainline diesels are according to the old classification scheme. See the diesel loco page

for the new codes and the general loco page for an explanation of the new scheme.

Note: For some of the older loco classes (e.g., WCG-2, etc.), the power ratings in hp (horsepower) may

be slightly incorrect -- locos with European designs often used 'PS' (pferdestarke, a German version of

horsepower), or in some cases, other units, to quote power. These units are all close to the British

horsepower, but not quite the same.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2.html#alt

141

Diesel Locomotives

Class Year Maker Wheels Power

(hp)

Speed

(km/h)

Weight

(tonnes)

Starting

TE

(kg

force)

Quantity Serial Nos.

BG Diesels

WDM-1 1957-

58 Alco Co-Co

1950

(1800 net) 104 111.2 27900 100 17000+

WDM-2 1962+ Alco /

DLW Co-Co

2600

(2400 net) 120 112.8 30450 2700+

16000-

16887/17100-

17999/

18040-

079/18112-

18514/

18523-

18900/18903-

18999.

Above list

includes

WDM-2A's.

17796-17895

(?) are the

'Jumbo'

versions.

Many (17802+,

etc.) now

rebuilt as

WDM-2C, new

name WDM-

3A.

Numbers are

*not*

chronological!

18040 was the

first ever

WDM-2, from

Alco.

The first kit-

built from

DLW was

18233.

The first fully-

built from

DLW was

18299.

The last ones

were in the

16000 series,

when the older

number range

was reused.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdm-1


142

WDM-3A

(WDM-2C) 1994+ DLW Co-Co 3100/3300 120 112.8 30450 115+

14001-14079

14080-14143?

14144? (incl.

WDM-2CA)

Some rebuilds

of WDM-2

locos

now classed

WDM-

2C,WDM-3A

with 18xxxR

numbers.

WDM-3 1970 Henschel B-B 2500

(2440 net) 80/120 ??

22000/

25000 8 18515-18522

WDM-3C 2002? DCW,

Patiala Co-Co 3300 120 ?? ?? 2?

Various

18833R,

18893R etc.

(WDM-2

rebuilds),

14147 (WDM-

3A rebuild)

WDM-3D 2003 DLW Co-Co 3300 160 117 36036 11+ 11101 -

11111+

WDM-3E 2008 DLW Co-Co 3500 120 118.2 38060

(?) ?

11263 and

others

WDM-3F 2008 DLW Co-Co 3600 120 120 ? ? 11287 and

others

WDM-4 1962 GM Co-Co 2600

(2400 net)

130 in

use,

145+

trials

112.8 28200 72 18000-039 /

18080-111

WDM-6 1981-

82 DLW Bo-Bo 1350 75 70 19200 2 18901, 18902

WDM-7 1987-

89 DLW Co-Co

2000

(1800 net) 105/100 96 ?? 15 11001-11015

WDP-1 1995-

99 DLW Bo-Bo 2300 140 80.1 ?? 69 15001-15069

WDP-2

(WDP-3A)

1998-

2002 DLW Co-Co 3100 140 117 ?? 69 15501-15569

WDP-3 (?) 1996 DLW Co-Co 2300 ?? ?? ?? ?? Prototype only,

no IR number

WDP-4 2001 GM +

DLW

Bo1-

1Bo 4000 160 119 27500 100+

20000-09

(GM)

20010, 20011

(GM kits)

20012-20103+

(DLW)

Except: 20042,

20047, 20075

(WDP-4B

prototypes)

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdm-3a


http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdm-3c

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdm-3d

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdm-3e

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdm-3f




http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdp-1





143

WDP-4B 2010 DLW Co-Co 4500 130 121.2 39180 20+

20042, 20047,

20075

(prototypes)

40001-40020+

WDG-3A

(WDG-2) 1995+ DLW Co-Co 3100 100 123 ?? 550+

14501-14999

14962 WDG-

3C

New 13000-

13156+

WDG-3C 2002 DLW Co-Co 3300 100 123 ?? 14962, others?

WDG-3D 2004 DLW Co-Co 3400 100 123 ?? ?? ??

WDG-4 1999+ GM +

DLW Co-Co 4000 100/120 126 55100 60+

12001-

12013(GM)

12014-

12021(GM

kits)

12022-12066+

(DLW, some

1203x are GM

kits)

WDS-1 1944-

45 GE Bo-Bo 2x193 56 41-46

10570 /

11500 16? 19000-014

WDS-2 1954-

55

Kraus

Maffei C

440 (400

net)

54 / 28

(ML /

S)

51.4 9200/

15420 30 19016-045

WDS-3 1961

Maschi-

nenbau

Kiel

C 618

65 / 27

(ML /

S)

57 10400 /

17100 7 19046-

WDS-4 1968-

1969 CLW C 600

65 / 27

(ML /

S)

60 9500 /

18000 27

19062-

19086/19108-

19109

(Some to PS)

WDS-4A 1968 CLW C 660

65 / 38

(ML /

S)

60 16700 /

18000 5 19057-061

WDS-4B 1969+ CLW C 700

65 / 27

(ML /

S)

60 11500 /

18000 450+

19110-19541

19660-19732

(includes

WDS-4D)

(Some to PS.)

WDS-4C 1976-

78

CLW

(??) C 700

65 / 27

(ML /

S)

60 11500 /

18000 7 19046-19052

WDS-4D 1984-

97 CLW C 700

60 / 25

(ML /

S)

60 18000 120+

19542-19659

19660-19732

(includes

WDS-4B)

WDS-5 1967 Alco Co-Co 1065 /

(994 net) 109 126 31500 21 19087-19107

WDS-6 1975+ DLW Co-Co 1400

(1328 net)

71

/ 63

120-

129 34000 260+

36000-36252+

(includes

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdp-4b

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdg-3a

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdg-3c

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdg-3d

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wdg-4

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wds-1




http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wds-4a

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wds-4b

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wds-4c

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wds-4d



144

WDS-6R)

19459-19468

(to PS,

renumbered).

19459+

chronologically

after 36000+

series.

WCDS-6 2009 Golden Rock ? ?

WDS-8 1979-

82 CLW Bo-Bo 700 35 ?? 22000 5

PS only, no IR

numbers

DLW

Works

Shunters

1966-

67 DLW 0-B-0 250 ?? ?? ?? 4

19053-19055

19056 ex-MG

No. 1007

MG Diesels

YDM-1 1955-

56

North

British B-B

700

(625 net) 88 44 10920 20 6000-6019

YDM-2 1986-

90 CLW B-B 700 75 48 14400 41 2001-41

YDM-3 1961-

62 GM

1-B-B-

1

1390

(1260 net) 80 59 14300 30 6050+

YDM-4 1961-

90

Alco /

DLW Co-Co

1400

(1300 net) 96 72 18935 572

6020-

6049/6105-

6129 (Alco)

6199-

6258/6289-

6769+ (DLW)

YDM-4A 1964-

69 MLW Co-Co

1400

(1300 net) 96 72 18935 99

6130-

198/6259-288

YDM-5 1964 GM C-C 1390

(1260 net) 80 69 21790 25 6080-6184

DLW

Works

Shunters

(MG)

1967+ DLW 0-B-0 250 ?? ?? ?? 2 (3?)

1009

1007 converted

to BG No.

10956

1008 unknown

NG Diesels

ZDM-1 1955 Arn.

Jung B+B 2x145 33 29 8790 5

543-547

(543-546

rebuilt as

NDM-1)

ZDM-2 1964-

65

Maschi-

nenbau

Kiel

B-B 700 (650

net) 50 32 10560 25 123-147

ZDM-3 1970-

82 CLW B-B 700

50

down /

32 up

35 10500 40

148-167/178-

187

168-177 (ex-

ZDM-4)

ZDM-4 1975-

77 CLW

1-B-B-

1 700 50 39 7800 10

168-177

(later rebuilt as

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#wcds-6


http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#dlw



http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-diesel-mg.html#ydm-1




http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-diesel-mg.html#ydm-4a

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#ydm-5





http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-diesel-mg.html#zdm-1


http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2d.html#zdm-3


145

ZDM-3)

ZDM-4A 1982-

90 CLW

1-B-B-

1 700 50 39 7800 39 198-236

ZDM-5 1989+ CLW B-B 450 50 23 ?? 41+ 501+

NDM-1 1955 Arn.

Jung B+B 2x145 33/16 29 8790 7

500-506

(500, 504-506

ex-ZDM-1)

NDM-5 1987-

89 CLW B-B 450 50 22 ?? 11 801-811

NDM-6 1997 BHEL B 335 ?? ?? ?? 6? 600-605?

Electric Locomotives

Class Year Maker Wheels Power

(hp)

Speed

(km/h)

Weight

(tonnes)

Starting

TE

(kg

force)

Quantity Serial Nos.

Broad-gauge DC Electrics

WCP-1 1928-

30

SLM /

MetroVick

2-Bo-

A1

2160

(1860

cont.)

120 102-105 15240 22 20002-023

WCP-2 1938 SLM /

MetroVick

2-Bo-

A1

2160

(1860

cont.)

120 102-105 15240 1 20024

WCP-3 1928 HL / GEC 2-Co-2

2250

(2130

cont.)

120 113 10890 (1

hr) 1 20000

WCP-4 1928 HL / BB 2-Co-2 2390 120 111 11300 (1

hr) 1 20001

WCM-1 1954-

55 VF / EE Co-Co

3700

(3170

cont.)

105-120 124 31300 7 20066-072

WCM-2 1956-

57 VF / EE Co-Co

3120

(2810

cont.)

105-120 113 31300 12 20175-186

WCM-3 1958 Hitachi Co-Co

3600

(2460

cont.)

105-120 113 28200 3 20073-075

WCM-4 1960 Hitachi Co-Co

4000

(3290

cont.)

105-120 125 31300 7 20076-082

WCM-5 1961-

63 CLW Co-Co 3700 105-120 124 31300 21 20083-103

WCM-6 1995 CLW Co-Co 5000

cont. 105 123 ?? 2

20187,

20188

WCG-1 1928-

29

SLM / VF /

MetroVick C+C

2600-

2890

(2230

72-80 125 30480 41 20025-065

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-diesel-mg.html#zdm-4a


http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-diesel-mg.html#ndm-1



http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcp

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcp

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcp-3

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcp-3

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcm-1





http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#wcm-6

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcg-1

146

cont.)

WCG-2 1970-

76 CLW Co-Co

4200

(1640

1hr

cont. in

series

mode)

80 132 35600 57 20104-160

Broad-gauge AC Electrics

WAM-1 1959-

60

K-M /

Krupp /

Alst / Niv./

SFAC

B-B

3010

(2870

cont.)

112 74 25000 100 20200-

20299

WAM-2 1960-

64 Mitsubishi Bo-Bo

2910

(2790

cont.)

112 76 25240 36 20300+

WAM-3 1964 Mitsubishi Bo-Bo

2910

(2790

cont.)

112 76 25240 2 20336 &

20337

WAM-4 1970-

1983 CLW Co-Co

3850

(3640

cont.)

110-120 113 33840

500+

(incl.

WAM-

4A)

20338

(renumbered

20400)

20400-

20699/

21200-

21399

21100-

21138

WAM-4B ->

WAG-5/5B

WAM-

4A

1979-

?? CLW Co-Co

3850

(3640

cont.)

80 120 ?? (see

WAM-4)

(see WAM-

4)

WAP-1 1980-

?? CLW Co-Co

3900

(3760

cont.)

130 112 22400 77+

22000-

22076

Many being

converted to

WAP-4.

22061 first

converted to

WAP-4

WAP-3 1987-

?? CLW Co-Co

3900

(3760

cont.)

140 112 22400 5?

22005-

22009

Now

reverted

back to

WAP-1.

WAP-4 1994+ CLW Co-Co

5350

(5000

cont.)

140 113 30800 305+

22061

22200-

22399,

22500-

22603+

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcg-2

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#wam-1






http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#wap-1



147

WAP-5 1995+ ABB /

CLW Bo-Bo

6000

(5440

cont.)

160 79 26300 14+

30000-

30016+

30008 not in

use.

WAP-6 1997 CLW Co-Co

5350

(5000

cont.)

160 design

105(restricted)

170(upgrade)

113 30800 16?

22400??,

22401-

22416+

WAP-7 2000 CLW Co-Co 6350 140 123 36000 18+ 30201-

30222+

WAG-1 1963-

66

Niv./SFAC/

CLW B-B

2930

(2900

cont.)

80 85 30000 112

20700-

20709 (Niv.

/ SFAC)

20710-

20791

(CLW)

20849-

20868 (Niv.

/ SFAC)

WAG-2 1964-

65

Hitachi /

Toshiba /

Mitsubishi

B-B

3450

(3180

cont.)

80 86 30000 45 20804-848

WAG-3 1965 Henschel B-B

3590

(3180

cont.)

80 87 30000 10 20869-878

WAG-4 1966-

71 CLW B-B

3590

(3180

cont.)

80 88 30000 186+ 20900-

21085

WAG-5 1988-

98

CLW /

BHEL Co-Co

4360

(3850

cont.)

80-100 119 33500

1100+

(incl.

variants)

23275-

23355 (incl.

WAG-5A)

23356-

23800+ incl.

variants

WAG-5HB

24001-

24075+

WAG-

5A

1983-

88 CLW Co-Co

4360

(3850

cont.)

80 (100?) 119 33500 (see

WAG-5)

23000-

23275

23275-

23355

(incl. WAG-

5)

WAG-

5B

1978-

83 CLW Co-Co

4360

(3850

cont.)

80 119 33500 54

21100-

21138 (ex-

WAM-4B)

21139-

21153

WAG-

6A

1988-

89 ASEA

Bo-Bo-

Bo

6110

(6000

cont.)

100 123 44900 6 26000-

26005

WAG- 1988 Hitachi Bo-Bo- 6110 100 123 44950 6 26010-




http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#wag-1












148

6B Bo (6000

cont.)

26015

WAG-

6C 1988 Hitachi Co-Co

6110

(6000

cont.)

100 123 44950 6 26020-

26025

WAG-7 1992+ CLW Co-Co

5350

(5000

cont.)

100

123

(WAG-

7H 132)

41000

(WAG-

7H

45000)

200+

27001-

27699+

except

27061

converted to

WAG-7H

27002 tried

as WAG-7H

WAG-8 1996 BHEL Co-Co 5000

cont. 100 ?? ?? 1 or 2?

Prototype;

no IR

numbers?

WAG-9 1996+ ABB /

CLW Co-Co

6125

(6000

cont.)

100

123

(135

WAG-

9H)

46900

(52000

WAG-

9H)

36000

cont.

69+

[11/04]

ABB 31000-

31021

CLW

31022-

31069+

31030 :

WAG-9H

Broad-gauge AC-DC Electrics

WCAM-

1

1975-

79 CLW Co-Co

3850

AC (1

hr)

2930

DC /

3640

AC

cont.)

80-100 DC /

120 AC 113

28200

DC /

33840

AC

53 21800-852

WCAM-

2

1995-

96 BHEL Co-Co

3780?

DC /

4720

AC

cont.

4950

starting

105 DC / 120

AC 113

26000

DC /

33400

AC

20 21861-880

WCAM-

3 1997+ BHEL Co-Co

4600

(4700?)

DC /

5000

AC

105 113

26000

DC /

33400

AC

50 21881-900 /

21931-960

WCAG-

1

1999-

2000 BHEL Co-Co

2930

DC /

4720

AC

cont.

(?)

100 128

29600

DC /

43500

AC

12+

(20?) 21971+

Meter-gauge Electrics






http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcam-1






http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcag-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#wcag-1

149

YCG-1 1930 HL / EE Bo+Bo 640

(4x160) 64 43 ?? 4 21900-903

YAM-1 1964-

66 Mitsubishi B-B 1740 80 52 19500 20

21904-

21923

Battery Electrics

BBCI

shunters 1927

WBC,

English

Electric

Bo-Bo 240 ?? 58 9530 2 -

NBM-1 1987 BHEL Bo-Bo 80 ?? ?? ?? 3 21951+

Additional comparative specifications of electric locomotives can be found here.

Notes:

1. Power quoted for diesels is gross power. For some entries net power has also been mentioned.

2. Power quoted for electrics is the 1-hour rating. For some entries the continuous power is quoted.

3. Speed is rated maximum speed.

4. TE = Tractive Effort. Figures quoted are starting TE unless otherwise noted.

5. ML / S = Mainline / Shunting max. speed

Abbreviations

1. CLW = Chittaranjan Locomotive Works; DLW = Diesel Locomotive Works (Varanasi)

2. BHEL = Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.; ABB = Asea Brown-Boveri; GE = General Electric

3. GM = General Motors; Alco = American Locomotive Co.;BB = Brown Boveri; HL = Hawthorn

Leslie

4. Niv = La Brugeoise & Nivelles (Belgium); SFAC = Soc. des Forges et Ateliers (Belgium)

5. EE = English Electric; K-M = Kraus-Maffei; Alst. = Alsthom; SLM = Schweizerische

Lokomotiv Fabrik (Switzerland)

Disclaimer: The information in this document is provided "as-is", without any warranty, express or

implied, regarding its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Neither BORHT nor IRFCA members are

liable for any loss or damages, direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential, arising out of the use of the

information in this document.

Acknowledgements: BORHT has been very generous in permitting the use of data from its book,

"Diesel and Electric Locomotives of Indian Railways". (Click here for bibliographic and ordering

information.) An enormous debt is owed the late Mr Jal Daboo, the author of the book, who very

painstakingly gathered the data from many sources. Corrections to Mr Daboo's data, information on

recent IR locomotive models, suggestions and help in collating and formatting the data, and other

assistance were provided by members of the IRFCA mailing list, including John Lacey, I S Anand,

Roderick Smith, Prakash Tendulkar, and Mark Bristow.

Broad Gauge Diesel Locomotives

Note: Class names for mainline diesels are according to the new classification scheme, with references

to the class names in the old system for those classes that were renamed, or for older classes that are out

of use. See the general loco page for an explanation of the new and

old schemes.

WDM–1(Class name carried over from old system.) 1957

Alco models ("World Series" DL500 or 'FA' loco), Co-Co 12-

cylinder 4-stroke turbo-supercharged engine; 1800/1950 hp. 100

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-electric-dc.html#ycg-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#yam-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#bbci

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#bbci

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco2e.html#nbm-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs2.html

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-books.html#daboo

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-loco.html

150

of these were supplied in all. Initially (1957-1958) 20 were supplied and used for ore/coal freight on

SER, but later also used for the first dieselized expresses on ER and SER, e.g., the Howrah-Madras

Mail (double-headed by WDM-1's before WDM-2's and WDM-4's were introduced). Most of the

WDM-1 locos had Co-Co wheelsets (thus differing from FA units in other countries), although some

are thought to have had A1A-A1A bogies.

The remaining units of this class arrived in 1959. In the late 1990s, the remaining units were all in SER,

based at Bondamunda and perhaps some at Waltair and relegated to shunting or piloting duties as they

were withdrawn / condemned. There used to be some at Gonda and Gorakhpur, a few used for carrying

sugarcane traffic. Today all have been withdrawn. One loco (not working) is at Gonda shed.

The very first WDM-1 (#17000) has been ear-marked for preservation at the National Rail Museum

([2/01] not yet refurbished).

Comparative Specifications

WDM–2 (Class name unchanged after reclassification.) 2600 hp Alco models (RSD29 / DL560C). Co-

Co, 16-cylinder 4-stroke turbo-supercharged engine. Introduced in 1962. The first units were imported

fully built from Alco. After DLW was set up, 12 of these were produced from kits imported from Alco

(order no. D3389). After 1964, DLW produced this loco in vast numbers in lots of different

configurations. This loco model was IR's workhorse for the second half of the 20th century, and perhaps

the one loco that has an iconic association with IR for many people. These locos are found all over India

hauling goods and passenger trains — the standard workhorse of IR. Many crack trains of IR used to be

double-headed by WDM-2 locos; this has decreased now owing to the electrification of most important

sections and the use of more powerful locos. A single WDM-2 can generally haul around 9 passenger

coaches; twin WDM-2's were therefore used for 18-coach trains.

Jumbos – A few locos of the WDM-2 class produced in 1978-79 have a full-width short hood; these are

unofficially termed 'Jumbos' by the crew. These range from serial numbers around 17796 or so to about

17895 or so (17899 and above are known to be 'normal' WDM-2s). These were apparently produced

with the idea of improving the visibility for the drivers, but it was learned later that it did not make

much of a difference under the typical operating conditions of these locos. Some of these were later

modified to have narrower short hoods to look more like the other WDM-2's. Two locos, #17881 and

#17882, were trial locos produced by DLW when they were considering shutting down Jumbo

production; these look like ordinary WDM-2 locos, even though there are other Jumbos with higher

road numbers than them. Some Jumbos have undergone further modifications: Loco #17854 was a

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WDM-1

151

Jumbo based at Jhansi in 1981; now [6/04] it has been rebuilt as a WDM-3A locomotive (based at

Pune) by DCW, Patiala.

The classification WDM-2A is applied to those that were re-fitted with air brakes (most of these

therefore have dual braking capability), while WDM-2B is applied to more recent locos built with air

brakes as the original equipment (these very rarely have vacuum braking capability in addition,

especially if they have been rebuilt by Golden Rock). (However, in the past, before the widespread use

of air-brakes, a few modified versions with a low short hood at one end like the WDS-6 were also

classified WDM-2A.) A few WDM-2 locos of the Erode shed have been modified and sport a full-

forward cab at one end, with the dynamic brake grid, blower, etc. moved between the cab and the

traction alternator.

The original Alco designs had a 10-day, 3000km maintenance schedule, which was later extended by

some modifications to a 14-day schedule. Now [1/02], the schedule is being extended to 30 days by

increasing the capacities for various fluids (lubrication oil, etc.), and improving some bearings (mainly,

using roller bearings for the suspension). The original WDM-2 bearings were very susceptible to

failure. However, given the age of this model, unsurprisingly even locos that have been modified for a

14-day schedule do often require more frequent maintenance or minor repair so they end up being put

on a 7-day schedule anyway.

WDM-2 locos are excepted from the new mainline diesel classification scheme and will remain

classified as WDM-2 and not 'WDM-2F' as they might be in the new scheme based on their

horsepower.

The first one supplied by Alco was #18040. This one is no longer in use and is now preserved at the

National Railway Museum at New Delhi. The second one from Alco, #18041, is currently [7/05] homed

at Kalyan shed and is often seen hauling the Diva - Vasai DMU service. The first WDM-2 built by

DLW, #18233, is now at Andal shed (not much in use). The last WDM-2's were in the 16000 series.

The very last one is #16887.

The WDM-2 locos have a max. speed of 120km/h. There are generally speaking no restrictions for

running with the long hood leading, although it's been reported that in some cases the practice was to

limit it to 100km/h. The gear ratio is 65:18.

Some WDM-2 units are being converted [2/02] to have AC-DC transmission (alternator driving DC

traction motors) by DCW, Patiala. Golden Rock workshops have also been renovating some WDM-2

locos with new features such as twin-beam headlamps.

Only one WDM-2 loco (#16859, Ernakulam shed) is known to have had cab air-conditioning fitted.

This was the first loco to have air-conditioning in India; this was done by the ERS shed in 1997 right

after receiving the loco from DLW, but it was disabled later as the auxiliary alternator proved too weak

to run the air-conditioner well.

A few WDM-2 locos downgraded for shunting duties have been seen marked with a WDM-2S class

name; e.g., some at Itwari shed [2003] and some at Kurla. A few have also been spotted bearing the

class name WDS-2, e.g., those at the Kalyan shed where they are used for shunting. These appear to be

quirks of the local shed staff and not officially recognized classifications.

152

DCW Patiala has rebuilt some WDM-2 units to class WDM-3A/WDM-2C specifications. These are a

little different from the normal WDM-2C from DLW. They look very similar to WDM-2's, except for a

bulge on one of the doors of the hood; this is due to the presence of a centrifugal fuel filter which

moved there because the model required larger aftercoolers. There are some other slight differences in

appearance. These units have a GE turbocharger and a different expressor with integral air drying

facility. They have a Woodwards governor which leads to even running and idling, and (to the great

disappintment of Alco smoke fans) reduces the amount of black smoke during intense acceleration.

These also have roller bearings for the suspension, improving on the longstanding problem of bearing

failures on the regular WDM-2 model.

Following the new mainline diesel classification scheme, new WDM-2C's converted or overhauled by

DCW, Patiala, are being labelled WDM-3A (new).

Brief Notes

Builders: Alco, DLW

Engine: Alco 251-B, 16 cylinder, 2600hp (2430hp site rating) with Alco 710/720/??

turbocharger. 1000rpm max, 400rpm idle; 228mm x 266mm bore/stroke; compression ratio

12.5:1. Direct fuel injection, centrifugal pump cooling system (2457l/min @ 1000rpm), fan

driven by eddy current clutch (86hp @ engine rpm 1000).

Governor: GE 17MG8 / Woodwards 8574-650.

Transmission: Electric, with BHEL TG 10931 AZ generator (1000rpm, 770V, 4520A).

Traction motors: GE752 (original Alco models) (405hp), BHEL 4906 BZ (AZ?) (435hp) and

(newer) 4907 AZ (with roller bearings)

Axle Load: 18.8 tonnes, total weight 112.8t.

Bogies: Alco design asymmetric cast frame trimount (Co-Co) bogies (shared with WDS-6,

WDM-7, WAM-4, WCAM-1, WCG-2).

Starting TE: 30.4t, at adhesion 27%.

Length over buffer beams: 15862mm.

Distance between bogies: 10516mm.

For details, refer to the loco specifications page.


WDM-2D There are a few WDM-2D units in ER used for push-pull operations (Sealdah-Hasnabad,

Ranaghat-Krishnagar, Lalgola-Murshidaba, Bardhaman-Rampurhat). It is not known how they differ

from the WDM-2 / WDM-2C classes.

WDM–3

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html


153

(Old class name.) Rarities. Diesel locos with hydraulic transmission -- only 8 were produced, by

Henschel (model DHG2500BB). Mercedes Benz MD108DZ20 engines, B-B axles. Built around 1970,

IR numbers 18515-18522, works numbers 31300-7. No longer in use, decommissioned at Gooty shed,

1995. The first two had Maybach Mekydro transmissions and the rest had the indigenous Suri

transmission.

Note:The WDM-3A has nothing to do with the original WDM-3 Henschel locos, and is the new class

code for the WDM-2C loco based on the power rating of 3100hp (see below).


WDM-3A / WDM–2C (Old class name WDM-2C, new class name WDM-3A.) These 3100hp locos

are more powerful versions of the WDM-2. The first one was delivered on August 22, 1994. A single

WDM-2C could haul a 21-coach passenger train, something that required two of the older WDM-2's.

The WDM-2C / WDM-3A also has a rated top speed of 120km/h, and has the same power-pack as the

WDG-2 and WDP-2 locos. Early units were air-braked but lately many have been provided dual-

braking capability. Dynamic brakes are also provided. The loco has a single cab. Gear ratio 65:18 as

with the WDM-2. All recent units have a square profile, but a few early versions have a rounded

appearance. Starting in [11/02], even higher powered units (3300hp) have been turned out by DLW,

Varanasi, and DCW (DMW), Patiala -- all recent WDM-3A are of 3300hp power rating.

DLW has also experimented with improvements to the Alco 251 powerpack to extract 3900hp out of it,

and this is being [4/02] tested in a few locomotives.The new class name for these is WDM-3A.

WDM-2CA is a variant of the WDM-2C (numbers beyond #14080). Dual brakes? (not confirmed)

These units all had right-hand seating for the driver. Later these were all reclassified WDM-3A along

with the WDM-2C locos, but a few remain at Erode shed with the old class name on them [7/05].

Brief Notes

Builders: DLW

Engine: Upgraded (by DLW) Alco 251-C (16 cylinder), 3100hp (2900hp site rating) early

models, 3300hp from 2003, 1050rpm max / 400rpm idle; direct fuel injection. Cooling and fans

as with WDM-2. ABB VTC304-15 or Napier NA 295 IR turbocharger.

Governor: GE 17MG8 / Woodwards 8574-650.

Transmission: Electric with BHEL TA 10102 CW alternator, 1050rpm, 1130V, 4400A. (Earlier

used BHEL TG 10931 AZ alternator.)

Axle Load: 18.8 tonnes. Wheelset: Co-Co trimount bogie.

Starting TE: 30.4t, at adhesion 27%.

Length over buffer beams: 15862m

Distance between bogies: 10516mm.



http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WDM-3A

154

WDM– 3CUpgraded,

higher- power versions of

the WDM-2C (WDM-3A) loco.

These are rated at 3300hp and

built by DMW (DCW), Patiala.

Since this class appeared only

a few have been seen. Two

were thought to be undergoing trials [11/03]. The total number is not

known. These locos are all thought to be rebuild or upgrade jobs

and numbered in the 18xxx range with an R suffix as they are rebuilds (e.g., one probably 18833R at

Lucknow [11/03], another 18893R at Gooty [9/04], now [2/05] at Guntakal). It is believed that this class

was the trial platform for leading up to the WDM-3D design, and so with the introduction of that class

(see below), this line is no longer in production. (Note: Some locos of the WDM-3D class (see below)

were initially classified as 'WDM-3C+'.)

More recently [7/05] a loco marked WDM-3C, #14147, has been spotted. Its road number puts it in the

WDM-3A series, but in its construction it appears to share the body shell, bogies, fuel tank, cowcatcher,

and so on with the WDM-3D. It is thought that DLW may be trying out a new variant design as a

compromise between the 3100hp WDM-3A which is no longer being produced, and the 3400hp WDM-

3D model which has suffered many problems with its electronic systems. For instance, it is possible

(this is speculative) that this loco #14147 had a 3300hp powerpack with WDM-3D style (WDG-3A

style) high-adhesion bogies, a bigger fuel tank (from the WDG-4) and without the electronic complexity

of the WDM-3D.


WDM–3DA higher-powered version of the basic WDM-2C (WDM-3A) class, these locos have a

3300hp powerpack, with available traction power of 2925hp. The engine is an enhanced version of the

16-cylinder Alco 251C model. Max. speed 160km/h. Fabricated (welded) Alco High-Adhesion Co-Co

bogies. Starting TE is 36036kgf (353kN). Dual braking systems.

Left hand drive, WDG-3A style High Adhesion bogies, air cylinder under footboard, WDP-4 style fuel

tanks, engine doors like WDP-4, marker lights outside cabin doors, electronic horn. Improved bogies

with stem type vertical and lateral dampers in place of 'eye' type for easier maintenance. High capacity

buffers. Components and auxiliaries improved with the aim of making the duty schedule longer

between maintenance visits to the shed. Fuel tank capacity 6000l, engine oil sump capacity 1210l.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WDM-3C

155

The WDM-3D is the result of a concerted effort by DLW to incorporate some of the best features of the

GM/EMD locomotives (WDP-4/WDG-4) into the proven Alco base technology with which DLW has

enormous experience. The WDM-3D uses General Electric's 'Bright Star' microprocessor control

system to monitor and control various engine parameters, to detect wheel slip, and to supply power in a

phased manner to the traction motors under slipping conditions. (Some later units may have switched to

a control unit from Medha.) An oil cooler is provided in this loco, a first for the Alco-based models

produced in India. The cab in the first units of this class is a normal metal one, but later units are

expected to feature a fibre-glass cab as seen in the WDP-4 (e.g., #20012). (This will result in the

dynamic brake resistor grid being moved to behind the cab.) The control desk will also be changed to be

similar to that of the WDP-4. [11/08] Only one locomotive (#11121) so far has had cab this

modification. Rest of the fleet retain the classic Alco hood design but have had the dynamic brake

resistor moved to the roof on the short hood (#11200 onwards?).

The first one was built in July, 2003, numbered #11101. Launch livery deep blue with cream stripes, but

has possibly been repainted very soon after. Spotted with damaged sandboxes in December 2003 at

Bangalore. Maker's plate read 'DM-3D-001, July 2003'. The first few units (five, [11/04]) were all

homed at Krishnarajapuram but later transferred to Erode. Serial production started in late 2005 with

locos being alloted to almost all major BG diesel sheds.

Nomenclature: The class name 'WDM-3D' would normally imply 3400hp, however this loco is rated at

3300hp, just like the WDM-3C. Originally when this was developed, it was named WDM-3C+, but

apparently IR decided that this was too confusing, and re-classified it as 'WDM-3D' to avoid confusion

with the WDM-3C class. In addition, the 3500hp WDM-3E class (see below) is referred to as 'WDM-

3D without equalizer' in IR documents, so the class name 'WDM-3D' is somewhat ambiguous as it may

refer to either the 3300hp or the 3500hp loco..

Brief Notes

Builders: DLW

Weight: 117t

Axle Load: 19.5t

Bogies: Alco High-Adhesion Co-Co fabricated bogies.

Length: 18626mm

Width: 2950mm

Height: 4077mm

Starting TE: 353kN (36036kgf)

Gear ratio: 18:65

Traction Alternator: BHEL TA 10102FV

Traction Motor: BHEL 5002AZ CGL 7362A

Compressor: 6CD4UC

RPM: 390rpm-400rpm idling, 1050rpm at 8th notch

Main brake reservoir pressure: 10.4kg/cm2


WDM–3E

This is a 3500hp loco developed by DLW in 2008, based on the WDM-3D design. (RDSO circulars

suggest that some prototypes or early versions may have been rated at 3300hp.) It has a high-adhesion

bogie ('HAHS') which has a design modified from similar high-adhesion bogies by the removal of

equalizing and compensating mechanisms in order to reduce the unsprung underframe weight of the

locomotive (and also to circumvent problems seen with the equalizing and compensating mechanisms

in the bogie). It has a permitted speed of 105km/h and a maximum design speed of 120km/h. GM-style

dynamic brakes spotted on some. Air-braked.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WDM-3D

156

This loco was later redesignated as WDM-3D without equalizer in IR documents, which creates

confusion with the 3300hp WDM-3D class noted above.

Brief Notes

Builders: DLW

Weight: 118.2t

Axle Load: 19.7t

Bogies: HAHS bogie without equalizers and compensating mechanisms

Starting TE: 373kN (38060kgf)

Traction Motor: BHEL 4097


WDM–3F

This is a 3600hp loco developed by DLW, based on the WDM-3D design (continuing the development

that resulted in the WDM-3E loco). It has a high-adhesion bogie without equalizers ('HAHS' bogie) just

like the WDM-3E. It has a permitted speed of 105km/h and a maximum design speed of 120km/h.

Locos of this class are air-braked. They have been spotted with conventional dynamic brake equipment.

Brief Notes

Builders: DLW

Weight: 120.0t

Axle Load: 20.0t

Bogies: HAHS bogie without equalizers and compensating mechanisms

Starting TE: ?

Traction Motor: GE 752NR


WDM–4 (Class name carried over from old system.) There were 72 of these export model SD-24 GM-

EMD locos, supplied in 1962. Rated at 2600hp (some earlier units were 2400hp) and 140km/h. Co-Co,

16-cylinder 2-stroke turbo-supercharged engines. They were considered a potential alternative to the

WDM-2 design from Alco and were superior in many ways, but eventually the Alco loco won as GM

did not agree to a technology transfer agreement.

They are 2-stroke engines fitted with Woodwards governors. All units of IR were equipped only for

vacuum brakes. Top speed generally limited to 120km/h, although they were run at 130km/h regularly

for the Howrah Rajdhani, and even run in some speed trials at 145km/h. Haulage capacity 2400t. The

Co-Co bogies used for this loco were Flexicoil 'Mark 1' cast steel types.

All were eventually based at NR's diesel shed at Mughalsarai. The Doon Exp. was one of the first to get

these locos (it was also one of the first major trains to switch from steam). Most prominently, the

Howrah Rajdhani was hauled by a WDM-4 at one time, as were many other prestigious trains (AC Exp.

(now Poorva), Himgiri, and Kashi-Vishwanath Exps.). Later they used to haul local area passenger

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WDM-3E

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WDM-3F

157

trains on the Dehradun - Moradabad - Lucknow - Varanasi - Mughalsarai - Buxar - Patna - Howrah

sections. The Bareilly-Mughalsarai Passenger was probably the last train to get these locos. These locos

could haul around 9 passenger coaches; for the 18-coach Rajdhani and other trains they were invariably

used with two locos coupled together.

All are now decommissioned [7/00]. About 20 are at Mughalsarai shed [7/01], and the rest at Alambagh

stores depot destined for scrapping. One (#18001, second of class) is now [2/01] at the NRM. IR

numbers 18000-39, 18080-111. Interestingly, the gap in serial numbers corresponds to the 40 units of

this model delivered by GM to Pakistan at the same time. Four units (18004, 18022, 18098, and 18107)

were purchased by IRCON in 2000, and sent to Bangladesh for construction work.


WDM–6 (Class name carried over from old system.) Rarities! DLW built just two of these locos, which

have a short centre-cab with a long hood and a short hood. Nos. 18901, 18902, assigned to ER, built in

July 1981 and in 1982, and currently [4/00] based at Burdwan and handling departmental duties and

occasional shunting. Known as 'Maruti' or 'chutka gari' by the staff. They are 1350hp Bo-Bo locos with

the same 6-cylinder inline engine (Alco 251D-6 variant) and traction motors (4), and hood

superstructure, as the YDM-4 locos, with a WDM-2 underframe. The power rating of the YDM-4

powerpack is too low to haul anything more than very small rakes, so it's not clear exactly what IR had

in mind when these locos were designed and built. Perhaps they were to take on short-haul commuter

and suburban services, a task which the DMUs and MEMUs have proved good at. The Bo-Bo bogies of

these locos are of a fabricated design, similar to those seen on the WDP-1, apparently not related to any

other diesel loco bogies found on IR although perhaps loosely based on the Flexicoil models.


WDM–7 (Class name carried over from old system.) Fifteen of these locos were built from June 1987

through 1989. A few were at Erode earlier but later all were transferred to Ernakulam. More recently

[8/02-11/02] several (#11003/06/07/08/09/13) have been seen being used as shunters at Chennai Central

or for light passenger haulage. Some are now in Golden Rock livery while others are still in Ernakulam

livery. A few may [11/02] still be at Ernakulam, but it appears that all are destined to be moved to

Chennai or Golden Rock to work odd jobs.



158

These Co-Co diesel-electrics were designed for branch-line

duties (top speed 105km/h). They have bodies with two 3-axle

bogies and are similar to the WDM-2 in appearance. The

power-pack is a 12-cylinder Alco 251B unit. They are now used

mostly for shunting, and occcasional branch-line duties on

the Trivandrum - Kottayam, Cochin - Alleppey, and Cochin -

Trivandrum sections. The first 10 have generators and a top speed

of 105km/h. The last 5 in this series have dynamic brakes,

alternators, and a top speed of 100km/h. Both batches have a 94:17 gear ratio.

Brief Notes

Builders: DLW

Engine: Alco 251B-12 variant, 2000hp

Transmission: Electric, with BHEL TG 10931 AZ generator — DC shunt wound (first 10), or

BHEL TA 10105 AZ alternators — 3 phase star (the last 5)

Gear ratio: 94:17

Fuel capacity: 5000l


WDP–1 (Class name carried over from old system.) A poor adaptation of the WDM-2 intended for

hauling commuter trains with small numbers of coaches, this model never performed well and has

always had a lot of ride quality and maintenance problems. With a 12-cylinder engine and low overall

weight, the decision was made to use a Bo-Bo wheelset for it, unsual for IR diesels. These locos have a

left-hand driving position in the cab and thus are often manned by a single driver when working long

hood forward (the left-hand position enables easy token collection by the driver). Homed at

Tughlakabad and Vijaywada. Used mostly for ordinary passenger trains.

Rated at 2300hp. Bo-Bo fabricated bogies. Produced from April 1995, last loco on March 26, 1999.

WDP-1 locos are excepted from the new mainline diesel classification scheme and will remain known

as WDP-1 and not WDP-2C or some such.

Builders: DLW

Engine: Alco 251C-12 variant, 2300hp, with Napier NA 295 or ABB VTC304 turbocharger.

1000rpm max / 400rpm idle. Fuel injection, cooling, fans, governor as with WDM-2.

228mmx266mm bore/stroke. 12.5:1 compression ratio.

Transmission: Electric, with BHEL TA 10106 AZ alternator (1000rpm, 750V, 4200A).

Axle Load: 20t. Wheelset: Bo-Bo fabricated bogies (an odd design, shared with the WDM-6,

apparently loosely based on the Flexicoil models).

Starting TE: 20t at 25% adhesion.

Length over buffer beams: 14810mm

Distance between bogies: 8800mm


159

WDP–2(Class name carried over from old system, new name WDP-3A.) New 3100hp dedicated

passenger diesel loco. Twin full-forward cabs, streamlined design, Alco 251-C V-16 power unit, with

an ABB/GE turbo supercharger and provided with an electronic governor to control the engine's power

output.

The first one, #15501, rolled out in October 1998. Used on KR (e.g., Trivandrum Rajdhani) ,some SR

sections [8/00] (Chennai Egmore - Kanyakumari) and NR. Rated top speed is 160km/h (in both

directions). Two-stage suspension with Flexicoil Mark IV fabricated bogies (Co-Co). Air-braked. The

WDP-2A variant is essentially the same, but with dual brakes. The new class name for these is WDP-

3A.

Builders: DLW

Engine: Alco 251C-16 (upgraded by DLW), 3100hp. 1050rpm max / 400rpm idle. Napier NA

295 IR or ABB VTC304-15 turbocharger. 228mm x 266mm bore/stroke, 12.5:1 compression

ratio. Unit fuel injection. Cooling system has centrifugal pump with 3785l/min capacity @

900rpm; fan driven by an AC motor, 35kW.

Transmission: Electric, with BHEL TA 10102 BW alternator (1050rpm, 1130V, 4400A)

Axle Load: 19.5t.

Bogies: Co-Co Flexicoil Mark 5 (fabricated bogie frame and bolster assembly)


WDP–3(Class name carried over from old system.) Prototype design with WDP-1 power-pack and Co-

Co wheelset; never entered serial production. (1996) It's not clear how widely the class name 'WDP-3'

was applied to this design, since it never entered service, but some documents refer to it in this way and

we have followed that practice since this prototype design fills an otherwise empty slot in the WDP

series. (However, note that WDP-3A is the new class name for what used to be known as the WDP-2 --

see above.)


WDP–4These are GM EMD GT46PAC locos. Starting in June 2001, 10 of them (#20000 to #20009)

were provided by GM, operating out of Hubli (but frequently seen at Guntakal, Gooty, Bangalore and

Secunderabad). In April 2002 DLW started producing these locomotives with 20011, 20013 and 20014

being assembled from completely knocked down kits. 20012 was the first indigenously manufactured

WDP-4 and features a modified fibre glass shell over the standard cab. DLW had plans only for these 5

in its first production batch, but started to produce them in large numbers starting in late 2003.

These are 4000hp locos with the 16-cylinder EMD 16-710 (16-V-710G3B-EC) turbocharged engines

(AC-AC transmission) with unit fuel injection. The fabricated underframe has a rigid design. The

bogies are GM's light-weight cast HTSC bogies similar to those of WDG-4 locos but meant for

160

passenger use. (See the WDG-4 notes for some more information.) The bogies are said to have a

'million mile' overhaul interval because of a reduction in the number of wearing surfaces. The

suspension is a two-stage suspension. They have an interesting Bo1-1Bo wheel arrangement. At 119t

they are 7t lighter than the WDG-4 because they have 2 fewer traction motors. Max. speed 160km/h,

although in trials it is said to have been run at speeds up to 180km/h. However, in most cases today

[2/05] the loco is restricted to 110km/h or so since it used for hauling heavier 24-coach passenger trains.

Factor of adhesion is claimed to be around 32% (all-weather). The EM2000 onboard microprocessor

system provides a flexible and expandable control system with complete self-diagnostic and unit history

features. The cab body is made of fibreglass. It is expected that these will need to return to their home

sheds only once in about 90 days for regular maintenance. However, the links at Hubli [1/05] are such

that these end up being 'home' every 15 days in any case. Indigenization has proceeded well with many

components being made in India now: motors by Crompton, alternators by Kirloskar, etc.

Unusually for IR locos, the DLW-built WDP-4's have cab air-conditioning factory-installed. However,

the Hubli shed apparently discourages the use of the air-conditioning equipment for fear it affects fuel

consumption adversely [10/04].

Starting in April 2005, these locos were allocated in large numbers to Krishnarajpuram shed of the

SWR with Siliguri in the NFR receiving a few locos in late 2006. [12/08] More sheds are expected to

home these locos, but currently, along with Hubli, these are the only sheds that handle this class. The

current holding of all sheds combined is 75+.

#20040 homed at KJM shed is the first IGBT based WDP-4. The traction conversion system was

supplied by Siemens.

Builders: GM EMD, DLW

Engine: GM-EMD 16-710, 4000hp

Transmission: Electric (AC - AC), GM components?

Weight: 118t

Tractive Effort: 27.0t (264.8kN). Some sources say 27.5t (269.8kN)

Brake horsepower: 3939hp

Engine rpm: 950

Weight: 118t

Fuel tank capacity: 6000l

A 24-coach (1430t) passenger rake can be accelerated to 110km/h in 1020 seconds (over 25.7km) by a

WDP-4.


WDP–4B These locos are modified versions of the WDG-4 class locos, used for passenger operations.

They have a reduced axle load of 20.2t (compared to the WDG-4's 21t axle load), achieved mainly by

trimming the weight of the underframe. The gear ratio is 17:77, horsepower rating of 4500hp (brake

horsepower 4150hp), and the maximum tractive effort is 384.4kN. It has an operational design speed of

130km/h and a maximum speed of 150km/h. All other features are essentially the same as with the

WDG-4. Please see the WDG-4 class information for more details on this loco.

Initially two prototypes of the WDP-4B class were built using components for the WDP-4 class loco

were built (#20047, #20075 - in the number series for the WDP-4 class). Serial production of these

locos began in March 2010.

Note that although the class designation makes it seem like a minor variant of the WDP-4 class, it has

significant differences from it, being much closer to the WDG-4 class. In particular, the WDP-4 has 4

PAC traction motors (Bo-Bo) whereas the WDP-4B has 6 traction motors (Co-Co). In addition, the

traction motors have individual inverters, so that in the case of one inverter failing, 5 traction motors are

161

still available, allowing the loco to reach its destination under reduced power. The WDP-4B also has a

provision for an inverter-driven head-end power unit, allowing running trains without a generating car

(EOG) for hotel power.


WDG–1 Non-existent!! :-) There does not appear to have been a WDG-1 class; Jal Daboo's book and

some other documents refer to such a loco class, but that class is what was later classified as the WDG-

4. (There was originally no WDG-3 either, in the old classification scheme. But with the new

classification scheme there are of course new classes in the WDG-3 series.)

WDG-3A / WDG–2(Old class name was WDG-2, new class name is WDG-3A.) This 3100hp model

was developed in response to problem areas noted with the WDM-2, such as ride quality, lateral

oscillations, and poor traction with heavy loads. Power-pack is the same as that of the WDP-2.

First loco delivered on July 18, 1995. A WDG-3A / WDG-2 can haul about 3000 tonnes on ordinary

gradients. Shares bogie design with WCAG-1, WCAM-3, WAG-7 (high-adhesion trucks). They are the

most common goods locos seen on KR. The gear ratio is 74:18. Most of these are air-braked, but some

(e.g., at Pune) are being retrofitted with vacuum brakes to make them dual-braked to handle the

vacuum-braked freight stock (TP, TK petroleum tankers between Loni petrol depot and Miraj; some

BCX rakes, etc.).

Balancing speed of 69km/h with a 58 BOXN wagon load. Max. speed 100km/h. The WDG-2A variants

are dual-braked. Some older WDG-3A units were made with left-hand-side driving position in the cab.

[7/02] Newer units of the class are being fitted with microprocessor governors. The first of these

variants, Garuda (#14951) is at Gooty. One WDG-3A, #14944 at Erode, has an air-conditioned cabin.

Builders: DLW

Engine: Alco 251C-16 upgraded by DLW, 3100hp. 1050rpm max / 400rpm idle. Fuel injection,

cooling, fan, bore/stroke as with WDM-2C. Compression ratio 12.5:1. NAP NA2951R or ABB

VTC304-15 turbo-supercharger.

Transmission: Electric, with BHEL TA 10102 CW alternator (1050rpm, 1130V, 4400A).

Axle Load: 20.5t; total weight 123t.

Bogies: Alco High-Adhesion Co-Co fabricated bogies

Starting TE:37.9t at 30.8% adhesion.


Distance between bogies: 11500mm


162

WDG–3B : A few locos are known to carry this class marking (4 units at at Gooty [2/05] in a

distinctive blue-cream livery, some seen around Bangalore too). Thought to be an upgraded version of

the WDG-2 (WDG-3A), but details are not known. Numbered in the #149xx range.


WDG–3C : New 3300hp loco with microprocessor governor from DLW. First of class is [8/02] at New

Katni Jn., named 'Cheetah', #14962 (plate DG-3A-465, May, 2002). Upgraded powerpack on basic

WDG-2 model. Fabricated High-Adhesion bogies.


WDG–3D : [8/02] New 3400hp loco with microprocessor governor from DLW. Upgraded Alco

powerpack with basic WDG-2 model; microprocessor governor, creep control, improved cab

ergonomics. Improved components and auxiliaries geared towards a longer period between scheduled

maintenance jobs.


WDG–4 New dedicated goods diesel locos. These are GM's GT46MAC models. First units were

imported in 1999 (13 fully built, 8 in kit form). Now [4/02] DLW has begun local production; 3 have

been built and a further 25 or so were built in 2002. As of [1/06] 60+ units have been built.

The loco shed at Hubli has been modified to handle these; initially all will be based at Hubli and will be

used to haul mineral ore freight from Bellary or Hospet to Vasco da Gama.

The locos are rated at 4000hp and use 3-phase AC traction motors. They can start a load of 58 BOXN

wagons on a 1 in 150 grade and have a balancing speed of 85km/h for such a load on level track. Max.

speed is 100km/h. They can be MU'd with up to 4 units operating in tandem. Gear ratio 85:16. Axle

load 21 tonnes. They have an evaporation-bath-cooled converter system, and the Siemens SIBAS 16

traction control system. The locos also have slip-control mechanisms.

They are expected to have lower maintenance costs, as they need to return to the home shed only once

in 90 days instead of every 7-10 days as with the earlier diesels. Fuel costs are also about 20% lower

than with the WDM-2. [1/05] Earlier plans to home more of these at Golden Rock seem to have been

dropped; instead more are expected to go to the northeast (Siliguri? New Alipurduar?).

The first units from GM were #12001-12013 manufactured between 7/97 and 9/98; followed by a

second order (#12014-12021) manufactured around 12/98. The first unit, #12001, has been seen often

[1/05] in a green-black livery with no IR markings and instead '9001 / General Motors' painted on it.

Builders: GM, DLW

Engine: GM-EMD 16-710 G3B, 4000hp, with EMD 'G' turbocharger. WW PGR governor. Unit

fuel injection, centrifugal pump as with WDP-2, cooling and fan as in WDP-2.

163

Transmission: Electric with TA-17-CA6A alternator, 900rpm, 2200V AC / 3000V DC, 1600A

AC, 2100A DC.

Wheelsets: Co-Co bogies

Starting TE:55t at 41% adhesion.


Distance between bogies: 13888mm (? or 13666mm?)

Weight: 128t

Fuel tank capacity: 6000l


A modified version of this loco with reduced weight is designated WDP-4B and is used for hauling

passenger trains.

WDS–1These are significant as the first widely deployed and successful diesel locos in India. The

original locos of this class were a batch of 15 built by GE and supplied by USATC in 1944-45. They

had centre cabs and short and narrow hoods on either side, with two powerpacks (one under each hood).

Most of these were with WR, although three units went to ER in 1945. They were very quiet in

operation (in contrast to the WDS-2 locos, see below.) Some were working up till 1990 or so, when

most were withdrawn or scrapped. Bo-Bo, twin 8-cylinder 4-stroke engines, 2 x 190hp.


WDS–2 Krauss-Maffei supplied these o-C-o bogie diesel-hydraulic locos in 1954-1955. 8-cylinder 4-

stroke turbo-supercharged engine (MAN W8V-17.5/22A) with a Voith L37-V hydraulic transmission,

delivering 440hp. Single cab placed asymmetrically (one hood short, one long). Most of these were with

CR, and were known for being assigned to haul the 'Garbage Special' trains from Mahalaxmi to

Chembur. These were very noisy in operation. Axle load 17.3t. Note: A few WDM-2 locos downgraded

and used only for shunting duties are marked 'WDS-2', e.g., at the Kalyan shed, but this appears to be an

error on the part of the shed.


WDS–3Built by Mak GmbH in 1961, these are o-C-o bogie locos, with 8-cylinder 4-stroke turbo-

supercharged engines. Side rod drives with Suri transmission. These were all rebuilt with new engines

and transmissions and reclassified as WDS-4C in 1976-1978. 618hp.


WDS–4, WDS–4A, WDS–4BCLW produced some of these diesel-hydraulic locos beginning in 1967-

1968, but bulk production began only in 1969. (Some of the later units were probably built at the Diesel

Loco Works, Varanasi.) Wheel arrangement: 'C'. 6-cylinder 4-stroke turbo-supercharged engines.

WDS-4 models are rated at 600hp, WDS-4A at 660hp, and WDS-4B at 700hp. (The same power-pack

is used on all the models, upgraded for each.)

Many of these were used by public-sector units and some private companies for industrial uses. (These

are the only IR locos in use today with hydraulic transmission.) WDS-4B numbers are shared in a range

164

with WDS-4D locos. The first WDS-4A, #19057, named 'Indraprastha', was homed at Shakurbasti for a

long time (still is [10/05]) but is due to be decommissioned and sent to the NRM shortly. Some WDS-

4A locos (e.g., #19063) have over the course of time 'lost' their sub-class marking and are marked

simply as WDS-4 -- it's not clear whether this is just a sloppy job by the painters or indicates some real

variation in the locos.

Brief Notes

Builders: CLW

Engine: Mak/CLW 6M 282 A(K), slight variations and power differences for WDS-4A, WDS-

4B, etc.

Transmission: Mak-Suri 2-speed hydromechanical transmission (WDS-4), Voith hydraulic

transmission (WDS-4A), Suri hydromechanical transmission (WDS-4B)


WDS–4CRebuilt WDS-3 locos with new engines (Mak/CLW 6M 282 A(K), 700hp) and Suri

hydromechanical transmission, etc. in 1976-1978.


WDS–4D700hp shunters. Numbers are in a range shared with the WDS-4B locos. Made by CLW with

Mak/CLW 6M 282 A(K) engines and Voith hydraulic transmission.


WDS–5A model based on an Alco design (DL531B), and erected by DLW. The loco has a flat-ended

cab at one end. Appearance: On the whole it is somewhat bigger than the WDS-6, and with a round fuel

tank instead of the integrated body fuel tank that the WDS-6 has. Co-Co, 6-cylinder 4-stroke turbo-

supercharged engine (Alco 251B-6, 1065hp), electric transmission. Some of these were used for

industrial shunting. A few are [6/03] at Mughalsarai and Bondamunda sheds.


WDS–6 Heavy-haul shunters made in large numbers for industrial concerns as well as for IR, starting in

1975. These locos consist of the YDM-4 powerpack (6-cylinder 4-stroke inline Alco engine, turbo-

supercharged) placed on WDM-2 frames. Same bogies as the WDM-2, WAM-4, WCAM-1 locos (Alco

cast asymmetric trimount bogies). 1200/1350hp net (1400hp gross). Max. speed 62.5km/h. Several of

165

them have a so-called 'creep control' system which allows them to be operated at a sustained speed of

between 1 to 7 km/h for hauling special or heavy loads.

The first ten were numbered 19459-19468 but later renumbered as they were all allocated to public-

sector industrial concerns. Many of the later units built for IR (as opposed to the earlier ones which

went to the public-sector concerns in large numbers), numbered 36000 and above, are classed WDS-

6R. A few locos of a variant design classified WDS-6SL were sent to Sri Lanka (Puttalam Cement

Co.).

Brief Notes

Builders: DLW

Engine: Alco 251D-6, 6 cylinder

Transmission: Electric

Wheelsets: Alco asymmetric cast Co-Co trimount bogies.

Axle load: 21 tons.


WCDS–6 'C'='Converted'. These are MG locomotivs (YDM-4) converted by Golden Rock Workshops

to broad gauge by swapping in BG bogies and underframes. The power-pack, radiator, generator, and

electrical controls are retained from the MG loco; new water and air lines are added. The modified

engines have an improved control stand and a dual-brake system. These locos are targeted at large

industrial concerns. The first one was delivered on April 1 by Golden Rock to RITES.


WDS–8Only five of these were made, and all were transferred to steel works (no IR numbers). Short

cab and single long, narrow hood. The cab appears to have been the same design as used for some of

CLW's electric locos. MAK 800hp diesel engine.


DLW Works ShuntersDLW built a few low-power (250 hp??) diesel-hydraulic works shunters for use

at ICF, CLW, and DLW. Three were built for BG in 1966-67, and two more with the same equipment

for MG in 1967 or so. Of the two MG units, one was later converted to BG. It is unknown whether there

was another MG unit which would account for a skip in serial numbers. #19053 was used at DLW

itself, #19054 at ICF, and #19055 at CLW.


Battery Locomotives

NBM–1Battery-electric locomotives used by CR on the Gwalior lines. These were built by BHEL in

1987; only three units were built.


BBCIThe BB&CI Railway had two battery-powered shunters for use in yards at Bombay. There were

only two of this class, and they were imported from the UK in 1927.

166


AC Electric Locomotives

WAM–1

Early 2800 hp SNCF design for 25kV AC, with ignitron rectifiers. Introduced in 1959, they were

mostly deployed by ER in the Howrah-Asansol-Dhanbad-Mughalsarai section. They were less

frequently found 'upstream' in the Delhi-Kanpur-Mughalsarai section, and in the Igatpuri-Bhusaval

section of the Central Railway. Mostly used for non-express passenger trains, but some were used

double-headed for freight service. Some were still [12/98] in operation on ER (Sealdah-Lalgola

passenger, etc.).

WAM-1's are significant in the history of electric traction in India as they were among the first AC

electrics to run in India. Like the WAG-1's, some of their advanced features turned out to be unsuitable

for Indian conditions.

Manufactured by Kraus-Maffei, Krupp, SFAC, La Brugeoise & Nivelle (50 cycles European group).

Ignitron rectifiers feeding four DC traction motors accepting pulsating current input. Motors are

connected to the axles by a Jacquemin drive. Speed control by tap-changer on input transformer (motors

permanently wired in parallel). Superstructure mounted on bogies with pendular suspension with

equalizer beams. Electricals from ACEC, AEG, Alstom, Brown Boveri, Siemens and others. B-B

(monomotor bogies). Jeumont transformer (20 taps), Oerlikon exhauster, Arno rotary converter. Air

loco brakes, vacuum train brakes.

Manufacturers: Kraus-Maffei, Krupp, SFAC, La Brugeoise & Nivelle (50 cycles European

group)

Traction Motors: Siemens/ACEC/Alstom MG 710A (740hp, 1250V, 480A, 1000 rpm, weight

2750kg). Fully suspended, force-ventilated.

Rectifiers: Four water-cooled ignitrons from SGT, each rated for 575kW / 1250V.

Pantographs: Two Faiveley AM-12.


WAM–22790hp Mitsubishi locos. The first batch of 10 locos had air brakes for the loco and vacuum

train brakes, and the second batch of 26 had only vacuum brakes. These have not been retrofitted with

air train brakes, hence today they haul only local passenger trains. These were used on ER, and

sometimes ran all the way to New Delhi via Kanpur. They were also used double-headed for freight

trains. Four traction motors permanently coupled in parallel are fed by ignitron rectifiers. Speed control

is by a tap changer on the input transformer. Mitsubishi transformer, 20 taps. Oerlikon exhauster and

compressor, Arno rotary converter.

167

Manufacturers: Mitsubishi

Traction Motors: Mitsubishi MB 3045-A (745hp, 725V, 815A, 1000 rpm, weight 2200kg).

Rectifiers: Mitsubishi water-cooled ignitrons (GU 31), rated at 725V / 390A.



WAM–3[2/00] Only two of these locos existed (both at Asansol, #20333, #20337). These are basically

the same as WAM-2 locos, but with reversed pantographs and Mitsubishi traction motors from a

different batch, and silicon rectifiers instead of ignitrons. They came along with the second batch of

(26) WAM-2 locos. These were used to haul the Kalka Mail, Toofan Exp., Amritsar Exp. at first, and

then when the WAM-4P and other variants arrived they were relegated to hauling lower priority trains

such as the Sealdah-Lalgola Pass. or the Howrah-Azimgunj Pass., among others. By Jan. 2000, they

were relegated to shunting duties at the Asansol shed.

Manufacturers: Mitsubishi

Traction Motors: Mitsubishi MB 3045-A (745hp, 725V, 815A, 1000 rpm, weight 2200kg).

Rectifiers: Two Silicon , type SF-0C20R (725V / 2260kW), rectifier cell SR200F, weight

2400kg with auxiliaries.



WAM–4The problems with the WAM-1 series prompted IR to come up with better models, and after

some variations, the WAM-4 model was produced, the first indigenously designed and built electric

loco (first units delivered by CLW in 1970-71). They were produced until about 1997.

They use the same Alco asymmetric trimount bogies as the successful WDM-2 diesel class. These locos

feature rheostatic braking, and MU capability. They have silicon rectifiers. MU operation up to 4 units

possible. Air brakes for loco and vacuum train brakes fitted as original equipment. Rheostatic braking

also provided. Speed control by three series-parallel motor combinations and weak field operation.

Auxiliaries from Westinghouse and Kirloskar (compressors), S F India (blowers), Northey (exhauster),

etc.

This class proved so successful by virtue of its ruggedness suitable for Indian conditions and simplicity

of maintenance, that IR used this basic design for a number of other locos later (WCAM-1, WAG-5A,

WCG-2, and some WAP models). WAM-4B's were regeared versions for freight use and many were

later modified and converted to other classes (See below). WAM-4P locos are intended for passenger

operations, with some regearing and usually allowing all-parallel operation of some or all of the traction

motors. The WAM-4P loco is still among the most heavily used electric locos of IR. A single WAM-4

can generally haul up to a 24-coach passenger rake.

168

This loco class has been seen in many variations, as a lot of workshops and sheds have carried out their

own enhancements or modifications to the basic loco design. Variants include WAM-4P D (dual

brakes), WAM-4P R (??), WAM-4P DB 6P, WAM-4 6P DB HS, and WAM-4 6P D (these are for

superfast trains), WAM-4P DB 3P and WAM-4 2S-3P (some superfasts, passengers), and WAM-4P

DB 4P (generally for stopping passengers). The 'DB' or 'D' generally, but perhaps not always, indicates

dual-brake capability. 'HS' may be for 'high speed'.

'2S', '3P', '6P', etc. indicate traction motors connected in series or parallel. The WAM-4 has six traction

motors, and originally they were wired to be available in different configurations at different power

settings. At notches up to 14, all motors were in series (at notch 14 all resistors dropping out); up to

notch 21 in series-parallel combinatons (three pairs of motors in series, the pairs themselves being in

parallel); and further notches with all motors in paralell (at notch 30 all motors are in parallel with

resistors dropping out). This is the original configuration of the WCAM-x series of locos too. The

WAM-4 locos were later reconfigured to have all motors always in parallel (6P variants) or with the

three series-connected pairs in parallel (2S 3P variants). Some WAM-4 locos from CLW are thought to

have had the 2S 3P configuration right from the start. The 2S 3P configuration was better for the mixed

traffic loads especially as it allowed the locos to start hauling larger loads without stalling. With

increasing use of the WAM-4 locos for passenger traffic the all-parallel configuration was deemed more

desirable since it allowed higher speeds and higher acceleration.

Some other odd combinations of these suffixes have been sighted, such as WAM 4+6P+DB+HS and

WAM4 6P-E (?? is this one air-braked or dual-braked?). A goods version of the WAM-4 is classified

WAM-4G. WAM-4H is a variant with Hitachi motors. The WAM-4E is purely air-braked. All these

locos share bogie design with WCAM-1, WAG-5, WDM-2, and WCG-2 (Alco cast trimount bogie).

Although the code indicates a mixed-use loco, most WAM-4's ended up hauling passenger trains. They

have been used for regularly hauling freight only in a few locations (Arakkonam - Renigunta, Kirandul-

Kottavalasa and other SER sections). Max. speed 110km/h.

[1/05] Most of the WAM-4 locos now have their MU capability disabled as RDSO disapproves of these

locos running MU'd over 100km/h.

WAG-5 / WAG-5B locos with road numbers 21101 to 21138 all used to be WAM-4B locos. They were

regeared and modified to be suitable for hauling heavier freight loads.

A few WAM4s have been fitted for OHE monitoring by the Itarsi shed. They have CCTV cameras

mounted on top of the headlamp assembly pointing towards the OHE and a separate lamp to illuminate

the OHE. Monitors are installed inside the cabs. These locos even have rear view mirrors.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Alstom TAO 659 A1 (575kW, 750V). Six motors, axle-hung, nose-

suspended, force-ventilated.

Gear Ratio: 15:62 originally (and still for WAM-4 2S3P), now many variations, 21:58 being

common for WAM-4 6P locos..

Transformer: Heil BOT 3460 A, 22.5kV / 3460kVA.

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifier cells, 1270V / 1000A each cubicle.


Axle load: 18.8t

Bogies: Alco asymmetric trimount (Co-Co), same as with WDM-2, WDS-6, etc.

Hauling capacity: 2010t

Current Ratings: (WAM-4 6P) 1100A/10min,

750A continuous


169

WAP–1 Built by CLW to RDSO specifications. First in the dedicated electric passenger loco series.

Production began in 1980 and the locos were at first used solely for the Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani. A

single WAP-1 (#22001) was all that was needed to haul the 18-coach Rajdhani at a max. speed of 120

km/h. and an average speed of around 82km/h. Continuous power 3760hp; starting TE 22.2t, continuous

TE 13.8t. Loco weight is 112.8t.

The original WAP-1 locos were modified and regeared versions of the WAM-4, originally classified

WAM-4R. Rated max. speed is 130km/h (some documents suggest 140km/h). Some (5?) with Flexicoil

Mark II bogies were classified WAP-1 FM II and later WAP-3. Two WAP-1 units were also converted

to WAP-6. [10/02] One of them, #22212, the first prototype WAP-6, was then converted to a WAP-4

and was based at Jhansi (now [8/03] at Mughalsarai).

Many remaining WAP-1's are being converted to WAP-4's by a complete retrofit including new traction

motors, new transformers, etc. These upgrades do not result in the 'R' suffix in the road number that is

typical for rebuilt locos. Ghaziabad shed locos are currently [1/05] the only ones not scheduled for such

upgrades and are expected to remain as 'pure' WAP-1 units. The WAP-1E has only air brakes. Earlier

WAP-1's had loco air brakes and vacuum train brakes but were retrofitted for dual train brakes. Motors

are grouped in 2S-3P combination and weak field operation is available. Elgi compressors, Northey

exhausters, S F India blowers. The locos were originally not designed for MU operation but were later

modified to allow MU'ing.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Alstom/CLW - TAO 659 (575kW (770hp), 750V, 1095 rpm) Axle-hung,

nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Gear Ratio: 58:21

Transformer: BHEL type HETT-3900, 3900 kVA. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifiers, with S18FN35 cells (by Hind Rectifier) with 64 cells per unit.

2700A/1050V.

Axle load: 18.8t.

Bogies: Co-Co Flexicoil (cast steel bogies); primary and secondary wheel springs with bolsters


Current Ratings: 900A/10min


WAP–2Regeared versions of some WAM-2 (perhaps also WAM-3?) locos, fitted into a WAP-1 shell.

Bogies were improved versions of the WAM-2 bogies, allowing for somewhat higher speeds. These

locos were found only on ER. On rare occasions these locos were used to haul the Howrah Raj in the

early 1980s. There are thought to have been only 4 of these, and they were decommissioned in the late

1980s.


170

WAP–3A variant of the WAP-1, originally classified WAP-1 FMII, produced in 1987 by CLW. There

were 5 of these converted from WAP-1 locos. The first WAP-3 "Jawahar", #22005, Jan. 4, 1987) was

used for the Taj Exp. for some time. Essentially the same as WAP-1 but with different Flexicoil bogies

(Flexicoil Mark II for the earlier ones, and Flexicoil Mark 4 (fabricated bogies) for some of the later

ones, etc.). These locos could only haul 19-coach rakes for the Rajdhani and other prestigious Express

trains for which they had been designed, and further required assisting locos on moderately graded

sections, and so did not meet their design goals. Max. speed 140km/h.

Note: All units have been converted back to the 'WAP-1' class (since about 1997?). #22003, #22005

were among the first to be so converted and and are still [7/02] in use.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Alstom/CLW - TAO 659 (575kW (770hp), 750V, 1095 rpm) Axle-hung,

nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Transformer: BHEL type HETT-3900, 3900 kVA. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifiers, with S18FN35 cells (by Hind Rectifier) with 64 cells per unit.

2700A/1050V.

Axle load: 18.8t.

Bogies: Co-Co Fabricated bogie assembly (Flexicoil Mark II and later Mark IV; the latter are

somewhat similar to Alco's HiAd bogies).



WAP–4Variant of WAP-1 with Hitachi H5 15250 motors (built by CLW), built in 1994 to RDSO

specifications. The need to run longer passenger trains (24 to 26 coaches as against the 19-coach

capacity of the WAP-1 / WAP-3 locos), and also to eliminate the need for bankers in graded sections

(e.g., the busy Itarsi-Nagpur section) led RDSO to consider an upgraded design of the WAP-1 loco and

the WAP-4 loco design was published in November 1993. Indigenously designed, higher power rated

silicon rectifiers and indigenously-designed 5400kVA transformer. Locomotive reliability is also

increased by the use of Hitachi traction motors. Air brakes for loco and train. Different underframe

design to handle larger buffing loads. Cast bogie, Flexicoil Mark 1 design. Weight kept to 112t by the

use of aluminium plates, thinner underframe, and reducing some components such as sanders. Motors

grouped in 6P combination; weak field operation possible.

[2/00] New versions of these with twin-beam headlights, speed recorders and some changes to the

control electronics have been rolling out recently [7/00]. WAP-4E are most likely just regular WAP-4

171

locos from the Vadodara shed. The 'E' suffix is thought to come from the short-lived RDSO directive to

denote all air-braked locos and is redundant with the WAP-4 locos (e.g., WAP-1E). There is speculation

that some of these locomotives may have some additional features such as an electronic sensor for

detecting loss of pressure in brake pipes (hence, sometimes the 'E' suffix is explained as 'electronic',

although this seems unlikely). More recently [1/05] many of these have been fitted with train-parting /

pressure loss alarms, and data recorders for speed, energy consumption, etc. All the new ones have roof

mounted twin beam headlights, square WAP-5 type windscreens and a digital notch repeater along with

a better layout and good seats for the drivers. Some [12/04] even have windshield washers. A few were

provided with signalling lamps on the sides but this does not have seem to have continued with the

newer units.

[1/03] Although these are officially rated at 140km/h, there are reports that one or more of these have

been tested by CLW at up to 169.5km/h.

As of [11/04] this class is still in production at CLW.

Note on the traction motors : The Alstom-designed 770hp TAO motors used in the WAP-1 and WAP-3

were seen as the weak link in the reliability of the locos for passenger train use. At the time, Hitachi

motors of 840hp were in use on freight locos and had very high reliability, but adapting them for use

with a passenger loco proved a formidable challenge because of the weight constraints. The WAP-4

design efforts involved many modifications for weight reduction, including a lighter underframe,

aluminium foil-wound transformer, and the use of aluminium chequered plates, and these have allowed

the use of the heavier, but more powerful and more reliable Hitachi motors on the WAP-4 locos.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Hitachi HS15250 (630kW, 750V, 900A. 895rpm. Weight 3500kg). Axle-

hung, nose-suspended, force ventilated, taper roller bearings.

Gear Ratio: 23:58 (One loco, #22559, is said to have a 23:59 ratio.)

Transformer: 5400kVA, 32 taps

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifiers, (ratings?).

Axle load: 18.8t.

Bogies: Co-Co Flexicoil Mark 1 cast bogies; primary and secondary wheel springs with bolsters

Pantographs: Two Stone India (Calcutta) AM-12.

Current Ratings: 1000A/10min, 900A continuous

Tractive Effort: 30.8t


WAP-4; to 120km/h in 455 sec. (10.5km); and to 130km/h in 741 sec. (20.5km).


WAP–5 This class started with a batch of 10 locos (#30000-30010, skipping #30008) imported from

ABB / AdTranz in 1995 (Actually 11 were imported but one (#30008) was damaged by fire in transit

and deemed unusable on arrival. It was then used as a bank of spare parts for the others.) These are

among the few currently [5/99] with IR to have an advanced design with GTO thyristor converters and

172

3-phase asynchronous motors. CLW has been manufacturing the motors since Feb. 24, 2000. Rated top

speed is 160km/h, although in trials a WAP-5 loco is said to have been run at 184km/h. Continuous

power at wheel rim is 4000kW (5450hp). A WAP-5 can take a 24-coach passenger train to 110km/h in

324 seconds. Wheel arrangement is Bo-Bo. Auxiliaries from ABB, Howden Safanco, BEHR, etc. [1/03]

Although these are officially rated at 160km/h, one of these has been tested by CLW at up to 184km/h.

These locos are intended for use with high-speed medium load trains such as the Rajdhani and Shatabdi

trains, in contrast to the WAP-7 (see below) which is more powerful but which is intended for lower-

speed haulage of heavier trains.

Other notable features of this loco are the provision of taps from the main loco transformers for hotel

load, pantry loads, flexible gear coupling, wheel-mounted disc brakes, and a potential for speed

enhancement to 200km/h. 78t weight. Braking systems include regenerative braking (160kN), loco disc

brakes, automatic train air brakes, and a charged spring parking brake. MU operation possible with a

maximum of two locos.

[2/00] Currently, [9/03] four indigenous WAP-5's from CLW (first one built May 17, 2000) with

somewhat different contours, and electricals from BHEL, are homed at Ghaziabad shed. (#30011

'Navodit', #30012, 'Navajagaran', #30013 'Navakriti', and #30014).

Being homed at sheds in the north, they are understandably in use for northern routes, but recently

[12/01] some have been spotted regularly as far south as Chennai. In 2000, plans were announced for

variants with 6000hp power and 200km/h capability to be manufactured, but nothing has been heard

since on that front. After the first four were built by CLW, there seems to have been a pause in the

manufacture of this class at CLW, and as of [11/04], more were expected to be produced but it was not

known when production would resume. A problem with the Hurth coupling and its indigenous

replacement seem to have been part of the delay, but the locally manufactured components have now

[12/04] passed trials.

Air-conditioning: The original design called for these locos to have air-conditioned cabs. This, however,

has been dogged by controversy over costs and fitment, and the first units made by CLW do not have

air-conditioned cabs. One of the ABB units, #30000, does have air-conditioning, fitted by the

Ghaziabad shed as an experiment. The Ghaziabad shed may be planning to retrofit some of its other

WAP-5 locos with air-conditioning.

Manufacturers: ABB / CLW

Traction Motors: ABB's 6FXA 7059 3-phase squirrel cage induction motors (1150kW, 2180V,

370/450A, 1583/3147 rpm) Weight 2050kg. Forced-air ventilation, fully suspended. Torque

6930/10000Nm. 96% efficiency.

Gear Ratio: 67:35:17. (3-stage gears)

Transformer: ABB's LOT-7500. 7475kVA primary, 4x1450kVA secondary.

Power Drive: Power convertor from ABB, type UW-2423-2810 with SG 3000G X H24 GTO

thyristors (D 921S45 T diodes), 14 thyristors per unit (two units). Line convertor rated at 2 x

1269V @ 50Hz, with DC link voltage of 2180V. Drive convertor rated at 2180V phase to phase,

953A output current per phase, motor frequency from 0 to 160Hz.

Axle load: 19.5t

Bogies: Bo-Bo Henschel Flexifloat; bogie centre distance 10200mm; bogie wheel base 2800mm

Unsprung mass per axle: 2.69t

Pantographs: Two Stone India (Calcutta) AN-12.

Wheel diameter: 1092mm new, 1016mm worn

Wheel base: 13000mm

Length over buffers: 18162mm

Length over headstocks: 19280mm

Body width: 3142mmn

Cab length: 2434mm

Pantograph locked down height: 4537mm

173


A 24-coach (1430t) passenger rake can be accelerated to 110km/h in 312 seconds (over 6km) by a



WAP–6[12/08] All locos in the class have been converted to WAP-4. This class was really a variant of

the WAP-4 design. One or two prototypes were built early from existing WAP-1 or WAP-4 locos

without renumbering. WAP-4 #22212 (formerly a WAP-1) was the first to be converted to a WAP-6; it

was provided with Flexicoil bogies and other upgrades. Later this particular loco was later converted

back to a WAP-4 (and even refitted with the standard WAP-4 bogies). Curiously, it spent a long time

with both class codes WAP-4 and WAP-6 on it. Later, more WAP-1 locos were regeared and provided

with high-adhesion fabricated bogies (Flexicoil Mark IV) which are somewhat similar to the Alco Hi-

Adhesion bogies. About 16 (perhaps more) of these were built (All in the number series 22400-22416.)

Of railfan interest is the fact that some of them reveal their origins in the form of the old WAP-4 class

code being still evident -- often a '6' is crudely repainted over the '4' which is still visible.

They were intended for service at 160km/h but failed trials and were restricted to a top speed of

105km/h. They were then used for less prestigious trains such as the Amritsar Exp., Doon Exp., or

Janata Expresses.

The remaining ones (thought to be 13 in number) are now [4/02] homed at Asansol. It is reported [5/02]

that some of these (perhaps only two, #22406, #22408) have been upgraded with better wheelsets, etc.,

so that they are now capable of higher speeds (max. 160km/h?). [1/05]One loco #22410 looks to have

been converted to a WAP-4 and is now homed at Howrah. Air brakes for loco and train provided as

original equipment. Auxiliaries from Best & Crommpton, S F India, Accel/Flakt, Elgi, etc

It appears that the WAP-6 were a failed experiment in upgrading the basic WAP design using different

Flexicoil bogies and other changes.. When the performance of these units proved unsatisfactory, IR

switched to improving the WAP-4 loco and stuck to that design instead.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Hitachi HS15250 (See description under WAP-4.) Axle-hung, nose-

suspended, force-ventilated.

Gear Ratio: 58:23

Transformer: CCL make, aluminium coil. 5400kVA. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifier cubicles. 2700A/1050V.

Axle load: 18.8t.

Bogies: Fabricated Flexicoil Mark IV bogies.

174


WAP–7[11/00] Identical to WAG-9 (see below) with modified gear ratio (72:20) and application

software. 140km/h (130km/h?) top speed. 6125hp max. power; 6000hp continuous at wheel rim. At

123t, it is much heavier than the 78t WAP-5. Intended to haul heavier, 26-coach passenger trains and

passenger/parcel mixed trains. The first one, Navkiran, #30201, which was commissioned in 2000, is

homed at Gomoh although it has been seen [8/00] at Ghaziabad as well.

Initial models were rated at 6125hp total power and 33000 kgf (323kN) tractive effort. Modifications

during continuing trials resulted in improved performance with the loco now yielding 6350hp total

power and 36000 kgf (352.8kN) tractive effort. In the trial runs [7/02] the upgraded WAP-7 #30203 was

shown able to take a 24-coach train to 110km/h in just 235 to 245 seconds (compare: 324 seconds for a

WAP-5). Braking systems as in the WAP-5, with regenerative braking rated at 183kN in the first units

and 260kN in the later ones.

Earlier trials with WAP-7 locos had yielded times around 390 seconds for the same test, which had cast

doubts on the future of this loco class which was designed to perform better than the WAP-5. After

some trials with the Prayagraj Exp. in early 2002, now [11/02] the WAP-7 is being used to haul the 24-

coach rake of ER's Poorva Exp. and will presumably soon be used for other trains as well. Max. tested

speed is 160km/h, rated for 140km/h.

Better performing variants of the WAP-7 have been under development [9/04]; changes are said to

include higher capacity components (including the main transformer) to allow stall-free running on

1:100 gradients, and a higher tractive effort of 42000 kgf (411kN). Some of the units starting around

#30212 are also thought to have some enhancements in comparison to the very first ones. [11/04] Other

plans by CLW for this loco class are said to include the provision of IGBT control, greater automation

of some control tasks, and in-cab signalling. MU operation possible with a maximum of two locos.

The WAP-7 appears to have returned to the older (WAM, earlier WAP) style of pantograph with a

single collector bar instead of the double collector bar used for the WAG-9.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: 6FRA 6068 3-phase squirrel-cage induction motors (850kW, 2180V,

1283/2484 rpm, 270/310A. Weight 2100kg, forced-air ventilation, axle-hung, nose-suspended.

Torque 6330/7140Nm. 95% efficiency.)

Gear Ratio: 72:20

Axle load: 20.5t

Wheel diameter: 1092mm new, 1016mm worn

Wheel base: 15700mm

Bogies: Co-Co, ABB bogies; bogie wheel base 1850mm + 1850mm




Body width: 3152mmn

Cab length: 2434mm



175




WAG–1Among the first AC electrics to run in India. Early ones were imported from European

manufacturers (1963). The first one built in India was named 'Bidhaan' (Nov. 16, 1963).

Typically French features include elongated 'D'-shaped buffers. The Indian modifications included

addition of a cowcatcher, CBC couplers, and a large roof-mounted searchlight-style head lamp.

Although sterling performers, some of their highly advanced features such as the spring-borne traction

motors, etc., did not suit Indian conditions.

They had monomotor bogies with B-B wheel arrangements, Jacquemin drives (?), and excitron

rectifiers. Air brakes for loco, vacuum train brakes as original equipment. Regenerative braking

provided. MU operation up to 4 units. Motors are permanently connected in parallel; speed control by

transformer taps.

Several were based at Arakkonam, Vijayawada, and other places. Most were decommissioned by the

1990s, although a few were seen still in use in 2000 or so (Godhra, Renigunta-Gudur, etc.). None were

known to be in use after 2002.

Two units (the last ones) built by CLW in 1964 are sometimes denoted WAG-1S; it is not clear how

they are different from the others.


Traction Motors: AEC/Alstom/Siemens MG1420. Two motors (monomotor bogies), force-

ventilated, fully suspended.

Gear Ratio: 3.95:1

Transformer: MFO, type BOT 3150. 22.5kV / 3000kVA. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Secheron A268 Excitrons (four). 510A / 1250V.

Axle load: 21.3t

Max. Haulage: 1820t

Pantographs: Two Faiveley AM-12

WAG–2 A few can still [5/01] be seen near Bhusawal and Agra. The DC traction motors were supplied

power through silicon rectifiers. Just after they were imported from Japan, they were based at Asansol

shed of ER and transferred to Bhusawal and Itarsi sheds of CR in 1985. Bhuawal had large numbers of

176

them into the 1990s. Monomotor design: two bogie-mounted traction motors, permanently coupled in

parallel; speed control is by transformer taps. Each traction motor is coupled to two axles. Air loco

brakes and vacuum train brakes are original equipment. Rheostatic braking provided. Westinghouse

compressor, Northey exhauster. MU operation possible (? how many units).

Traction Motors: Hitachi EFCO HKK (1270kW, 1250V, 1080A, 695rpm, weight 5300kg).

Transformer: Hitachi AFI AMOC. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: AEV-48 silicon rectifiers, 2040A / 2550kW.



WAG–3Ten locomotives of this class were supplied by the 50 cycles group in Europe. Monomotor

bogie design. 3150hp, silicon rectifiers. MU operation up to 4 units possible. Air loco brakes, vacuum

train brakes are original equipment, as is rheostatic braking.

Traction Motors: AGEC make, type 1580 A1 (1270V, 1040A, 680 rpm. Weight 5850kg.)

Bogie mounted.

Gear Ratio: 3.95 : 1

Transformer: Oerlikon BOT 3460. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Two GL 82220 silicon rectifiers, 1000A/1270kW/1270V. Weight 650kg each.



WAG–4 3150hp. Built by Chittaranjan with components from the 50 cycles European consortium. B-B

monomotor bogies, silicon rectifiers. Some on NR at Kanpur. Air loco brakes, vacuum train brakes,

rheostatic brakes. The DC traction motors for these were the first to be manufactured indigenously by

CLW. CLW built 339 of these motors starting in 1964, until about 1993.

Traction Motors: AGEC make, MG 1580 A1 (1160kW, 1270V, 1040A, 690 rpm, weight

5850kg). Fully suspended, bogie-mounted.


Transformer: Oerlikon BOT 3460. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Two GL 82220 silicon rectifiers, 1000A/1270kW/1270V. Weight 650kg each.

Axle Load: 21.9t



http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WAG-4

177

WAG–5Introduced in 1984. Power 3850hp (some documents say 3900hp, which may be a later

modification), 6-axled (Co-Co). Starting TE 382kN (33500kgf); continuous TE 202kN (20600kgf).

Adhesion 29%. A very successful class, and probably the one with the most numbers produced. There

are many variants of these, starting with the plain WAG-5. WAG-5A locos have Alsthom motors. Later

versions were WAG-5H and variants with Hitachi motors: WAG-5HA by CLW, with high-adhesion

bogies, and WAG-5HB built by BHEL to RDSO's specifications. (Note: Lallaguda shed uses the

simple code 'WAG-5' for locos that would normally be denoted 'WAG-5HA'.) [4/02] Newer versions

have been spotted: WAG-5HG, WAG-5HR, WAG-5RH (here the 'R' is believed to denote rheostatic

braking, but not all WAG-5 class locos that have rheostatic braking use this suffix), WAG-5D, WAG-

5P for fast passenger traffic (mail and express trains) with gear ratio 21:85. etc,. WAG-5HE variants

are believed to have Hitachi traction motors and only air brakes.

The detailed differences among these variants are not precisely known. Specifications for the base

WAG-5 model are given below. Some of the variants are known to have different gearing and

equipment, and different rated speeds. The original WAG-5 units had a top speed of 80km/h. Many

variants have a gear ratio of 21:58, the same as that of the WAM-4 6P, which allows these WAG-5

locos to be used for mixed applications including hauling passenger trains at 100km/h.

Auxiliaries are from many sources: typically Elgi compressors, Northey exhausters, and other

equipment from S F India, but many variations exist. Speed control by parallel combinations of motors

and weak field operation. Air brakes for loco, dual train brakes are original equipment.

Although a great improvement over earlier locomotive classes, the WAG-5 models do have limitations,

one of which is the inability to start and haul large loads (4700t -- 58 BOXN wagons) on gradients

steeper than 1:200 or so.WAG-5 locos can be used as multiple units in configurations of 2, 3, 4, or more

locos.

With the large influx of WAG-7 and WAG-9 locos in recent years, many WAG-5 locos are now also

being put to use hauling local passenger trains. Some such as the WAG-5E loco #23989 'Krishnaveni'

(of Vijayawada [1/04]) have also been modified for this purpose in their interior equipment as well as

some of the exterior aspects. For some reason, the BHEL-built WAG-5HA / 5HB locos are never seen

used with passenger trains. All of the WAG-5HB units are at Jhansi near BHEL's own installations so

that BHEL can handle their maintenance.

The WAG-5B locos are converted WAM-4 units. These have road numbers in the range - 21101 to

21138. This is believed to have stemmed from a decision to have a separate line of freight loco models

based on the highly versatile and successful WAM-4 family of locos.

In the external appearance of WAG-5 locos, it can be seen that locomotives with road numbers up until

23293 have side louvres and round glass windows like the WAM-4 locos showing the legacy of the

WAM-4 design. From number 23294 onwards the locos have the newer WAP-4/WAG-7 style of

louvres, thought to be for better ventilation.

More recently WAG-5 locos of all types have been retrofitted with data loggers, flasher lights, train

parting alarms, etc.

WAG-5 #23026, homed at Bhusawal, was selected for a trial project by the RDSO to develop designs

for adoption of thyristor controlled electricals for the tap changer based locomotives in 1995. The

project was began in 1992 because there was an increasing dearth of suppliers for the tap changer

control, it was inefficient and so the new system, promising better performance, was to be retrofitted

after trials into all the older locos. A prototype system, developed in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic

Research Centre, was fitted in this locomotive and trials were carried out between 1997 and 1998.

However, due to several problems, the biggest of which was intereference caused with signalling

equipment, the project was dropped in 1999. The loco was then refitted with the standard equipment

and brought into service as a WAG-5P which it is till this date [1/05].

178

Traction Motors: Alstom TAO 659 (575kW, 750V, 1070 rpm) or TAO 656; or Hitachi HS

15250A (See description under WAP-4.) Axle-hung, nose-suspended. Six motors.

Gear Ratio: 62:16 or 62:15 with Alstom motors, some 64:18 (Hitachi motors), many now 58:21

for mixed use.

Transformer: BHEL, type HETT-3900. 3900kVA, 22.5kV, 182A. 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Silicon rectifiers (two) using 64 S-18FN-350 diodes each from Hind Rectifier.

2700A / 1050V per cubicle.

Bogies: Co-Co cast bogies (Alco asymmetric trimount -- shared with WDM-2, WAM-4).

Axle load: 20t

Max. Haulage: 2375t


Current Ratings: 1100A/10min, 750A continuous


WAG–6 WAG-6A models are from ASEA (bodies by SGP in Austria and transported to ASEA,

V•äster•ås, Sweden on freight wagon type bogies. Trivia: The second body (26001) passed Malm•ö

in southern Sweden on 1987-09-01). ASEA had a specially constructed piece of 1.676m Indian broad-

gauge line to allow testing of the locomotives before delivery. Delivery was to G•öteborg harbour on

standard-gauge bogies, where they were fitted with broad-gauge bogies before they were placed on

board. The first shipping was planned to begin December 1987 with another batch in January 1988,

although the actual shipping dates were probably later. The WAG-6B and WAG-6C models are from

Hitachi. They are all 6000hp locos with thyristor-controlled DC traction motors. Until about 1993 they

were the most powerful freight locos in IR's fleet. The development of this technology (chopper

control) stopped when the (better) AC motor technology was introduced in IR in the form of the WAP-5

and WAG-9 locomotives.

Six bogie-mounted separately excited DC traction motors are used, and speed control is via the

manipulation of the phase angle by a thyristor converter and a separately powered field coil.

Microprocessor control with ground speed detection (slip control) and creep control system to

maximize adhesion. Air brakes for loco and train; dynamic brakes provided. WAG-6A and WAG-6B

locos have Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangements, whereas the WAG-6C locos have a Co-Co arrangement. The

WAG-6 series locos are the only ones with 'vestibules' to connect between MU'd locos. WAG-6A locos

have half-height vestibules and WAG-6B and WAG-6C locos have full-height vestibules.

The WAG-6A body shells were built by SGP in Austria; the rest of the locos were built and the entire

units assembled in V•äster•ås, Sweden by ASEA. ASEA constructed a special length of 1.67m (BG)

track for testing these before delivery. The locos were fitted with BG bogies at G•öteborg harbour after

being transported there on standard gauge bogies. The first WAG-6A was delivered around December

1987 and the remaining five in January 1988.

All WAG-6 locos were (are [1/04]) at Waltair (Vishakhapatnam) and have generally been used for ore

freights and material trains on the Kirandul-Kottavalasa line. Until about 1999 or 2000, they were in

regular service, although maintenance problems began affecting their service from about 1997. Later,

repeated problems have been experienced with the unavailability of spare parts which kept them from


179

getting needed periodic overhauls. In Oct. 2002 the WAG-6A were technically suspended from

operations for POH for a while. Most of the WAG-6B and WAG-6C were also similarly suspended at

different times.

However, many of them still labour on – see below. Spare parts have since been ordered for them

[12/03] as special case procurement in some cases, and indigenous manufacturers have been invited to

duplicate parts that are no longer available from the original manufacturers. In some cases parts are

cannibalized from one loco for another. A particular electronic card for the on-board computer is said to

be [1/04] in severe short supply and unavailable from ABB and Hitachi; ECIL and DRDO are

attempting to duplicate them. It is alleged that these locos were procured by the Railway Ministry

without consultation with RDSO, hence the problems with maintenance and spares. For political

reasons, it is also considered not feasible to simply scrap these locos right away.

Status [1/04] WAG-6A locos #26000, #26001, #26002 and #26005 were in working order and used on

the KK line. #26003 and #26004 were awaiting POH. WAG-6B locos #26010, #26011, #26012 and

#26013 were under POH. #26010 went on a trial run to S. Kota and returned with some minor problems

but will be ready to re-enter service MU'd with #26011 which is almost ready. WAG-6B locos #26014

and #26015 were waiting their turn for POH. Of the WAG-6C locos, all six (#26020 - #26025) were in

regular use on the KK line; one or two of them have shown issues with wheel slip.

Status [8/05] Of 18 locomotives, 14 are said to be in service, 2 getting their POH, and 2 are out of

service awaiting POH.

The WAG-6A models are said to be upgradable to 160km/h but IR never tried this out. All WAG-6

variants can be used in MU pairs but not with more than 2 locos.

Traction Motors: ASEA make (WAG-6A), L3 M 450-2. Six motors, fully suspended, force-

ventilated, separately excited, 3100kg ; (WAG-6B) Hitachi HS 15556-OIR, bogie mounted,

force-ventilated, compound-wound, 3200kg ; (WAG-6C) Hitachi HS 15256-UIR, axle-hung

nose-suspended, force-ventilated, compound-wound, 3650kg.

Transformer: (WAG-6A) ASEA: TMZ 21, 7533kVA; (WAG-6B/C) Hitachi AFIC-MS,

6325kVA.

Thyristor controller: (WAG-6A) 24 YST 45-26P24C thyristors each with 24 YSD35-OIP26

diodes, 2x511V, 2x4500A; (WAG-6B/C) 32 CGOIDA thyristors each with 24 DSP2500A

diodes. 2x720A, 850V.

Pantographs: (WAG-6A) Two Stemman BS 95; (WAG-6B/C) Two Faiveley LV2600



180

WAG–7Built by CLW to RDSO specifications, these represent the next indigenous design step up from

the WAG-5 locomotives. Used primarily for goods haulage, these locos have a Co-Co wheel

arrangement with high-adhesion bogies (shared with WCAG-1, WCAM-3, WDG-2/3A) and Hitachi

motors providing 5000hp. Starting TE 402kN (41000kgf); continuous TE 235kN (24000kgf). Adhesion

34.5%. The higher tractive effort compared to the WAG-5 locos allows them to attain higher balancing

speeds under load. The first 71 of these all went to the Mughalsarai shed. Kanpur was the second shed

to get these locos.

Traction motors are permanently coupled in parallel and speed control is through the use of transformer

taps. Max. speed is 100km/h. Air brakes and dynamic (rheostatic) brakes for loco, dual train brakes.

MU operation with up to 4 units is possible. Traction equipment such as the smoothing reactor, etc., are

all higher rated than in the WAG-5 due to the higher currents this loco draws. Auxiliaries include Rigi

compressor, Arno rotary converters, Siemens smoothing reactor, Northey exhauster; other auxiliaries

such as blowers from S F India. A number of these locos have been retrofitted with static converters to

power the auxiliaries, replacing the older Arno rotary converters. These static converters are more

efficient and require less maintenance, besides having self-diagnostic systems to make troubleshooting

easier.

These locos too, have limitations similar to the WAG-5 in not being able to start and haul 4500-4700t

loads on gradients steeper than 1:200. When they were being designed and introduced, experiments

were carried out to vary the gear ratio. The high-adhesion bogies also underwent some modifications for

reduction of weight transfer.

The WAG-7H designation is applied to two locomotives of the WAG-7 class that were experimentally

modified to provide higher TE by increasing their weight. Oscillation trials were conducted on a

ballasted WAG-7 (#27002) around 1995, and then a new WAG-7 loco was built by CLW to have higher

weight using thicker plates in the underframe of the loco (#27061, 1995). Weight is 132t, max. TE

441kN (45000 kgf). Traction motors are Hitachi HS15250-G, perhaps a minor variant of HS15250.

[4/04] Newer WAG-7's have been spotted (e.g., #27455 'Samrat') that externally look somewhat like a

WAG-9 and with several improvements such as closed-circuit cameras for monitoring the pantograph

and GR, a spotlight to illuminate the pantograph at night, large green lamps to exchange signals on the

run, fog lamps, and single-piece windshield. New Katni shed is especially known to add the OHE

monitoring equipment to WAG-7 locos. Cabs of some units are air-conditioned. Newer batches of

WAG-7's [12/04] also have data loggers and train parting alarms (based on sensors for detecting loss of

brake pressure), as standard equipment. They are also said to have 'microprocessor control' although it

is not clear what this implies.

Traction Motors: Hitachi HS15250-G (a variant of the standard HS15250 with higher current

rating (thicker wire gauge, better insulation); see description under WAP-4.) Motors built by

CLW and BHEL.

181

Gear Ratio: 65:18 (65:16?)

Transformer: CCL India, type CGTT-5400, 5400kVA, 32 taps.

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifiers, cell type S18FN350 (from Hind Rectifier), 64 per bridge,

2700A / 1050V per cubicle.

Axle load: 20.5t

Bogies: Alco High-Adhesion bogies, fabricated bogie frame assembly, with unidirectional

mounting of traction motors, primary and secondary suspension.

Hauling Capacity: 3010t

Pantographs: Two Stone India (Calcutta) type AN-12.

Current Ratings: 1350A/2min, 1200A/10min, 960A/hr, 900A continuous


WAG–8Extremely rare, is about all one can say about this experimental class. These locos (not sure if

there was just 1 or 2) were built by BHEL in 1996 and are similar in appearance to the WCAM-2 locos.

In power, similar to the WAG-7 at 5000hp. Thyristor chopper control of the DC motors. It probably

shared some components with the WCAM-3 which BHEL was building at the time. Thought to have

Flexicoil Mark IV hi-adhesion bogies. More details??


WAG–9These are essentially the same as the WAP-7 units, with some differences in gearing and the

control software to make them suitable for freight operations. The first few were imported from ABB (6

fully assembled and 16 in kit form (7 completely knocked down, the rest partially assembled), in 1996).

These are numbered 31000 to 31021.

In November 1998, CLW started producing these with indigenous components. The first one, 'Navyug'

(translated, 'New Era'), was flagged off on Nov. 14. They have (like the WAP-5 units) GTO thyristor

converters and 3-phase asynchronous motors.

Manufacture of the traction motors at CLW started on Jan. 11, 1999. Rated at 6125hp each, two units

can haul 4500t trains on gradients of 1:60. A single unit can start a 4700t load (58 BOXN wagons) on a

gradient of 1:180 (some CLW documents say 1:150), a great improvement over the WAG-5/WAG-7

locos that were restricted to hauling such loads in sections of gradients 1:200 or less (this was the

primary motivation behind the induction of the 3-phase technology for freight locos). Total weight 123t.

Continuous power at wheel rims 4500kW (6000hp). Starting TE 520kN; continuous TE 325kN.

They also generally have better adhesion than the WAG-5/WAG-7 locos, partly because of the

computerized slip control. Rated top speed is 100km/h. Axles Co-Co. Pantograph has a double collector

bar in the Adtranz-built units; the CLW-built units use a pantograph with a single collector pan, as in

other AC electrics. Multiple unit operation possible; although the locomotive designs provide for

several units to be MU'd together, IR restricts these to just two units being coupled at a time because of

dynamic loading restrictions on most bridges.



182

Auxiliaries from ABB, Landert, Behr, Howden Safanco, etc. Regenerative brakes provide about 260kN

of braking effort.

[7/02] So far about 49 are in service (22 imported as mentioned above, the rest from CLW). One

(#31008) was damaged by fire while working a train on NR.

Manufacturers: ABB, CLW

Traction Motors: ABB's 6FRA 6068 (850kW, 2180V, 1283/2484 rpm, 270/310A. Weight

2100kg) Axle-hung, nose-suspended.

Gear Ratio: 77:15 / 64:18

Transformer: ABB's LOT 6500, 4x1450kVA.



1269V @ 50Hz, with DC link voltage of 2800V. Motor/drive convertor rated at 2180V phase to

phase, 971A output current per phase, motor frequency from 0 to 132Hz.


Bogies: Co-Co, ABB bogies; bogie wheel base 1850mm + 1850mm

Wheel base: 15700mm

Axle load: 20.5t




Body width: 3152mmn

Cab length: 2434mm

Pantographs: Two Secheron ES10 1Q3-2500.



WAG–9HA heavier variant of the WAG-9 (12t extra ballast, welded at four locations in the machine

room behind the cabs -- a design proposed by CLW and approved by AdTranz) and consequently higher

TE. Everything else was just as in the WAG-9 class, except for some application software changes. This

was expected to be used in haul heavy freights (58 BOXN wagons, 4700t) without the need for multiple

units even on incline sections of 1:150. The ballasting raised the starting TE from 460kN to 520kN.

Continuous TE 325kN. The first (and only, as it turned out) of this class was was commissioned on June

30, 2000. This locomotive, #30130, 'Navshakti', then homed at Gomoh, cleared trials but because of

concerns about the weight, did not enter regular service. It was deballasted and converted to a plain

WAG-9 by mid-2002. That was the only unit of this class ever tried out. The class was intended for MU

operation (2 units). Trivia: This reclassified loco, now [11/04] at the Ajni shed, still sports its variant

livery with two white stripes instead of the single yellow stripe characteristic of other WAG-9 locos.

Manufacturers: ABB, CLW

Traction Motors: ABB's 6FRA 6068 3-phase squirrel-cage induction motors (850kW, 2180V,

1283/2484 rpm, 270/310A. Weight 2100kg) Axle-hung, nose-suspended.

Gear Ratio: 77:15 / 64:18

Transformer: ABB's LOT 6500, 4x1450kVA.



1269V @ 50Hz, with DC link voltage of 2800V. Motor/drive convertor rated at 2180V phase to

phase, 971A output current per phase, motor frequency from 0 to 132Hz.

Axle load: 22.5t


Bogies:Co-Co

Pantographs: Two Secheron ES10 1Q3-2500.


183

YAM–1 These cute little B-B MG electrics, 20 in number (18

ordered first, two later) were supplied by Mitsubishi in 1964 and worked on SR, especially in the

Madras area, until the recent conversion to BG of the mainline tracks. These were later [12/03] run on

the Tambaram - Villupuram section of the mainline. On June 30, 2004, the last YAM-1 run took place,

minutes after the last MG EMU service on the Chennai network reached the Tambaram station. The

remaining YAM-1 locos are now at Tambaram, only occasionally energized for departmental work.

One unit is [2/05] at CLW, apparently undergoing preservation work prior to being plinthed.

They have monomotor bogies, with two bogie-mounted DC motors permanently coupled in parallel.

They are not very powerful, although they have been used to haul some longish (50-wagon) goods

trains on occasion. Air brakes for loco, vacuum train brakes. Oerlikon compressor and exhauster, Arno

rotary convertors.

Now [11/01] one is said to be at the Chittaranjan Loco Works. There are rumours that some or all of

them may be refurbished and exported to some other country.

Manufacturers: Hitachi

Traction Motors: ACEC/Alstom/Siemens MG1420 (two). Fully suspended, force-ventilated.

5600kg. 1080kW, 1250V, 920A, 630 rpm


Transformer: Mitsubishi 'Shell Sub', 1690kVA, 25 taps.

Rectifiers: Secheron excitron rectifiers, type A268 (four). 510A/1250V



DC Locomotives

EMU'sThe first 1500V DC EMUs used around Bombay (the first EMUs in India, 1925) were from

Cammell Laird (UK) (later Metro Cammell) and Uerdingenwagonfabrik (Germany). Later units were

supplied by Breda (Italy) as well. Read more about EMU's.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#YAM-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-mu.html

184

WCM–1 Manufactured by English Electric / Vulcan Foundry. Auxiliaries from Westinghouse. The first

electrics with the now familiar Co-Co wheel arrangement to be used in India. They are characterized by

their large size and unusually long hoods. The position of the entrance doors is also unusual, being not

at the sides of the cabin, but through an entrance in the middle of the loco body side.

Introduced in 1954, several were rebuilt in 1968. They were used on superfast trains such as the

Indrayani Exp. and the Deccan Queen (?) until quite recently (the 1990's). They were rarely used for

freight. Air brakes for loco, and regenerative braking. Vacuum train brakes. Three different series-

parallel motor combinations are available, as well as weak field operation. MU operation not possible.

[11/99] There are now two of these left, which were homed at Kalyan, and occasionally used for the

Pune-Karjat shuttle, piloting duties, or departmental trains. One is reported [4/01] to have been sent to

the National Rail Museum, and supposedly earmarked for delivery to the proposed new museum at

Chennai. [1/03] The refurbished loco is now the main exhibit at the Chennai Rail Museum.

Manufacturers: English Electric / Vulcan Foundry

Traction Motors:6 axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated English Electric 514/2C DC

motors (615hp, 700V, 700A, 738 rpm, weight 3594kg).

Gear Ratio: 59:16

Pantographs: English Electric, PNL4-F1. Two provided.


WCM–2 Manufactured by English Electric / Vulcan Foundry. Auxiliaries by Westinghouse

(compressor, etc.) and North-Boyce (exhauster).Slightly smaller than the WCM-1, but with normally

positioned entrance doors, the these were initially built to run on the 3kV DC sections in the Calcutta

area. They were rendered obsolete when still quite new when the Calcutta area was converted to 25kV

AC. The RDSO Lucknow modified them to work on 1.5kV DC without loss of power, and they were

subsequently moved to the Bombay VT - Poona - Igatpuri area. Built in 1956-57, several were still in

service until the 1980s.

Mostly used for passenger duties despite the M=mixed classification. Three series-parallel combinations

possible, and weak field operation. Air brakes for loco, vacuum brakes for train.[11/99] Four of these

are still in use on the Mumbai-Igatpuri route; for the Pune-Karjat shuttle. Homed at Kalyan.

Manufacturers: English Electric / Vulcan Foundry

Traction Motors:English Electric 531A (520hp, 1450V, 260A, 1165 rpm, weight 3445kg). Six

motors, axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Gear Ratio: 62:16

Pantographs: English Electric PNL6-B1. Two provided.


http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WCM-1


185

WCM–3 Built by Hitachi. Auxiliaries by Westinghouse and North Boyce.Built in 1957-58, the smallest

of the WCM series, also built for the 3kV Calcutta area and later converted to run on 1.5kV DC. Only

three were built, nos. 20073-5, all now withdrawn. The WCM-3 units were characterized, apart from

their dimunitive size, by separate light enclosures for the parking / marker lights (next to the headlight)

and the tail lamps (just above the buffers). Later used mostly for freight. Three series-parallel motor

combinations, and weak field. Air brakes for loco, vacuum train brakes.


Traction Motors: Hitachi HS 373-AR-16 (600hp, 1450V, 330A, 927 rpm) Six motors, axle-

hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Gear Ratio: 51:16

Pantographs: Two


WCM–4 Built by Hitachi. Auxiliaries by Westinghouse and North Boyce. Built in 1960, larger and

more powerful versions of the WCM-3, with normal light enclosures. Initially used to haul superfasts

and other express trains, but relegated to freight operations due to technical difficulties.

These are the only WCM series locos to be used almost exclusively for freight duties (despite the

M=mixed classification). Several were fitted with CBC couplers. These are also the last imported

engines to come with bonnets (noses) at either end. Only seven of these units were built. Three series-

parallel motor combinations, and weak field operation. Air brakes and regenerative braking for loco,

vacuum brakes for train.


Traction Motors: Hitachi HS 373-BR (675hp, 700V, 765A, 850 rpm, weight 4500kg). Six

motors, axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Gear Ratio: 73:16

Pantographs: Two, type KP-120




186

WCM–5 Built by Chittaranjan to RDSO's design specifications. Auxiliaries by Westinghouse and

North Boyce. Built in 1962, these are India's first indigenously designed DC electrics. Similar to the

WCM-4 locomotives in traction motor arrangement, etc. The first was named 'Lokamanya'.

In the WCM series, these are the first to use half-collector pantographs. There is a wide variation in the

side window grille profiles, and very few of these units look alike. Several are nowadays fitted with

CBC couplers. Mostly used for passenger duties. The series is due to be withdrawn soon, but one has

been offered to the National Rail Museum (this is probably the one later reported to be at CLW [2/05]).

[11/99] Two are still in use (departmental use, etc.), homed at Kalyan, and several decommissioned

examples are also at Kalyan.

Three series-parallel combinations of motors, and weak field operation. Vacuum brakes and

regenerative braking.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Hitachi HS 373-BR (675hp, 700V, 765A, 850 rpm, weight 4500kg).

Gear Ratio: 59:16

Pantographs: Two Faiveley AM28 BB


WCM–6 Built in 1996 by CLW, to RDSO's specifications. AC auxiliaries, underslung compressor,

Siemens static converter, Elgi compressor.

Used for light freight duties, especially on the Kalyan-Karjat section. Only two of these were built

(#20187, #20188), perhaps because CR preferred the WCAM-3 instead.

One was seriously damaged in a fire, but was restored by the Kalyan loco shed. For a time [1999] it

appears that they were used mostly for shunting duties around Bombay (Byculla yard, etc.). But more

recently [2/02] both have been spotted hauling passenger trains (Diva - Panvel route, Kasara, and

around Bombay. Also thought to be used for banking operations up to Lonavala. They have high-

adhesion bogies similar to those on the WAG-7. Often coupled with WCG-2 locos. Speed control by

three series-parallel motor combinations and weak field operation. Air brakes for loco, vacuum train

brakes.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Hitachi H5 15250. Axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Wheelsets: High-Adhesion Co-Co fabricated bogies.

Gear Ratio: 18:64

Pantographs: Two, Faiveley AM-18B




187

WCP-1, WCP-2 (GIPR EA/1 and EA/2) Wheel arrangements not seen these days, 1-Co-2. The EA/1

locos were supplied from 1930 by Vulcan Foundry, UK, and were rated at 2610hp. Electricals from

Metropolitan Vickers, UK. The first of the EA/1 was named 'Sir

Roger Lumley'.


WCP-3, WCP-4 (GIPR EB/1 and EC/1) Wheel arrangements not seen these days, 2-Co-2.

WCG-1 (EF/1) ‘Crocodile / Krokodil’ 1925. Rod-driven C+C electric locos supplied to the GIPR in

1928 for use on the Bombay-Poona section for heavy freights. Originally classed EF/1. The first few

were made by the Swiss Locomotive Works, Winterthur, and more by the Vulcan Foundry (with

electricals from Metropolitan Vickers. They had four 650 hp motors (total power often quoted as

2610hp), driving two three-axle bogies through connecting rods.

Locally they were known as "khekda" ("crab") They make a curious moaning sound when at rest, and

while on the run an unusual swishing sound from the link motion can be heard. Their unusual features

included an articulated body (made them ideal for use in heavily curved ghat sections). They also

featured regenerative braking (Newport-Shildon, UK). They were known for their superior tractive

characteristics on the ghat sections; however, the exposed link mechanisms had to be oiled very

frequently in all kinds of weather.

They were later used as bankers on the Karjat-Lonavla section, and they were in operation as shunting

locos and station pilots until fairly recently (1992) at BBVT. Today [1/00] the (2? or more?) remaining

ones are at the Wadi Bunder loco trip shed. The first one was named "Sir Leslie Wilson".


http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WCP-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WCG-1

188

WCG–2 Custom-built freight loco for the 1.5 KVDC section of the CR Mumbai Division. Better

adhesion available through the provision of a vernier control on the starting resistance. AC auxiliaries

— compressor and alternator from Kirloskar, exhauster by Northey (?), others by S F India. Air brakes

for loco, and regenerative brakes; vacuum train brakes. Three series-parallel motor combinations weak

field operation. Bogie design as with WDM-2.

RDSO designs, based on Japanese models but final design and manufacture was by CLW. These locos

can be MU'd up to 3 units. Some units of the WCG-2 model have a different gearing ratio for banking

duties and are classified WCG-2A.

This loco has a very loud noise caused by the blowers used to cool the dynamic brake resistors. Mumbai

division has about 50 WCG-2s, 57 in all. The WCG-2 locos, normally coupled in pairs or triples, haul

freight trains in the Bombay - Igatpuri/Pune sections. They are also used as bankers on the ghat

sections. There was a period around 1992 -1996 when the Mumbai division were desperately short of

motive power due to the aging and failure prone WCM-1/2/4/5 fleet. The punctuality of trains in and

out of CSTM went haywire due to loco failure. During this period the WCG-2 was used on many Mail /

Express runs. But the 'Deccan Queen' has been hauled only once by a WCG-2 and only a few times by a

WDM-2 when its power, the WCM-1, failed.

The Ghat banking duties in the Bhore ghat (Karjat - Lonavala) and Thull ghat (Kasara - Igatpuri) are

exclusively handled today by WCG-2s. On some occasions some express trains are hauled by these

(Sinhagad, Cape, Dadar - Chennai, Sahyadri, Koyna, Pragati, etc.). Because of speed restrictions

(90km/h) on the Mumbai (CSTM) - Igatpuri route, even superfast trains can be hauled on this section by

WCG-2 locos. The WCG-2 shares bogies with the WAM-4, WCAM-1, WCAM-2, WDM-2/2C, WDS-

6, WDM-7 locos (Alco type cast trimount (Co-Co) bogies). Now [2/05] the WCG-2 locos are often seen

only performing banking duties. Until recently the Koyna Express and Mumbai Passenger were

routinely hauled by WCG-2 locos. The Mumbai-Pune Intercity Exp. is also sometimes hauled by WCG-

2 locos.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Heil TM4939AZ (690hp, 700V, 800A, 1070 rpm, weight 3670kg) Six

motors, axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated. (4200hp total power, 1640 1-hour

continuous rating in series mode.)

Rated Speed: 80km/h (originally), 90km/h with upgrades.

Pantographs: Two, Faiveley AM-18B


YCG–1 Goods locos used on the early DC electrified network of SR, and later withdrawn when SR

switched to AC traction. They had a provision for coupling to 'ET' class 4-wheeled battery tenders to

allow operating on unelectrified sidings, loop lines, etc. These locos had a roughly rectangular, box-like

body with a cab at either end, with a short platform extending from each cab. The cabs each had a door

opening on to the platform, and a window (on the right) at the ends. The two bogies had interconnecting

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WCG-2

189

linkages to allow easier negotiation of sharp curves. Two 'diamond' style pantographs for current

collection. There were only four of these locos; one is now preserved at the NRM (#21900).

Manufacturers: Hawthorne Leslie, English Electric

Year manufactured: 1930

Weight: 43t

Max. speed: 65km/h

Length: 9754mm

Wheelbase 7415mm

Bogies: Bo-Bo

Bogie wheelbase 2438mm

Power (cont.): 650hp


Dual Current Locomotives

WCAM Locos WCAM is the dual-power AC-DC series. Virar is the change-over point the traction,

being DC inwards near Bombay and AC on the outer side. The WCAM class of locos on WR have

never operated north of Baroda on the mainline and are generallky restricted to BCT-BRC-ADI section.

Apart from WR they can be found working on the harbour line of CR in Bombay into the dockyard

railway changeover point a Wadala Road. See the electric traction section for more information on

AC/DC traction changeover.

All the WCAM locos (and the WCAG-1) were made by BHEL. They have 750V DC traction motors,

using resistance banks in DC mode and a variable ratio auto-transformer with rectifier units in AC

mode, for power control (WCAM-1 is slightly different, see below). Except for the WCAM-1, the

availability of the variable input voltage allows the traction motors to be coupled in a fixed 2S-3P

grouping for AC mode. In DC mode, all three models allow 6S and 3S-2P grouping, and the WCAM-3

also allows 2S-3P.

[2/02] Most of CR's WCAM-3 locos do not go north of Igatpuri; a few reach all the way to Manmad

(Panchavati, Devagiri, Tapovan, and Godavari Expresses) but not beyond, as the maintenance facilities

for these locos do not exist beyond there. On WR, WCAM models generally do not venture beyond

Vadodara (main-line trains to New Delhi change to purely AC locos there). Trains to Ahmedabad from

Mumbai are usually hauled by WCAM locos all the way. Generally the WCAM locos are restricted to

Valsad / Surat.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#YCG-1

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-elec.html#dead

190

WCAM–1 Introduced in 1975. This class of loco was generally found only in the Bombay Central -

Ahmedabad section. An occasional loco has also appeared on the Bombay V.T. - Igatpuri route.

One of the single pantographs on the WCAM-1 is used in dc traction; the other one carries ac current.

The two pantographs are not identical, though similar in design. Bogie design as for WDM-2, WCG-2,

and WAM-4 (Alco asymmetric trimount (Co-Co) bogie with cast frames). These locos perform poorly

in DC mode compared to AC mode. Originally built with vacuum brakes only, although a few (Nos.

21805, 21807, 21812, 21828, 21838, 21844, 21845, and 21850) have both vacuum and air brakes.

Update [1/05] The locos are now restricted to hauling vacuum-braked trains. Loco brakes are air

brakes. They also lack dynamic brakes.

The WCAM-1 does not use a variable ratio auto-transformer in AC mode like the others; it uses a fixed-

ratio transformer and rectifier bank to convert the OHE supply to 1500VDC. The design of the

transformers and notches makes this a hard machine to operate, with the fusible links tending to blow

often. Of the 28 notches, notches 4, 14, 21, and 28 can be used for continuous operation, although notch

4 was intended for low-speed shunting and is very ineffective. Notches 14, 21, and 28 are the terminal

notches of the series, series-parallel, and parallel circuit notch sequences. In DC mode, the WCAM-1

uses resistor banks for speed control.

However they were very robust machines and relatively easy in the handling characteristics. WCAM-1's

have three traction modes (series, series-parallel, parallel) in both DC and AC mode, but using the

parallel mode in DC was discouraged because of power problems. In practice this was not restrictive

since series-parallel notches allowed reaching 75km/h or so. In AC mode, the locos are almost always

used with the motors in all-parallel mode. Unlike the WCAM-2 and WCAM-3 locos, no reconfiguration

has been carried out to force the use of all-parallel mode with AC. Weak field operation is available. 53

of these locos were produced. They were briefly tried out for freight use by CR, but all finally ended up

with WR.

They are used for WR's second-tier trains, the top ones getting the WCAM-2P (see below). [5/02]

However, recently CR's Indore-Pune weekly train has been hauled by a WR WCAM-1.

Recently [2004] it's been seen that some (3-4) WCAM-1 locos have been modified to run only in AC

mode; in many cases these locos have even had their DC equipment removed. Such modifications

occurred after WR's Virar - Vasai freight lines were converted to AC. The modifications were carried

out by the Valsad shed. It is not proposed that the locos will be re-classified; one, #21808, simply bears

an annotation saying 'Only AC Working'.

Update on status: [1/05] WR has decided to condemn five WCAM-1 locos: 21801, 21802, 21803,

21804, and 21806.

Max. speed 100km/h, 110km/h after regearing. MU operation not possible. Motor-alternator from

Kirloskar (AEI UK motor), Gresham & Craven exhauster, Kirloskar compressor; other auxiliaries from

S F India.

Manufacturers: CLW

Traction Motors: Alstom/CLW TAO 659 A1 (575kW, 750V). Axle-hung, nose-suspended.

Wheelsets: Alco asymmetric Co-Co trimount cast bogies.

Transformer: BHEL BOT 34600. 3460kVA.

Rectifiers: Silicon rectifiers, 48 cells (321 UFR200) per bridge, 1000A/1270V.

Gear Ratio: 61:16, 58:21

Pantographs: Faiveley AM-12 (AC) and Faiveley AM-18B (DC)

Length: 20950mm

Total wheelbase: 15698mm

Weight: 113t

191


WCAM–2 WCAM-2 locos have the same traction motors, as the WCAM-1 locos, but different

circuitry and gearing. The bogies are somewhat different from those of the WCAM-1 being fabricated

trimount Co-Co bogies with secondary suspension. Rated speed 105km/h in both AC and DC modes.

(In trials by RDSO this loco is said to have been run at speeds up to 135km/h in AC mode.)

Almost all of these are dual-braked, but a few are equipped with air brakes only. Double-header frieghts

with these locos are a common sight on the Wadala road-Kings Circle-Mahim-Bandra run. They can

also be seen on the Vasai-Diva-Kalyan section which is the furthest point they operate out of WR. All

the WCAM-1's and -2's are homed at Valsad shed in Gujarat.

CR's WCAM locos rarely worked in DC zones (exceptions were the CR / Bombay Port Trust's Wadala

marshalling yard a portion of which has DC traction, and for hauling the Punjab Mail in the late 1970's)

as they delivered very poor performance in DC mode and on CR's heavy grades. Although these locos

have the same traction motors as the WAM-4 and WCAM-1, the power output from the WCAM-2

locos is higher than for the WAM-4 and WCAM-1 because in those models the traction motors are

underfed (3460kVA transformer in contrast to the 5400kVA transformer for WCAM-2) and do not

yield their potential maximum power. Under AC traction, the WCAM-2 locos operate with all six

motors in parallel (this has been enforced by modifications to these locos), while in DC mode they also

operate in the all-series and series-parallel (2S 3P, i.e., three series-pairs of motors in parallel)

configurations.

Recent WCAM-2's from BHEL, including the passenger-specific version WCAM-2P, are rated 2900hp

in DC mode and 4700hp in AC mode (max. speed 120km/h in AC mode). These are used by WR for

fast trains, running at up to 120km/h on the Virar-Godhra AC section (Mumbai-Virar is DC but has

reduced speeds because of the suburban traffic). CR has tried the WCAM-2 and WCAM-2P units but

found them usable only with speed restrictions. Some WCAM-2P units have only air brakes.

With the WCAM-2 locos, MU operation is possible with up to 3 (4?) units.

Some (all?) of the WCAM-2 locos were originally leased to IR, ownership remaining with BHEL, the

manufacturers.

Manufacturers: BHEL

Traction Motors: TAO 659 (575kW, 750V). Axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Wheelsets: Trimount fabricated bogies.

Transformer: BHEL 5400 kVA.

Rectifiers: Two silicon rectifier units D1800N44 (Siemens), 16 cells per bridge. 1000V /

3600A.

Gear Ratio: 62:15, 58:21

Pantographs: ??

Length: 20950mm

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WCAM-1

192


Weight: 113t


WCAM–3 These upgraded dual-traction models deliver 4600hp in DC mode and 5000hp in AC mode,

and were jointly developed by RDSO and BHEL in 1997. Components are shared with the WCAG-1

locos (see below). Co-Co fabricated bogies (High-Adhesion -- shared with WCAG-1, WAG-7, WDG-2,

etc.) with secondary suspension. Monocoque underframe. Air brakes are original equipment. They were

originally manufactured under a BOLT (build-own-lease-transfer) contract with BHEL, and are

probably still owned by BHEL rather than by IR.

Monocoque underframe. Axle-hung, nose-suspended, force ventilated, taper roller bearings Speed

control by tap changers in AC mode and resistance notching in DC mode. Motors can be placed in

different series-parallel combinations. Auxiliaries from Elgi, S F India, Best, Gresham & Craven, etc.

Static converter from ACEC for auxiliary supply.

In DC mode, rheostatic braking by self-excitation of traction motors available until 17km/h. Elgi

compressor, other auxiliaries from S F India. Rated for 105km/h in both DC and AC mode (sometimes

AC mode rated speed is quoted at 110km/h). In practice, WCAM-3 locos have been known to be run at

speeds up to 118km/h in regular service (e.g., hauling the Deccan Queen in DC mode). Traction motor

configurations as in the WCAM-1/2 and WAM-4 (all 6 in series, 2S 3P, or all parallel -- the latter is the

only one used under AC traction, enforced now by modifications to the locos).

CR uses WCAM-3 locos on Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Igatpuri sections which have ghat portions as

well as speed restrictions of about 100km/h. Freight rakes double-headed by WCAM-3 (upgraded

models) have been sighted on the ghat sections. For excellent WCAM-3 sightings and regular double-

header WDM-2 tanker trains, the Kurla-Vidyavihar section is ideal.

MU operation possible with 3 (4?) units.

Some WCAM-3 locos now [2004] are certified only for DC operation for various reasons, although it is

possible they will be fixed and returned to full dual-traction service after repairs. As of [12/05], all

WCAM-3 locos had been retrofitted with roof-mounted rheostatic braking grids.

Manufacturers: BHEL

Weight: 121t

Traction Motors: Hitachi HS15250A. Axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Transformer:BHEL 5400 kVA. 32 taps.


3600A.

Gear Ratio: 64:18

Pantographs:Stone India, AM-12 (AC), AM-18 B2 (DC)

Length: 20950mm



193

Weight: 113t


WCAG–1 New AC-DC locos for dedicated freight operation; as of early 1999, 10 were on order, to be

homed at Kurla. More are being produced now. These are similar to the WCAM-3, with slightly

different gearing, etc.

Power 5000hp in AC mode and 4600hp in DC mode. Traction motors and circuitry are essentially

identical to those of the WCAM-2. Motors can be placed in various series-parallel combinations; speed

control by tap changer in AC mode and resistance notching in DC mode. Air brakes for loco, dual train

brakes, rheostatic brakes as on WCAM-3 (only up to 17km/h)

High-adhesion bogies (same as WCAM-3, WAG-7, WDG-2/WDG-3A). Max. speed 100km/h (the

bogies are the primary limiters of the speed). Auxiliaries from Elgi (compressor) and S F India, etc.

Static converter from ACEC for auxiliary supply. Can be MU'd up to 3 (4?) units.

Twin-coupled sets of these are replacing the WDG-2 pairs and WDM-2 pairs that have long been the

staple for freight operations around Mumbai. As of [12/05] all WCAG-1's had been retrofitted with

roof-mounted rheostatic braking grids.

Manufacturers: BHEL

Weight: 128t

Traction Motors: Hitachi HS15250A. Axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated.

Wheelsets: High-Adhesion Co-Co fabricated bogies.

Transformer:BHEL 5400 k. 32 taps. VA


3600A.

Gear Ratio: 65:16

Pantographs:Stone India AM-12 (AC), AM-18 B2 (DC)

Signalling systems


194

Q. Why are multiple aspect signalling systems used? What was wrong with the older systems

which had two aspects?

Multiple aspect signals, by providing several intermediate speed stages between 'clear' and 'on', allow

high-speed trains sufficient time to brake safely if required. This becomes very important as train speeds

rise. Without multiple-aspect signals, the stop signals have to be placed very far apart to allow sufficient

braking distance, and this reduces track utilization. At the same time, slower trains can also be run

closer together on track with multiple aspect signals.

Q. What kinds of signals (semaphores, lamps, etc.) does IR use?

IR uses several kinds of signals. Semaphore signals have generally given way to colour-light signals

although there are still many places with semaphore signalling in use. [1/02]

Semaphore signals are the older style signals seen widely throughout the country, where each signal

has an assembly with an arm mounted on a mast, where the arm can move through two or three

different positions at different angles, each position providing a distinct signalling aspect. Very early in

India's railway history, two-position lower-quadrant semaphore signals were the most prevalent.

Around the 1930s, however, the introduction of American style power signalling equipment in some

areas resulted in three-position upper-quadrant signalling being introduced as well, although both

systems continued in use for many decades afterwards. It is not clear when distant signals were

introduced.

Colour-light signals are assemblies of lamps that indicate different aspects by means of different

colours of lamps that are lit. Colour-light signals were introduced in 1928 but were slow to take off. In

recent years many older semaphore signals have been replaced by colour-light signals.

Position-lightsignals are assemblies of lamps where the signal aspect is indicated not by colour but

rather by the combination of the lamps that are lit.

Disc signals are in the form of a vertical disc with a pattern such as a bar painted on it, which rotates

about its centre to different positions to indicate different signal aspects. These are usually mounted on

poles but may be close to ground level.

Target signals have a vertical disc (or two parallel vertical discs) which can rotate about a vertical axis

so as to present the disc either face-on or edge-on to an observer along the track. Usually a lamp is

provided behind the disc (or between the parallel discs) which is visible only when the discs are

oriented edge-on. The centres of the discs usually also have lamps. The two aspects of this type of

signal are indicated by the two orientations of the discs. This type of signal is almost always at ground

level.

In the following, 'on' refers to that position of a signal which shows its most restrictive indication (in

accordance with IR's terminology). However, we use 'clear' for the position that shows the least

restrictive indication instead of the word 'off' because the latter is used by IR to refer to any signal

position other than the on position.

Q. What types of signalling systems are used on IR?

R uses several forms of signalling. In IR manuals reference is made usually only to 4 main types of

systems, Lower Quadrant semaphore, Modified Lower Quadrant semaphore, Multiple Aspect Upper

Quadrant semaphore, and multiple-aspect colour-light signalling. But in practice there are some

variations in the kinds of colour-light signalling seen, so for ease of analysis, the following

classification is used here. (Abbreviations in parentheses given for ease of reference in the text that

follows.)

195

Two-aspect Lower Quadrant semaphore signalling (2LQ)

Modified Lower Quadrant semaphore signalling (MLQ)

Multiple Aspect Upper Quadrant semaphore signalling (MAUQ)

Two-aspect Colour-Light signalling (2CL)

Three-aspect Colour-Light signalling (3CL)

Four-aspect Colour-Light signalling, normally known just as Multiple Aspect Colour-Light

signalling (MACL)

In addition to these, there are some in-cab warning systems (AWS), and of course flag/lamp/hand

signals for emergency use.

Semaphore Signals

Q. What are the systems of semaphore signalling used by IR?

Lower Quadrant

In IR's lower quadrant system (Two-aspect Lower Quadrant) the semaphore arm can only be in two

positions. The horizontal on position shows the most restrictive indication (requiring the train to stop or

slow down or proceed with caution depending on the kind of signal), and a lowered position where the

semaphore arm is at about 60 degrees or more from the horizontal shows the clear or proceed indication

allowing a train to go past the signal.

The 2-aspect Lower Quadrant system suffers from a couple of disadvantages. The principal

disadvantage is that the driver of a train must be prepared to bring the train to a full stop when the

warner is at caution and the home signal is at danger. To address this, often warner signals are moved

further back to provide sufficient distance from the home signal for braking the train to a full stop. The

second disadvantage with the 2LQ system is that the indication of the warner signal is not explicit.

When the warner is at caution, it may indicate that the home signal is at danger, or that the train will be

received on a loop line, or that there is a speed restriction of some sort ahead. These disadvantages are

addressed with the Modified Lower Quadrant system. In this, warners and distant signals (as in

MAUQ, see below) are both used. The distant signals have only two aspects, Proceed and Caution. The

distant signal is provided at an adequate distance to the rear of the Home signal, and a combination

Home and Warner signal is provided 180m from where the block section ends. There is no difference in

the placement or nature of the last stop signal. MLQ is found in the Kharagpur-Vishakhapatnam and a

few other sections. It was not widely adopted as it is complex in working and provides no advantages

over the competing multiple-aspect upper quadrant signalling system (see below) which also came into

use and became far more commonly used on all important sections of IR.

Early versions of semaphores used in the lower quadrant system suffered from a potentially dangerous

flaw, which is that in case of a mechanical failure, the semaphore arm was likely to drop by gravity into

the clear position. This was guarded against in later versions by having the spectacle end of the

semaphore be coniderably heavier to provide a counterweight to the arm. Generally speaking, fail-safe

operation to ensure the signal shows its most restrictive aspect when the signal wire is broken is ensured

by arranging counter-weights or adjusting the balance of weights between the semaphore arm and the

spectacle appropriately, in both lower-quadrant and upper-quadrant signalling.

Upper Quadrant

Properly, Multiple Aspect Upper Quadrant, in this system there are three signal positions. The 12

o'clock position is clear or proceed, which gives a train permission to go past the signal without

stopping. An intermediate position (at 45 degrees to the vertical) is the attention or caution indication;

the meaning depends on the kind of signal. The horizontal position, where the semaphore arm is

horizontal, the on position, is the most restrictive indication of the signal; it may require the train to

stop, or to proceed with caution, etc., depending on the kind of signal.

196

More notes: In all semaphore systems, as the semaphore arm moves from one aspect to another, the

end that is close to the signal mast and which has coloured glass disks ('spectacles') fixed to it moves in

front of a lamp, changing the colour of the lamp seen at night. Today most of these lamps are electric

lamps, but oil lamps were common earlier.

Semaphore signals are set up so that when viewed from the part of the track for which the signal is

intended, the semaphore arm extends to the left of the mast on which it mounted. This, in addition to the

colours of the semaphore arm (which are different on the front and back), provides a visual cue to

distinguish between the signals meant for different directions of the track.

Assemblies of 2 or 3 or more semaphore signals on the same mast structure occur to indicate divergent

routes. Usually, one of the signals is placed higher than the others, to indicate the 'main' line; the signals

to its left or right are somewhat lower, and apply to signals to branches diverging to the left and right.

Signals may be at the same height if the divergent routes are all of the same importance. Such multiple

signal assemblies are seen for stop signals (home, starter, etc.) and also for distant signals (pre-warners).

What are 'single-wire' and 'double-wire' signalling?

'Single-wire' apparatus, as the name implies, utilizes a single wire or cable connecting the signal lever at

the cabin or elsewhere where the signal frame is located, to the actual semaphore mechanism on the

signal post. Operating the signal lever to take the signal off causes the transmission wire to be pulled,

moving the semaphore arm to the required aspect. To reverse this and change the signal aspect to a

more restrictive one the signal lever is moved back, and the semaphore arm moves back because of

gravity acting on the semaphore mechanism (in some cases there may be appropriate counter-weights

for this). In single-wire transmission, a signal can be pulled for up to 900m. A gain stroke wheel may be

inserted at the foot of the signal lever to increase the lever stroke, or a so-called 'facile stroke lever' may

be provided. In these cases the distance over which the signal can be pulled may be as high as 1080m.

In 'double-wire' transmission, the wire that operates the semaphore loops around a drum or pulley at

either end. Therefore, when the signal lever is moved in either direction, it exerts a positive pulling

force to move the semaphore arm. Counter-weights are not necessary in this case. Signals can be pulled

over a distance of 1600m in this case.

What are drooping signals?

In single-wire transmission, heat causes the transmission wire to stretch or shrink, and this can result in

an incorrect indication of the signal aspect. For instance, the most restrictive aspect may end up being

below the horizontal in upper-quadrant signalling on a hot day - this is termed a drooping signal when

the angle is more than 5 degrees. Wire adjusters are provided to compensate for temperature variations.

The problem is minimized in double-wire transmission as there is positive movement of the wire in

each direction and the wire remains in tension at all times.

Colour-light Signals

Q. What are the systems of colour-light signalling used by IR?

There are three systems of colour-light signalling in use. (In IR terminology, the term Multiple-Aspect

Colour-Light signalling includes both 3- and 4-aspect signalling, and 2-aspect signalling is usually

treated as a variant of 2-aspect semaphore signalling. Hence the classification below is not the same as

IR's.)

Two-aspect colour-light signalling – In this, each signal has two lamps (one above the other).

The higher of the two is a green lamp, and the lower one is a red lamp. The green lamp when lit

indicates clear (the proceed indication), and when the red lamp is lit, the signal is said to be in

the on position, displaying its most restrictive indication.

197

Three-aspect colour-light signalling – In this, each signal has three lamps arranged vertically.

The top one is green, the middle one yellow, and the bottom one is red. The red and green lamps

indicate indications as in the 2-aspect system, and the yellow lamp shows the caution indication.

Four-aspect colour-light signalling – This is also known just as Multiple-aspect colour-light

signalling (MACL or MACLS) and adds another yellow lamp to the 3-aspect system. The

additional yellow lamp can be placed above the green lamp in a 4-lamp signal. In this case, the

lower yellow lamp alone is lit to show the caution indication, and both yellow lamps are lit to

show the attention indication. Alternatively, a different kind of 3-lamp signal may be used (e.g.,

for distant signals), where the top and bottom lamps are yellow and the middle one is green.

Again, both yellow lamps light up to indicate the attention indication.

Special signals such as repeaters may have other combinations, e.g., two lamps, green above yellow.

The obvious advantage of colour-light signalling over semaphore signalling is the higher reliability of

electrical control over the signals compared to the mechanical means for operating semaphore signals.

Colour-light signals do not suffer from distance limitations as semaphore signalling does (exception:

powered semaphore signalling), allowing signal controls to be placed conveniently together even if the

signals themselves are far away. In addition, the electrical circuitry naturally allows for monitoring,

interlocking, and detection of failure conditions, all of which are achievable but far less reliably with

mechanical means in semaphore signalling.

Signal Indications

Q. What indications do signals show and what do they mean?

The most common indications shown by various signals are the following:

Stop This requires a train to stop dead and not pass the signal except under special instructions

or emergency procedures. (Stop signals may be passed after halting and waiting in automatic

block territory – usually 1 min. during the day & 2 min. during the night.) This indication is also

known as Danger.

Caution This allows a train to proceed past the signal with caution (at reduced speed), being

prepared to stop at the next signal. It can mean that the next signal is at Danger, or that the track

ahead has speed restrictions.

Attention This allows a train to proceed past the signal, being prepared to slow down to an

appropriate speed for the next signal. It means that the next signal may be at Caution, or may

guard a divergence which requires reduced speed (in which case a stop signal at the divergence

will indicate the route for which points are set).

Proceed This allows the train to proceed past the signal without slowing down or stopping.

Proceed Slow This indication, shown only by calling-on signals, allows a train to pass the signal

at slow speed after stopping, being prepared to stop short of another train or an obstruction on

the same track.

Proceed Slow for Shunting This indication, shown by shunting signals, allows movement past

past the signal with caution for the purposes of shunting. This is the most common indication

used when a shunt signal is pulled off, and in fact most shunt signals can only show this

indication (other than Stop).

Proceed for Shunting This indication, shown by shunting signals, allows movement past past

the signal for the purposes of shunting, at speeds higher than allowed with the indication

Proceed slow for shunting. This indication is not widely used, and appears in 3-aspect position

light shunt signals.

Q. What are running signals and subsidiary signals?

198

Running signals are the normal signals that control the movement of regular trains. Subsidiary signals

are those that control other movements such as shunting, or which provide additional information

(repeater signals, points indicators, etc.).

Q. How do signals refer to specific lines in the case of diverging and converging routes?

Multiple signals may be mounted on a signal assembly (bracket post, signal gantry, etc.) to provide

signal indications for diverging routes. The signals from left to right correspond to the diverging routes

from left to right. If one of the routes is the main line, the signal for it is usually placed higher than the

others (the maximum permissible speed applies for running through on it; speeds must be lowered for

the divergences).

For instance, a very common combination is for three stop signals to be mounted together, with the

middle one being placed higher and providing the indication for the main route, whereas the signals on

the left and right of it provide indications for the branches on either side. If all routes are of equal

importance, all signals are at the same height. ('Equal importance' in practice means all the routes allow

the maximum permissible speed for the section.)

In rare circumstances, one can find multiple signals placed on the same mast one above the other; in

such a case, the convention is that the highest one refers to the leftmost divergence, and successive

signals below it refer to successive routes to the right.

The same convention applies for converging routes (top-to-bottom is left-to-right). Although diverging

routes can share a single signal (with a route indicator in colour-light signalling), converging routes

never share signals; a separate signal is provided for each line.

For colour-light signals, a junction route indicator or directional type route indicator is commonly

used to indicate diverging routes. This consists of an additional set of 5 lunar white lamps in a row at an

angle, attached to the main signal. The angle of the junction route indicator corresponds in a rough

manner to the angle made by the diverging route. When these additional lamps are lit, they indicate that

the signal applies to a diverging route. Otherwise, the signal is taken to apply to the main route.

More than one junction route indicator may be attached to a signal, in the case of facing points where

more than two routes diverge, although it is rare to see more than 3 or 4 such indicators (6 is the

maximum). The junction route indicator corresponds to a 'feather' in UK railway terminology. Junction

route indicators are used where the number of diverging routes is smaller and where high visibility is a

requirement.

199

In some cases, especially for home signals at stations that have many platforms, or at routing signals

guarding approach to a lot of diverging routes, a theatre route indicator may be provided. This usually

indicates the route (or road as it is sometimes termed) with a numeric display. The numerals may be

formed using a 7x5 dot-matrix lamp assembly (the multi-lamp route indicator, MLRI), or with lamps

lit behind stencils indicating route numbers (the stencil type route indicator, STRI).

There are also projector type route indicators which project the numeral on to an illuminated screen

or plate. For all of these, a route indication is always provided, even for the main line, in contrast to the

directional route indicators which remain unlit for the main line.

For a signal guarding departure from a station, a theatre route indicator may rarely have 'M' or 'ML' to

indicate 'main line', and 'B' or 'BL' to indicate a 'branch line'; similarly 'L' or 'LL' for 'loop line'. The

visibility of these is not as good as that of junction route indicators, hence they are used mainly near or

within station limits where speeds are not high, but where the number of diverging routes may be large.

Normally, signals for multiple converging routes are placed on separate posts, and in some cases on a

bracket post or signal gantry or bridge. In rare cases more than one signal may be placed on the same

post, in which case the topmost refers to the leftmost route, and successive signals below it refer to

successive routes to the right.

Q. What do the rings, bars, etc. found on some signals mean?

Stop signals controlling the approach to goods yards or goods-only lines have a black ring fixed to the

end of the semaphore arm. No corresponding indication is provided in colour-light territory. Similarly,

semaphore signals controlling lines for dock platforms have a black semicircle (in the shape of a 'D')

fixed to the end of the semaphore arm. Again, no corresponding indication is provided for a colour-light

signal.

Two crossed bars in the form of a large 'X' attached to a signal of any kind (stop signals, shunt signals,

etc.) indicate that the signal is not in use. The cross is often white for signals that have not yet been

commissioned.

200

Q. What does it mean when a colour-light signal does not face along the tracks but points away?

Colour-light signals that are not in use (just set up but not yet commissioned, or in the process of being

decommissioned) are often turned to point away from the tracks, so that it is clear to all locomotive

drivers that the signal is not in service. Otherwise, it would be treated as an active signal that is

malfunctioning (lamps burnt out), which would require trains to follow special procedures for passing

malfunctioning signals.

Q. What is the purpose of the white lamps fitted to the rear of signals?

Signals that face away from the signal cabin are provided with back lights to enable the signal operator

to see the aspect of the signal. Normally a single white lamp is lit when the signal is on, and no lamp is

lit otherwise. For stop signals that can show the Attention indication, two white lamps are visible in the

on aspect and no lamps otherwise (distant signals that can show Attention have only a single back light).

Q. Sometimes a signal pole is observed to carry one signal at normal height and another much

higher up; what are those? Or, what are Co-acting Signals?

A co-acting signal is a duplicate signal provided on the same mast as a stop signal, which always shows

the same indication as that stop signal. The purpose of such a co-acting signal is to allow a continuous

unobstructed view of the signal indication from all positions where a driver might need to observe it, in

cases where an overbridge or other obstruction might block the view of a signal from some locations if

there were only one instance of the signal provided on the mast.

Typically, one of the signals is fixed very high up on a mast and the other one much lower down, so that

one or the other is always in view from all positions along the tracks as it is approached. Although

theoretically more than two such co-acting signals could be provided on a single pole, this is never seen

in practice.

Q. What does 'ahead' or 'behind', 'advanced' or 'retarded', or 'front' or 'rear' mean when

referring to a track or signals?

All orientation terms used when talking about track, points, signals, stations, etc. are given from the

point of view of the driver of a train looking in the direction that the train is moving. Thus, a signal may

be ahead of him or behind him. A signal or station that he is approaching is referred to as being in front,

and one that he has passed is said to be in the rear. An 'advanced' starter signal is one that is further

ahead than the starter signal, and so on.

Q. What is a 'fixed signal'?

A fixed signal is any signal that is permanently erected at a location. The term is used to distinguish

normal signals and indicators from hand or lamp and flag signals, detonators, flares, bells, and other

special-purpose methods of signalling.

Q. How is failure of signals guarded against?

201

Signal installations are designed as far as possible for fail-safe operation, which means that any failure

should leave the system in a state where dangerous train movements are not allowed. For instance, in

case of a failure detected at a panel interlocking installation, all signals controlled by it are designed to

revert to On. Similarly, a failure detected in the block control circuit at the Starter signal causes all

signals to the rear guarding the approach to the block section switch to On, and notification is sent

automatically to the control centre or signal cabin.

The signals themselves have two-filament bulbs, or two-bulb assemblies for each lamp, to provide

redundancy in case of a filament burning out. Where incandescent bulbs are used, the filaments are kept

warm even when the lamp is off, through the passage of a small current which prevents thermal shocks

on switching on the lamp and thereby reduces the chances of failure. The signals are also frequently

examined and bulbs replaced in a pre-emptive manner.

There is also a trend towards using LED panels instead of incandescent bulbs for the greater safety they

afford (since several LEDs on a panel can fail without compromising the safety of the signal) as well as

for the power savings involved. Normally, a current relay also detects the current flowing in the signal

lamp in its different states, and this allows detection of a failed lamp. (Even in the days of kerosene

lamps for signals, a bimetallic thermal contact strip was used to detect the heat of the lamp and notify

the signalman if the lamp was extinguished.)

Back lights for electric signals today (and small slits in the rear of kerosene-lamp signals in days gone

by) allow the signalman or stationmaster to see the states of the signals at a station. Where visibility

limits the use of back lights, the signal aspect is repeated in the signal cabin or (at small stations) in the

station master's office.

In the latest instances of signalling control by means of interlinked stations (e.g., Chennai -

Washermanpet), failure-detection circuits are provided for each track circuit and signal circuit with

notification to the signal control centres in case of problems.

Signal installations are usually powered by independent power supplies (DC) that are driven by battery

installations that are charged from the regional grid (state electricity board's supply). All the failsafe

equpment and the signals themselves also have emergency fail-over to backup battery sets that keep the

signals and points working in case of power failure. Most stations also have diesel generator sets to

continue charging the batteries in case of power failure.

Stop signals

A stop signal governs access to a block section and ordinarily may not be passed when it is at its most

restrictive indication (the on position, which shows the stop or danger indication for these signals). That

is to say, when on, its interpretation is 'stop dead'.

Under some special circumstances, a stop signal may be passed at slow speed after the train has been

brought to a standstill at the rear of the signal. This is commonly allowed in automatic block territory

where the driver can proceed after waiting for a minute or two. In most other cases, the driver must

obtain permission to proceed over a telephone callbox at the signal, or must have written authorization

to ignore or pass the signal.

Automatic stop signals and delayed stop signals (see the section on block working) are provided with a

circular plate marked 'A' (black on white)

Semaphore: The semaphore arm of a stop signal is red in front with a white stripe near the end, and

white in the back with a black stripe near the end. The arm is square-ended. Signal aspects are as shown

below.

202

Colour-light: The stop signal may have two (green above red), three (green-yellow-red), or four lamps

(yellow-green-yellow-red) as described above. Aspects are as shown below.

Stop signal indication summary:

2LQ, MLQ, 2CL: Stop, Proceed

MAUQ, 3CL: Stop, Caution, Proceed

MACL: Stop, Caution, Attention, Proceed

203

Usually the signals are set up at sufficient distances so that, for instance, a train arriving at a Caution

signal at the maximum speed for the section can safely brake to a halt before the next signal which is at

Stop. Older locos especially hauling vacuum-braked rakes or long freight rakes should be able to slow

down sufficiently when they reach a signal at Attention so as to be able to halt after reaching the next

signal at Caution; but the newer locos hauling air-braked rakes can reach a signal at Attention at the

maximum speed for the section and proceed through it without slowing down and still brake safely if

the next signal is at Caution.

If the distance between the signal at Caution and the signal at danger is less than the safe braking

distance, the signal to the rear displaying Attention also serves to alert the driver that the train may have

to be slowed to restricted speed when it reaches the next signal.

A signal that is to the rear of a signal protecting a divergence cannot show an indication less restrictive

than Caution or Attention when the points are set at the divergence for any line other than the main line.

(The divergence should normally also be indicated by the use of a route indicator.) This Caution or

Attention indication may be repeated further in the rear if the distance to the divergence is insufficient

to permit a train to slow down to the appropriate speed for the divergence. The Caution indication is

also used to indicate track sections with speed restrictions. The Attention indication may

correspondingly be displayed by the signal to the rear of the signal guarding the approach to a curve or

a divergence or section with speed restrictions.

The starter signal (see below) may show Attention or Caution to provide permission for a train to leave

a station, instead of the Proceed indication.

Stop signals are of the following types:

Home

This is the first stop signal on approach to a station without an outer home signal. It is not optional. The

signal guards entry to the station limits ahead from the block section in the rear and appears before all

connections to the line (branches, loops, etc.) at the station.

A home signal at Caution indicates that the train may have to stop on the line before leaving the block,

or that the train has to slow down to a particular speed in order for the starter signal at the entrance to

the next block to shift to Proceed. A home signal is also set at Caution for temporary or permanent

speed restrictions within station limits. An optional (electric) numeric display on the post of this signal

is usually an indication of the platform to which the train will be routed.

For stations with multiple lines where a train may be received (i.e., main running line and loop lines),

normally home signals are provided either in sets in semaphore signalling (as many as the number of

receiving lines), or with route indicators ('feathers') in colour-light signalling, just before the diverging

points to the various lines, to indicate for which line the points have been set for the train to be received.

In semaphore signalling, the main line home signal is placed above any others; the lower signals refer to

lines diverging to the left or right of the main line according to their position with respect to the main

signal. Such signal arrangements are also referred to as bracketed home signals. Bracketed homes

require interlocking between points and signals.

Outer (Outer Home)

To increase track utilization, or to provide better control over approach to station limits, additional

signals may be provided to the rear of the Home signal. An Outer Home signal (also known simply as

an Outer), to the rear of the home signal, is very common. The outer may be at Caution to indicate

speed restrictions further ahead, or if the home signal is at Stop.

Intermediate home

204

Intermediate home signals may be provided between the outer and home in some cases to provide finer

control over train movements on approach to station limits.

Intermediate block

his stop signal is provided on intermediate block sections which are block sections created by

subdividing a long block section between stations; there isn't necessarily a separate station or route

junction at the point. (If there is a station, it is an intermediate block post or halt station.) An

intermediate block signal simply protects the block section ahead of it in a manner similar to a starter

signal. A circular marker with 'IB' (black on white) is fixed to the post below the signal. The signal is

controlled by the cabin of the station to the rear if the intermediate block post is not manned.

Routing

This indicates which of two or more diverging routes have been set, especially in cases where the

corresponding Home or Outer or other stop signals before the facing points do not provide such

indication.

Starter

This governs exit from the most advanced section within station limits, and entrance to the block

section ahead. It marks the limit up to which a normal train can stand at a station. (Shunting movements

can go beyond the starter when intermediate or advanced starters are provided.) Normally it is the last

stop signal on departing from a station unless an advanced starter is present. If an advanced starter is

provided, the starter may protect facing points to another running line at the same station. Starter signals

are provided at most stations, but there are some without them. If the starter is not provided station

working rules prescribe when trains may proceed to the next block section; usually tangible authority to

proceed such as a Neale's ball token or paper line clear ticket are needed.

If there are several converging lines exiting a station, each is usually provided with a starter so as to

protect each line from fouling the adjacent lines. If a single starter is provided for several converging

lines exiting a station (this is rare), it is placed beyond the trailing points of the convergences. In some

areas, a starter signal may be set up so that it does not shift to the Proceed indication unless the train

slows down to a particular speed (or stops) before reaching it (in such cases the home signal at the

entrance to the block is usually at Caution). Shunting cannot take place without special instructions

beyond the starter if it is the last stop signal at the station.

Normally the starter signal shows a 'Proceed' indication (green signal) to indicate that a train may leave

the station, but in some cases an 'Attention' or 'Caution' indication (double yellow / yellow) may be used

to allow the train to leave the station (and make the platform available for another train) but at a reduced

speed. On Konkan Railway lines it has been observed [4/01] that the 'Attention' indication (double

yellow) is routinely used for the starter signal.

A starter signal may have additional lamps or signs such as 'M', 'B', etc. to indicate which tracks the

train will depart on (mainline, branch line, etc.), in the case of diverging lines beyond the starter.

Multiple semaphores or colour-light signals may also be used (bracketed starters), or route indicators.

Advanced Starter

This is an optional signal. It is a stop signal provided ahead of the starter signal, and therefore if present

it is the last stop signal on departing station limits. The advanced starter allows shunting operations

beyond the starter. Normally shunting may not take place beyond the advanced starter. Otherwise the

advanced starter, if present, functions just like the starter signal to control exit from station limits and

entrance to the block section ahead. It is placed ahead of all trailing points for converging lines exiting

the station, and therefore, there is usually just one advanced starter for all the lines at the station.

205

Intermediate starter

Intermediate starters may be provided between the starter and advanced starter to split up the section

into smaller sub-sections and provide finer control over train movements and shunting operations.

Intermediate starters are placed to the rear of the fouling points of the points they protect.

Gate

A gate stop signal guards interlocked (or sometimes non-interlocked) gates at level crossings. A circular

plate marked 'G' (black on yellow) is fixed on the post below the signal. A gate signal may be passed

after the train comes to a standstill to the rear of the signal and after waiting for a minute or two. The

train may then proceed slowly up to the level crossing, and must then wait for the gateman to direct the

train across the level crossing with hand signals.

A gate signal may be placed on the same post as an outer signal, or the two may be combined. If an

outer signal is ahead of the gate signal and there is insufficient visibility of the outer signal, the gate

signal and the outer signal can be slotted to work together so that the gate signal is never pulled off

when the outer is on. In such situations, the distant signal pertaining to the outer home acts as the gate

distant.

Note: In very rare instances, if the distance between stations is really short, and the station to the rear

needs an advanced starter which would appear in about the same place that the outer home for the

station ahead, the two may be combined into one stop signal controlled from both stations. Thus the

train effectively moves directly from the station limits of one station into the station limits of the next.

Note: For class 'C' stations, the Home signal is both the first stop signal and the last stop signal, as

starter signals are usually not provided.

Warner Signals

A warner signal is used only in two-aspect signalling (2LQ, MLQ, 2CL). Its purpose is to warn of an

approach to a stop signal further ahead, or to advise a driver of the condition of the block section being

entered. As such, it is a permissive signal and may be passed when it is in its most restrictive (on)

indication, although when it is on the train must reduce speed.

A warner is always set to the on position for a train which is scheduled to stop ahead at the station. A

warner may also be provided in 2-aspect territory on the approach to a gate stop signal. Normally

warners are pulled off only when the stop signal they refer to is pulled for the main line (highest

permissible speed), and not if a stop signal for a divergence is pulled off. There are some other

considerations,

Combination Warner

The warner is often paired with a stop signal (for example, an outer-warner combination is very

common), in which case the warner's indication is never less restrictive than that of the stop signal, and

if the stop signal is on, the combination cannot be passed. When the stop signal and the warner are both

clear (in the case of outer home signals this is known as 'home double' or 'double home'), the signal may

be passed at the maximum speed for that section.

In a combination warner, the stop signal may show Proceed and the warner may be on, to indicate that

the next stop signal ahead (usually the home signal, in the case of an outer+warner combination) is on

(at Stop).

In some cases, the warner may not be pulled off (see distance considerations below) at all. Allowed

combinations are outer+warner, starter+warner (if no advanced starter), or last stop signal + warner

206

(i.e., advanced starter + warner). The mechanical interconnection between the stop signal and the

warner in semaphore signalling, which prevents the warner from being less restrictive than the stop

signal is known as slotting.

Lone Warner

If the warner is by itself, a fixed green lamp is usually placed above it on the same mast (so that

technically it is equivalent to a warner below a stop signal which is always clear).

Unworked warners

A warner signal may be set up to be permanently in the on position (caution indication). In this case the

warner merely advises the driver of a train of the approach to a stop signal ahead or possibly a

permanent restriction or problem with the track ahead.

Illustrations covering aspects in both semaphore and color-light systems are shown below.

Semaphore: The semaphore arm of a warner signal has a vee-notch at the end; it is red in front with a

white stripe (V-shaped) at the end, and white at the back with a black stripe (V-shaped) at the end.

Aspects are as shown below.

Colour-light: The warner consists of a two-lamp signal (green above red) fixed below the (2-aspect)

stop signal on the same post. A warner without a stop signal has a single green lamp (always lit) above

it on the same post, and a small circular plate marked 'P' (black on white) below it.

Warner signal indication summary:

2LQ, MLQ, 2CL (Lone Warner): Caution, Proceed

2LQ, MLQ, 2CL (Warner in combination with stop signal): Stop, Caution, Proceed

207

MAUQ, 3CL, MACL: Warners not used.

Distant Signals

A distant signal (also known as a pre-warner) indicates approach to a more restrictive signal further

ahead. In IR terminology, the distant is said to 'pre-warn' the driver of the indication of the next signal

ahead. Examples: The distant signal shows Caution, and the next stop signal ahead is at Stop. Or, the

distant signal shows Attention, and the next stop signal is at Caution.

A distant signal may be at Attention if the following signals guard a divergence and the points there are

set for a route other than the main line. A distant signal to the rear of signals at a divergence will be at

Proceed if the points are set for the main line at the divergence. In that case, the stop signal for the main

line may be at Caution. Of course, both the distant and the next stop signal may be at Proceed.

A distant signal is a permissive signal and may always be passed even in its most restrictive indication.

A distant signal is analogous to a distant signal that occurs by itself in UK practice. A distant signal is

typically at a distance of 1km or so from the stop signal it protects, but this may vary depending on the

particular track requirements.

Outer and Inner distants

In some sections two distant signals may be provided to the rear of a stop signal. In that case, the one

further to the rear of the stop signal is known as the outer distant or the second distant, or simply as

just the distant signal and the one just before the stop signal is known as the inner distant signal. In

such a case, the outer distant can only show two indications, Attention and Proceed, while the inner

distant can show Caution as well. Two distants are standard on routes with speeds above 100km/h and

where goods trains run which require braking distances over 1km.

A distant signal is usually placed far enough (2km or so) to the rear of the stop signal it protects that

when it is at Caution a train at the maximum speed for the section can brake safely to a halt before the

stop signal. Otherwise, the Caution indication may be replicated further back by using more than one

distant until the rearmost distant at Caution is at sufficient distance from the stop signal.

Gate distant

Distant signals may also be provided to the rear of gate signals, in which case they are known as gate

distant signals and have the 'G' marker just like gate stop signals. However, a distant signal may act as

a distant signal for both a normal stop signal as well as a gate signal.

n rare cases distant signals may be mounted on the same mast as the last stop signal of a station or a

gate stop signal. In such cases the distant signal operates with the additional restriction that its

indication can never be less restrictive than that of the stop signal.

A distant signal showing the Proceed indication (clear) is also known as a 'distant green' from its colour-

light indication.

Illustrations covering aspects in both semaphore and color-light systems are shown below.

Semaphore: A distant signal has a vee-notch at the end; it is yellow in front with a black stripe (V-

shaped) at the end, and white at the back with a black stripe (V-shaped) at the end. At Caution and

Attention the semaphore spectacle displays a yellow lamp at night; for the Proceed indication a green

lamp is displayed. In upper quadrant territory, an additional yellow light is placed below the signal, on

the same post, and is lit when the distant is in the Attention indication, so that at night two yellow lamps

are seen.

208

Colour-light: Distant signals have a small circular plate marked 'P' (black on white) mounted on the

same post, below the signal (this marker is omitted if the distant signal is mounted on the same post as

the last stop signal for a station). The signal itself has 3 lamps, of which the top and bottom are yellow.

Aspects: For Caution only the bottom lamp is lit; for Attention both yellow lamps are lit, and for

Proceed just the green lamp is lit. The aspects are shown below.

Distant signal indication summary:

2LQ, 2CL, 3CL: Distants not used.

MLQ: Caution, Proceed

MAUQ, MACL (sole distant or inner distant): Caution, Attention, Proceed

MAUQ, MACL (outer distant): Attention, Proceed

Difference between Warner signals and Distant signals

209

Although distant signals and warner signals appear to serve similar purposes, there are some important

differences between them. Distant signals are generally placed the full braking distance before the first

stop signal of a station, whereas a warner can be placed on the stop signal itself (as at a 'B' class station).

The distant signal indicates the aspect of the stop signal ahead. With a warner, however, the indication

is definite only when it is off ('proceed'); when it is indicating the caution aspect, it could mean that the

home signal is at danger, or that the train may be received on a loop line, or that there is a speed

restriction ahead, etc. This means that the driver of the train cannot control the speed of the train as

carefully as he can with multiple-aspect signals.

Provision and Placement of Signals

Distance requirements

Adequate Distance is a term that is used in the context of placement of signals. It generally refers to

the safe distance to allow in the placement of a signal to allow for errors and overshooting signals or

mechanical failures. For some signals, the adequate distance is the braking distance, also known as the

warning distance - the distance a train running at the maximum permissible speed would need to be

able to brake to a complete stop. For other signal contexts, the adequate distance is the distance required

for the driver to safely brake to the lower speed required ahead.

Overlap is a term used for the adequate distance beyond a stop signal, which is required to be clear of

obstructions, before a train can be received at that signal when it is at danger. The provision of overlap

reduces the likelihood of collisions if a train overshoots the signal at danger.

Block overlap is the overlap associated with a reception stop signal of a station (home or outer), and is

the distance to be provided from that signal to the first facing points of the station (for a home signal

without an outer signal), or from the outer signal to the shunting limits of the station or to the advanced

starter in the opposite direction. It is usually also the distance to be provided between the home signal

and the starter signal, regardless of whether an outer signal is present. If an interlocked level-crossing

gate is present, then the outer signal is usually placed at least this distance to the rear of the gate; if

separate gate signals are provided, they must be at least the block overlap distance from the gate. Block

overlap is usually prescribed to be 400m for lower quadrant or 2-aspect colour-light signalling

(originally 1/4 mile in British operation), and 180m for MAUQ and MACL signalling. This can in some

instances be lower by special permission from the CRS.

Note that in the case of outer and home signals, the distance between them is often higher than the

standard block overlap, by 180m - this allows additional shunting activities to happen up to 180m to the

rear of the home signal.

Signal overlap refers to the overlap to be provided beyond any other stop signal other than the

outermost stop signal for the station; the term is especially used for the overlap provided in advance of

the starter signal. The signal overlap is normally 180m for lower quadrant or 2-color colour-light

signalling, and 120m for MAUQ or MACL signalling. The signal overlap is smaller than the block

overlap as it is presumed that a train is generally better under control within the station territory - and

there is also a lower likelihood of errors because both signals that the train is moving under (the signal

that it just passed that allowed it to proceed, and the signal it is approaching) are controlled by the same

authority. (As opposed to the block overlap where the train enters the block section and approaches the

outermost stop signal of the station, having received a proceed signal from the previous station.) For the

same reason, the requirement that the signal overlap distance be clear of obstructions is relaxed when

the train has first come to a dead stop at the signal to the rear.

Thus, the home signal can be taken off only if the signal overlap distance beyond the starter signal is

free of obstructions. On a single line, the distance is actually measured from the trailing points, whereas

it is measured from the starter signal in the case of double lines. Note that this applies only to trains in

210

motion that are approaching the home signal; for trains at a stand-still at the home signal, the home may

be taken off if the line is clear to the starter (double line) or to the trailing points (single line).

Advanced Starters are usually placed 180m beyond trailing points.

Warner Signals The Warning Distance is the distance required to brake a train to a complete stop and

is usually the distance provided between a warner signal and the stop signal ahead that it is associated

with; this is important in LQ signalling because the driver has to be prepared to bring the train to a halt

after seeing the warner at caution.

If a warner is to the rear of a gate stop signal, it is usually never pulled off unless the first stop signal of

the next station is at least 1200m ahead of the gate stop signal, regardless of the indication of the gate

stop signal. If a warner is provided in a station whose last stop signal is less than 1200m to the rear of

the first stop signal of the next station, the warner is pulled off only when the first stop signal of the next

station is pulled off.

Distant signals As above for warners, but the distance in question is 1km instead of 1200m.

Visibility requirements

Two-aspect signalling: Outer signals have to be visible for 1200m if train speeds exceed 100km/h;

800m otherwise. If a warner signal is provided to the rear of the outer signal, the visibility can be 400m.

Lone warners, home signals, and main starter signals must have a visibility of 400m. All other running

signals have to be visible for at least 200m. When this cannot be complied with, repeating signals are

provided.

3- or 4-aspect signalling: All running signals must be visible for at least 200m. If this is not possible

speed restrictions are imposed to the rear of the signal for which visibility is impaired, and repeating

signals may also be provided.

Q. What signals are provided at different kinds of stations?

Generally, fixed signals have to be provided at all block stations (i.e., classes A, B, and C), except those

operating trains under the One Train Only system. The minimal signal provisions for block stations with

manual absolute block working are described here. Additional signals may be always be provided based

on local requirements. Note that the requirements below are for each direction of approach to the

station.

Class 'A': In 2-aspect territory, a Warner, a Home, and a Starter signal are provided. In other

systems a Distant, a Home, and a Starter are provided. On double-line sections an Advanced

Starter is also provided. As the Home signal is the outermost stop signal, the line has to be clear

for the appropriate adequate distance (block overlap - 400m for LQ, 180m for

MAUQ/MACL/MLQ) beyond the home signal before a train is given permission to approach

(i.e., before Line Clear can be granted). The Starter is at an adequate distance beyond the Home.

The Warner or Distant follow standard placement guidelines (see below). The Home signal may

be bracketed.

This arrangement is suitable in cases where traffic passes through rapidly, and advance

knowledge of the condition of the block section is required for the driver. With higher running

speeds, it is important that the line be clear for a larger distance (including the section of the line

within station limits) before Line Clear is given. The first stop signal is necessarily closer to the

station (no Outer signal) and this can create constraints - e.g., if there is an approach gradient

near the station, making it inconvenient or unsafe for trains to stop at the Home signal. The

disadvantage of the arrangement stems principally from the fact that the line within the station

between the home and the starter has to be cleared before Line Clear can be given, which limits

working flexibility, shunting, and overall traffic flow.

211

Class 'B': In 2-aspect territory, an Outer and a Home signal for single-line sections, and an

Outer, a Home, and a Starter for double-line sections. Warners are provided if train speeds

exceed 50km/h. In other systems, a Distant, a Home, and a Starter signal are provided. The main

line Home signal usually has a Warner on the same post in modified lower-quadrant working. A

shunting limit board is provided in some cases, or an Advanced Starter instead of it. As the

Outer signal is the outermost stop signal, the line has to be clear for an adequate distance beyond

it (400m for 2LQ, 180m for MLQ, MACL, MAUQ) for Line Clear to be given. A warner is

provided in case the run-through speed for the station is over 50km/h.

At single line stations, this arrangement does not provide flexibility for shunting compared to an

'A' station, primarily because the shunting activities are still restricted to the portion of the line

in advance of the home signal if Line Clear has been given. Therefore, to allow flexibility in

shunting activities, the Outer signal is usually placed an additional 180m (beyond the block

overlap distance) to the rear of the Home signal, and a Shunting Limit Board appears at the

adequate distance in advance of the Outer signal (unless the advanced starter for the other

direction appears there, which can be used as the shunting limit marker).

The arrangement of a 'B' class station allows two trains to be received simultaneously from

either direction without block overlap or signal overlap infringement by either. The two trains

must be received on the two loop lines. If one train must be received on the main line, then it is

accepted directly and the other train is held at the outer signal by keeping it at danger. 'B'

stations therefore have higher capacity than 'A' stations, as trains can be on on the main and loop

lines simultaneously, while other trains can be waiting at either end on the block sections. 'B'

stations are generally used for most single lines, and also for some double lines (except for

suburban stations which for the most part use other arrangements with automatic signalling to

increase capacity).

In MLQ signalling, a Distant signal is provided at an adequate distance from the Home signal;

the Home is actualy a combination Home and Warner signal or a bracketed home signal with a

combination Home and Warner signal for the main line and additional home signals for the loop

line(s). When all signals on the bracketed home are on, then the train must come to a halt and

not proceed. For loop reception, the main home signal and warner are both on, and the loop

home is taken off; the train is expected to proceed at 15km/h on to the loop and stop on the loop.

If the main home signal is taken off while the warner is on (with the loop home being on,

obviously), the train is expected to proceed at 15km/h on to the main line and stop there. If both

the main home signal and its warner are taken off, the train is to run through on the main line.

Under the MAUQ / MACL systems, trains are received as follows on double lines. For reception

on the loop line: Distant at attention, Home at Caution for the loop. For reception on the main

line, Distant is taken off, Home is at Caution for the main line. For run-through, the Distant and

Home for the main line are both taken off.

Class 'C': In 2-aspect territory, a Warner and a Home signal are provided. In other systems, a

Distant and a Home are provided. The Warner or Distant must be at the braking distance from

the Home signal, and should be controlled through block instruments. There is no starter signal,

so a train can be received only after the previous train has passed an adequate distance measured

from the home signal.

'C' stations usually exist only on double lines, as they provide no crossing facilities.

Class 'D': No fixed signals need be provided, and the train is stopped for discharging or picking

up passengers under any ad hoc arrangement that is suitable.

Unmanned Intermediate Block Posts: The signals for an unmanned intermediate block post

are controlled by the station to its rear. Track circuiting is used to ensure that the last train has

passed an adequate distance beyond the Home signal of the unmanned IBP before the next train

is received.

In automatic block working, manually operated Home and Starter signals are provided at a block

station. Minimally, an automatic stop signal is also provided to the rear of the Home signal. Additional

automatic stop signals may be provided between any two block stations.

Calling-on signals

212

A calling-on signal is used to allow a loco or train to move into a block section or a track within station

limits, which is or may be already be occupied by another train or loco. This is done for the purposes of

coupling trains, for a train to enter a track for a long platform which already has another train stopped at

it, for a train to enter station limits and wait behind another train on the section (thereby clearing the

block section to the rear for another train to be received from the station in the rear), etc.

It always occurs in combination with a stop signal. It has only two positions, on and off. When on, the

indication of the stop signal applies. The calling-on signal can be off when the stop signal is at Stop; this

shows the indication of Proceed Slow, which allows the train to pass the signal at low speed, after

stopping, being prepared to stop for any vehicle or obstruction ahead of it on the same track.

In suburban sections a calling-on signal is sometimes used to allow EMU trains to proceed with caution

on to a section of track occupied by another train. Often, there is electrical circuitry in the tracks to

ensure that the calling-on signal does not change to off unless the train has come to a complete halt first.

A calling-on signal may in some circumstances also be used to allow a train to pass a defective stop

signal.

The calling-on signal is not pulled off when the stop signal is not on; and if a shunt signal is on the same

pole below it, the shunt signal and calling-on signal cannot be pulled off at the same time.

Semaphore: A calling-on signal uses a miniature semaphore arm which is square-ended, and which is

white in front with a red stripe near the end, and white in the back with a black stripe near the end. In

2LQ and MLQ territory, the calling-on signal also works in the lower quadrant: on is horizontal, off is

dropped by 60 degrees or so.

At night there is no lamp shown for the on position, and a miniature yellow lamp is shown for the off

position. In MAUQ territory the calling-on signal works in two positions in the upper quadrant: (on is

horizontal as usual (no lamp at night), off is at about 45 degrees above the horizontal (yellow lamp at

night). The calling-on signal is always placed below the stop signal on the same pole. Semaphore

calling-on aspects are shown below.

213

Colour-light: The calling-on signal consists of a single yellow lamp placed below the stop signal (2-, 3-

, or 4-aspect) on the same post. It is lit only for the off position. A small circular plate marked "C"

(black on white) is fixed to the post below the signal. Colour-light calling-on aspects are shown below.

Shunting signals and indicators

Shunt signals control shunting movements. A shunt signal may be placed on its own post or on the same

post as a stop signal. If a calling-on signal is also placed on the same post, the shunt signal appears

below the calling-on signal. A shunt signal has two indications; when on the indication of the stop

signal applies, and when off, the indication is Proceed Slow for Shunting, which allows a loco to

proceed past the signal with caution for shunting purposes.

A shunt signal mounted below a stop signal cannot be pulled off when the stop signal is not on. If a

calling-on signal is also on the same post, the shunt signal cannot be pulled off at the same time as the

calling-on signal. Even when a stop signal or shunt signal is pulled off, shunting operations are

normally done only at a speed of at most 15km/h, and much lower depending on the composition of the

shunted rake (some BOX / BOB wagons cannot be shunted at more than 5km/h singly or in small

groups, and with transition couplers the limit is just 2km/h).

Multiple shunt signals may be mounted on the same post. In that case, the highest of them applies to the

leftmost of the diverging routes, and the ones below it apply to successive routes moving to the right.

However, just one shunt signal, with or without a route indicator, may be provided for diverging routes.

Disc: Disc signals used for shunting show a red stripe on a white background. (Black stripe on white

background from the rear.) Aspects: The red stripe is horizontal for the on position and inclined at an

angle for the off position. The inclination is upwards to the left in upper-quadrant or MACL territory,

and downwards to the left for lower-quadrant or 2CL territory. Generally disc signals are used in

semaphore territory. The aspects are as shown below.

214

Position-light: The most common position-light signals used for shunting show two white or yellow

lights arranged horizontally for the on position, and two lights at an angle (the one to the left being

higher) for the off position. These aspects are shown below.

3-aspect position-light signals: Some position-light signals used for shunting show three white (or

yellow) lights arranged horizontally for the on position, three lights at an angle (sloping down to the

right) for the proceed slow for shunting indication, and three lights in a vertical line for the proceed for

shunting indication. These aspects are shown below.

Semaphore: These are miniature semaphores, square-ended and coloured red with a white stripe at the

end in the front (and white with a black stripe on the reverse side). They work in the lower quadrant in

lower quadrant territory and in the upper quadrant in upper quadrant or MACL territory. In all, the

horizontal position is on and the inclined position is off.

Except for the position-light signals, the others show their indications at night as follows: For the on

position, the shunt signal shows no light if it is mounted on a post with a stop signal above it, and a red

215

light if it is on its own post. For the off position, a green lamp is lit in 2-aspect territory, and a yellow

lamp is lit in multiple-aspect territory.

A double-red colour-light signal, permanently lit, is sometimes used to indicate the shunting limit on a

particular line. The double-red signal is used when it is especially important that no trains accidentally

pass it -- e.g., at busy suburban stations with many automatic and semi-automatic signals which can

normally be passed after halting for a specified time, hence a single red signal cannot be used. Normally

the double-red signal also carries a board that says 'STOP'.

Shunt permission indicators

A Shunt permission indicator is used to indicate uninterrupted shunting movements past the indicator, in

one or both directions.

Target signal: When shunting is permitted, a black disc with a yellow cross on it is visible from the

direction(s) from which shunting is permitted; if shunting is not permitted, the discs of the signal are

edge-on. At night, when shunting is permitted a yellow cross-shaped light is visible, and no light is

visible otherwise.

Lamp: A lamp close to ground level may also be used. It displays a yellow cross-shaped light when lit

to indicate shunting permitted, and no light if shunting is not permitted.

Points indicators

Where points are not interlocked with signals, and there are no other indications to a driver of the

position of facing points, a point indicator signal is used. This is always of the target type, placed close

to ground level, which shows a white disc (white lamp at night) when the points are set for the main or

straight-ahead line. When the points are set for a divergence, the disc is edge-on (and a green lamp is lit

at night). In some cases where a green lamp might be confusing, a red lamp may (rarely) be used.

Trap indicators






Repeaters

A repeating signal or repeater is one placed to the rear of a signal in order to provide early indication of

the indication of the signal. It is an advisory signal and therefore permissive and may always be passed.

A repeater has only two positions, on and off. In the on position it indicates that the signal ahead which

it repeats is in the on position or most restrictive indication. In the off position it indicates that the signal

ahead which it repeats is off, i.e., not on (but not necessarily clear).

Banner or Disc: A disc type repeater consists of a white disc with a band across it that consists of three

parallel stripes: black, yellow, and black. (This is also known as a banner signal in IR terminology.)

The band is horizontal for on and inclined (upwards to the left) for off. A circular plate with "R" on it

(black on white) is fixed below it to the post. Banner signals usually don't have lamps for indication at

night, but where provided the on indication is given by a yellow lamp and the off indication by a green

lamp.

216

Semaphore: This has a square-ended arm which is yellow with a black stripe at the end in front (and

white with a black stripe near the end in the rear). This is used in 2-aspect territory, and works in the

lower quadrant; horizontal for on and inclined downward for off. A circular plate marked "R" (black on

white) is fixed to the post below it. At night, a yellow lamp is shown for on and a green lamp for off.

Colour-light: This has two lamps, green above yellow. The yellow lamp is lit for on and the green one

for off. A circular plate marked "R" (white on black) is fixed to the post below the signal.

Konkan Railway uses repeater signals that are different from those on the rest of IR. These are 2-lamp

assemblies, with lenses about the size of a shunt signal, placed close to the ground. There is a red lamp

below a green lamp. The red lamp is is lit for on and the green one for off.

A starter indicator is a special type of repeater provided to show the indication of a starter signal to the

guard of a train who, being at the rear of a train, may not be in a position to see the starter signal

directly. It consists of a single miniature yellow lamp which is lit when the starter is off and unlit when

the starter is on. It may have additional lamps showing signs such as "M" (mainline) "B" (branch) to

indicate the particular track for which the points have been set.

217

Unusual signalling situations

Signals that control access to some bridges or other structures sometimes have additional interlocking

with devices that ensure safety. For instance, the Pamban sea bridge (Manmadurai - Rameshwaram

section) has a lower quadrant semaphore signal that controls access to the bridge. This signal is coupled

with a wind speed measuring device that tracks the wind over the bridge, and does not allow the signal

to be pulled off even if the station clears the signal, if the wind speed is too high. In case the device is

suspected to have failed, the station master is supposed to ensure that wind speeds are not abnormal,

and then issue written authority to trains to pass the signal at danger. There is (was?) another similar

signal just before Kudalasangama Road Station (?) on the Bagalkot-Bijapur MG section between Gadag

and Solapur set up to be dependent on the wind speed across the Krishna river (Upper Krishna project).

Home signals without loop line indication

Some stations on the Maliladuthurai-Tiruvarur-Karikudi (MG) section in lower quadrant semaphore

territory have outer and home signals that control access to the station limits, but do not provide any

indication of which line (main line or loop line) the train will be received on. A single home signal is

provided, not the usual combination of a main line signal placed at an elevation with respect to the loop

line signal. The driver of the train with a clear signal is expected to slow down to about 15km/h or less

near the diverging points and examine the points indicator at ground level. A green display (edge-on)

indicates the points have been set for the loop line and a white display (face-on) indicates the points

have been set for the main line. Depending on this the driver adjusts his speed to proceed (at normal

speed if on the main line, reduced speed for the loop line). As there is no interlocking, pointsmen

usually wait near the points to ensure the points are set correctly, and sometimes provide additional

hand signals to the driver.

The same stations as mentioned above also are notable for not having starter or advanced starter signals.

Tangible authority to proceed in the form of a Neale's ball token or paper line clear certificate is

sufficient for the train to proceed to the next block section, except if stopping at the station in which

case the guard's signal is required.

Starter signals shared by lines: Thiruturipondi station has two lines (for two platforms) and is also a

junction with lines diverging to Karikudi and Agaisthianpalli. The platform lines share a common

starter signal; nor does the signal indicate which route the points are set for. Hence, drivers of trains

awaiting departure at the platforms are expected to first obtain tangible authority to proceed (Neale's

ball token or paper line clear ticket), and additionally, specific written authority to proceed which

mentions that the starter signal that is pulled off is intended for that particular train on that line and

headed on one route or another.

Calling-on signals

A calling-on signal is used to allow a loco or train to move into a block section or a track within station

limits, which is or may be already be occupied by another train or loco. This is done for the purposes of

coupling trains, for a train to enter a track for a long platform which already has another train stopped at

it, for a train to enter station limits and wait behind another train on the section (thereby clearing the

block section to the rear for another train to be received from the station in the rear), etc.

It always occurs in combination with a stop signal. It has only two positions, on and off. When on, the

indication of the stop signal applies. The calling-on signal can be off when the stop signal is at Stop; this

shows the indication of Proceed Slow, which allows the train to pass the signal at low speed, after

stopping, being prepared to stop for any vehicle or obstruction ahead of it on the same track.

In suburban sections a calling-on signal is sometimes used to allow EMU trains to proceed with caution

on to a section of track occupied by another train. Often, there is electrical circuitry in the tracks to

218

ensure that the calling-on signal does not change to off unless the train has come to a complete halt first.

A calling-on signal may in some circumstances also be used to allow a train to pass a defective stop

signal.

The calling-on signal is not pulled off when the stop signal is not on; and if a shunt signal is on the same

pole below it, the shunt signal and calling-on signal cannot be pulled off at the same time.

Semaphore: A calling-on signal uses a miniature semaphore arm which is square-ended, and which is

white in front with a red stripe near the end, and white in the back with a black stripe near the end. In

2LQ and MLQ territory, the calling-on signal also works in the lower quadrant: on is horizontal, off is

dropped by 60 degrees or so.

At night there is no lamp shown for the on position, and a miniature yellow lamp is shown for the off

position. In MAUQ territory the calling-on signal works in two positions in the upper quadrant: (on is

horizontal as usual (no lamp at night), off is at about 45 degrees above the horizontal (yellow lamp at

night). The calling-on signal is always placed below the stop signal on the same pole. Semaphore

calling-on aspects are shown below.

Colour-light: The calling-on signal consists of a single yellow lamp placed below the stop signal (2-, 3-

, or 4-aspect) on the same post. It is lit only for the off position. A small circular plate marked "C"

(black on white) is fixed to the post below the signal. Colour-light calling-on aspects are shown below.

219

Shunting signals and indicators

Shunt signals control shunting movements. A shunt signal may be placed on its own post or on the same

post as a stop signal. If a calling-on signal is also placed on the same post, the shunt signal appears

below the calling-on signal. A shunt signal has two indications; when on the indication of the stop

signal applies, and when off, the indication is Proceed Slow for Shunting, which allows a loco to

proceed past the signal with caution for shunting purposes.

A shunt signal mounted below a stop signal cannot be pulled off when the stop signal is not on. If a

calling-on signal is also on the same post, the shunt signal cannot be pulled off at the same time as the

calling-on signal. Even when a stop signal or shunt signal is pulled off, shunting operations are

normally done only at a speed of at most 15km/h, and much lower depending on the composition of the

shunted rake (some BOX / BOB wagons cannot be shunted at more than 5km/h singly or in small

groups, and with transition couplers the limit is just 2km/h).

Multiple shunt signals may be mounted on the same post. In that case, the highest of them applies to the

leftmost of the diverging routes, and the ones below it apply to successive routes moving to the right.

However, just one shunt signal, with or without a route indicator, may be provided for diverging routes.

Disc: Disc signals used for shunting show a red stripe on a white background. (Black stripe on white

background from the rear.) Aspects: The red stripe is horizontal for the on position and inclined at an

angle for the off position. The inclination is upwards to the left in upper-quadrant or MACL territory,

and downwards to the left for lower-quadrant or 2CL territory. Generally disc signals are used in

semaphore territory. The aspects are as shown below.

220

Position-light: The most common position-light signals used for shunting show two white or yellow

lights arranged horizontally for the on position, and two lights at an angle (the one to the left being

higher) for the off position. These aspects are shown below.

3-aspect position-light signals: Some position-light signals used for shunting show three white (or

yellow) lights arranged horizontally for the on position, three lights at an angle (sloping down to the

right) for the proceed slow for shunting indication, and three lights in a vertical line for the proceed for

shunting indication. These aspects are shown below.

Semaphore: These are miniature semaphores, square-ended and coloured red with a white stripe at the

end in the front (and white with a black stripe on the reverse side). They work in the lower quadrant in

lower quadrant territory and in the upper quadrant in upper quadrant or MACL territory. In all, the

horizontal position is on and the inclined position is off.

Except for the position-light signals, the others show their indications at night as follows: For the on

position, the shunt signal shows no light if it is mounted on a post with a stop signal above it, and a red

light if it is on its own post. For the off position, a green lamp is lit in 2-aspect territory, and a yellow

lamp is lit in multiple-aspect territory.

221

A double-red colour-light signal, permanently lit, is sometimes used to indicate the shunting limit on a

particular line. (It is more common to have a shunting limit board; see the section on signs). The

double-red signal is used when it is especially important that no trains accidentally pass it -- e.g., at

busy suburban stations with many automatic and semi-automatic signals which can normally be passed

after halting for a specified time, hence a single red signal cannot be used. Normally the double-red

signal also carries a board that says 'STOP'.

Shunt permission indicators

A Shunt permission indicator is used to indicate uninterrupted shunting movements past the indicator, in

one or both directions.

Target signal: When shunting is permitted, a black disc with a yellow cross on it is visible from the

direction(s) from which shunting is permitted; if shunting is not permitted, the discs of the signal are

edge-on. At night, when shunting is permitted a yellow cross-shaped light is visible, and no light is

visible otherwise.

Lamp: A lamp close to ground level may also be used. It displays a yellow cross-shaped light when lit

to indicate shunting permitted, and no light if shunting is not permitted.

Points indicators






Trap indicators






Repeaters

A repeating signal or repeater is one placed to the rear of a signal in order to provide early indication of

the indication of the signal. It is an advisory signal and therefore permissive and may always be passed.

A repeater has only two positions, on and off. In the on position it indicates that the signal ahead which

it repeats is in the on position or most restrictive indication. In the off position it indicates that the signal

ahead which it repeats is off, i.e., not on (but not necessarily clear).

Banner or Disc: A disc type repeater consists of a white disc with a band across it that consists of three

parallel stripes: black, yellow, and black. (This is also known as a banner signal in IR terminology.)

The band is horizontal for on and inclined (upwards to the left) for off. A circular plate with "R" on it

(black on white) is fixed below it to the post. Banner signals usually don't have lamps for indication at

night, but where provided the on indication is given by a yellow lamp and the off indication by a green

lamp.

222

Semaphore: This has a square-ended arm which is yellow with a black stripe at the end in front (and

white with a black stripe near the end in the rear). This is used in 2-aspect territory, and works in the

lower quadrant; horizontal for on and inclined downward for off. A circular plate marked "R" (black on

white) is fixed to the post below it. At night, a yellow lamp is shown for on and a green lamp for off.

Colour-light: This has two lamps, green above yellow. The yellow lamp is lit for on and the green one

for off. A circular plate marked "R" (white on black) is fixed to the post below the signal.

Konkan Railway uses repeater signals that are different from those on the rest of IR. These are 2-lamp

assemblies, with lenses about the size of a shunt signal, placed close to the ground. There is a red lamp

below a green lamp. The red lamp is is lit for on and the green one for off.

A starter indicator is a special type of repeater provided to show the indication of a starter signal to the

guard of a train who, being at the rear of a train, may not be in a position to see the starter signal

directly. It consists of a single miniature yellow lamp which is lit when the starter is off and unlit when

the starter is on. It may have additional lamps showing signs such as "M" (mainline) "B" (branch) to

indicate the particular track for which the points have been set.

223

Unusual signalling situations

Signals that control access to some bridges or other structures sometimes have additional interlocking

with devices that ensure safety. For instance, the Pamban sea bridge (Manmadurai - Rameshwaram

section) has a lower quadrant semaphore signal that controls access to the bridge. This signal is coupled

with a wind speed measuring device that tracks the wind over the bridge, and does not allow the signal

to be pulled off even if the station clears the signal, if the wind speed is too high. In case the device is

suspected to have failed, the station master is supposed to ensure that wind speeds are not abnormal,

and then issue written authority to trains to pass the signal at danger. There is (was?) another similar

signal just before Kudalasangama Road Station (?) on the Bagalkot-Bijapur MG section between Gadag

and Solapur set up to be dependent on the wind speed across the Krishna river (Upper Krishna project).

Home signals without loop line indication

Some stations on the Maliladuthurai-Tiruvarur-Karikudi (MG) section in lower quadrant semaphore

territory have outer and home signals that control access to the station limits, but do not provide any

indication of which line (main line or loop line) the train will be received on. A single home signal is

provided, not the usual combination of a main line signal placed at an elevation with respect to the loop

line signal. The driver of the train with a clear signal is expected to slow down to about 15km/h or less

near the diverging points and examine the points indicator at ground level. A green display (edge-on)

indicates the points have been set for the loop line and a white display (face-on) indicates the points

have been set for the main line. Depending on this the driver adjusts his speed to proceed (at normal

speed if on the main line, reduced speed for the loop line). As there is no interlocking, pointsmen

usually wait near the points to ensure the points are set correctly, and sometimes provide additional

hand signals to the driver.

The same stations as mentioned above also are notable for not having starter or advanced starter signals.

Tangible authority to proceed in the form of a Neale's ball token or paper line clear certificate is

sufficient for the train to proceed to the next block section, except if stopping at the station in which

case the guard's signal is required.

Starter signals shared by lines: Thiruturipondi station has two lines (for two platforms) and is also a

junction with lines diverging to Karikudi and Agaisthianpalli. The platform lines share a common

starter signal; nor does the signal indicate which route the points are set for. Hence, drivers of trains

awaiting departure at the platforms are expected to first obtain tangible authority to proceed (Neale's

ball token or paper line clear ticket), and additionally, specific written authority to proceed which

mentions that the starter signal that is pulled off is intended for that particular train on that line and

headed on one route or another.

Railway Operations

Q. What are 'slip coaches' and 'through coaches'?

In India slip coach refers to a coach that is designated to terminate its journey at a station prior to the

final destination of the rest of the train. The more accurate term is sectional carriage. The coach or

coaches are left behind after being detached from the rest of the train. In India this is done only after the

train comes to a halt; the vacuum and brake connections have to be tested before the rest of the train can

leave.

The term 'slip coach' is from an earlier era, however. A long time back it was the practice in the UK to

uncouple some cars or coaches on the run, without stopping (this was called 'slipping' the coaches), at

some stations. In such an operation, the slip coach had its own special guard who controlled the

224

detachment, and then braked the coach as it travelled under its own momentum towards the platform at

the station. This avoided delays for the main part of the train which did not have to stop at the station.

This practice continued for quite some time in the UK (until the 1960s), and slip coach usually refers to

this practice in British terminology. But in India the term has come to mean coaches that are detached

even though they are not slipped on the run.

E.g., 5014 Ranikhet Exp. from Kathgodam has 2 SL coaches and one AC-2T coach that are slip coaches

for Dehradun. These are detached and attached to the 4265 Mail. Another slip coach (SL) for Jammu

Tawi is detached and attached to the 3151 Express.

A through coach is like a slip coach, except that it is later re-attached to another train after being

detached from the first one. Thus, the passengers in the coach do not have to change trains for their

destination, even if no through train exists for that route.

Q. Are there trains that bifurcate or are re-formed en route?

There are several trains which split/amalgamate at a junction, Example: the 6635 Dn Netravati Exp

from Kurla (Mumbai) used to work as one train upto Shoranur Jn in Kerala, thereafter one half of the

train went as 6635A to Mangalore and the rest went as 6635B to Cochin. This trains now runs through

Konkan Railways and hence does not spilt up at Shoranur.

For another example, the Alleppey to Bokaro/Tatanagar Exp. halts at Raurkela and splits into two

trains, one going to Bokaro and the other to Tatanagar. The train to Bokaro also has a slip coach

(sectional carriage) attached to it from the Kurla-Howrah Exp. As yet another example, 5014 Ranikhet

Exp. from Kathgodam and the 5014A Jim Corbett Park Exp. from Ramnagar combine at Moradabad Jn.

and proceed to Delhi.

(Alphabetic suffixes – 'A', 'B' – are commonly used in addition to the 4-digit train numbers in such

cases, as seen in the example above (6635A, 6635B).)

In general, however, IR does not use the concept of sectional carriages and re-forming consists as

intensively as European railways do, where, of a dozen coaches in a train leaving from one station, each

one might end up going to a different destination (possibly in different countries!).

Q. What are 'Passenger', 'Ordinary', 'Express', and 'Fast Passenger' trains?

In general, Passenger trains (also 'ordinary passenger trains', or 'stopping passenger trains') are the ones

that stop at all, or nearly all, of the stations along a route. Most of these tend to be quite slow. Express

trains skip many stations and stop at only selected ones. An express train need not be a particularly fast

train, although there is often an expectation that it will run fairly fast, at least faster than the ordinary

passengers on the same route. (See the term 'superfast' below.) Fast Passengers are an in-between class

— while no real criterion appears to exist for labelling a train a fast passenger, but in general they stop

at a lot of stations along the way (many more than for an express, but fewer than for an ordinary

passenger) and have a higher average speed than the ordinary passenger services on the same section.

They also generally have reservable sleeper coaches, something not seen in ordinary passenger trains.

E.g., the Nagpur Tatanagar Fast Passenger has three sleeper coaches [12/04].

Passenger trains are also known as 'ordinary trains' in some places. Express trains and mail trains (see

below) are together often referred to as 'mail/express' or 'M/E' trains.

In timetables, some trains are marked as 'Express/Passenger' which implies that they are like passenger

trains along some sections of their route, halting at all or almost all stations, and skipping halts on other

sections. The express fare surcharge in such cases is applicable only to the express portion of the

journey. Generally these trains have one passenger section and the rest of the route is express (or vice

versa), and trains with several passenger sections separated by express sections appear to be very rare.

225

'Special' trains are ordinary trains in terms of their accommodations and speed. They are so termed

because they do not appear in the normal timetables and are run during vacation / festival times and at

other times when there are seasonal surges of traffic along certain routes. Also known as 'Holiday

Specials'.

Occasionally, trains have been marked 'Premium' or 'Premium Special', especially holiday specials and

other special trains. The term appears to apply only to trains that run at an average speed of 60km/h or

above.

Q. What's a 'local'?

A local is simply a suburban commuter train, usually one that stops at all stations en route.

Q. What's a 'fast', 'semi-fast', or 'double-fast' train?

Mumbai suburban services have various such designations (not all of them official, but in wide use). A

'fast' train or 'fast local' is essentially one that is fast (runs express, skipping stops) until a certain station,

and from that station onwards runs like a local, e.g., the Virar Fast runs express to Borivli, and thence is

a local. The Karjat Fast is an express until Kalyan. The Ambarnath Fast Local goes CSTM - Dadar -

Thane and thereafter stops at all stations on its route. The Borivli Fast Local used to run (1980s) from

Jogeshwari to Bombay Central non-stop.

The term 'superfast local' is sometimes used too, e.g., for trains that skip stations to reach Virar early in

the down direction so they are available earlier to carry more passengers in the up direction later. On

WR lines, the term 'fast' train is often applied to one that runs as an express until Bandra or Andheri. A

'double-fast' is one that runs as an express for an even longer stretch compared to the 'fast' services.

On CR lines, the term 'fast' train is often applied to any train that runs as an express to Kalyan, or until

its terminus. There used to be a Kalyan Fast that ran non-stop from Ghatkopar to Bombay VT (as it then

was). The term 'semi-fast' is sometimes applied to trains that run express until Thane. The term 'bada-

fast' (Hindi 'bada'= big) was used for services running express between Borivli - Bandra - Marine Lines,

and is sometimes synonymous with 'double-fast'. The term 'triple-fast' has been reported (from a long

time back) for express services between Dahisar and Marine Lines.

In Kolkata, suburban trains that skipped intermediate stations were/are informally known as 'galloping

locals'. Other terms used in the Kolkata area are 'super' and 'super-fast' for different kinds of express

services.

Q. What are 'Ladies Special' trains?

Ladies Specials are trains that have some or all coaches reserved for women. A 'Complete Ladies

Special' is one with all coaches reserved for women passengers (Mumbai suburban EMUs). A 'Semi-

Ladies Special' is a train with a few (e.g., 3) coaches reserved for women (also on Mumbai EMUs).

These designations can be combined with 'fast', 'slow', etc., so you have terms such as 'Slow Complete

Ladies Special', 'Semi-Fast Semi-Ladies', etc.

Q. What's a 'superfast'?

This just means that the train was classifed in that category, nothing more or less; its actual commercial

speed may be above or below that of other trains classified as 'passenger' or 'fast passenger' trains.

However, tickets for a 'superfast' train carry an extra surcharge.

Nominally, a superfast train should have a commercial speed in excess of 55km/h on BG. On MG, the

minimum commercial speed used to be 45km/h for classification as superfast, but there have not been

any MG superfasts for some time now.

226

Q. Why are mail trains so called? What's the RMS?

Mail trains originally were trains that actually carried bags of mail to be delivered between their termini

or at intermediate stations, under special contracts with the Post Office. In many cases that was in fact

the main or only reason for running these Mail trains, and some of the famous mail trains got their

reputation for speed and punctuality because they were accorded a very high priority in scheduling over

all the other trains on the route. It was almost unthinkable in British days for a mail train to be

deliberately delayed to let another train pass, and there are anecdotal stories of mails being given

priority over much-needed troop and materiel trains during the world wars. Generally the trains

departed in the evening after the day's postal service closed. On many well-known routes, Mail trains

were introduced first, and Express trains later.

Today mail trains don't necessarily carry mail (although many still do), and many are really quite slow,

but many retain the designation and names they had from years ago. Conversely, there are many trains

that don't carry the 'mail' designation which do carry mail (Bikaner Exp., Dehradun Exp., etc.).

The fastest BG mail up to the '50s was the Calcutta Mail, and the fastest MG mail was the Boat Mail to

Dhanuskodi. Today, the fastest mail is probably the erstwhile Frontier Mail (renamed the Golden

Temple Mail). New mail trains have not been introduced in recent years; the last one was probably the

Tinsukia Mail introduced in 1972.

Mail and express trains are often considered together as one class to distinguish them from passenger

trains (ordinary trains). The designation 'M/E' is often seen.

RMS stands for the Railway Mail Service. This is the department that handles mail carried on the trains.

In the past, mail trains had separate RMS coaches which were miniature post offices. These coaches

stood out with their bright orange or fire-red livery. Unsorted mail was loaded into these coaches, and

RMS staff sorted the mail while the train was on the move. The sorted mail was then dropped off at the

destination station or stations. It was also possible to mail letters or parcels at the RMS coach of the

train (the letter would get a special RMS postmark).

The use of separate and specially-built RMS coaches has decreased considerably, and today [9/99] there

is very little sorting of mail done on the train (but see below for information on new RMS coaches from

RCF). Mail is still carried on mail trains and other trains of course, although a separate RMS coach or

mail coach may not be used and the mail may be part of the other parcel freight carried on the train.

Often an SLR/GS coach is used for the carriage of mail, with (sometimes) a small sign saying 'RMS'

hung from one of the windows. E.g., the Dakshin Express uses a GS coach [12/04]; the Grand Trunk

Express uses half a GS or sometimes an entire GS coach [12/04] (mail sorting is also done on the run in

these trains). Sometimes a GS coach is permanently adapted for postal use, with painted logos of India

Post (Bharatiya Dak) and modifications on the inside (windows being permanently closed as well).

IR now insists on the Dept. of Posts paying for the space for mail. Quarter-, half-, and three-quarter-size

postal vans are commonly seen, where a portion of the coach is used for carrying mail and the rest is

used for parcel transport. Recently [2004] full-fledged postal vans have made a comeback, with about

25 or so new ones being put in service. These are equipped with swivel chairs and a table area for postal

workers, various enclosures for holding mail packets, and a packet-sealing area with a chimney for

affixing lac or resin seals on packages.

[2/02] The Calcutta Mail via Nagpur still has an RMS coach. The Frontier Mail has an RMS coach on

some days. It is no longer possible to mail a letter at the RMS coach on the train, although RMS post-

boxes may be found at stations. [But see below!]

[8/00] RCF has started making dedicated mail coaches. These have the postal department's logo on

them, and apparently it is possible to mail letters on them and they may also have some mail sorting on

227

board. Some of the newer postal vans have special features such as swivel chairs for the staff, mail

sorting desks and built-in bags for classifying mail, 'lac' wax-sealing oven with chimney, etc.

In addition to mail, trains of course do carry magazines and in some cases newspapers too. Trains often

carry the weekly supplements of newspapers to smaller towns in cases where they can be preprinted in

advance of the main issue.

Q. What are ‘mixed’/‘composite’ trains?

Originally, this term was given to trains that had a combination of passenger and freight cars in the rake

composition. However, more recently this term is used to denote a train that runs as an express for a

partial distance and a passenger for the remainder of its journey. For eg: the 4307/4308 Baraeily -

Mughalsarai Express is a passenger between Lucknow and Allahabad.

Another train that is labled mixed/composite is the 2311/2312 Kalka Mail. This runs as a superfast

between Howrah-Delhi and as an ordinary express between Delhi and Kalka.

Train Crew

Q. What is an 'A grade' driver, or a 'B' driver, etc.?

There are some variations across the zones, but in the main the following grades of drivers are usual in

the railway hierarchy.

An A special driver is one qualified to handle mail, superfast, and express trains. An A driver is

qualified to handle ordinary long-distance passenger trains. In some zones, there is no separate category

of 'A-special', and all 'A' drivers are eligible to drive express trains, but only elite or senior A-grade

drivers are assigned prestigious expresses like the Rajdhanis. In some zones such as WR, this has also

been done away with and 'A' drivers are uniformly eligible to drive any kind of long-distance or express

train.

A B driver is restricted to local passenger trains, commuter shuttles, and DMUs/MEMUs. However,

they can be assigned as assistant drivers for express and mail trains.

A C driver handles goods trains or shunters

Local or suburban drivers of EMUs, DMUs, etc. are classified as Motormen and are considered on par

with the A grade drivers in terms of the hierarchy.

When there is a need, a goods driver or local train driver may drive an express trains. E.g., in the

summer months when there is higher traffic, goods drivers are often assigned to holiday special

expresses by CR, WR, etc.

A driver usually begins his career as a diesel or electric loco assistant driver, where his job is mainly to

check the state of the locomotive, help with all the auxiliary equipment as needed, and to call out the

aspects of the signals (which are confirmed by the driver). An assistant driver works as an assistant on

goods trains, then on passenger trains, and finally on express trains, before becoming a shunter (driver

for shunting only) or a goods driver. After that he can progress as a driver on passenger trains and

finally on express trains. Candidates are selected through the examinations conducted by the Railway

Recruitment Board. Training for a driver's position begins with preliminary theoretical classes followed

by six weeks of road learning (also known as learning road or 'LR' training) to get hands-on

experience with trains, tracks, and signals. There is then a 33-week training period during which the

trainee is essentially on probation while serving out as an assistant driver, after which he or she is

inducted as a full assistant driver on successful completion of various qualifying tests. It takes at least 8

228

or 10 years, usually more, before an assistant driver works up the ranks to become the driver for a

Rajdhani or Shatabdi train.

The various grades for drivers include: Driver, Passenger Driver, Senior Passenger Driver, Goods

Driver, Senior Goods Driver, Shunter, Senior Shunter, Fireman, Senior Fireman, Diesel Assistant,

Senior Diesel Assistant, Electric Assistant, Senior Electric Assistant, Second Fireman, Senior Second

Fireman.

When a driver is assigned to a route for the first time, he undertakes three trips each in the up and down

directions on the route for the purpose of familiarizing himself with the route. This is known as road

learning. These road learning trips have to be repeated if the driver has not driven on a section for a

long time (1 trip for an absence of 3 months, 2 for 6 months to 2 years, and 3 for longer absences; 3

trips in any case if the section is a ghat section, in automatic block territory, or otherwise has unusual

characteristics). Road learning for most drivers tends to be for a particular route that they handle

regularly. Occasionally, however, drivers may maintain road learning for more than one route at a time

and regularly drive on all of them, but in such cases often the total track distance on all the routes

combined is not high. At Secunderabad there was a recent case of a driver who was qualified and

allotted for both diesel and electric duty, and who maintained road learning for over 650km of track on

two different routes (Balharshah - Secunderabad / Secunderabad - Raichur) that he handled trains on --

an exceptional situation.

Because electrification has been spreading extensively in recent years, there are many situations where

senior drivers with a lot of experience with diesel locos have recently switched to driving electrics as

well; in rare cases drivers who show exceptional ability may be allotted work on both diesel and electric

loco links.

Q. How are drivers assigned to different trains?

A driver's link (schedule) is such that once every so many days (34 days in the case of Mumbai division

CR drivers) he has to work all the Mail / Express trains. Similarly the passenger drivers have their own

links. When there is no A special (mail/express) driver available, a passenger (A grade) or Goods (C

grade) driver officiates instead of the mail driver.

Thus every A special driver works prestigious trains once every so many days. The mileage for a driver

is usually limited to 8000km per month. The chief crew controller sees that a driver does not exceed

that figure. If a driver exceeds the limit, he is paid special wages above the normal wages.

EMU/DEMU trains in suburban sections are run with a single motorman in the driving cab. For most

other trains, IR uses a crew of two persons to man the locomotive: a driver and an assistant driver. The

assistant driver may be of any grade from B upwards (usually). The driver carries out most of the actual

running of the train. The assistant driver may shunt the loco and 'bring it on load' when starting up, but

other than that does not work the train.

In the event of an emergency leaving the driver incapacitated, the assistant driver is expected to bring

the train to a safe halt and not try to move it further. In reality assistant drivers do sometimes work

trains in easy sections. The other important jobs of the assistant driver are to help in sighting signals on

the run (each signal is sighted by both crewmen, and confirmed by spoken acknowledgements to each

other), look after the gauges and indicators, handle minor maintenance, help in speedometer calibration,

check oil/fuel/fluid levels, park the loco, etc. The driver and assistant driver are usually a close team and

work together on most links.

One notable time when IR used two drivers (in fact two A Special drivers) for a train was for the runs of

the then diesel-hauled Mumbai - New Delhi Rajdhani when it was first introduced and until about 1986.

The Jammu Tawi Exp. also had two A grade drivers working it until about 1983. The rationale in these

cases was to keep the train moving even if one of the drivers was incapacitated for some reason. Some

229

superfast trains (GT, TN and AP exps.) used to run with two A-special drivers on some sections (e.g.,

Ballharshah — Bhopal).

Some passenger trains hauled by the WDP-1 (left-hand seating for the driver) are worked by a single

driver (no assistant) on NR.

In steam days, a locomotive usually had a driver and a fireman to assist him and to fire the engine. A

fireman or assistant driver was usually provided even on the few experimental mechanically stoked

locomotives. On rare occasions, additional crew were used when locos had to be fired at high rates. For

instance, the Taj Express was hauled by a WP with four crew members: the driver, two firemen, and a

coal-breaker who worked in the tender breaking up the coal and pushing it towards the front of the

tender.

In the days of steam, one set of crewpersons (or sometimes two) were assigned to a given steam loco,

which was also often dedicated to a particular train. Now drivers are not assigned to any particular

locomotives or trains -- they keep getting assigned to different ones as required.

An attempt is made to rotate the A and A-special drivers through all the mail, superfast, and express

trains. C drivers are usually never assigned to express or mail trains even as assistants (second drivers),

but B drivers are often assigned to be the second drivers for express trains.

A crew link is published by each railway division detailing these links for all scheduled train runs

handled by the division, including required crew transfers, lay-overs, and light locomotive duties.

Q. Who is a 'guard'?

A guard is the person technically in charge of the train. He may or may not be the same person as the

brakesman (brakeman) who is in charge of the emergency brake in the rear of the train.

The guard is responsible for assuring himself that the station master (directly or indirectly) has

authorized the departure of the train from the station. The guard can also require the driver to stop the

train, or to operate it under his direction, in special circumstances. For instance, in some cases if the

train parts, or breaks down, or if a signal is defective the driver must consult the guard on how to

proceed. The guard must usually give the driver written permission to proceed in emergency situations

(e.g. working against normal traffic directions or without block protection).

The guard is usually at the rear of the train, and can operate the emergency brake in emergencies. He is

also usually the person who lights the flares and sets up detonators on the tracks if the train stops

because of a problem or an accident. The guard exchanges flag or lamp signals with stations on

departure and when passing through.

Grades of jobs for guards include: Brakesman, Assistant Guard, Senior Brakesman, Senior Assistant

Guard, Goods Guard, Senior Goods Guard, Passenger Guard, Senior Passenger Guard, Mail/Express

Guard.

Although usually the guard does not have any duties on the commercial aspects of running the train, in

some cases he may be in charge of selling tickets for passengers boarding at small halt stations with no

ticket facilities.

There have been proposals floated at various times to do away with the use of guards on freight trains

(which would make the driver in charge of the train.) In a few cases, guard-less trains are seen, although

this is uncommon. Also, for short-distance movements, shunting, and where trains are piloted under

special working rules, guards may not be present. (Sometimes a freight train may be run without a

caboose (guard van), in which case the guard may actually be in the loco cabin, so the absence of a

caboose does not indicate the absence of a guard.)

230

Q. Who is a 'train superintendent'?

A train superintendent is an official in charge of the internal operation of a train — the passenger

amenities, catering, etc. This official does not have anything to do with the running of the train the way

a guard (see above) does. Only a few trains have such a train superintendent — mostly the prestigious

Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and a few select superfast expresses.

Q. What determines when the crew for a loco is changed? What are the hours worked by train

crew?

Crew changes usually occur at points where accommodations exist for the crew to wait between

working sets, and where the schedules of many or most trains along that route are likely to require a

crew change based on the hours the crew has been working (see below for regulations on running

hours). A changeover point is often determined by one or more of the following:

1. It is a station near a loco shed with sufficient railway quarters

2. Change of division

3. Accommodation ('running room') is available for transient crew

4. Duration that drivers will have been working continuously by the time they reach the

changeover point

On WR, most of the trains change crew at Valsad, one at Surat and the rest at Vadodara. Valsad at 199

kms, is almost half the way on MCT to Vadodara run. Division changes at Surat so Valsad and

Vadodara drivers share half the traffic where crew is changed at Valsad. Valsad drivers share half the

trains on MCT - Valsad runs, too. The same holds true for Vadodara drivers who share half the trains on

Ahmedabad Vadodara runs.

On the other hand, Rajdhani, Jammu-Tawi and Deluxe/Paschim Express are hauled exclusively by

MCT drivers to Vadodara. Flying Rani is hauled only by MCT drivers.

Similarly, on the New Delhi - Mughalsarai / Lucknow sections, Tundla is a technical halt for changing

drivers and guards for almost all trains; Allahabad is another technical halt for a lot of trains (the legs

worked by crew being New Delhi - Tundla, Tundla - Kanpur - Allahabad - Mughalsarai, or New Delhi -

Tundla, Tundla - Kanpur, Kanpur - Lucknow). But a few trains such as the Rajdhani and Shatabdi

expresses, however, do not have a technical halt at Tundla or Allahabad.

On the Mumbai - Itarsi - New Delhi route, there are technical halts for most trains at Igatpuri,

Bhusawal, Itarsi, Bhopal, and Jhansi. Mumbai crew work the trains up to Igatpuri (apart from being a

convenient point there is a traction change here between DC and AC traction); Igatpuri - Bhusawal and

Bhusawal - Itarsi / Bhopal are worked by Bhusawal crew, Itarsi - Bhopal / Jhansi legs are worked by

Bhopal crew, and Jhansi - H. Nizamuddin / New Delhi is worked by Jhansi crew. Jhansi crew also work

routes towards Kanpur while Jabalpur crew take over for routes towards Jabalpur.

A general rule of thumb would be that most of the older trains that were established during steam days

change their crew at big loco shed stations because in the days of steam, the crew and the loco were

changed together. Today, locos need not be changed when the crew changes, a notable exception being

the WCAMx from WR due to their limited availability.

Another thing to consider is that loco drivers (and motormen) are not supposed to be scheduled to work

more than 6 hours in one set (10 hours including delays). Most sets are 4 to 4.5 hrs in durationn.

Examples of regularly scheduled sets that go beyond the 6-hour rule are not rare: Nagpur-Bilaspur is

usually 7.5 hours, Nagpur-Bhusawal (all trains) and Nagpur-Bhopal (Rajdhani / Sampark Kranti trains)

are 6.5 hours. It is very rare these days to find regularly scheduled sets that take 8 hours without

accounting for delays, though. The restriction of sets to about 6 hours each allows crew to work

'doubles' during peak season without creating too much fatigue. Most of the long distance trains on WR

231

(starting or ending MCT) run at night and it is too hazardous to work all the nights in a row for months

and months for long hours.

Sometimes, if delays mean that a train's crew might have to work more than 10 hours before reaching

the next scheduled crew change station, a crew change can be arranged at some convenient intermediate

station. The absolute upper limit on continuous work by crew members is supposed to be 12 hours when

delays are thrown into the mix, but it does happen on occasion that the crew of a train is stuck handling

a train for 13 hours or more, especially with goods trains, when delays build up because of crossings,

track work, and so on. See below for more on crew working hours, rest hours, etc.

Some sets, even though they are separate, are worked on the same day, giving the driver one day off, a

luxury for a person who otherwise works every day. For example, MCT driver hauls Down Delhi Janata

Express in the morning from MCT to Valsad (finishing one set) and hauls another Delhi Janata in the

afternoon to MCT (finishing second set). Similarly with the Valsad Express hauled by Valsad drivers.

The effect of cumulative work hours on crew changeover points can be seen in the Bilaspur-Durg-

Nagpur-Badnera-Bhusawal section. Most mail or express trains leaving Nagpur do not change crew at

Badnera, but most goods trains do. The 8029/8030 Kurla Howrah Exp and Mumbai Howrah mail

change staff at Durg from Nagpur as do the goods trains. All the other trains change staff at Bilaspur.

Running rooms are provided at crew changeover point to accommodate the crew that come off duty.

These are full-fledged accommodations maintained by IR. Drivers think of them as their 'home away

from home' in many cases. IR provides basic amenities, bed linen, etc., for the train crew. Food is

provided at subsidized rates, but there is also a cook on duty who can prepare food according to the

crew's wishes (with provisions the crew supplies).

Q. What considerations go into the drawing up of a crew link for particular division? What are

the working hours / rest hours for loco crew?

Crew links are drawn up for the scheduled trains passing through a division, in consultation with

neighbouring divisions. A crew link must satisfy several conditions on working hours, rest hours, etc.,

for the loco crew. The average working hours for a crew member in a fortnight should not exceed 104

hours (but should be as close to 104 as possible). Actual continuous running hours on a train on a single

cycle of duty should not exceed 10 hours at a time (this used to be higher at 12 hours, but was reduced

to 10 hours in 1973). In exceptional circumstances crews may work more than 10 hours at a time, but

the running time should not exceed 12 hours under any cases, and crew are entitled to rest as soon as 12

hours are up regardless of where they happen to be located. No more than 6 consecutive runs should

include night-time duty. Average headquarters (or home station) rest and out-station rest should be 18

and 8 hours respectively. Home station rest may in some cases be reduced but should not be less than 12

hours, except for emergency situations where it may be reduced to 8 hours. Periodic rest each month

must include four 30-hour rest periods, or five 22-hour rest periods (each including one night in bed).

These periodic rests are generally staggered uniformly through the month, and successive rest periods

should be within 10 days of one another.

Running crew (drivers, firemen or assistant drivers, guards) sign on for the run of a train - guards 45

minutes before departure, loco crew 1 hour from the locomotive's departure from the shed. Sign off is

normally at the same time as when the train arrives at the yard (for the guard) or the loco is returned to

the shed (for the loco crew). The sign on and sign off times are used for reckoning continuous running

times.

Except for some 'prestigious' trains (Rajdhanis, etc.) and crack goods trains and other high-priority

trains which may have dedicated crew, normally crew are booked for trains on a first-in, first-out basis

depending on which crew have road knowledge of the routes for trains that need to be staffed.

232

Q. What's a Line Box? Or, What is in the large and heavy box that is seen carried into a

locomotive on each trip?

A Line Box is a box or trunk that is taken on board the locomotive for every trip. It contains the

working timetable, and essential equipment such as detonators and flares, perhaps the driver's log and a

few personal items should he wish to keep them there. (Most drivers have a separate bag with a change

of clothes and other personal items.) It may also hold drawings of the pneumatic and electrical systems

and other basic essentials that the driver might need to troubleshoot the loco in case any problems arise.

The box also used to contain a couple of spare lamps for the headlights, although this is no longer

neccesary with the twin beam sealed headlamps.

The box follows the locomotive driver rather than being assigned to a specific locomotive, so it moves

with him as he switches to different locos during his normal duty links. The equipment and materials in

the box are signed out to the driver, and he is deemed responsible for them for the entire period that he

is 'on line'. (This contrasts with the system in some other railways of having log books and equipment

that 'belong' to the locomotive and is just signed over from one crew to the other when they take over.)

The box being a fairly heavy one, usually necessitates a couple of station staff lifting it and carrying it

from one end of the platform to another depending on where the locomotive for the next trip of the

driver will be.

Q. How are crew requirements estimated for freight trains?

Freight trains, unlike passenger trains, don't always have a fixed time-table, and are scheduled on

demand. Every month, the Chief Operations Manager of a division issues a Power Plan which has the

expected number of up and down freight trains that will originate from or require crew from a given

station/shed.

This estimate is used to estimate the number of freight crew that will be required for each section of the

division, taking into account the average running time per section, durations of pre- and post-departure

detention of crew, and resting times for crew (which includes 18 hours at the home stations and 8 hours

at out-stations). The estimate is usually padded by a factor of 30% or so to account for unexpected

traffic, sick leave, etc.

Q. Where are locomotive drivers and other crew trained?

IR has many training centres in different places. A large Locomotive Training Centre is at Asansol for

training in the operation and maintenance of electric locos, and a Diesel Training Centre is found at

Gaya for diesel locos. Another training school for AC locomotives is at Annanur, near the Avadi EMU

shed. Arakkonam has a Drivers Training Programme (facilities provided are not known). SCR has a

training centre at Guntakal for WDP-4 and WDG-4 locos; this facility is used by CR and SR crew as

well.

Bhusawal has a Zonal Training Centre for locomotive drivers (the name suggests that other zones may

also have their own such facilities). Another such centre is at Kalyan. The training facilities usually

include full-cab portions of locos where all the controls can be exercised, and the actions displayed on a

screen or by lamps and indicators. Sometimes all the equipment of the loco, including the blowers,

compressor, and other such auxiliary equipment are included. Kalyan has such facilities for locos

including the WCG-2 cab; Bhusawal has facilities for the WAM-4; etc.

Some sheds such as those at Vadodara, Tughlakabad, and Ghaziabad have a range of facilities on which

training for many different loco classes can be provided. Full-scale simulators displaying complete on-

track conditions are said to be available at Chittaranjan Loco Works and the Indian Institute of

Technology, Kharagpur (perhaps these are currently [10/04] experimental).

233

Kanpur has a training centre (DTS) where staff is sent to learn and be certified to drive the new 3-phase

locomotives (WAP-5, WAP-7, WAG-9). Refresher courses on driving the 3-phase locos are provided at

the zonal training centres. Typically, a course lasting 15 days is required for a loco driver certified to

work on the older style tap-changer locomotives to be certified for working the newer 3-phase

locomotives.

Working Timetable

Q. What are the booked speed and commercial speed of a train?

The booked speed is the maximum speed at which the train needs to travel in order to maintain the

published time-table schedule, if running on time. The commercial speed of a train is the average speed

for a section of the route -- i.e., distance between endpoints divided by the time taken, including the

time taken for technical halts and such.

Q. Why do trains sometimes halt at stations or other points not marked as halts in the published

timetables?

Apart from unscheduled or emergency stops, there are a number of technical halts provided in the

operation of most trains. These are halts for the purposes of changing loco crew, changing locomotives,

picking up food or water, etc. These halts do not show up on the normal published timetables, but they

do appear in the working timetable which is used by the crew.

Example — The 2141/42 Kurla-Patna Superfast Express has many stops for operational/technical

reasons, but only two commercial ones. It needs to halt at Kasara to attach bankers, at Igatpuri to detach

bankers and change the locomotive, at Bhusaval for a crew change, at Itarsi for a locomotive change, at

Satna for a crew change and to take on food, and at Chheoki for staff purposes. On the return trip to

Mumbai, the Kasara halt is skipped by 2142 as bankers are not required downhill.

If a train makes good time on its journey and arrives early at a station, it will sometimes be detained at a

point well outside the station limits until the platform / track section ahead is free for it. Sometimes this

is even planned for in the schedule in the case of overnight trains that would otherwise arrive at the

destination at an odd hour (e.g., the Bangalore Mail from Chennai in the early 1990's was often detained

at the outskirts of Bangalore for an hour or more before arriving at the Bangalore City station at its

scheduled time a little before 6am; leaving later from Chennai or arriving earlier at Bangalore was not

convenient for the passengers).

There may be additional halts for crossings in single-line sections and precedence (overtake by another

train). These are indicated in the working timetable only. However, in practice, they may change based

on traffic on a particular day.

Q. What's the 'maximum permissible speed' (MPS) of a train?

The maximum permissible speed is the highest speed permitted for a train on a particular section, and is

not to be exceeded under any circumstances. A train needs to run at this speed only to make up for lost

time. Most of the zonal railways fix the difference between max. perm. speed and booked speed as 10%

although NR fixes this as 12-1/2 %. Note that technically the maximum permissible speed is not a

property of the track alone, but also depends on the locomotive(s) and the load being hauled; i.e., the

max. permissible speed can be different for different trains on the same section of track.

Q. What's the 'minimum running time' of a train on a section of track?

The minimum running time of a train between two points (usually two stations) is defined as the time it

takes the train to travel between those points at the maximum permissible speed allowed for that train

234

on that section, with allowances for permanent or temporary speed restrictions in effect and gradients

along the route.

Q. What's the 'normal running time' of a train on a section of track?

The normal running time of a train between two points (usually two stations) is defined as the time it

takes the train to travel between those points at the booked speed allowed for that train on that section,

with allowances for permanent or temporary speed restrictions in effect, the time for acceleration and

deceleration between the stations, and the extra time to negotiate gradients along the route.

Q. How is that trains that are delayed unexpectedly at some point (sometimes) still reach their

destinations on time or nearly so?

IR provides generous amounts of make-up time or slack (also known as Extra Time Allowed (marked

'EA' in the working timetable), or margin) in the schedules for most long-distance trains. Delays of

half-an-hour to a couple of hours are almost inevitable in the running of most long-distance trains

(except the 'prestigious' ones such as the Rajdhanis or Shatabdis, which are generally given great

operational priority), and with good luck, the slack in the later portions of the journey will allow the

train to make its destination on time. EA is specifically intended to account for delays caused by caution

orders and track conditions, and any delays attributable to the train's running itself (alarm chain pulling,

late departure from a station, etc.) A further category of make-up time called Traffic Recovery Time

(marked 'TRT') is also provided to allow for delays due to line and block section occupancy in heavy

traffic. Finally there is Make-up Allowance, which is not a real make-up time but a reference amount

calculated as the difference in time the train takes to cover a section at booked speed vs. at maximum

permissible speed.

As an example of the make-up time often worked into train schedules, the 6km stretch between

Perambur and Chennai stations is usually allocated a running time of 40 to 45 minutes for trains such as

the Bangalore Mail, Kaveri Exp., etc. The Cheran Exp. in 2006 had 60 minutes allocated in the

timetable for this stretch.

Note also that mail/superfast/express trains are generally also given priority over passenger trains,

especially if the faster train is running late. Recovery time for a train is usually allotted to the final

section of the train's run within a railway division. Thus, for trains that start or end close to a divisional

boundary, the difference in scheduled trip time for the up and down journeys can be substantial.

The working timetables usually provide a breakdown of the working time durations for each train on a

section. A typical analysis for a train may be as follows:

Difference between minimum running time

and normal running time 6 minutes

Recovery time 2 minutes

Loss of time for passenger 4 minutes

Total 12 minutes

Extra time actually allowed 10 minutes

Q. What else is specified in the working timetable?

The working timetable has a lot of other operational details. It has the load table specifying what loads

each kind of locomotive is allowed to haul on sections covered by the timetable. In addition to the

schedules for trains including the make-up time, etc., as noted above, it sometimes has a crossing and

precedence table that describes which trains cross (and where and when). (Many working timetables,

however, include this information in the main sections along with the arrival and departure times at

halts.)

235

A detailed list of speed restrictions is included for all route sections, describing allowed speeds for

turnouts, curves, etc. There are also details of connections and detentions that specify which trains are

to be held until another train arrives (an authorized detention) so that passengers can transfer from one

to the other. There are entries specifying the engineering time allowance, or extra allowed delay, for

each kind of construction work, signal & telecom work, etc. on the line.

Finally, there are extensive lists of level crossings, gates, medical and emergency facilities, telephone

locations along the track, notice stations, overhead structures along the tracks, ruling gradients,

maximum speeds for different kinds of stock, the signalling systems in use and types of interlocking for

all routes, special working rules for ghat sections and particular operations (e.g., banking), and

jurisdictional information.

Q. What does it mean when a passenger or freight rake is referred to as a '15/30' load, or a '36

unit' load?

In order to compute the load to be hauled by the locomotive(s), IR personnel use some rules of thumb.

An 8-wheeled passenger coach (of any kind) is counted as 2 units, a 4-wheeled wagon as 1 unit, 8-

wheeled wagons as 2, 2.5, or 3 units depending on the payload capacity. A 36 unit load for a passenger

train, therefore, may refer to 18 coaches each counted as 2 units. '15/30' simply means a 15-coach rake

counted as 30 units. In a goods train made of, say, 30 BOXN wagons, the load may be estimated at 61

units (30*2 for the wagons, and 1 unit for the guard van).

Locomotive Changes

Q. What determines where locomotives are changed for a train?

Locomotive changes often happen at convenient points where there is an appropriate loco shed where

locos can be housed for a while and given some routine maintenance if necessary, etc. Except for long

express services (for which keeping down the number of halts is a priority) hauled by WDM-2, WAM-

4, WAP-4, WAP-5, and other such locos for which repair and maintenance facilities are provided at

many major sheds, generally a loco will not work too far outside the territory of its home shed or zonal

railway. If it breaks down too far from its territory repair crew have to be sent out from the home shed

to take care of it.

Hence, the WCAM-x series locos for instance generally stay close to their home sheds even though they

could be dispatched further without any problem of traction change, etc. Another point to consider is

whether the loco changeover point is a convenient junction or other station where there are enough

trains arriving and departing that a loco can be quickly turned around and sent back hauling another

train rather than remaining unutilized for day or more, or having to be sent back light. Another

consideration is whether the loco changeover point has facilities for the crew.

Of course, traction changes are often a reason to change locos too. AC locos and DC locos have to stop

at the boundary between AC and DC traction regions. Electric-hauled trains, of course, have to change

to diesel traction whenever they leave electrified regions.

Often, a diesel-hauled train in unelectrified territory will switch to electric traction as soon as it comes

to a section that is electrified. However, this may not happen for a variety of reasons, leading to the

phenomenon of diesels running under the wires for long distances: inconvenient schedules that would

reduce the utilization of the loco, non-availability of a sufficient number of electric locos in the region,

or the part of the route that is under the wires may be too small to justify halts to change locos when

entering and leaving electrified territory.

Examples

Load, scheduling, and train priority

236

The Grand Trunk, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala Expresses are all 24 coach superfast trains,

running on fairly tight schedules. Their load and halt pattern demands that no less than a WAP-4 loco

will do. Their routes being fully electrified ([5/05] with the exception of Kerala's Ernakulam -

Trivandrum stretch which is diesel-hauled) the same loco hauls each all the way to New Delhi.

These trains are SCR or SR trains so naturally locos from those zones haul the trains. Earlier there

weren't as many WAP-4 locos at Arakkonam and other southern sheds, while other sheds like Jhansi

had many WAP-4 locos, so these trains were often hauled by Jhansi locos rather than Erode or

Arakkonam locos. However, Jhansi being a CR shed and not a terminus or traction change point for any

of these trains' routes, its locos stopped being used as soon as southern sheds like Erode, Arakkonam,

and Lallaguda got more WAP-4 locos. Based on priority or on the load (number of coaches), non-

superfasts and local passenger trains especially those with shorter rakes may get lower-powered or

lower speed-capable locos like the WAM-4 or the old standby the WDM-2 in many cases. The really

prestigious and high-priority trains that must maintain their speed and stick to their schedules, such as

the Rajdhanis or Shatabdis may get the WAP-5 or WDP-4 locos, and so on.

Traction change

Some years ago on the same routes (New Delhi - Madras Central) for the Grand Trunk or Tamil Nadu,

when there wasn't through electrification, a WAM-4 from Ghaziabad (at that time the load being 21

coaches) used to haul the train until Itarsi, from where twin diesels of Itarsi or Kazipet took over and

hauled the trains till Kazipet, or Vijayawada depending on the progress of electrification. Thence a

WAM-4 from Vijayawada would take over again until Madras Central.

Loco links

Sometimes trains get locomotives based on a need to move the locomotives to other locations. Using

such locomotives to haul a train may be more efficient (and avoid consuming a slot on the traffic

schedule) than running the locomotive light back to where it is needed (and certainly more efficient than

coupling it light to a train that already has an allotted locomotive). This is the reason sometimes WAP-

1/WAP-4 locos haul passenger (non-superfast) trains with short rakes around Calcutta. A WDP-4 can

be seen hauling the Vijayawada - Vasco Amravati Express simply because the route of the train passes

through Hubli, the loco's home shed, allowing the loco to conveniently be brought back there for

maintenance. In such cases, the trains involved may not really need the higher-power or higher speed-

capable locomotives allotted to them.

Q. What other considerations go into the determination of a loco link?

Apart from the considerations above, periodic trip inspection schedules form a consideration for

determining loco links. Normally, locos must be inspected at a trip shed every 2500km or on

completion of a single trip, whichever is earlier. In addition, every 30 to 35 days, locos are withdrawn

from service for IA, IB, or IC scheduled inspections.

Q. Why do trains sometimes slow down on some sections instead of continuing at the same speed

throughout?

There are many reasons for a reduction in speed. There may be permanent speed restrictions on the

section of track: because of sharp curves or curves with inadequate cant; approaches to crossovers,

diamonds, etc.; structures too close to the track; ghat sections; lineside tenements or pedestrian traffic;

level crossings; old bridges or culverts; inferior track or lighter rails than normally required; unstable

trackbed; frequent threat of flooding, etc. The working timetable usually has a detailed list of these

restrictions for all sections within a division.

There may also be temporary speed restrictions (also simply temporary restrictions) such as

engineering speed restrictions because of construction work or track maintenance, or because of

237

flooding or other track damage, etc., all of which necessitate following the appropriate caution orders

or caution notices in force for the section. See below for more on this. Sometimes newly-laid track may

not yet have been certified for higher speeds while lower speed traffic is allowed.

Q. What is a caution order?

A Caution Order (or caution notice) is a written notice issued by a station master (or other official) to

the driver and guard of a train, formally advising them of special conditions and restrictions in effect on

the section of track that the train is about to enter. The Caution Order may have instructions on speed

restrictions and other special procedures to be followed on account of damage to the tracks, flooding,

work on the permanent way or on the electrical equipment, accidents (or reminders of spots where

accidents recently occurred), work on or damage to OHE equipment, or unusual situations.

A caution order can also be issued to advise the driver and guard of the presence of manually operated

or motor trolleys, tower cars, MOW wagons, or other such maintenance or emergency vehicles that

have entered the block section ahead. The caution order usually specifies the location of the affected

section of track, the temporary speed limits in effect, the locations of caution indicators and termination

indicators, etc.

Some representative examples of caution orders are the following:

Track doubling in progress - whistle to alert men at work

Track destressing - 20km/h

New colour-light signal location

Level crossing gate - no acknowledgement given; be prepared to stop if gateman does not

display hand signal

Accident spot - 75km/h

Up distant signal number ... of station ... inoperative due to a cable break; keep a good look-out,

whistle while approaching and Proceed

A caution order is generally issued by the station master of of a station adjacent to the block section

which is affected. In addition, divisional caution orders are also issued by station masters of certain

specified stations on the route, known as notice stations.

A caution order is specifically addressed to the driver and guard of a particular train identified on it.

Separate caution orders are issued for each train passing through on to the affected section. At many of

the larger stations nowadays the caution orders are printed out but at smaller stations, handwritten notes

still prevail.

A nil caution order is issued by a notice station to inform the driver and guard of a train that there are

no special caution instructions or temporary speed restrictions in effect between that station and the next

notice station. A reminder caution order may be issued by a notice station to reiterate caution orders

already issued by other stations or authorities.

238

Caution Order, Amla-Itarsi, April 2007. Click for a larger view.

239

Caution Order, Nagpur-Durg, April 2007. Click for a larger view.

Q. What are speed restrictions and engineering restrictions?

These are various kinds of speed limits below the normal sanctioned speed limit for the route section in

question, imposed in stretches of track where unsafe conditions exist because of track damage, ongoing

repair work to track or OHE, accidents, or unusual circumstances in the construction of the permanent

way (see above).

A temporary engineering restriction is specifically one that is imposed for a fixed duration on

account of ongoing work on the permanent way or OHE equipment; a permanent engineering

restriction is one that is in effect indefinitely because of characteristics of the permanent way. Other

temporary speed restrictions may be imposed because of flooding, track damage, accidents, etc. A stop

dead restriction is one which requires a train to come to a complete halt before obtaining permission to

proceed.

For short-duration (1 day or less) temporary speed restrictions, hand signals are used at appropriate

points (30m to the rear, and 800m (more in some cases) to the rear) to advise drivers of the location of

the restriction. For a short-duration stop-dead restrictions, a red banner flag is placed across the tracks

just before the obstruction, and another banner flag is placed beside the tracks 600m (BG; 400m for

MG/NG) before the location of the affected portion of track. Three detonators are also placed 10m

apart, about 1200m (BG; 800m for MG/NG) before the banner. Hand signals are used 30m to the rear of

the obstruction and 45m to the rear of the detonators.

240

For longer temporary speed restrictions (lasting more than a day) a speed indicator is placed 30m to the

rear of the affected portion, and a caution indicator 800m (or more in some cases) to the rear. For longer

stop-dead restrictions, the speed indicator is replaced by a stop indicator, whereas the caution indicator

is placed 1200m to the rear (BG; 800m for MG/NG).

Normally the driver and guard of a train are issued caution orders that provide details of the temporary

restrictions. Caution orders are not issued for permanent restrictions of any kind.

The caution or stop indicators, banner flags, hand signals, and speed indicators are all dispensed with if

the affected portion of track is within station limits and if it can be appropriately isolated by the settings

of points and leaving signals protecting it 'on' (at danger). The caution indicator is also dispensed with if

the affected portion of track is protected by an automatic signal less than 1200m (BG; 800m MG/NG)

from the obstruction. In this case the detonators and banner flags are placed at 180m and 90m to the rear

of the obstruction for a stop-dead restriction.

Q. What are blocks? Line blocks, power blocks, etc.?

A block is a bar on through traffic entering a particular section of track. It may affect only certain kinds

of traffic, or may close the tracks to all trains; it may affect one track of a double line or multiple line, or

may affect all tracks up and down. A block is used when work of a more involved nature is undertaken

and speed restrictions are not suitable because through running on the affected line is not possible.

The simplest is a line block, or traffic block, which blocks a particular track (or tracks) when repair or

construction work has to be carried out on the permanent way, points, crossings, interlockings, OHE,

signalling equipment, etc. Such blocks are sometimes also called possession blocks (since the

permanent-way staff 'take possession' of the tracks).

A line block is requested by the engineering official in charge, and granted by the Divisional Railway

Manager. The station master of a station adjacent to the affected block section receives a copy of the

line block order from the DRM, and he decides when to implement the line block. In busier sections the

Section Controller is also involved in deciding when to impose the line block. In some cases, if the

traffic disruption is extensive and the block is required for longer than usual, necessitating much

rerouting and rescheduling of trains, the block is termed a megablock (or 'mega block').

The guard of the last train that is to run through on the section before the line block comes into effect is

given the notice from the station master that the line block will come into effect as soon as that train

leaves the block section. A caution order is also issued to the driver of this last train, advising him to

look out for a stop indicator or signal from the engineering crew. When stopped by the engineering

crew, a copy of the line block certificate is handed to them. Once the last train clears the block section,

the block instruments are set to line blocked status and remain so until the block is removed.

A power block is a bar on all traffic using electric traction, on account of work on the OHE equipment.

In addition to the station masters and Section Controllers, the Traction Power Controller has to

coordinate when the electricity supply to the catenary in the affected section is to be shut down. A

power and traffic block bars all traffic, not just electric traffic, on the section when work is being done

on the OHE. A programmed power block is a power block imposed on a regular schedule as part of

the routine maintenance regime for the OHE.

An emergency power block is imposed when accidents or other occurrences cause damage to the OHE

or defects are noticed. An emergency power block may also be requested by the driver of an electric

loco when it is urgently necessary to perform repairs or inspection of the pantographs and other

electrical equipment (especially on the roof of the cab) while the loco is in a block section.

A local block is a block for a siding or loop or other line which is not a main running line. (Similarly,

local power block.)

241

Q. How are communications or signals failures handled?

In case of signalling equipment or block equipment failure (e.g., power failure, floods), if

communications can be established between adjacent stations (by telephone on the public network or

control telephones of the railway network, or in the past, by telegraph or bell code), paper line clear

tickets may be issued to trains to proceed. Such paper authority is given along with issue of private

numbers by station masters to establish proper authorization, authentication, non-repudiation of the

action. Paper or verbal authority to proceed (with issue of private numbers) can also be given by section

controllers if communications have broken down between adjacent stations.

If there is a total breakdown of communications, the station master of a station can still issue a paper

authority to proceed to the first scheduled train departing a station, subject to a restriction to run at or

under 15km/h and a requirement to sound the horn or whistle freely to alert any possible oncoming

train.

Q. How are trains run when tracks are flooded?

Flooding is very dangerous to the permanent way. The earthworks become unstable, ballast can be

washed away, and the forces of the water by its movement, buoyancy, and scouring action can seriously

weaken and move the track so that it is no longer stable and secure enough to support the weight of a

train reliably.

Hence, great care is taken when flood waters rise and affect a railway track. If the trackbed is known to

have been laid in a stable manner (or specially built to withstand floods in a flood-prone area), certain

rules of thumb are adopted. If the water level does not cover the ballast and the track can be seen to be

undamaged, trains may in general move (with caution) over the affected sections. When the water level

rises to cover part or all of the ballast, special operating rules go into effect, which differ based on local

conditions.

In some divisions, the rules are that if the water does not cover the rails, it may be piloted across with

gangmen walking ahead of it and observing the track as it comes under load; while if the water is above

the rails, gangmen may have to inspect the entire length of flooded track first and issue a written

certificate providing the driver of the train with authority to proceed.

In flood-prone areas like Mumbai, the tracks are built to withstand a certain amount of flooding. In such

cases, the rule is generally that trains can proceed (with caution) on flooded track even if the water is a

few inches above the rails, as long as the rails can be seen. E.g., on WR, for water less than 3" above

rail level diesel locos are operated at 5km/h, and electric locos at 15km/h. Electric locos can be operated

at 8km/h up till 4" of water, while diesel locos (WDM-2) must not be operated if the water level rises

above 3".

For each class of locomotive, there is a certain height of water beyond which it absolutely cannot

proceed on flooded track as its equipment may be damaged otherwise. For instance, diesel locomotives

of the WDM-2 class are not to be used if the water level above the rails is more than 3".

Q. How are trains run in the fog?

Due to restricted visibility in thick fog which pervades northern India in particular during the winter

months, trains are known to get delayed and schedules get thrown haywire. Obviously, these delays

have their genesis in the fact that the drivers can't see the signals at sufficient distance and have to

reduce speeds when approaching signals, so as to be able to take action considering the aspect of the

signal as and when it becomes visible.

Earlier, drivers used to check their speeds based on their own judgment and feel. This led to some

drivers being exceedingly slow out of caution, while others occasionally overshot signals out of an

242

anxiety to not be seen as 'dragging their feet'. Northern Railway decided to lay down instructions as to

how the drivers should move in fog. These instructions are given below.

Northern Railway : Train Operation during fog

Automatic Block System: In automatic signal territory, the maximum speed of a train is restricted to

30km/h during dense fog. Depending on the severity of fog, the driver is expected to control the speed

of a train and restrict it further if necessary.

Absolute Block System: The maximum speed of a train is restricted to 60km/h in absolute block system

territory in dense fog, and depending on the severity of fog, the driver is expected to control the speed

of the train and restrict it further if necessary. Further, special rules are in effect as follows:

No train awaiting line clear should be advanced beyond the starter signal.

No shunting is to be carried out on non-isolated lines in a yard after giving line clear to a train.

All IBH in semaphore signal territories are shut down and converted to single block sections for

the duration of the fog.

Fog signalmen are provided to place detonators 270m in the rear of the first stop signals so as to

give the drivers an audible warning of the proximity of the stop signal. (See below.)

Lime markings are made across the tracks at the signal sighting boards.

Although the final decision on the speed rests with the driver, the upper bounds of 30km/h or 60km/h

help them in deciding the appropriate speed, and also allow the operating department staff make better

projections in publishing the revised schedules of trains in foggy weather.

Detonators in foggy weather

Detonators are used in foggy weather or otherwise when visibility is severely impaired, to provide an

audible indication to the locomotive crew that the train is approaching a signal. These detonators are

flat, disc-shaped metal containers, usually coloured red, which contain an explosive mixture that

detonates with the application of pressure (and therefore when the wheels of the locomotive pass over).

A detonator is attached to the top of the rail using a metal clasp at the bottom of the detonator. These

detonators normally have a shelf life of 7 years, although this can be extended to 10 years with annual

inspections.

It is the station master's responsibility to assess whether visibility is impaired badly enough to warrant

the use of detonators. At each station, there is a nominated Visibility Test Object (VTO) that is used to

gauge visibility. A VTO, which must be at least 180m away, may be a post specially erected for this

purpose, with a lamp for the night; or the arm (during the day) and backlight (at night) of a semaphore

signal; or the light of a fixed colour light signal (day and night). If the VTO is not visible, then it is

necessary to use detonators on all running lines of the station.

Detonators are placed in pairs - 10m apart - at a distance of 270m in the rear of the signal to be

protected, which is usually the outermost signal on the approach to a station (in double distant territory,

the detonators are placed 270m to the rear of the inner distant signal). Usually, fog signal posts are

erected to mark the locations. Recently [11/04] IR has begun erecting shelters by the side of the track as

well, for the benefit of the staff who have to stay there to replace the detonators as each train passes by.

The detonators have a safety radius of about 45m; staff must remain outside this distance from the

detonators when they explode, to avoid injury; and locomotive crew also take care not to lean out of the

cab on approach to stations when there is a possibility that detonators may be in use.

Deploying the detonators is considered a critical safety-related activity, hence the station master is

authorized to call on all available staff for this, even off-duty staff if necessary. During prolonged foggy

243

periods or if there are not enough station staff, the permanent way gangs can also be pressed into

service for this.

Q. When can trains be run without brake vans or without guards?

Normally, all trains are required to have a brake van or guard's van and a guard on board. However, in a

few cases the brake van and the services of the guard can be dispensed with, especially in sections

where block sections are completely track-circuited, which reduces the possibility of undetected train

parting. Brake vans can also be dispensed with on specially designated short sections (typically, less

than 30km, as with Northern Railway) even without track circuiting; however in this case a guard must

usually accompany the train. The pre-conditions for this are as follows:

The last vehicle must have a tail lamp or tail board.

When the train is granted Line Clear, the number of the last vehicle must be recorded and

conveyed to the section control and also to the adjoining station.

The train must stop at every station along the way and the number of the last vehicle must be

recorded and conveyed to section control.

The guard must travel in the leading locomotive, or in the banker if one is provided. Note that a

banker is required for operation without a brake van if the grade is steeper than 1 in 200.

The weather must not be foggy or stormy.

There should not be any break of communications along the line.

Single-line working should not be in force if the section is a double line section.

Q. What are the train working procedures in case of accidents, derailments, etc.?

(Naturally, there are well-defined rules on obtaining medical help and emergency services, etc. in the

case of accidents, and assisting injured people and preventing further injury or death takes the highest

priority. But here we focus only on train working guidelines which come into play for accidents.)

The general principle is to protect the train that has been involved in the accident: this is done by

ensuring the block section remains closed to further traffic, and by providing additional temporary

signals in the form of flares, detonators, banners or hand signals (lamp/flag), etc. to prevent any train

from colliding with the train involved in the accident in case signals have been pulled off at the station

at either end, or in case there is a signal failure due to the track circuit not being tripped.

Detonators are placed as follows: one 600m from the train, and three about 1200m from it, 10m apart

(on the other gauges the distances are 400m and 800m). If the section is a double line section, the other

line is also protected similarly if there is any chance that it might be fouled by the accident or

derailment. Passing trains on the other line must be stopped and given information about the accident.

The guard is technically responsible for the protection of the train and the adjacent line(s).

The engine crew also help in this, and also ensure that parking brakes are set and the locomotive parked

in a safe condition if possible. (If the locomotive is in working condition and can be detached from the

train, it may be used to travel ahead to the point where the detonators need to be placed on the track.)

The driver also switches on the flasher light of the locomotive (if provided), and sounds the horn in a

danger signal. If the loco does not have a flasher light or if the flasher fails, if it is necessary to warn an

oncoming train the headlight is flashed on and off.

The flasher on the brake van or guard van (if provided) is also activated to warn trains from the rear.

The guard and the engine crew also then attempt to contact the nearest station by telephone or other

means, if no passing train could carry the information.

Once information about the accident is received, the signalman or station master of the adjacent station

sets the signals to On and the block instruments to 'Train on Line', and locks the equipment in that

position in order to prevent any other train from being granted permission to enter the section. This is

244

done for both (all) lines on a double (multiple) line section irrespective of the line on which the accident

occurred, until it is established that the other line(s) is (are) not fouled.

Normally, even without notification of an accident, if a train is unusually delayed (within 10 minutes of

its normal running time), the station master is expected to inform the stations ahead and to the rear and

arrange for signals to be left at On and the block section protected. Passing trains on other lines are

stopped and informed about the possibility of an accident. If the accident causes the catenary or one or

more lines to be damaged, a power block may be applied. Where provided, the emergency siren at the

station may be sounded, or other means of notification used to set accident-relief plans in motion.

Assisting locomotives or accident relief trains are given authority to proceed without Line Clear into the

block section where the disabled train is, as well as authority to pass a signal at danger (the last stop

signal of the station) (unless on double or multiple line sections where the assisting train is moving in

the wrong direction on the other track).

A caution order is also issued which advises the driver of the assisting train of the location of the

disabled train, and the station to which it should be taken if it is to be moved. If the disabled train is

moved, the assisting train is governed by the stop signals of the station to which it is being taken, or, if

on the wrong line of a double/multiple line section, it draws up almost to the last stop signal (facing the

other way) and waits for the signal to be pulled off or written authority to proceed past the signal at

danger to be granted by the station master of the next station.

Q. How are runaway vehicles and out-of-control trains dealt with?

In case of trains passing signals at danger or running through a station out of control, or moving on

block sections without authority to proceed, the station master must inform the next station ahead of this

occurrence (and on controlled sections must inform traffic control). The station master of that station

then sets its departure and reception signals to On, and sets the points to a clear line (likely the main

running line if it is clear).

In sections under traffic control, the section controller may set the departure and reception signals, for

several stations along the way, to On as a precaution. Signals for adjacent lines on double or multiple

sections are also set to On as there is a danger that the runaway vehicles may derail on the block section

and foul adjacent lines.

Detonators are provided on the line to alert the driver if the runaway has a locomotive with a driver in

it. If it is suspected the train is completely out of control and the driver perhaps disabled, points may be

set for sand traps or catch sidings in order to stop the train, but usually not if there are passengers in the

train except in extreme circumstances. If the runaway consists of just one or two vehicles, it is usually

derailed promptly by using diverting it to a sand trap or catch siding, or even a dead-end siding or loop

line, or using derailing blocks. If necessary, a sleeper or other obstruction is placed on the track.

In areas where the exchange of flag signals between the guard or driver and the station crew or signal

staff when a train passes through a station is mandatory, the failure by the guard to display the all-right

signal causes the train to be considered a potential runaway and subject to being faced with On signals

ahead of it.

Q. How is train parting dealt with?

If a train parts en route with a coupler failure, the guard uses his brakes to attempt to slow down his

portion of the train to a safe halt. (If the train is being banked, the banker brings the train to a halt on

seeing the guard's signal, and also sounds a danger signal to attract the attention of the driver in front.)

If the front portion of the train has not yet departed from view, the guard can also use a flag or lamp

signal (green, waved strongly up and down) to attempt to indicate to the engine crew that the train has

parted.

245

Often the driver will notice the train has parted from the break in the continuous brakes (leading to a

loss of brake pressure and also auto-regression of the master controller) and also the reduced load on the

locomotive. Or, if lucky, the crew may happen to look out and spot the guard's signal. (Under normal

circumstances, the driver or his assistant always look back from the cab periodically to visually check

that the rake is whole and has no obvious problems, especially on curves when all the coaches or

wagons are visible.) In any case if the driver notices the train has parted, he brings his portion of the

train to a halt. If the two portions of the train are close by, and it is possible to couple them together, the

train may then proceed normally as a whole train. If it is not possible to couple the portions together,

normally the guard can give the driver written authority to proceed with the front part of the train.

The guard also decides whether the same locomotive should return to assist and move the remaining

portion of the train, and gives the driver written instructions to this effect. The driver hands over any

tangible authority to proceed that he had been carrying (token, staff, or written authority to proceed) to

the guard. The driver takes the partial train to the next station, while the guard stays with the rest of the

train after protecting it at the rear with flares, detonators (placed as described above) and possibly using

hand signals (flag/lamp) to alert oncoming or passing trains. In bad weather or with poor visibility the

front of the train is also protected. Parking brakes are applied where provided, on all the vehicles of the

train portion.

In rare instances, an engine failure or loss of power, or a train stalled on a gradient, may require that a

train be deliberately parted by uncoupling the locomotive or a portion of the train. In this case too, the

driver hands over his tangible authority to proceed to the guard, gets written permission to proceed from

the guard, and then proceeds (with or without a portion of the rake) to the next station.

If the driver notices too late that the train has parted, and reaches the next station and stops there, he

does not relinquish any tangible authority to proceed (token, staff, or written authority to proceed) until

the rest of the train that is left on the block section is safely brought in by an assisting locomotive and

the block section cleared of all the portions of his train.

In the above cases where the driver knows that the train has parted, he must stop at the first station he

arrives at and inform the station master that the block section is still obstructed; if a signal cabin is

passed the signalman can also be so informed. This allows the block section to be kept free of traffic by

leaving block instruments at 'Train on Line' and keeping the signals at On.

In the above cases, if the guard has instructed the driver to return with assistance to the remaining

portion of the train, the station master grants authority to proceed either on the same line or on an

adjacent line for the locomotive to reach the disabled train portion. Block sections remain appropriately

closed to traffic when this happens.

If a train passes through a station and is seen (by the station master or other staff exchanging signals

with the train) to have parted (i.e., does not have the Last Vehicle sign or lamp on the last coach or

wagon), the block instruments for the section to the rear are kept at 'Train on Line' and the station to the

rear is informed of the parting of the train; signals remain on so that the block section cannot be entered

by any other train. In addition, the station ahead is informed of the train parting so that the signals there

can be set to On to stop the train. A cabinman or the driver of a train going in the other direction may

also notice a train has parted -- the procedure is similar in such cases, with the nearest stations being

informed and the block section closed off to other traffic.

Q. What happens when the Alarm Chain (Emergency Chain) is pulled in a coach? (ACP, Alarm

Chain Pulling)

The alarm chain in a passenger coach is designed to create a break in the continuity of the brake pipes

(whether vacuum or air brakes), immediately resulting in a loss of brake pressure (or vacuum) and

thereby cause the train brakes to be applied. With vacuum brakes, a clappet valve is provided that is

released by the pulling of the alarm chain, and with air brakes, there is a similar passenger emergency

246

valve that can vent the brake pipe to the atmosphere. At the locomotive, in addition to a warning lamp

or buzzer being sounded, in most locos the master controller undergoes auto-regression, with the

notches falling to zero rapidly as the locomotive's motive power is switched off. The guard may also

notice the loss of brake pressure (although he may not know it is due to the pulling of the alarm chain)

and is expected to apply his brakes as well immediately. It is possible for a driver to override the alarm

chain pull in a few circumstances, and this is in fact done in a few cases where it is known that

miscreants resort to pulling the emergency chain solely to get the train to stop at a point convenient for

themselves (but note that such an act by the driver or guard of deliberately ignoring an indication of

alarm chain pulling is a serious offence).

In recent years, locos have been fitted with emergency flashers on the roof of the cab, and these flashers

are also activated when the brake pipe pressure is lost for any reason other than the driver's application

of the brake valve (A9). This alerts drivers of oncoming trains of the possibility of a derailed or parted

rake which may foul other tracks, since the brake pressure may have been lost for those reasons as well,

and at the locomotive it is not possible to tell whether the loss of brake pressure is due to the pulling of

the alarm chain.

ACP also causes a small lever to be released near the emergency brake valve (usually mounted near one

end of the coach) which does not retract to its normal position even when the chain is released. This

allows the driver or guard to find out in which coach the ACP actually occurred. When the coach is

isolated, the lever needs to be manually reset. Until this is done, the lamp and buzzer in the locomotive

cab are continuously activated. A circuit breaker controls the lamp and alarm bell in the locomotive cab;

in cases where defective equipment causes the lamp and bell to go off, the driver can disable them by

placing the MCB in the 'off' position; despite the obvious safety hazards, sometimes this is resorted to

by drivers when driving trains through sections where spurious ACP incidents ae very common.

Q. What are catch and slip sidings? How are runaway trains managed?

Catch sidings are sidings provided to divert runaway trains off the main line on approach to a station, or

on steep downward slopes. Points are normally set to route all trains to the siding, which may end in a

sand trap to slow down and halt any train that is moving too fast and out of control. This prevents

runaways from entering station or yard limits, or from hurtling down a slope and derailing.

A train that has to proceed on the main line must come to a halt before the catch siding (usually a signal

is provided for this), and wait to get authorization to proceed. In some cases, this happens when the

driver sounds the horn or whistle to let the signalman or station crew know the train is waiting for the

authorization to proceed. In some cases, especially in remote areas, the loco crew is provided with a key

by the signal cabin in advance; this key unlocks the points to allow the train to proceed on the main line.

In a few cases, there are also automatic points that have sensors that set the points after detecting that

the train has approached and waited for a prescribed period of time. In less busy sections, station crew

or pointsmen may also arrive to manually set the points using a lever at the location, rather than

operating them remotely.

Slip sidings are similar, but they are located on main lines in the direction away from a station or yard.

Again, the points are normally set to divert all trains away from the main line, and a train must halt until

the points are set and the signal (if provided) pulled off before proceeding. Slip sidings are often

provided when there is a downward slope (greater than 1 in 26 or so) away from the station or yard, as

then there is a risk of stabled rakes rolling out of the station or yard limits if the brakes fail.

Slip sidings are also provided on single line sections at cross-over points to protect trains that are

waiting for a cross-over, from collisions if a train coming in the opposite direction fails to stop in time

and overshoots the cross-over points. Slip sidings are also used when a double line ends to become a

single line.

247

Shunting operations in yards are also normally carried out with the points set normally to lead away

from the main line, except for very rare occasions where shunting activity must be carried out on the

main line. For any train starting from the station (either with rake having been marshalled there or with

coaches or wagons having been attached or detached at that station), where vacuum or air continuity

was lost and brake power has to be rebuilt, the points are set for the main line only when the driver

signals (using the horn or whistle) that brake power has been regained fully.

Banking and Ghat Operations

Q. What are bankers? Why are bankers used?

A banker is a locomotive that assists in hauling a train up a steep gradient. A banker is attached to the

rear of the train and pushes the train from the rear while the normal locomotive of the train pulls it as

usual from the front.

Bankers are used for two reasons. One is that, of course, the leading loco may need assistance on a steep

gradient. However, a more important reason to have a banker at the rear when ascending a grade is to

protect the train from a possibility of coupling failure and consequent parting which would cause a

portion of the train to hurtle backwards because of the gradient (guard's brakes being generally

inadequate for such a situation). When descending a grade, bankers may be attached at the front to

provide extra brake power (or sometimes just to allow the locos to be returned to their shed after having

banked trains up the grade earlier, without taking up a separate slot on the timetable).

On an incline, when the train is being pulled up, the couplers come under a lot of strain. Normally, on

level track, the couplers only have to sustain the forces corresponding to the static and rolling friction of

the wagons or coaches. But when being pulled up, a component of the wagons' or coaches' weight also

forms a part of the load on the couplers (the proportion of the weight arising from the sine of the angle

of the gradient). Hence, there is a much higher probability of coupler failure when going up an incline.

Finally, the additional locomotives help contribute extra brake power for the rake on the slope.

Often two, three, or even more banking engines may be provided on particularly steep grades and for

heavy freight loads. It is common to see 3 rear bankers for passenger trains with 21+ coaches. On the

Igatpuri-Kasara section even descending trains get two or three front bankers. It is common to see

[8/03] the Kushinagar Exp. get two WCG-2 bankers and a WCAM-3 up to Kasara.

Other trains on the same section often get three WCG-2 locos banking in front of a WCAM-3 when

descending. Sometimes, however, bankers are attached to trains simply because there are available

locos that need to be returned to one shed or the other, and using them as bankers is a way to move

them rather than sending them light and reducing track utilization. The working timetable for a division

specifies the local rules in effect for how many and what kinds of locos to use as bankers for different

kinds of trains and loads.

The safety requirements for train operation set forth by the Commissioner of Rail Safety forbid

operating passenger trains on steep gradients without bankers. Goods trains are sometimes operated on

such sections without bankers if loads are light. EMUs are sometimes moved between Pune and

Mumbai for maintenance and no bankers are used in such cases on the ghat sections as they are not

carrying passengers.

The specific rules for what inclines necessitate bankers may vary from one zonal railway to another. In

addition, bankers must be used for gentler inclines if there are special circumstances such as operation

without brake vans.

The limits on the tensile force the screw coupler can handle necessitate the use of bankers for most Mail

or Express trains these days even on fairly gentle gradients of 1 in 60 or so, since the rakes have been

getting longer (and therefore heavier) in recent years. Hence the Nagpur-Itarsi ghat section requires

248

bankers for all passenger trains with 18 or more coaches. Many trains with 17 coaches are run through

on the ghat section for fear of overstressing the couplers if a stop is made and the train has to start on

the incline. With CBC couplers, the allowable tensile loads are far higher. Goods trains with CBC

couplers often don't need bankers on slight to moderate inclines for train parting reasons, but may

require bankers to assist the leading loco.

Often, brake vans are removed from the rake before a banker is attached at the rear, because the

common 4-wheeled brake vans are light and do not share the same mass/inertia characteristics of the

freight wagons, causing them to be jolted around excessively and very often jump the rails due to the

buffing action between the wagons and the banker locos. A newer, long 8-wheeled brake van has

recently [6/04] been developed which may avoid this problem, at the cost of making the rake longer.

In addition to the use of bankers, ghat sections often have special rules of operation. Mandatory brake

halts are provided for steeper grades so that a brake power check can be done before the train proceeds

on to the grade. Stopping at the top of a grade before descending also ensures the train is under control

before proceeding. In steam days it was often common, for the steeper grades, to inspect all the brake

cylinders of the rake at the mandatory brake halt, with defective ones being replaced immediately.

There are also timed signals provided in some places; the train must stop at the signal for a specified

time before it goes off and the points switch away from the catch siding, ensuring that only trains able

to come to a halt there can proceed. 'Auto Emergency Brakes' are provided for locos intended for use on

several ghat sections. These apply the brakes automatically if the speed exceeds a certain threshold.

Q. How do the drivers in the leading loco(s) and the banker(s) communicate?

These days, it is more common for crew to be issued walkie-talkies, so communication is a bit less of a

problem, but without them, coordinating the banking efforts with the leading loco always called for

great skill and ingenuity. The drivers made use of horn signals, brakes, and also closely observed the

load on the locomotives (by monitoring the traction motor currents, engine rpm, etc.). With all this, the

drivers ensure that the leading loco does not handle too big a load (putting the couplers under strain),

nor do the bankers handle too much of the load (working against the leading loco).

In steam days it was even harder, as there was no convenient gauge corresponding to the motor current

or other meters in modern locos that allow judging the load. Then, all communication was through the

whistles, monitoring the vacuum in the brake pipe, and monitoring the steam intake and 'listening' to the

loco!

Q. Are there any special requirements for locos to work ghat sections?

Many locos can be used as bankers on ghat sections. Usually, goods locos are used for banking duties,

although this is not a rigid rule. The leading loco on a ghat section can in general be any loco provided

it has suitable braking systems, etc.

There are some ghat special powers -- locomotives that are specially modified for duties on steep

gradients. These are usually equipped with an 'Auto-Emergency' ('AE' or 'AEB') brake system, which is

an electronically controlled system which monitors the speed of the loco and applies the brakes

automatically if it exceeds 25km/h (or other speed limit appropriate for the section).

These powers are especially used on steep gradients where catch sidings may not be provided (e.g.,

Braganza ghat Castle Rock - Kulem; in contrast, CR's Lonavala-Karjat section and SER's Krandol-

Kacheli section have catch sidings and systems like AEB are not usually used). The AEB system is

normally kept switched off in normal sections, and switched on only in the ghat section; the keys for

these are kept with the station masters so that the drivers do not have the ability to override the system.

Gooty is the only shed currently [6/03] where locos with AEB are regularly homed. (However, at least

one loco in the 14xxx series homed at Krishnarajapuram has been spotted with stencilled indications

that it had AEB ith a 30km/h restriction. [9/06]) In the past there were many WDM-2/2A/2B locos with

249

AEB but now they have been phased out, and the locos with AEB now are WDM-3A and WDG-3A

units.

A further safety feature in the Castle Rock - Kulem section is the running of trains in the so-called

corridor system, where multiple goods trains are run in the same direction on the ghat section at times

when passenger trains are not run, to maximize goods throughput while not endangering passenger

trains in case of runaways.

There are many mandatory brake halts provided on steep sections. At these locations, the train must

come to a complete halt before proceeding. Delayed signals are usually provided, which automatically

clear after a track circuit with a timer detects that the train has stopped for the requisite amount of time.

Usually, there are automatic points provided at these locations as well; if the train does not stop for the

required duration the points will not be set for the main line and the train will be diverted to a catch

siding or trap. Sometimes the brake halt is operated manually: a staff person is stationed at the halt and

works the points and pulls of the signal only after the train has come to a halt, and the driver has signed

in a register maintained for the purpose.

The drivers for trains negotiating steep ghat sections also have special training in driving on those

sections.

Traffic flow (left or right)

Q. Which side does traffic run on the tracks in India?

Like road traffic, railway traffic is also on the left as a rule. The rule generally applies to all double-line

sections, and a train moves on the right side tracks only in exceptional situations. Of course, it does not

make any difference for single-line operations, and bidirectional movement is allowed on both tracks in

the case of twin single-line sections.

In the case of some ghat sections and others where there are three tracks, the central one is used for

traffic in either direction. In a few cases right-hand-side running (also sometimes known as 'American

style') is adopted such as on the MG sections between Tambaram and Chengalput and surrounding

areas. The reason for that was that the MG locos (YAM-1, etc., YDM-4 (short hood leading), steam

locos YP and YG) and the MG EMUs all had right-hand-side seats for the drivers. This made right-side

running more convenient since the signals are located by the side of the permanent way and not

between the two tracks.

BG electric locos all have the driver's seat on the left. Most BG running is on the left, and almost all BG

signals are on the left side of the track. BG steam locos had the driver's seat on the right, as does the

WDM-2 (from the American designs) and in all of these the drivers depended on the assistants calling

out the signal aspects, especially with the long hood leading.

Perhaps to fix this situation, the WDG-3A ('baldie' and short hood) and WDM-3A ('baldie' only)

switched to a left-side seat for the driver. However, curiously, the newer WDM-3A locos have been

given a right-hand-side seat for the driver. One curious oddity today [12/03] is the Dhanbad-Sindri

section where between Pradhankhanta Jn. to Sindri traffic is on the right.

Q. How is scheduling and control of trains organized in IR?

The Control Organization of IR has primary responsibility for scheduling and running all trains, and

maintaining information on the positions and movements of all rolling stock. (These functions are

collectively known as control - an area of the railway network is said to be 'controlled' when a control

office is in charge of it.) Each division or district has a control office. In some divisions, this control

office is in charge of all trains in the division or district. In other cases, in addition to the headquarters

250

control office there may be one or more outstation control offices which control specific areas within

the division.

Each line is divided into a number of control sections for convenience. Usually these are the same as

the line sections all the way from one goods yard to the next, and so may include several stations, but

may be small enough to include just a couple of stations. Sometimes a line may be divided into more

than one control section between yards to account for very dense traffic, and lines with very light traffic

may be combined together into one control section. Each control section has a 'control board' which

includes the telephony equipment for the control staff to talk to any of the stations, block cabins, yards,

loco sheds, in the control section. A control section normally covers about 150-200km of a railway line.

A Chief Controller is in charge of the overall control section at the headquarters control office;

outstation control offices have deputy chief controllers. In addition, deputy chief controllers are

allocated for specific areas such as punctuality, accidents, stock, locos (the Loco Controller), and

statistical work. The stock control functions include staff for handling stock movement as well as for

wagon allotment. The Loco Controller's area also includes a Power Controller specifically for handling

allocation and control of electric locomotives.

Under the command of the Deputy Chief Controllers (who work in shifts) are Section Controllers

(one for each control board). Although the Chief Controller is responsible for the overall control

function and coordination amongst the outstation and headquarters control offices, the Deputy Chief

Controllers are the ones most closely tied to the day-to-day scheduling and planning for trains in a

control section

Q. How are trains scheduled?

The overall schedules and numbers of trains, as reflected in the published passenger timetables and

working timetables, are decided in advance based on consideration of the operational aspects such as

loco availability, loco changeovers, crew changes, section capacity, etc.

In implementing these schedules, Deputy Chief Controllers or Dispatchers set the day-to-day policies

and finalize plans for the schedules and precedence of various passenger and freight trains in the

sections that they are in charge of. Each section or portion of the routes under the dispatcher has

Section Controllers who are responsible for implementing the plans drawn up by the dispatchers.

Section controllers regulate traffic in their sections based on track capacity, availability of locos and

readiness of trains, etc. Section controllers also control the movement of rakes and locos to and from

sheds and yards. Goods trains are almost exclusively under the control of section controllers (unlike

passenger trains where the station staff starting with the station masters at each station are also

involved). In suburban sections, a separate group of section controllers may control the movement of

EMUs, ensuring that specific units run on specific routes, that particular EMU units return to their car

sheds at the end of the day, etc. Section controllers are also responsible for tracking yard balances of

wagons and coaches, tracking reports of trains and engine movements. They also serve as the primary

link between the control office and the larger IR apparatus and the line staff (cabin crew, loco crew,

etc.).

A control chart is drawn up by the section controller or his staff for each day. The chart plots distance

along one axis (subdivided by block sections, and showing stations, level crossings, etc., and time along

the other. The trains' paths are plotted on the chart to show the progress they are making; the slopes of

the paths indicate the speeds. Colours are used to mark out different categories of trains; e.g., red for

mail and express trains, blue for ordinary passenger trains, and black for goods trains. Crack or link

goods trains are indicated by special colours. If a train is stabled at a station, a horizontal red line is used

to denote that. If a train is taking longer than usual to clear a section, it's actual path is shown by a solid

line, while the scheduled path is shown by a dotted line. Annotations are made for any unusual

occurrences, e.g., late starts, speed restrictions, etc. For work trains, the detention at stations is indicated

251

in terms of shunting, crossing, line clear, and any extra time taken by the driver to start is indicated.

Normally, at the end of a run on a section, the guard for a passenger train hands in his report of timings

and reasons for detentions along the way, so that they can be reconciled with the control chart.

The cabin control crew are in charge of implementing the directives of the section controllers by

operating the points, signals, and interlockings, and are generally concerned with the safe operation and

movement of trains in and out of the particular sections they are in charge of. They technically operate

under the authority of the station master of the station, who has ultimate authority on which trains enter,

pass through, and depart his station.

In large stations, though, the station master's office does not concern itself with the details of the traffic

through the station, leaving that entirely to the section controllers and the cabin control crew who work

in coordination with them. (The arrangement where the Station Master or his staff exclusively

determine which platforms trains arrive at and leave from is known as Master's Acceptance.) At

smaller stations, however, the station master and his staff have a more direct hand in the details of the

traffic through the station and how it is scheduled.

Certain trains may have high operational priority or precedence seemingly out of proportion to their

schedule constraints or other considerations, because they are especially monitored by the Railway

Board or the Ministry of Railways ("Minister's list" and "board-monitored" trains). The choice of these

trains is usually a political one; often these are the 'prestigious' trains of various zones, the Rajdhanis,

and the Shatabdis.

Local passenger trains and EMU / MEMU trains that serve a large number of halts are often given a

higher precedence than long-distance mail/express and superfast trains (generally excepting the

Rajdhanis / Shatabdis and other special trains as mentioned above). One reason for this is that the

stopping trains usually serve large numbers of local commuters and are thus important for the local

population. Another reason is that they are directly under the division or zone concerned unlike the

long-distance trains where the responsibility for punctuality can often be placed on the preceding or

following division or zone. E.g., [12/04] the 709 Surat-Vadodara MEMU precedes the Ahmedabad-

bound Karnavati Exp. till Vadodara. Sometimes even prestigious trains may be held up in this way.

E.g., [12/04] the 2951 Mumbai Rajdhani trails the Sayajinagari Exp. till Vadodara. It used to overtake

the Sayajinagari Exp. at Bharuch, but this caused a lot of delays for commuters on the MEMU and the

overtake was eliminated.

To improve track utilization, goods trains, which do not ordinarily stop at any of the passenger halts,

can be iven precedence over passenger trains so that they have a clear run. E.g., [12/04] a goods train is

seen to depart Ahmedabad at 2155, just five minutes before the Mumbai-bound Gujarat Mail; this

makes sense because the goods can run clear through to Vadodara whereas the Mail has to make at least

half a dozen halts and takes over 2 hours for the 100km distance. 'Important' goods trains such as the

'Con-Raj' container rakes, the dedicated parcel services, etc., are generally the best candidates for such

instances of being given precedence over passenger trains.

There may be additional Deputy Controllers who have specific control over the running of freight

trains, including their scheduling, loading/unloading, and are responsible for monitoring their progress.

Locomotive Controller

The locomotive controller or other official of the loco shed determines which locomotives are available

for service and when. For electric locos, the official handling this is designated the Traction Loco

Controller. The engine link or locomotive link published by the zonal railway from time to time

details the high-level allotments of locomotives for train runs within the zone.

Rake Links

252

The overall high-level plan for rake movements is described in a rake link issued by a zonal railway,

which has details of the planned rake compositions and rake movements for all trains handled by the

zone.

This has the details of which trains share rakes with which other trains, how and when rakes need to be

formed or split up, and many other details: composition, marshalling order, vacuum or air braked,

permissible loads, train watering, postal accommodation, sanctioned runs, locomotive allotment,

maintenance stations, lie-over periods, distance (km) earned by a rake in a round trip, instructions for

sending sick/defective coaches or coaches due for POH to shops.

This is drawn up keeping in mind asset utilization and maintenance schedules for the stock. The day-to-

day operational schedules are then drawn up with this as the basis and used by the operational staff /

marshalling yard staff. The rake link is also used by the reservation staff to determine the sizes and

distribution of reserved accommodation quotas.

Here is a sample rake link

Station scheduling

At each station, based on the train schedules, a platform and siding occupancy chart is drawn up. This

provides, for each day of the week, an indication of which platforms and sidings are occupied by which

trains at what times. Introducing a new train at a station (originating, or passing through) involves

finding an appropriate slot in this chart.

The overall scheduling, traffic planning, and operational aspects of a division are under the control of

the Chief Operations Manager of a division who is ultimately responsible for the performance of the

division in terms of punctuality, efficiency, etc.

In recent years IR has increased its use of computerized management systems to keep track of rolling

stock and utilize it efficiently. The FOIS (Freight Operations Information System) and the COIS

(Coaching Operations Information System - introduced 2003) help manage the movements, schedules,

and punctuality of freight and coaching stock, respectively, much better. FOIS is a two-tier system to

keep track of freight operations. The central reporting and decision support system that keeps track of

all moving freight assets is located at New Delhi. Five zonal systems (at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata,

Chennai, and Secunderabad) process local reporting and administration tasks associated with regional

freight operations. The FOIS and COIS networks include many 'Activity Reporting Centres', including

goods sheds and sidings, transshipment points, interchanges, wagon repair workshops, carriage and

wagon locomotive sheds, fuel stations, crew change locations, stations, and locomotive workshops.

Data from all of these is incorporated into the system.

Q. What is the order of precedence of trains?

The order of precedence for trains governs which train gets priority when two trains have to cross on a

single line, or are waiting to use a platform at a station, etc. The train with the higher precedence is

given priority, and the other train is made to wait (normally, regardless of how much detention this

results in, and even if the other train is already late). If two trains of the same level of precedence but

heading in opposite directions are involved, then the train that is nearer to its destination is given

priority. (Of course, specific situations such as the need to fuel locomotives or the number of hours

worked by train crew may trump these precedence rules.) Trains were traditionally run with the

following order of precedence (from highest to lowest):

Breakdown trains headed to accident sites

Presidential train

Mail Trains

Express Trains

253

Troop Trains

Specials engaged by the public

Ordinary Passenger Trains

Mixed train

Parcel trains

Breakdown trains returning from accident sites

Fast through goods trains

Work trains

Ballast and Material trains

The traditional order of precedence reflects the extreme importance given to the delivery of mail on

Mail Trains, and how they used to be the fastest trains. In recent decades, though, mail trains have

decreased in importance, and various classes of express trains such as the Rajdhanis and Shatabdis get

higher priority than mail trains, which are generally clubbed together with ordinary express trains and

superfasts.

Rake sharing by trains

Almost all trains, except special short distance trains like Deccan Queen, Shatabdi etc. share rakes, for

better utilization of the rolling stock, and also to reduce the pressure on stabling sheds which may not

have facilities to stable or store many rakes for very long. Two-way rake sharing is very common,

where a rake is used for one train A and then immediately used for another train B going back towards

the rake's point of origin, so that the same rake is later available for train A's service on another day.

Example: The down Mumbai-Hyderabad Exp. has a rake with 2 AC-3T coaches and 1 AC-2T coach. At

Hyderabad the rake is immediately re-used for the up Hussain Sagar Exp. back to Mumbai. Similarly,

the down Hussain Sagar Exp. rake which has a half AC I coach and a half AC-2T coach is re-used for

the up Hyderabad-Mumbai Exp. The Bangalore Mail and Bangalore Express between Chennai and

Bangalore share their rakes. The Trivandrum Mail shared rakes with the Cannanore Exp. There are

many such examples.

In the past, when more long-distance trains had distinctive liveries, rake sharing used to be limited to

just the two or three trains that happened to have the same livery (e.g., Ganga-Kaveri and Sarnath

Expresses). Beginning in the early 1980s or so, however, the various zonal railways seem to have

become much less interested in maintaining distinctive liveries for trains, and as a consequence (or

perhaps it is the cause!) there is much more rake sharing now. Also, as there are many more frequent

(daily) long-distance trains now, it is that much more essential to share rakes to keep up rake utilization

now.

Sometimes, rakes are shared between a pair of trains that do not have the same two endpoints. E.g., in

the past, the Minar Exp. (Bombay-Secunderabad) shared a rake with the Konark Exp. (Secunderabad-

Bhubaneshwar).

Often the station that is the point of origin or termination of a train owns the rake for that train, but it is

not always so. There are many examples where a rake works a service outside its owning station's

jurisdiction.

Example: Kolhapur (KOP) is under the jurisdiction of Hubli (UBL) division of South Central Railways.

Trains with 73xx numbers are South Central Railway trains homed at Kolhapur. But this was the

triangular route of a rake from KOP in 1996:

Train 1) Dadar (DR) - Nagpur(NGP) as 7339 Dn Sewagram Exp

Train 2) NGP - KOP as 7384 Up Maharashtra Exp via Manmad (MMR) - Daund (DD) and Pune

(PA).

Train 3) KOP - Dadar as 7312 Up as Mahalaxmi Exp.

254

Then it traced a reverse path to work as the return link (7311-7383-7340). The only South Central

territory is Kolhapur - Pune - Kolhapur. There is nothing remotely 'South Central' in the route from

Mumbai - Nagpur, Daund and Pune. But the trains still have a 73xx number. In a single 'outing' the rake

travels only 654 km in South Central and 3200 km in Central Railway territory

The above case is an example of rake sharing by 3 trains, which is not as common as two-way rake

sharing. Another example of rake sharing among three trains in the past was of the Mahalaxmi,

Sahyadri, and Maharashtra Expresses. The Chamundi, Tippu, and Cauvery Expresses are yet another

such case: a single rake used to leave Mysore as the Chamundi, return from Bangalore as the Tippu, and

make a third trip on the same section as the Cauvery. Four-way rake sharing also occurs. In the past, the

Yercaud Exp. shared rakes with the West Coast Exp., the Mangalore Mail, and other Madras-Tirupati

trains, with possibly five different rakes being used for the Yercaud. An example of 'prestigious' trains

sharing rakes probably occurred with the three AC or Air-Conditioned Expresses that ran on the

Bombay VT - Howrah, Howrah - Madras Central, and Bombay VT - Madras Central routes.

On the other hand, trains that are not very frequent (weekly or bi-weekly trains) will often not share

their rakes with any other trains. Trains that cover more than about 2000km usually have dedicated

rakes. This is because primary maintenance on coaching stock is usually done after every 2500km or so.

Another example of a rake working mostly outside its home territory: the 9 Down Mumbai Chennai

Exp. which had a number 7009 Dn (7 = South Central, 0 = rake homing at HQ (Secunderabad)).

Although the train traveled through SC land it did not start or terminate in SC territory. Today the 9

Down has a more logical number 6009 Dn. (6 = Southern Railway, 0 = rake homing at HQ (Chennai))

Q. How many rakes does a train require?

If there are no complications because of 3-way rake-sharing and so on, it is easy to figure out the

number of rakes that are needed for any particular train service. Assuming 1-2 hours a day to allow for

late running, and perhaps 4-6 hours a day for cleaning and maintenance, a rake is used perhaps 16 hours

a day for short distance trips, and 18 hours a day for long trips. From this, one can estimate the number

of rakes given the total journey duration.

Up to 8 hours : 1 rake (unless it is a night train)

8-17 hours : 2 rakes





Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair

Inspection

Pre-departure inspections for a train include testing the brake system continuity for the entire rake,

locomotive inspection by the crew (checking fuel and oil levels, inspecting the traction equipment, the

bogies, etc. The guard ensures the availability of safety equipment, last-vehicle indications and warning

lamps, etc. En route at important stations where the train stops, the wheels/axles and bogies of the rake

are checked: visual inspection to check for defects, trailing or hanging equipment, etc., using a mallet to

test the bogie fittings, using contact or non-contact thermometers to detect hot bearings or axles. At

many stations, track-side fluorescent or halogen lamps are provided to help in this inspection.

Maintenance and Overhauls (POH/IOH/ROH)

Normal maintenance work at trip termini or intermediate stops (if needed) is done at trip sheds which

have facilities for minor repair and maintenance but which normally do not home locos. Primary

255

maintenance (see below) is carried out on all coaching stock every 2500km or so, and is a basic

maintenance regimen taking around 6 hours. Secondary maintenance is carried out more often (see

below).

Mail and express coaches are sent to workshops for periodic overhaul once in about 13-14 months.

Ordinary passenger train coaches receive POH once in about 18-19 months. Passenger coaches are

usually sent back to the owning zoning railway for overhaul.

Many of the newer freight wagons (BOXC, BRHC, etc.) have their first POH at 6 years, and later POH

every 4.5 years. BCN, BCNA, BTPN wagons have POH at 6-year intervals. IOH / ROH occurs every

18 months for most of these. 4-wheeled tank wagons have POH every 3.5 years, and ROH every 21

months. BTPGLN, BTALN are sent for POH every 4 years, while brake vans are overhauled every 2

years (3-4 years for MG). Most other unit wagons and general-purpose wagons are overhauled every

3.5 years or so.

Freight wagons constructed from condemned passenger or other stock have a POH interval of 24

months. Intermediate overhaul (IOH) is performed about once in 6 months for older wagons. Freight

wagons are usually overhauled at the nearest wagon POH workshop, and not sent back to the owning

railway.

BG Locomotives are scheduled for POH once every 6 years or every 800,000km, whichever comes

earlier. For MG locos, the corresponding intervals are 6 years or 600,000km. Most locos also need to

return to the home shed or other shed having maintenance facilities every so often for routine checks

and maintenance. The ubiquitous WDM-2 and other diesels require this every 7-10 days. The newer

diesels (WDG-4, etc.) with 3-phase AC motors only need to return to the home shed once in 90 days or

so.

In addition to the POH schedule, there is usually a major rehabilitation or rebuilding done for most

locos at the middle of the codal life, e.g., at 18 years for diesels. This is usually carried out at the Diesel

Component Works, Patiala.

Each zonal railway has some workshops for carrying out such overhauls; e.g., for CR, Matunga

workshops handle the POH for BG coaches and EMUs whereas Parel workshops handle POH for DC

and AC/DC locos. See the section on sheds for more information.

The designated codal life is the normal working life under the asset depreciation rules of IR. The codal

life of diesel locomotives is 36 years, while electric locomotives have a codal life of 40 (?) years.

Locomotives are rarely condemned or scrapped before the prescribed codal life has passed, and

occasionally stay on in active use well beyond the codal life (see below).

Life beyond the codal life — [9/02] WDM-2 No. 18209 (Erode) is still used for hauling VIP trains; it

was commissioned on Feb. 29, 1964. Other old working locos include WDM-2 No. 18183

(Krishnarajapuram, commissioned Oct. 23, 1963), WDM-2 No. 18184 (Golden Rock, also

commissioned Oct. 23, 1963), and WDM-2 No. 18211 (Golden Rock, commissioned Dec. 20, 1963).

Q. What are the 'Primary', 'Secondary', and 'Safe to Run' designations for rolling stock?

Rolling stock (coaches and wagons) are usually classified into three categories for maintenance

purposes. The primary maintenance category consists of vehicles that need thorough inspection and

maintenance. They are to be examined closely from all aspects, and all parts that are at the limit of the

prescribed running life (in km or calendar time) are to be replaced, whether or not damaged. All

standard maintenance procedures are applied. The secondary category refers to vehicles that do not

need such intensive examination and maintenance procedures applied; appropriate maintenance

procedures are carried out, and parts are replaced only if damaged or hazardous to safety. The undergear

and wheelsets are always examined. The safe to run (STR) category refers to coaches and wagons that

256

are considered to be in good running condition and can be immediately used for scheduled services, and

which require only minimal maintenance. Parts are replaced or repaired only if damaged or hazardous

to safety. Each coaching depot or wagon shed ususally has a designated capacity of how many vehicles

in each category it can handle at a given time.

Q. What is ROSHAN?

'ROSHAN' stands for ROlling Stock Health ANalyst and refers to some technology developed by

Konkan Railway in association with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for monitoring the running

characteristics of coaches and wagons. Accelerometers mounted on rolling stock record the oscillations

of the coach or wagon while in use and computer circuitry analyzes the motions looking for anything

that deviates too much from the normal bounds for that class of wagon or coach. The aim is to get early

indications of problems in suspensions, wheels and axles, or the wagon or coach structure before it is

too late.

Communications

Q. What are the telecommunications systems that IR uses?

Most of IR's telecommunications needs are handled by telephone / telegraph cables and other control

communication cables running alongside the tracks (often underground in electrified areas) or overhead

(usually in non-electrified areas). Important circuits of control and communication include section

control for overall control of train running, deputy control and FOIS (Freight Operations Information

Systems) for freight movement monitoring, traction power control, remote control, and SCADA

sysems for control and switching of the OHE in electrified sections, traction loco control for

coordinating locmotive allocations, engineering control for coordinating maintenance and permanent-

way work, and S&T control for signalling and related communications. More recently, computerized

ticketing/booking and other status information as well as more monitoring and data processing and

management systems have come on line and have resulted in new communication systems carrying

their data traffic as well.

Low-traffic and rural areas often have fairly simple communications set-ups. Token instruments in

many cases are connected by fairly simple telegraph mechanisms. Station masters and signal cabins

usually have telephonic contact with their counterparts up and down the track. IR's telephony is a

mixture of Strowger (mechanical relay) exchanges and more modern digital exchanges, with the older

electromechanical systems being gradually phased out.

In electrified areas, telephone and other communications are usually carried on shielded underground

cables to avoid interference from the OHE. Often 4-wire circuitry is used (2 wires for transmission and

2 for reception) to minimize interference problems. Repeaters are used every 40-50km for

loaded/balanced cables; amplifiers / equalizers are used at stations for non-balanced cables. In some

areas, old analog twisted pair wires between stations have been utilized in a more efficient manner to

carry 6 or so digitized voice channels (ADPCM), for distances up to about 10km. (The system is known

as TeNET, and was developed by IIT Madras.)

For longer distances (coordinating across longer stretches, zonal communications, administration) IR

uses microwave communications (2GHz and 7GHz (7.125GHz and 7.425GHz) for administration,

8GHz and 18GHz for control communications) with backup wireline telephony. Analog microwave

equipment is from Harris and Toshiba. The microwave links besides having more bandwidth than the

older telephony cables also avoid the problem of cable theft. Most links have 120 channels, and more

recent ones (post-1987) have 960 channels.

The four major metropolises are interconnected by a digital 34+2 Mbps microwave channel [1/00] with

equipment from Alcatel and NEC. In 1999, IR had nearly 15,000 route-km of analog microwave links

and 3,700 route-km of digital microwave links. The UHF microwave links use 5 to 7 repeaters for each

257

division, spaced every 50-60km. Each repeater station has two transmitters, two receivers, standby

battery and generator sets, etc. Some of these handle both analog and digital links (100+ analog

channels, 56 digital channels in a common configuration). Data loggers report status back to the

divisional headquarters.

In addition, spread-spectrum CDMA communication is in use between a few stations ([1/00] Mumbai-

Mathura on WR, Mumbai-Wadi on CR, Wadi-Secunderabad on SCR). Other major routes not covered

by these have UHF TDMA links. Satellite 'micro-earth terminals' are used at several remote locations

(as of 2000, over 120 such).

Major stations' computer networks are also connected via trackside cables. Control communications and

control for electric traction substations is usually done through trackside metal cabling; some stretches

have now been upgraded to use optical fibres. Signalling systems of some nearby stations in busy areas

are interconnected with fibre-optic rings that also carry phone and data traffic in addition to signalling

and control traffic.

Much of the PRS system for ticketing and reservations is connected together by 64kbps leased lines,

although lines of higher bandwidth are beginning to be used as more applications are being made

available (train status enquiry systems, station enquiries, etc.).

With the spread of the Internet in India, many of the railway institutions are now connected to the

public Internet, and they are also connected among themselves with a wide-area intranet known as

'RAILNET' which covers most of the zonal and divisional headquarters, training institutes, production

units, and offices of the Ministry of Railways.

Optical Fibre Communication

Since about 2000, a major effort has been underway to provide optical fibre communication links

between stations. Part of the push for this came from the Department of Telecommunications' declining

interest in maintaining IR's leased-line communication and control circuits since its (DOT's) own

infrastructure was increasingly moving to microwave and optic fibre links.

However, the other reason is the promise of raising revenue by commercial marketing of the

communication capacity to Internet and telecom companies and others. So far [2/02], fibre-optic links

have been provided along the routes among New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore,

Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. A 24-fibre cable standard is followed.

Some small sections or separate systems (e.g., the Delhi Metro) use, or are planning to use, fibre-optic

communication extensively.

Q. How do ground staff, train crew, signalmen, and others communicate?

Since about 1999, handled radio sets (walkie-talkies) have been issued to most drivers, guards, and

other staff on the move. These handsets usually have a fairly short range (a kilometer or so). VHF radio

sets have been installed in the loco cabs for a few important trains such as the Grand Trunk Express,

Tamil Nadu Express, and the Rajdhanis and Shatabdis, for communication between the loco and station

controllers.

Some systems like the Delhi Metro also use mobile radio systems for train communication; the radio

system is integrated into the larger system of communication which includes optical-fibre

communication between stations, etc.

Another method of wireless communication with train crew, MTRC, or Mobile Train Radio

Communication, has been set up for trials in some places, including on the Nagpur-Itarsi, and planned

to be set up on sections like Pune-Bhusawal. The older systems are analog; the newer ones are supposed

258

to be digital and based on CDMA ttechnology. More recently [12/04] there has been talk of moving to

GSM-R communications.

See the section on flag and lamp signals, whistle codes, etc. for more information on communication.

Q. What is the 'stone throw' method of communication?

In the days before walkie-talkies or other means of communication between the cab and the station staff

were available, a very simple but effective method was used by a driver or guard to communicate with

the station master or his staff at stations where the train did not halt. He would write his message on a

piece of paper, wrap it around a stone, and throw the stone with the message on to the platform as the

train went through the station. And as the train passed by the Asst. Station Master or Khalasi or other

official giving the 'all-right' flag signal on the platform, he would shout out to him that he had dropped

his message. Often, a few stones were kept just for this purpose in the loco cab or the guard cabin!

Ticketing and Reservation

Q. What are/were Edmondson card tickets like in India? Are they still used?

Until a few years ago, the mainstay of IR's ticketing were the Edmondson tickets* which were issued

manually (machine-punched or even hand-written in some cases) for all train journeys, reservations, etc.

Indian Edmondson tickets show(ed) a fair bit of variation. Apart from the expected information such as

the endpoints of the journey, the date, distance, class, and fare, tickets were often colour-coded to

indicate the class of travel or the issuing zonal railway. (Note that the date was usually stamped or

indented by a punch machine while the other details were pre-printed on the cards.) The zone is usually

indicated by initials (e.g., 'N.R.') on the back of the ticket, and security markings of various sorts may

be found on the front and back forming a background for the other printed text.

White card stock was used for the reservation tickets to go along with the journey tickets, before

journey-cum-reservation tickets were introduced. Other kinds of tickets issued included platform

tickets, supplementary charge tickets (for superfasts, etc.), retiring room tickets, and tickets against

warrants for military personnel. For journeys crossing zonal railway boundaries, a red wavy stripe was

often printed on the ticket to indicate the 'foreign' nature of the travel, a legacy of the time when such

travel indeed meant going through more than one railway company's territory.

In addition, reservation confirmation, cancellations, and other such documents issued on Edmondson

card stock often had different colours or special backgrounds. Sleeper card tickets were pink; AC-3T

were light blue; and First Class tickets were generally a leafy green colour. (These may not have been

standard across zones.) WR's Mumbai suburban card tickets were printed on yellow, blue, and pink

stock. Edmondson tickets in India are often not punched or cut to indicate cancellation or use; instead

the ticket checker often just puts his initials on the tickets.

There are many interesting aspects of Edmondson tickets that were issued in India. In some places, e.g.,

on the Mumbai suburban system, station names are not printed in full; only the the codes are shown.

Also, the origin and destination shown are the outer limits of the zone for travel in which the ticket is

valid, not the actual end-points of travel. Return tickets in two halves, each retained by a ticket collector

at either end, are or were issued only in some places; examples are the MG EMU system in Chennai, at

Mumbai and other big stations, etc.

Card stock used at some stations, especially the small and less busy ones, can be really old, so that the

tickets may be issued even 15 or 20 years after the stock was printed. This can mean that the prices

shown are extremely out of date; in some cases even the names of stations may have changed. E.g., a

Second Class Ordinary (passenger) train ticket from Jamnagar to Aliyavada could be obtained recently

[2004], printed on stock from 1980, with a preprinted price of 55 paise (although the current price is Rs

259

7), and showing a distance of 15km (it's now 19km following the change in alignment after gauge

conversion in 1984).

Also recently [2004], a ticket could be obtained for a journey from Hadmatiya to Khambaliya, printed

on card stock from 1976 (!) which has both stations named with 'Jn' after their names, as they used to be

junctions 30 years ago. Following the recent creation of new zones, card tickets can often be found

[12/04] with the old zonal indications; e.g., a second class ticket from Khurja Jn (NCR, previously NR)

to Delhi (NR) has the security diamond markings of NR, yet carries the horizontal wavy stripe

indicating a 'foreign' journey across zones.

Read more about Edmondson tickets in India.

(*) Edmondson tickets: This is the name given to tickets issued on card stock, with a preprinted or

machine-punched serial number, invented by Thomas Edmondson of Lancaster, UK, in the 1830s as a

means of preventing fraud and making the job of ticket-checking less onerous for the Newcastle and

Carlisle Railway in the UK. They became very popular on all UK railways, and spread from there to

railways around the world and of course to railways in India. Typically they were printed on card stock

about 0.8mm thick, and the standard size was about 57.5mm x 30mm.

Cardboard Edmondson tickets are still to be found, issued at smaller wayside stations, on remote branch

lines, etc., and often only for unreserved travel. Upper class tickets in card form are especially hard to

find for mail/express trains now [12/04] because these trains often do not stop at the small wayside

stations that still issue card tickets, or if they do, they only have a small quota for lower class

accommodations.

Platform tickets are still issued on card stock at many stations, including those of NR, SER, CR, etc.,

where they are usually on white stock. SER card platform tickets have additional security markings.

New Delhi and Delhi Jn. currently [12/04] issue card platform tickets. An interesting aspect of card

platform tickets issued at some places like New Delhi and Delhi Jn. is the indication on the tickets of

the specific point of issue, e.g., the Main Gate, East Hall (at Delhi Jn.), or even the specific counter of

issue (Window 1, Window 2, etc. - Jamnagar, although this appears to have stopped now [12/04]).

.

Q. What kinds of tickets have been or are used in India other than the old Edmondson card

tickets?

The early Rajdhani Express tickets were unusual. The Bombay Rajdhani tickets resembled airline

tickets in format (although somewhat thinner), and the Howrah Rajdhani tickets were also wide like

airline tickets but shorter, so that they resembled excess baggage tickets issued by the airlines of the

time. WR and CR began issuing stiff paper tickets ('RapidPrinter' paper stock) for the Mumbai suburban

trains some time in the 1980s or so, although card tickets continued to be issued at some stations for

many years. Platform tickets (for access to the platform areas) are issued in square paper form at many

stations, especially WR, NWR, etc. At bigger stations around the country, however, platform tickets are

now printed on the same stock as regular tickets since the same self-printing ticket machines (SPTM)

can be used to obtain them. RapidPrinter paper stock is used [12/04] for platform tickets in some places

(e.g., Surat, Ahmedabad, Nagpur).

With the advent of computerization and networked reservation systems, tickets and reservation slips are

often now printed by computer on continuous feed paper. (Below you can find brief description of some

of the main components of the new systems in place for computerized reservation and ticketing.)

.

260

Q. How are computerized reservations done? What are CONCERT, PRS, IMPRESS, POET, and

UTS?

Before computerization set in, reservations were generally issued only on the basis of fixed quotas for

each station (and, for some important stations, using the 'return journey quota' (RJQ) for the return

trips), or after a labour-intensive and time-consuming process of requesting and confirming reservations

via telegrams to distant stationmasters. It was often difficult or impossible to reserve journeys from

intermediate stations to other intermediate stations, especially at short notice. With the advent of

computerized reservations, the situation has improved tremendously.

The IR system is very complex, resulting in a daunting set of requirements for computerization. Not

only is the volume over 600,000 seat and berth reservations a day, but there are also: 7 passenger train

categories, 72 types of coaches, 7 classes of accommodation that can be reserved, over 40 quotas, and

around 80 types of concessional fares. The fares depend not only on the distance (being computed

telescopically) with the complication of 'chargeable distances' being different from the actual distances

travelled, but also the accommodation type and the transit time.

The CONCERT ('Country-wide Network for Computerized Enhanced Reservation and Ticketing')

system is a networked system for computerized reservation and ticketing and other online information

retrieval applications, and has been operational nationwide since April 1999 (although the first

prototype was developed in January 1995 and tested at Secunderabad). It has five major regional centres

(Secunderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata).

At each of these centres, an Alpha VMS cluster with a Sybase database [2002] provides the

computational resources. These five nodes are connected by 64kbps leased lines owned by the Dept. of

Telecoms. (Now being upgraded to higher bandwidth as more data-intensive applications are being

deployed.) Lower-bandwidth lines then connect all the 'Universal Terminals' (or PRS terminals) at

different stations to these major nodes. Implementation of the system began in the early 1990s.

CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) designed and built the entire system. The system was

deployed in stages, beginning in 1994 at Secunderabad, in 1996 at New Delhi, in 1998 at Kolkata, and

finishing up with Mumbai and Chennai in 1999.

PRS — ('Passenger Reservation System') is the application software for handling passenger

reservations that now runs on the CONCERT system. However, the origins of PRS go further back, as it

started with a pilot project in 1985 at New Delhi. This was IMPRESS ('Integrated Multi-Train

Passenger Reservation System'). The first version ran on VAX-11/750 computers running VMS and

was written in FORTRAN. The system could then only handle reservations for trains at one station.

Access was by VT220 terminals at the remote nodes

It was extended in 1987 to a few more locations (Mumbai - June 1987, Calcutta - July 1987, Chennai -

October 1987) and with additional features, and by 1990 had been deployed to handle the bulk of the

long-distance reservations at five locations (the above four and Secunderabad (begun July 1989), which

had a Cyber computer system instead of the VAX systems the others used). These five PRS nodes

operated independently, each with its own local database, and could not exchange information. The

CONCERT system and the development of the networked nationwide system addressed this

shortcoming, and the five PRS systems were interconnected on 18 April 1999. The hardware was also

upgraded from VAX/VMS servers to Alpha/VMS servers. In January 1995, the first prototype of

CONCERT was developed, and networked reservations were available through the experimental linking

of the Secunderabad and New Delhi nodes. Bangalore had a separate PRS system implemented on

custom ECIL hardware with a different software package, which was later switched over to CONCERT.

In addition to the PRS terminals used by ticketing staff to issue reservations and tickets, IVRS

('Interactive Voice Response System') can be used by passengers to get status information over the

phone, as well as POET ('Passenger-Operated Enquiry Terminal') self-service terminals at stations.

261

IVRS was introduced in 1994; the first version was based on an Oracle database containing schedule

information, linked to the PRS system, and was built by CMC in conjunction with AT&T. More

recently [8/02] the ability to book tickets over the Internet has been made available. This was originally

restricted to major cities (New Delhi, Mumbai) and is now [12/02] being extended to many more cities.

NTES — ('National Train Enquiry System') is a system to provide real-time information on the status

of trains (arrival/departure and platforms), journey planning (the 'SMART' package), station facility

enquiry and enquiries about railway travel rules (the 'GLOBAL' enquiry package). The system is the

'brains' behind the display boards and CCTVs at stations, and the IVRS and Internet-based status

enquiry applications. The system uses Alpha Unix servers with Sybase databases

UTS — ('Unreserved Ticketing System') is the counterpart to PRS, and deals with unreserved ticketing.

This is a system of networked self-service terminals that allow passengers to buy unreserved tickets for

any journey, up to 30 days in advance, without having to go to the ticket windows at the departure

station.

Begun as a pilot project on August 15, 2002, the system now consists of terminals set up at 10 New

Delhi area locations (Delhi, Delhi Jn., Hazrat Nizammudin, Delhi-Shahdra, Ghaziabad, Shakurbasti,

Delhi Kishanganj, Sarojini Nagar, Shivaji Bridge & Tilak Bridge) and 13 more set up in October 2002

(Delhi Sadar Bazar, Dayabasti, Subzi Mandi, Delhi Azadpur, Okhla, Sewa Nagar, New Azadpur, Badli,

Vivek Vihar, Sahibabad, Vivekanandpuri, New Gaziabad and Mangolpuri). As the system is networked,

it allows IR to monitor the sales of tickets on various trains and adjust train capacities to the changing

demand, besides making it easier for passengers to buy their tickets.

SPTM — ('Self-Printing Ticket Machine') self-service terminals at stations, an older concept, allow

passengers to buy unreserved tickets for specific trains and routes. These machines are not networked

and their sales are not reflected immediately into the PRS and UTS systems for capacity planning. The

first such machine was introduced at New Delhi in 1990.

Q. What is an 'A' class line, or a 'Q' class line, etc.?

The permanent way sections are classified by IR according to the maximum speed (or more precisely,

the maximum speed proposed for the immediate future) that the tracks are capable of supporting. In

most cases this classification is more an indication of the priority of the route and IR's plans for it in the

future, rather than an indication of the speeds allowed on it today. Also, some small stretches of a line

may have much higher (or lower) allowed speeds than the classification of the line might indicate

because of local conditions, ghat sections, curves, etc.

The trivia section includes a list of the maximum speeds that some of these sections have been cleared

for .

A class: Lines in this class are BG sections rated for speeds up to 160km/h. Some of these are:

Most of the New Delhi - Howrah line (via Grand Chord and Howrah-Burdwan Chord ('Rajdhani

route')).

New Delhi - Bombay Central ('Frontier Mail route' or 'Golden Temple Mail route')

New Delhi - Madras Central ('Grand Trunk route')

Howrah - Nagpur - Bombay V.T. (CSTM)

Ratnagiri - Sawantwadi (KR)

Ratnagiri - Sawantwadi is a recent addition to this group [2004?]. Some IR publications still [2/06] do

not list this section as an 'A' route.

Apart from the standard 'A' class lines mentioned above, IR is contemplating setting up some very high

speed sections. Proposed sections include Mumbai Central - Ahmedabad, Bangalore - Chennai Central

262

(these two for up to 200km/h, with the former also being a candidate for a Shinkansen-like service with

trains at up to 300km/h -- although this is still in the early stages of planning), and Palwal-Bina,

Ghaziabad-Mughalsara (these two for routinely running passenger trains up to 160km/h, and freights at

100km/h). These new sections will be fully fenced or grade-separated.

B class: This class allows speeds up to 130km/h. This class includes the following sections (from 1999

unless otherwise indicated):

Allahabad - Katni - Jabalpur - Itarsi - Bhusaval

Kalyan - Pune - Daund - Wadi - Secunderabad - Kazipet

Vadodara - Ahmedabad

Mathura - Ratlam

Ahmedabad - Ajmer - Jaipur - Bandikui - Rewari - Delhi

Sitarampur - Madhupur - Kiul - Patna - Mughalsarai

Howrah - Bandel - Barddhaman

Kharagpur - Waltair - Vijayawada

Kiul - Bhagalpur - Sahibganj - Barharwa

Delhi - Panipet - Ambala Cantt. - Kalka

Ambala Cantt. - Ludhiana - Pathankot

Ambala Cantt. - Moradabad - Lucknow - Pratapgarh - Mughalsarai

Agra Cantt. - Lalitpur

Kanpur-Agra (As of [2/00] there was a plan to upgrade this and Lucknow-Kanpur to 'A' and rate

it at 140km/h.)

Virar - Vadodara - Godhra

Lalitpur - Bina

Khanna - Barharwa - Farakka Bridge - Malda Town

Wadi - Raichur - Arakkonam - Madras Central

Jolarpettai - Bangalore

Arakkonam - Jolarpettai - Salem - Erode - Coimbatore - Ernakulam

New Jalpaiguri - Malda Town (NFR)

Chennai Beach - Dindigul [2005]

Chennai Beach - Chennai Egmore (3rd line) [2005]

Bangalore - Dharmavaram - Gooty [2004]

Ghaziabad - Saharanpur [2005]

C class: This is not really a speed-rated class, but is the classification used for suburban sections of

metropolitan areas.

1. CST Mumbai - Kalyan - Kasara

2. CST Mumbai - Kalyan - Karjat

3. CST Mumbai - Kurla - Panvel

4. CST Mumbai - Ravali - Mahim - Andheri

5. CST Mumbai - Ravali - Kurla

6. Churchgate - Mumbai Central - Borivali - Virar

7. Chennai Central - Basin Bridge Jn. - Veyasarapadi - Arakkonam

8. Chennai Central - Basin Bridge Jn. - Washermanpet - Chennai Beach - Tambaram

9. Chennai Central - Basin Bridge Jn. - Korukkupet - Tondiarpet - Tiruvottiyar - Gummidipundi

10. Chennai Beach - Thirumayilai

11. Sealdah - Dumdum - Naihati - Kalyani - Ranaghat - Krishnanagar

12. Sealdah - Sonarpur - Baruipur

13. Ballygunge - Budge Budge

14. Howrah - Dankuni - Saktigarh - Barddhaman

15. Howrah - Bandel - Saktigarh

16. Seoraphuli - Tarakeshwar

17. Dumdum - Barasat

263

18. Howrah - Panskura - Kharagpur

D-special class: BG lines rated up to 100km/h, with high traffic density or high expected growth in

traffic. The following lines were identified as D-special routes in 1999 unless otherwise indicated:

1. Kharagpur - Midnapur - Adra

2. Barkakhana - Barwadih - Garwa Road

3. Tundla - Yamuna Bridge

4. Bolangir - Titlagarh

5. Gudur - Renigunta

6. Anara - Chandil - Kandra - Sini

7. Anuppur - Shahdol - Katni - Bina

8. Ahmedabad - Viramgam

9. Nagda - Ujjain - Maksi - Bhopal

10. Lucknow - Sultanpur - Zafarabad Jn - Varanasi

11. Delhi - Ghaziabad - Hapur - Moradabad

12. Lucknow - Kanpur (In [2/00], there was a proposal to upgrade this to 'A'.))

13. Chapra - Hajipur - Barauni

14. Raipur - Titlagarh - Vizianagaram

15. Guntakal - Tornagallu - Hospet (Hospet section added 2004)

16. Udhna - Nandurbar - Jalgaon

17. Gomoh - Chandrapura [2005]

18. Garwa Road - Chopan [2005]

19. Garwa Road - SoneNagar [2005]

20. Barauni - Katihar [2005]

21. Sambalpur - Talcher - Nergundi [2005]

22. Jharsuguda - Bolangir [2005]

23. Barabanki - Gonda - Gorakhpur - Chhapra [2005]

24. Champa - Gewra Road [2005]

25. Bilaspur - Anuppur [2005]

D class: BG lines rated up to 100km/h.

1. Salem - Bayappanahalli

2. Guntur - Donakonda - Guntakal

3. Vikarabad - Parli - Parbhani

4. Vijayawada - Bhimavaram - Nidadavolu

5. Secunderabad - Dronachalam

6. Jodhpur - Marwar

7. Diva - Vasai Rd (Was E-Special until recently [2004].)

8. Pen - Roha

9. Kumedpur - Katihar Jn

10. Rewari - Hissar

11. Kalumna - Nagda (via Itwari)

12. Kota - Ruthiyai

13. Bina - Guna - Ruthiyai

E-special class: BG lines with sanctioned speeds below 100km/h, with high traffic density or high

expected growth in traffic. The following lines were identified as E-Special routes in 1999:

1. Garwa Road - Sonnagar

2. Panskura - Haldia

3. Talcher - Rajatgarh - Salegaon - Nergundi

4. Cuttack - Paradeep

5. Radhakishorepur - Rajathgarh - Barang

264

6. Kapilas Road - Salegaon

7. Radhakishorepur - Machapur

8. Kirandul - Koraput

9. Rajakharshwan - Dongaposi - Padapahar - Barajmda - Gua

10. Bondamunda - Bimlagarh - Barsuan - Kiriburu

11. Kandra - Gomhauria (Gamharria)

12. Champa - Gevra Road

13. Marauda - Dallirajhara

14. Urkura - Sarona

15. Bhojudih - Mohuda (Grand Chord)

16. Chandil - Muri - Bokaro - Rajbera

17. Padapahar - Banspani

18. Jharsuguda - Sambalpur - Bolangir

19. Barajamda - Bolanikhandan

20. Muri - Barakakana

21. Talgoria - Bokaro City

22. Kota - Ruthiyal

23. Diva - Vasai Road (formerly [1999]; now D class)

24. Tornagallu - Hospet (formerly [1999]; now D class)

25. Andal - Sainthia [2004]

26. Hatia - Muri [2004]

27. Mohuda - Gomoh [2004]

28. Koraput - Kottavalasa [2004]

29. Koraput - Singapuram Road [2004]

30. Sambalpur - Angul [2004]

31. Anuppur - Bijuri - Boridand [2004]

32. Boridand - Bisrampur [2004]

33. Durg - Marauda [2004]

34. Londa - Vasco [2004]

35. Dewas - Maksi [2004]

36. Gandhidham - Bhuj [2004]

37. Dornakal - Bhadrachalam Road - Manuguni - Kerapalli & Singereni collieries [2004]

38. Sanathnagar - Maula Ali (bypass line) [2004]

E class: This class includes all other BG lines with sanctioned speeds below 100km/h.

Q class: These are MG lines rated for speeds above 75km/h and traffic generally above 2.5 GMT. Some

(such as Delhi - Jaipur) allowed speeds up to 105km/h or so (Pink City Exp., etc.) and had concrete

sleepers and welded rails. The list of such lines from 1999/2000 is given below; gauge conversion has

rapidly changed the MG picture in recent years.

'Q' class MG sections as of 1999/2000 Rewari - Ringus - Phulera

Ratangarh - Degana

Delhi Sarai Rohilla - Rewari - Ratangarh

Ajmer - Ratlam - Khandwa

Jaipur - Phulera - Ajmer

Bandikui - Agra Fort

Ahmedabad - Bhavnagar

Agra - Mathura - Bhojipura - Lalkuan

Bhojipura - Lucknow Jn

Villupuram - Thanjavur - Thiruchirapalli

Chennai Beach - Villupuram (added in 2000)

Dindigul - Madurai (added in 2000)

265

In addition to the above, these MG sections were in the 'Q' class in 1985 (incomplete list):

'Q' class MG sections as of 1985 Ratangarh - Rewari

Jodhpur - Jaipur - Agra East Bank

Kathgodam - Bhojipur

Bangalore - Hubli - Miraj

R class: These are MG lines rated at up to 75km/h. This category is further broken down into three

classes based on traffic density: R-1, R-2, and R-3 (in decreasing order of traffic carried).

R-1 routes (traffic above 5 GMT/year) : As of 1985, this included Hospet - Hubli, Secunderabad

- Guntakal, Londa - Marmagoa, Katihar - New Bongaigaon, Guwahati - Tinsukia, and

Gandhidham - Palanpur. Only Gandhidham - Palanpur remained in this category by 1999.

Katihar - New Bongaigaon and Guwahati - Tinsukia carry over 5 GMT / year, but are not

counted as R-1 routes as they are slated for gauge conversion very soon [2004].

R-2 routes (traffic of 2.5-5.0 GMT/year) : As of 1985, this included Guntakal - Hospet,

Guntakal - Villupuram, Tiruchirapalli - Manamadurai - Virudunagar, Purna - Secunderabad, and

Jodhpur - Marwar. By 1999, the list consisted of just Secunderabad - Mudkhed, Guntakal -

Bellary, Guntakal - Villupuram, Thiruchirapalli - Manamadurai - Virudunagar.

R-3 routes (traffic of 1.5-2.5 GMT/year) : As of 1985, this included Madurai - Rameswaram,

Virudhunagar - Tenkasi, Dindigul - Pollachi, Ratangarh - Bikaner - Merta Rd., Muzaffarpur -

Narkatiyaganj, and Birur - Shimoga Town. By 1999, the list consisted of Madurai -

Rameswaram, Virudunagar - Tenkasi, Dindigul - Pollachi, and Ratangarh - Bikaner.

S class: These are all the remaining MG lines rated for below 75km/h and/or with low traffic densities

(below 1.5 GMT/year).

There are no classifications like the above for narrow gauge tracks.

As mentioned above, these speeds are the maximum that the tracks are built to support. Actual running

speeds are usually much lower because of other considerations (traffic on the line, signalling

arrangements, curves, proximity to populated areas, presence of points and divergences / convergences,

etc.). Based on this the maximum permissible speed is specified for each section of a route.

Normally only the main line can be traversed at that speed. Turnouts to diverging routes require a

reduction in speed. Most turnouts have speed restrictions of 25km/h (1 in 12 or easier). Sharp turnouts

(1 in 8, NG turnouts of 1 in 8.5, etc.) are limited to 15km/h or even 10km/h or 5km/h in some cases. (A

few NG lines have even sharper turnouts; e.g., the DHR has a 1 in 5 turnout and 1:4 crossings. Speeds

are restricted appropriately in such cases.) In practice many of these are crossed at higher speeds

depending on local conditions and the driver's knowledge of the track.

RDSO Proposed BG Turnout Speed Restrictions

Turnout Speed Restriction

1:8.5 turnout with straight switch 10 km/h

1:8.5 turnout with curved switch 25 km/h

1:12 turnout with straight switch 15 km/h

1:12 turnout with conventional curved switch (0°27'35" switch entry angle) 40 km/h

1:12 turnout with improved curved switch 50 km/h

1:12 turnout with thick web switch 50 km/h

1:16 turnout with symmetrical split curved switch 75 km/h

1:16 turnout with conventional curved switch 50 km/h

1:16 turnout with high speed curved switch 60 km/h

266

Note that some railbuses and other vehicles are allowed a higher speed than normal on sharp turnouts

because of their smaller wheels. Several high-speed turnouts are now being installed that allow passage

at 40km/h, mostly to speed up passage of freight trains. The presence of curves, insufficient cant, etc.

can further require reductions in allowed speed.

Traffic based classification Some older documents and other sources of IR make reference to a purely

traffic-based classification system for tracks. This system appears no longer to be in use. In this, lines

were classified as: 'HM' or Heavy Mineral - BG mineral and ore freight lines; 'A' - BG lines with more

than 3 million gross tonnes or MG lines with more than 2 million gross tonnes of traffic; 'B' - BG lines

with 0.75 to 3 million gross tonnes or MG lines with 0.5 to 2 million gross tonnes; 'C' - BG lines with

0.5 to 0.75 million gross tonnes of traffic, or in some cases, defined as any lines carrying 3 or fewer

trains a day; and 'D' - light lines with no or little existing traffic built for passenger services or for the

purpose of stimulating commercial activity in underdeveloped areas.

Specifications and Track Construction

Q. What are the dimensions of IR track formations?

Please consult the diagrams available on the following pages:

Track Formation Diagram: This page shows a cross-section of a typical track formation showing

the different components that make it up and the usual terms associated with them.

Track Dimensions Diagrams: This page shows dimensions for common types of tracks (MG and

BG), both single line and double lines, on embankments and in cuttings.

Q. What weights and kinds of rails does IR use?

Broad Gauge The IRS standard for most mainline tracks is 52kg/m (really 51.89kg/m, 105lb/yd), and it

allows 25-ton axle loads. Until about 1970, most sections had RBS standard rails of 44.7kg/m (90lb/yd).

The RBS standard had been adopted in 1914, and allowed 22.5-ton axle loads at 100km/h. It is still

found in many places. For sections with heavy traffic, the newer IRS standard rails are 60kg/m (really

60.34kg/m, 130.4lb/yd). A 62kg/m standard has been mooted. For BG branch lines, the commonly used

rail weights are 37.2kg/m (75lb/yd), 42.2kg/m (85lb/yd), and 44.7kg/m (90lb/yd) (these are also being

replaced now by the standard 52kg/m weight). See table below.

Although rails allowing 22.5t or 25t loads are in place, as a matter of operating procedure goods wagons

are currently [5/05] restricted to 20.3t axle load. There are proposals to raise this to 23t.

Traffic

Density

GMT/yr

Broad-gauge Routes and their Rail Weights

A B C D Spl D E Spl E

> 20 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg

10-20 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg 60kg 52kg

90UTS

5-10 60kg 52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

< 5 52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

52kg

90UTS

or 60kg SH

52kg

90UTS

or 60kg SH

52kg

90UTS

or 60kg SH

52kg

90UTS

or 60kg SH

Loop Lines 52kg SH 52kg SH 52kg SH 52kg SH 52kg SH 52kg SH 52kg SH

'SH' = Second-hand

http://www.irfca.org/docs/track-formation.html

http://www.irfca.org/docs/track-dimensions.html

267

The standard 52kg/m and heavy 60kg/m rails mentioned above are made of a steel of strength 90ksi

ultimate tensile strength (90UTS steel). Some sections with heavy mineral freight traffic use steel rails

of 110UTS. The move to 90UTS steel was necessitated because of the heavier loads and also to

minimize wear from the harder steel used for the cast wheels manufactured by the Wheel and Axle

Plant (now Rail Wheel Factory) especially for the newer BOXN wagons. The steel used is a medium

manganese type with some chromium and vanadium as well. Rails are often head-hardened (heat

treated to harden the top surface) as well ('HH' rails).

About 85% of the 52kg rails and about 95% of the 60kg rails are used for track renewals, track

doubling, or gauge conversion, only about 15% of all rail production being needed for single-length rail

repair, points, and crossings. The total service life of 52kg / 90UTS medium manganese rails is

specified in terms of a traffic limit of 525GMT (gross million tonnes); for 60kg/90UTS rails the service

life is 800GMT. Head hardening of the rails increases the service life considerably, often by a factor of

2 or 3.

The older rails (until about 1993) of 90lb/yd, etc., were of 72UTS medium manganese steel which were

suitable for use with the older forged wheels. The 90UTS steel now used routinely, and especially the

110UTS steel used in some places, require extra care in the production of the rails as well in their

transport and maintenance since they tend to be less resistant to brittle fracture on encountering bending

or impact stresses.

The metallurgical quality of the steel was of some concern especially after a derailment at Khanna in

Punjab in 1999 was blamed on rails snapping due to excessive hydrogen left behind in the rails during

manufacture. The older 72UTS steel rails expanded up to about 14% under thermal and mechanical

stresses, whereas the 90UTS and higher tensile strength rails expand much less (10% for 90UTS). This

allows the 90UTS rails to be welded together for longer lengths with the provision of expansion joints

less frequently than for the 72UTS rails.

The Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) is the main supplier of all kinds of rails for IR, although some

initial consignments of 110UTS steel rails were also imported in the mid-1990s. (See below for

suppliers.)

Rail Dimensions and Other Specifications: Cross-sectional area for BG rails ranges from 7686mm2

for 60kg UIC rails to 6615mm2 for 52kg IRS rails. Rail height is 156mm for 52kg rails, and 172mm for

60kg rails. Flange width is 136mm (52kg rails). The 90UTS rails have a hardness of 260BHN, while the

72UTS rails have a hardness of 230BHN.

Chemical Composition: Manganese in 72UTS rails: 0.95%-1.4%. Silicon: 0.05% to 0.30%. Sulphur

(sulfur): 0.035% max. in HH rails, 0.04%-0.05% in 710 grade rails. Carbon: 0.72%-0.82% in HH rails,

0.45-0.6% in 710 grade rails, 0.6%-0.8% in 880 grade rails. Phosphorus: 0.035% max. in HH rails,

0.05% max. in 710/880 grade rails.

Meter Gauge MG rail weights are usually 37.2kg/m (75lb/yd) for busier sections. This is an IRS

standard adopted in the early 1970s and allows 17.5-ton axle load. Much MG trackage still uses the

older RBS standard adopted in 1914, which specifies 27.6kg/m (60lb/yd) (allowing 13-ton axle loads

and 75km/h speeds).

Narrow Gauge There is a large variety of rails used for NG lines. Common rail weights are 14.9kg/m

(30lb/yd), 19.8kg/m (40lb/yd), 20.5kg/m (41.3lb/yd), 24.8kg/m (50lb/yd), and 37.2kg/m (75lb/yd) (this

last kind is essentially the same rails for MG being re-used on NG sections). The Darjeeling Himalayan

Railway originally had 30lb or lighter rail, which was replaced quite early on with 41-1/4lb rail. After

Independence much of it was replaced with 50lb rails and in more recent times, much relaying has been

268

done with 60lb rails obtained from MG gauge conversions. Most NG lines have flat-bottomed rails,

although a few had bull-headed rails.

History

GIPR's first BG tracks used 65lb/yd double-headed rails made of wrought iron. Rails of 80lb/yd were

common (e.g., Indian Midland Railway). Both flat-bottomed and bull-headed rails were commonly

used. MG railways started off with 40lb/yd rails, although 30lb/yd rails were also used. The Barsi Light

Rly. used 30lb/yd rails. The Rajputana Malwa Rly. used 50lb rails.

Q. What are the common lengths of rails?

The most common length for BG rails is 13m (42'8'') although double-length rails (26m, 85'4'') are seen

in some places. MG rails are usually 12m (39'4'') in length. NG rails vary, but the commonest length is

9m (29'6''). Much earlier (before the metric system was adopted!), rails were generally produced in sizes

of 11, 12, or 14 yards (33', 36', 42'), less commonly 13 yards (39') or 10 yards (30' - NG).

Welded rail sections are of two types: Short Welded Rail or SWR which consists of just two or three

rails welded together, and Long Welded Rail or LWR which covers anything longer. (In the past, there

was a distinction made between LWR and Continuously Welded Rail, or CWR, based on the length --

in CWR, the total length was 0.75km or more. The term 'CWR' is no longer used although you may still

find it in old documents or painted signs.)

LWR is typically any length larger than twice the breathing length, which is the length allowed at the

end of the welded rail section which is free to expand or contract as the temperature changes. (Beyond

the breathing length, the rails do not move because of the resistance of the fasteners and the sleepers

and ballast.) The breathing length varies with the temperature range, the sleepers, and the type of rails,

but is typically 10m or less with concrete or steel sleepers. The expansion range of the rails is reduced

with the steels of higher tensile strength, such as the 90UTS and 110UTS steels, allowing longer welded

sections to be built.

With welded sections, the maintenance and safety problems of having rail joints with fishplates, etc.,

are reduced, but welded rail also calls for more precise provisioning of destressing/pretensioning to

account for thermal expansion, etc. SWR with three-rail welded panels results in 28-30 fishplated joints

over the distance of a kilometer, which is the source of the commonly heard (and beloved of railfans)

clackety-clack rhythm of the wheels.

LWR is usually formed from panels of 10-rail or 20-rail length welded using flash butt welding at

specialized plants (Meerut, Gonda, etc.). The welded rails are transported on special rail flat wagons

which have end unloading chutes. LWR and CWR are also formed by in situ welding of the rails using

alumino-thermic welding (also known as thermite (thermit) welding). In this, the highly exothermic

reaction of aluminium with ferric oxide (provided as a paste called thermite) results in temperatures of

around 2500C and the reduction of the ferric oxide to elemental molten iron that then helps form a

weld. More details on thermit welding here. Also see the item below on welding.

There have been proposals from some rail manufacturers to supply long rails (65m, 78m) to reduce the

number of welds required for LWR/CWR. Bhilai Steel Plant makes 80m rails as its basic design at the

plant, however, usually these are cut to form the 13m and 26m rails to allow proper degassing and

controlled cooling. Initially, only 13m rails could be produced -- Bhilai Steel Plant was unable to make

rails to the right specifications at longer lengths, and IR also did not have facilities for transporting

longer rails. An experiment in the mid-1990s to produce 26m rails was unsuccessful. However, more

recently, rail production technology has improved, and longer rails can be produced by Bhilai Steel

Plant with the requisite low levels of hydrogen gas and conformance to other specifications. Lengths of

78m have been supplied from September 2004, and more recently some 130m rails have been supplied

to IR.

http://www.irfca.org/docs/thermit-welding.html

269

[2003] The Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) will be producing, at the Bhilai plant, extra-long pre-

welded rail panels (260m long, which is 10x the length of normal rails, and also 240m panels -- this is a

convenient multiple of the 80m manufactured length of rails from the Bhilai plant). [2/09] The Bhilai

Steel Plant began supplying these 260m rails in February of 2009.

Q. What are the 'thick web switches' ('thick webbed switches')?

The term thick web switches most commonly refers to a new [2002] design of sturdier BG switches on

prestressed concrete sleepers, which can handle higher turnout speeds. These are made for 1:8.5

turnouts (less commonly, 1:12), with 160mm (less commonly 115mm) throw, and have clamp locks,

spring setting devices (SSD), and the ZU-1-160 thick web rail. In 2003 or 2004, IR decided to use these

switches on all the Class A routes and other high-density routes with traffic above 20GMT/year. The

new switches have been designed to be easily installable on top of existing prestressed concrete sleepers

supporting older switches.

Q. What types of welding are used for rails?

Principally two types of welding are used for rails. One is Flash Butt Welding, and the other is

Alumino-Thermic Welding, also known as Thermit(e) welding. A third kind of welding, known as Gas

Pressure welding, is used much less often, and a fourth kind, Metal Arc Welding, is very rarely used.

In Flash Butt Welding, a strong electric current is passed through the metal body of the rail in the

vicinity of the spot which is to be welded, and the resistance of the rail to the current results in localized

heating which melts the metal. No additional material is added, and the parent metal of the rails itself

forms the material of the weld. About 25mm to 35mm of the rail length is consumed in the melting

process. Flash butt welding is done in mostly automated way using a machine that clamps and firmly

holds together the two ends of the rails to be welded. When the two end surfaces are close together and

the electricity turned on, the current arcs over or 'flashes' at the junction between the rail ends. The rail

ends are moved back and forth to keep the flashing going and generate enough heat to melt the metal at

the ends. The flashing cycles are adjusted so that the current flows without creating a short-circuit

situation nor leaving it at an open circuit for too long. Typically, the weld current reaches 30,000 to

80,000 amps at about 400V to 500V. The machine then forces the ends of the rails together with high

pressure after the metal at the ends has melted, to consolidate the joint as it cools and solidifies.

Pressures range from 5kg/mm2 for 72UTS rails to 6kg/mm

2 for 90UTS rails and 7kg/mm

2 for 110UTS

rails. When the weld has set, an operation of stripping is carried out to remove excess metal that has

solidified around the joint. Then the rail is cooled and straightened out. As with all welds, the joint has

to be ground smooth so the weld surface is flush with the parent rail surfaces. Variations in the

techniques include methods for initial burn-off and preheating, flashing cycle variations, methods of

cooling, etc.

In Thermit Welding or Alumino-Thermic Welding, the two ends of the rails are not brought into

contact; instead, the gap between them is filled with molten material created by the exothermic reaction

of aluminium and iron oxids. Thermit welding is a manual process requiring considerable skill on the

part of the welders. Traditionally, IR used conventional thermit welding, but in recent years has

switched almost completely to the Quick Thermit Welding process, also known as the 'short pre-heat' or

'SKV' process. This saves time in the welding process but puts a higher premium on the welders' skills.

Flash butt welding is generally considered to be superior to thermit welding because it is essentially a

forging process and the material of the weld is chemically identical to the parent body of the rails,

which means its strength and other characteristics are almost identical to those of the body of the rails.

Flash butt welding also typically results in fewer defects such as contaminant particles, porosity, etc., at

the weld. Thermit welding also requires a higher quality of rails as a precondition -- rails that are

corroded, twisted or warped, hogged or battered, or excessively worn cannot be welded by the thermit

process as faults can propagate into the weld material and cause weld fractures.

270

Other Methods. Gas Pressure Welding a solid phase welding technique. Oxy-acetyline flames are used

to heat the ends of the rails to be welded to 1200°-1300

°C, and they are then placed in contact with one

another at high pressures, leading to the formation of a solid bond. ER has one gas pressure welding

machine from Japan that has been in use since 1966. Konkan Railway also imported Chinese and

Japanese gas pressure welding machines during the construction of the Konkan railway line. Other than

these, gas pressure welding is not used by IR. Metal Arc Welding is extremely rare.

Q. Who makes rails for IR?

A lot of rails come from SAIL (Steel Authority of India), a public sector company which makes rails at

its Bhilai Steel Plant (now the second largest rail supplier in the world). SAIL supplies almost all the

52kg/m rails used by IR, and some of the 60kg/m rails. It supplies the basic 13m, 26m, and 80m rails,

and is now manufacturing the 240m and 260m welded rail panels as well. The private sector company

Jindal Power and Steel has recently set up a long rail manufacturing unit to make 260m rails.

In addition, rails have often been imported by IR, e.g., from British Steel, Penang (China), and Stela

Group (Poland). Some private sector companies have plans to enter the arena as well. The CORUS

group has recently been involved as consultants for SAIL, and Via Pomini have been contracted by the

Bhilai Steel Plant for equipment design and automation, etc.

IR was using about 400,000 tonnes of steel rails every year — sufficient for 4,000km of track, although

most of the new rails are used for replacement of old and defective rails. Starting in 2004, the projected

demand is up to 750,000 tonnes, mainly because of the use of heavier rails.

Q. What kinds of rail joints does IR use?

Fishplated joints are the most basic joints seen, on lines where there is no track-circuiting, and no

welded rail in use. Fishplated joints are so called because of the use of a fishplate, which is a bar that is

attached by means of bolts (fishbolts) to the rails on either side of the joint. Usually there are two bolts

securing the fishplate on either side. There are variations in the basic fishplate design to account for

different weights of rails, and joints in special situations such as on sharp curves, at points, etc. For

60kg/m track, while the rail specification is very close to Revised British Standard, the fishplates (and

fishbolts) are considerably stronger than the British standard specifies. Combination fishplates are

used to secure rails of different weights or different profiles together at a joint. Expansion joints or

"rail expansion joints" are provided in welded rail sections and other places where it is desirable to

allow the rails to expand and contract with the varying temperature. (See below.) Special fishplates are

used for expansion joints (different types for different weights of rails, and also for simple expansion

joints and special expansion joints with central rail pieces.

Insulated rail joints are used in places where it is essential to keep adjacent rails electrically insulated

from each other for the purposes of track circuiting or signalling. Insulated rail joints (also known as

"block joints" in some cases) are of three types. Class A joints are an older type, made of wood to

achieve the electrical insulation. Class B joints use Nylon 66 (and are hence known as "Nylon insulated

rail joints") to achieve the insulation. Class C joints are glued insulated rail joints quite commonly seen

now on most high-speed lines. G3(L) joints are longer and use 6 fishbolts; G3(S) joints are shorter, and

use 4 fishbolts.

Q. What are expansion joints?

Expansion joints (or 'switch expansion joints') are joints provided at intervals in the track to allow space

for rails to expand in hot weather. Earlier expansion joints were simply gaps between the ends of

adjoining rails. These gaps result in a lot of violent shocks to the vehicles riding on the rails and

besides, limit the lengths of rails that can be used. Newer expansion joints have the neighbouring ends

of rails mitred or tapering with diagonal cuts so that as they expand they can slide past one another to

some extent. This allows for longer welded rail segments to be used and also reduces the shock to

271

passing vehicles. In some cases, such as girder bridges with long (over 30.5m) spans, special expansion

joints are provided where a short central piece of rail, not keyed to the sleepers, is provided in between

the two long rails that meet at the joint; the central rail is also mitred as are the two long rails on either

side, so that the effective expansion gap available is twice as long as in the standard mitred expansion

joint.

Thermal expansion of rails is often arrested by the provision of heavy RCC sleepers (280kg weight) and

firmly clipping the rails to the sleepers. This prevents thermal expansion from propagating to the ends

of the rails, except for a section near the ends ('breathing length') that is allowed to expand. Such

expansion joints are provided once every 3km to 4km on most sections today, and especially close to

distant signals or advanced starters where track-circuiting begins.

Q. What are the usual neutral temperatures for continuously welded rail? What equipment does

IR use for track destressing?

IR divides the country into five zones based on the normal temperature variation expected in each

region. The maximum rail temperature difference is about 70C (ranging from a minimum of -5C to a

maximum of 60C or so -- the rail temperature can be several degrees higher than the ambient

temperature. The neutral temperature or stress-free temperature for CWR is usually fairly high, 40C or

even higher in some locations depending on expected summer temperatures -- it is usually 5 to 10C

higher than the expected mean temperature for the zone's range.

Track destressing is carried out when the ambient temperature is high, not much below the maximum

that is normally attained in the area. Switch expansion joints (SEJ) are provided at the ends of long

welded rails to allow for the cumulative thermal expansion movements of the ends of the rails. Most

SEJs allow for a movement of the ends of the rails of about 120mm, but there are some SEJs with a

maximum gap of about 190mm.

Because of the high neutral temperatures, IR does not issue speed restrictions in the summer for reasons

of excessive ambient temperature as railways in some other countries do. But track patrollers

continuously monitor the track in the daytime in the summer (11am - 5pm) to verify that no section of

track is developing a tendency to buckle. Rail fasteners used by IR are of the type that completely resist

longitudinal motion of the rails

A lot of track destressing is still done manually, but IR also uses hydraulic track tensors to destress and

pretension rails. Lateral and vertical adjustments are usually done manually using hammers or mallets

and crowbars to lift and move the rails after they are unfastened from the sleepers. The unfastening and

fastening of the sleepers is also usually done manually.

Q. What kinds of sleepers are used by IR?

Cast iron sleepers ('CST-9') are widely used. They are not very suitable for high-speed traffic and so are

not usually seen on the mainline BG sections. The earlier 'pot sleepers' were especially prone to

problems; newer cast iron sleepers (with ends that have two pockets) are much more laterally stable.

Steel trough sleepers ('ST') are very common, especially for many high-traffic BG routes. Steel sleepers

of various designs have also been used for MG and (by reusing discarded MG sleepers) for NG too.

IR also uses prestressed (pretensioned) concrete sleepers in many areas. Some are monobloc prestressed

concrete sleepers, while others are two-piece reinforced concrete sleepers. These came into use in the

1970s, however the twin-block concrete sleepers have gone out of use while the monobloc sleepers

continue to be deployed. Standard prestressed concrete sleepers are available for a number of

configurations for use in turnouts. Some post-tensioned concrete sleepers do exist on some stretches of

track, but these are no longer being manufactured as the factory at Subedarganj, Allahabad, which used

to make them has switched to making pretensioned sleepers now. Steel channel sleepers, consisting of

272

two steel channels placed back to back, are used on bridges. These use special polymer or rubber pads

between the bridge girders and the sleeper bottom and also below the rails for damping.

The most common sleepers used to be the wooden sleepers, but these are now not seen much anywhere

except on bridges and at turnouts, and on branch lines and at remote locations. These may be untreated

(from durable woods like teak or sal that have natural resistance to vermin and weather wear) or treated

(from softer woods such as deodar, usually heat- and pressure-treated with chemicals such as creosote

and furnace oil). Treatment plants for wooden sleepers are at Dhilwan (Punjab), Naharkatia (Assam),

Olvakot (Kerala), and Clutterbuckganj (UP).

Wooden sleepers are used on bridges and turnouts because they are very easily cut and sized on site to

fit the peculiarities of the particular stretch of track. Wooden sleepers were also preferred for bridges

because they are lighter compared to the concrete sleepers, and provide additional damping for

vibrations. A small number of wooden sleepers are procured for these reasons while the manufacture of

steel channel sleepers and their special damping pads lags. Also, there are [2/05] problems with

corrosion with the steel channel sleepers and their large (more than 10) fitting points, as well as some

problems with track-circuiting.

[4/01] RDSO had developed some sleepers of synthetic material (fibreglass-reinforced plastic) in

conjunction with the Defence Research and Development Organization, which were being used in trials

on some bridges and at other places. These sleepers were developed in response to a Supreme Court

verdict mandating that wood should gradually be phased out as a material for railway sleepers

(environmental concerns). The trials were discontinued and the sleepers are not being used now as they

turned out to develop dents and wear marks or grooves very quickly -- within two to three years --

below the rails (at the rail seats).

Another experimental version involved sleepers made of a composite material consisting of regrind

resin, rubber recycled from discarded from automobile tires, and compacted HDPE film. These (named

'Tietek') were developed in conjunction with a private firm and have been deployed in trials on some

bridges of the NR and ER.

A few stretches of track have ballastless concrete beds with no sleepers (see below).

History: Some of the earliest tracks of the GIPR used stone sleepers. Wood quickly came into

widespread use, however, and the frantic pace of railway construction in the late 19th century and early

20th century caused some serious deforestation in many areas.

Q. What rail fasteners does IR use?

IR uses various kinds of Pandrol design fasteners, ERC Mark III (850-1100kg toe load), and ERC Mark

V (1200-1500kg toe load) (the latter developed by RDSO). Pandrol 'J' clips, often yellow in colour,

which have a lower profile and lower toe load), are used where they need to be removed and reinserted

easily and where ordinary clips might interfere with the fastening of fishplate bolts.

Q. What sleeper spacings does IR use?

Broad Gauge (See table below.) Most BG mainline sections now have about 1660 sleepers per km

(about 60cm spacing); the earlier standard used to be 1538 sleepers per km (about 65cm spacing). BG

branch lines may have 1540 sleepers per km (about 65cm spacing) or 1340 sleepers per km (about

75cm spacing); the older standard was 1307 sleepers per km (about 76cm spacing). Minor or lightly

used BG lines used to be built with about 1154 sleepers per km (about 87cm spacing). These figures

apply mainly to the traditional wooden sleepers.

Traffic Density

GMT/yr

Broad-gauge Routes and their Sleeper Densities

A B C D Spl D E Spl E

273

> 20 1660 1660 1660 1660 1660 1660 1660

10-20 1660 1660 1660 1660 1660 1660 1540

< 10 1660 1540 1540 1540 1540 1540 1540

Loop Lines 1340 1340 1340 1340 1340 1340 1340

Meter Gauge MG sections with heavy traffic have about 1583 sleepers per km (63cm spacing); MG

branch lines have about 1332 sleepers per km (75cm spacing); and minor MG lines have around 1167

sleepers per km (86cm spacing).

Narrow Gauge NG sections vary a lot, but the commonest spacing arrangement used on NG is 1122

sleepers per km (89cm spacing).

Sleeper spacings are smaller in some cases on curves, near points, etc. The spacings are usually larger

on bridges. Concrete sleepers are usually laid to the same spacings as wooden sleepers. Concrete

sleepers are normally used only with long welded rail or continuous welded rail sections. Metal sleepers

may in some cases be laid more sparsely than wooden sleepers.

While the minimum sleeper density is M+4 for short welded rail (see below for explanation of

notation), for up to 6 rails abutting an SWR section, the sleeper density is M+7.

Q. What does the notation 'N+4' or 'M+3', etc., mean in describing sleeper densities?

This notation is an old one. The 'N' or 'M' in this stands for the length of a rail in yards. The additional

number specified represents the excess of the number of sleepers over the number of yards for a rail.

E.g., 'N+3' for 11-yard (33') rails indicates 14 sleepers (11 + 3) for each rail. This was a convenient

formulation, especially when rails were manufactured to sizes of 11, 12, or 14 yards. Before the days of

mechanized track laying, it was common to see track laid where the sleeper density was not uniform,

with some bunching up of sleepers towards the end of each rail, with adjacent sleepers at the ends of

neighbouring rails being less than a foot apart in some cases.

Q. What dimensions of sleepers does IR use?

Wooden BG sleepers dimensions are usually 2.75m x 0.25m x 0.13m. MG wooden sleepers are 1.8m x

0.2m x 0.115m. NG sleepers are usually of the same thickness as MG sleepers, and are often made by

cutting MG sleepers (sometimes discarded ones) to size and adding a new seat for the track. Most

sleepers on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway are wooden, of size 5' x 7" x 4-1/2", although

'remanufactured' MG steel sleepers are also used. On 2' NG, sleepers are usually 4-1/2' x 8" x 4" or 4-

1/2' x 7" x 4".

Q. What is the relationship between speed, turning radius, and track cant? What are the cant

excess / deficiencies specifications for IR tracks?

Super-elevation, or cant, is provided to counteract the centrifugal tendency of trains on curves. On a

canted curve (where the outer rail is higher than the inner one of the curve), the weight of the vehicle

provides a component that counteracts the centrifugal tendency. Cant excess refers to the condition

where the cant or superelevation is too much for the permitted speeds on the curve, while cant

deficiency refers to the condition where the track is not canted enough for the speed of the trains.

On BG track, cant excess and cant deficiency tolerances are 75mm. In special cases, cant deficiency can

be as high as 100mm on sections with speeds of over 100km/h on 'A' and 'B' category routes. Maximum

cant is 165mm on 'A' and 'B' routes, and 140mm on 'D' and 'E' routes.

274

The formula relating the maximum speed on a curve with the cant and cant deficiency is:

Max. speed = 0.27 * sqrt((cant + cant deficiency) * radius)

where the cant and cant deficiency are in mm, the radius of the curve is in meters, and the speed is in

km/h. Using this formula it may be seen that with a cant of 165mm and cant deficiency of 75mm, the

radius for a curve allowing 100km/h traffic is 571.6m. Any curve sharper than this must have a speed

restriction on a 100km/h section.

Q. What are the typical placement specifications for check rails or guard rails?

Wheel flanges on IR are typically about 28mm thick (new). The distance between the inner faces of

wheels is typically 1600mm (BG). Check rails used to prevent wheels from climbing the rails at sharp

curves are kept at a distance of about 44mm-48mm from the outer rail, allowing about 4mm tolerance

for wear on the check rails.

Check rails at level crossings (intended to keep a gap in place for the wheels to pass through where the

tracks cross the road surface) are typically placed to provide a gap of 51mm-57mm. This allows

sufficient lateral movement or play for the wheels, but is small enough not to trap the feet of cattle or

cause other problems for the road traffic.

Guard rails on bridges are usually placed to provide a gap of 250mm from the running rails.

Q. What kinds of ballast does IR use?

For all high-traffic lines, IR uses machine crushed hard stone ballast, usually from locally quarried

granite stone, or crushed basalt. In the past, broken brick, slag from metal processing, cinders, and

waste construction material were also used.

For most sections with wooden sleepers, the ballast is of a 6.5cm nominal size (not more than 5%

retained on a 65mm square sieve, 40%-60% retained on a 40mm square sieve, and at least 95% retained

on a 20mm square sieve). In the past, ballast of 5cm nominal size was extensively used, and smaller

ballast of 4cm - 2.5cm was used for iron or steel sleepered track, points, etc. The ballast layer is 0.15m-

0.25m thick on most lines but is up to 0.3-0.35m in newer trackwork, especially for high-traffic lines

with prestressed concrete sleepers. The sides of the ballast layer generally slope at a 1.5:1 incline.

A few sections of IR have ballastless concrete bed track: much of the Calcutta Metro, a few sections of

Konkan Railway, the second phase of the Chennai MRTS project (about 8km of the elevated portions of

the route, with design speeds up to 100km/h). Earlier (1980s?), this had been experimented with on very

limited sections of some WR and NR lines but had not been found suitable for large-scale adoption with

the materials and technology of the time.

Q. What sort of sub-ballast, blanket, and subgrade layers are provided in the track formation?

IR generally does not use a separate sub-ballast layer below the ballast layer. A blanket layer of coarse,

granular material is usually provided directly below the ballast layer. Blanket layers are not provided for

tracks on rocky beds, or on well-graded gravelly or sandy beds.

Blankets of at least 45cm thickness are provided for tracks laid on poorly graded gravel or sand beds, or

on silty gravel or silty / clayey gravel beds. Blanket layers of 60cm are required for clayey gravel,

clayey sand, silty sand, or clayey / silty sand beds. A 1m-thick blanket is provided for silt, silty clay, or

clay of low plasticity or in conditions where the underlying rocks are of a type known to be excessively

susceptible to weathering. The blanket layer is generally composed of well-graded sandy gravel or

crushed rock with specified distributions of size and curvature. Mixtures of fines (metal, plastic, etc.)

from industrial applications are used in specific proportions in some cases, as are certain other waste

materials that conform to specified mechanical, chemical, and geometric requirements.

275

The subgrade is generally built up from a mixture of soil and stone fragments, cobbles, and waste

materials, crushed brick, etc. The blanket and subgrade are built up at a slope of about 2:1. The entire

embankment may rise to 6m with most ordinary kinds of materials used for the blanket and subgrade. In

case the subgrade is thicker than 1m or so, usually a 30cm layer of compacted soil is provided for every

1m-3m of the subgrade thickness.

Q. What are 'GeoJute' and 'GeoGrids'? How does IR prevent soil erosion in the areas where

track is laid?

Erosion of the soil around a track formation can be quite dangerous as the track may subside or warp

and move. In many cases IR simply encourages the local shrubby vegetation to grow in the areas near

the track to stem the erosion. Where severe erosion is a problem, 'GeoJute' has been used. This is an

ecologically safe material made of jute yarn with a coarse open mesh structure. This is placed on the

affected portions of the embankment or cutting after removing clods, large stones, etc., and appropriate

scrubby vegetation is seeded in the area. The jute yarn is biodegradable and disappears after a while, but

by that time the vegetation has had a chance to take root and grow firmly in the protected soil.

In rare cases where vegetative root growth is thought to be insufficient to stem the erosion of the soil, a

synthetic root matrix reinforcement system may be used. Known as 'GeoGrids', these flexible, synthetic

meshes of simply extruded, unoriented and unstretched polymer materials are placed in the top layer of

the soil to provide erosion resistance both by its own presence and by strengthening the root matrix of

the local vegetation.

These GeoGrid polymers are non-biodegradable, and quite stable, resisting ultraviolet exposure and

tolerant of very high and low temperatures. Boulder retention in some places is augmented by the

deployment of bi-axially oriented GeoGrid meshes to anchor medium to large boulders. In a few cases,

IR has also resorted to 'hydroseeding', involving the sprinkling of seeds of fast-growing grasses and

scrub vegetation with specially formulated mulch and fertilizer mixtures.

Self-stabilizing Track Konkan Railway has developed something they call self-stabilising track, which

aims to reduce or even eliminate the problem of ballast being de-compacted and dispersing under the

action of vibrations set up by moving trains.

The ballast in this system is laid on the track bed pre-compacted with constraining 'cages' that hold large

amounts of ballast together. These cages or ballast elements are of several modular shapes, 'L' or 'T',

etc., and are placed in interlocking ways on the track bed. The effect is not only to prevent the ballast

from spreading under the action of vibrations, but to improve ride quality by changing the vibration

characteristics since the inertial mass responding to the impact from the train is larger. A thin sheet of

rubber or polyethylene between the sleepers and the top of the track bed further modifies the vibration

characteristics. The ballast elements are constructed of such a shape that the vibrations tend to wedge

them more firmly together. The expectation is that ballast maintenance will be much reduced for such

tracks.

Q. What tolerances of gauge does IR permit?

Broad Gauge Deviations allowed from nominal gauge: -5mm to +3mm on straights and curves over

350m radius, and up to +10mm on curves sharper than 350m radius. (The older specifications were: On

straight sections, a deviation of +/- 6mm; and on curves a deviation of up to +20mm/-6mm.) High-

speed sections (130+ km/h) have tighter tolerances of +/- 2mm.

Meter Gauge Deviations allowed from nominal gauge: -2mm to +3mm on straights and curves over

290m radius; and up to +10mm on curves sharper than 290mm radius. (The older specifications were:

On straight sections, a deviation of +/- 3mm, and on curves a deviation of up to +15mm / -3mm; on

particulary sharp curves the deviation could be up to +20 mm.)

276

Narrow Gauge Deviations allowed from nominal gauge: -3mm to +3mm on straights and curves over

400m radius; up to +10mm on curves between 100m and 400m radius, and up to +15mm on curves

sharper than 100m radius. (The older specifications were: On straight sections, a deviation of +6mm / -

3mm; on curves +15mm / -3mm; especially sharp curves could have a deviation of +20mm.)

Q. What are the nets one sees on rockfaces or hillsides abutting railway lines in some areas?

In areas where rock falls or landslides are common, IR uses meshes or nets fixed to the rockfaces or the

hillsides -- these are 'stitched' to the hillside at frequent intervals. They act to trap and stop, or slow

down falling or sliding rocks and boulders so that they either do not fall all the way down, or lose their

kinetic energy and fall without infringing the tracks.

Generally the nets are made of polypropylene ropes of 10mm-16mm diameter with high thermal,

abrasion, and ultraviolet resistance. The mesh size is from 100mm to 300mm depending on the area,

and the typical size of the fractured or falling rocks. These are appropriate for retaining and slowing

small to medium sized boulders and the mesh strength is about 6-8 tons / m2. In some areas steel nets

made of high-strength galvanized steel wire ropes are used. These ropes have a breaking strength of 4

tons and provide a mesh strength of 13-14 tons / m2 to retain large boulders. These have a design life of

over 20 years.

Q. What is the 'Raksha Dhaga'? What other methods does IR use to warn of landslides and

rockfalls?

'Raksha Dhaga' or literally, 'Safety Thread', is a device pioneered by Konkan Railways in landslide-

prone areas. It consists of a wire attached to sensors which can be tripped when the wire is moved

excessively or snapped by a falling rock. The sensors when tripped activate lights and hooters 0.5km

away so that approaching trains can safely stop before the location of the landslide. These are used in

several stretches on the KR route in cuttings and in unlined tunnels.

In addition, KR has pioneered the use of electronic inclinometers to detect earth slippages in areas

prone to landslides, connected to a similar warning system as in the Raksha Dhaga.

Maintenance

Q. How is track maintained?

Permanent way maintenance is largely done by gangs consisting of gangmen under the supervision of a

gangmate. The gang goes down its assigned section of track (the gang beat or beat section), inspecting

track and performing normal routine maintenance. A patrolman may be separately deputed to perform

visual inspections along the length of a section of track by walking alongside it (two patrolmen in ghat

or jungle areas). Typically the patrol may cover 6km - 10km of track.

The schedule and track sections to be monitored by gangmen and patrolmen is specified in a Patrol

Chart prepared by the Divisional Engineer. This chart also indicates when and where the drivers of

trains running to schedule may expect to meet gangmen. Patrolmen and gangs carry Patrol Books in

which they record the status of the track and any maintenance they perform on it.

The gang is equipped to deal with minor problems such as fixing small deviations in gauge or elevation

of the rails, rearranging ballast, etc. If problems are discovered with the permanent way that cannot

readily be fixed by the gang, the details are reported to the station master of one of the adjacent block

stations, and temporary engineering speed restrictions are put in place for the track. Trains going

through that section are then subject to caution orders issued by the stations at either end.

A bigger maintenance of way crew with appropriate tools and machinery then works on repairing the

track while it is protected by being restricted. In some cases traffic on the line may have to be

277

completely stopped. Replacing ballast or sleepers, adjusting the rail profile by grinding, joint

lubrication, rail creep adjustment, replacing short sections of damaged rail, welding rails, etc., are some

of the other maintenance tasks that come up.

The regular patrolling of track is very important in order to maintain safe conditions for trains. If a

patrolman or gang is unaccountedly late or if a patrolman misses his beat for some reason, caution

orders are usually issued advising drivers to be alert for track defects and restricting trains on the

affected sections of track to 40km/h (daytime, clear visibility) or 15km/h (night, bad visibility).

The permanent way inspector (PWI) for a division has ultimate responsibility for the condition of the

permanent way under his jurisdiction. The PWI and his staff undertake separate regular inspection tours

of the various lines, often in a motor trolley or inspection car. (In the past manually pushed trolleys

were used quite often, but their use is declining now.)

A few track maintenance machines are in use, for instance tie tamping machines, ballast cleaning

machines, etc.

Q. What is 'beater packing'? What is included in the maintenance carried out by gangs

commonly seen on the tracks?

The most common system of routine manual (non-mechanized) track maintenance is known as through

packing or beater packing (from the name of the tool used for packing ballast, a 'beater'). This

includes the following steps:

1. Opening of the road : ballast is unpacked, fittings and fastenings of the rails loosened

2. Examination of track : Rails, sleepers, fastenings are carefully examined for signs of wear,

corrosion, rust, dust and dirt, etc. Wire brushes are used for cleaning; jimcrows and other tools

to rectify minor kinks or other defects. Sleepers are examined for signs of splitting or decay.

Minor repairs such as replacement of fastenings, rail lubrication, etc., are performed.

3. Squaring of sleepers : Sleeper hammers are used to adjust sleepers to the proper position.

4. Slewing of track to fix the alignment of the rails.

5. Gauging : the gauge between the rails is carefully measured and adjusted as necessary.

6. Sleeper packing : Each sleeper is uniformly and firmly packed so the rails are the correct relative

levels and to ensure the sleepers have no voids between themselves and the trackbed. This is

where 'beaters' are used. These are long rod-like tools with an end used to pack the ballast. The

beater is held by the hands and raised to about chest level and then plunged downwards to pack

the ballast.

7. Re-packing of joint sleepers

8. Boxing the ballast section and clean-up.

Another system of manual ballast packing called 'measured shovel packing' used to be common but is

now not in use.

In addition to ballast packing, gangs perform a variety of other cleaning and maintenance jobs, such as

maintaining drainage, adjusting cess level (too high affects drainage, too low results in ballast spread

and wastage), removing weeds and stones, etc.

Crews also pick up slack in the track. Slack refers to the condition where there is insufficient ballast or

a gap developing between the track and the trackbed, or subsidence of the track, because of a yield

formation in high banks and cuttings, at approaches to bridges, on badly aligned curves, where ballast is

poorly laid or insufficient, or where there are drainage defects causing subsidence problems. Slack is

picked up by opening the track and repacking the ballast.

Track Defects

278

An explanation of track defects in general is beyond the scope of these pages. Please consult any current

reference book on permanent way technology.

Q. What is 'through' or 'scattered' renewal?

Complete Track Renewal (CTR) refers to the most thorough track replacement regime where rails,

sleepers, etc., are fully replaced. Through Rail Renewal (TRR) refers to the replacement of rails in a

given section of track, while Through Sleeper Renewal (TSR) refers to the replacement of sleepers.

Similarly, there are Through Turnout renewal (TTR), Through Fitting Renewal (TFR), Through Weld

Renewal (TWR), and Through Bridge Timber Renewal (TBTR). Each of these has a more thorough

('primary') and less thorough ('secondary') versions, hence you see the acronyms like 'CTR(P)' for

'Complete Track Renewal - Primary', or 'TSR(S)' for 'Through Sleeper Renewal - Secondary.

Additionally there are 'Casual' renewals, which refers to renewals of any kind that happen not on a

predetermined schedule but as determined based on patrolling and inspection of tracks, in small

continuous stretches. Finally, 'Scattered' renewal (SR) refers to ad hoc replacements that happen at

isolated points.

Q. What are Rational Formulae? What is Maflin's Formula? What is the Special Committee

Formula?

These are various formulae for calculating the gang strength required to perform maintenance of

different kinds on a section of track.

Maflin's Formula, adopted in 1931, is a very simple one (number of gangmen = 2.5 x 'unit per mile' x

length of track, where the 'unit per mile' factor depends on the kind of traffic carried on the track). It

assumes a standard requirement of manpower regardless of the track gauge.

The Revised Maflin's Formula was adopted in 1962 following the recommendations of the Lobo

Committee in 1959. In this, rather than using the length of track directly, the length is specified in

Equated Track Miles (ETM), which depends on traffic density, type of track formation and gauge,

special considerations such as curved alignment, and factors such as the annual rainfall in the region.

The Special Committee Formula was adopted in 1979 (as the name suggests, on the recommendation

of a special governmental committee). It specifies the gang strength as 0.95 x M x K x E, where M is

the Manpower Factor (1 for NG, 1.21 for MG, 1.47 for BG), K is the Correction Factor accounting

for modernization of track and methods of maintenance (for instance, different factors are used for

SWR / LWR track, types of fishplates and sleepers, whether ballast is packed manually or

mechanically, etc.), and E is the Equated Track Kilometers (ETKM) which includes factors for the

traffic density and type of track formation, etc., over the basic track length.

The newer Rational Formulae were developed because the Special Committe Formula above was felt

inadequate to account for differing manpower availability (skill sets, age distribution) in different

regions or zones, increasing use of casual labour and private contractors for certain track maintenance

activities, etc. In 1996, another committee was constituted by the Railway Board to look into this matter

and to recommend changes to the Special Committee Formula. These new Rational Formulae are much

more involved, and account for a wide variety of factors in terms of the nature of the maintenance work,

the type of track and traffic carried on it, the distribution of casual and contracted labour for permanent

way operations, etc. The Rational Formulae are actually many different formulae, for each kind of

maintenance operation, and they also specify the equivalence of different kinds of work for the purposes

of computing wages and so on. The latest set of Rational Formulae were adopted in 2006.

Q. Does IR use mechanized means for track laying and maintenance?

IR has used some track-laying equipment, but much track is still laid manually. A lot of track

maintenance is also done manually, with a veritable army of gangmen that are out 'on the line' to inspect

279

track and fix problems. There is, however, a big push to mechanize track maintenance -- the target

being complete mechanization by 2012.

Tie tamping machines are common: Unimat models (by Plasser) tamp one sleeper at a time and can

pack sleepers on normal track and turnout; Duomat models tamp two sleepers at a time on normal track.

CSM is another tie tamper used by IR; it has a cab that moves continuously while the tamping machine

itself starts and stops over alteranate sleepers to tamp them two at a time -- this reduces driver

discomfort. CSM tampers are the most common ones used by IR today. [6/04] A 'Tamping Express'

machine that tamps three sleepers at a time is being tried out.

Self-propelled ballast cleaning machines have been tried in a few places but remain rare. Ultrasonic rail

testing cars, rail geometry test equipment, etc. are also used on occasion, but the main method of rail

inspection remains visual inspection by gangmen.

Track laying and relaying by machines is increasingly common. Plasser brand machines are seen quite

often. These include the 'PQRS' or Plasser Quick Relaying System which consists of self-propelled

portal cranes, which travel on a wider gauge, called auxiliary track, laid temporarily, outside the track to

be renewed. Their capacity for track renewal is about 400m per effective traffic block hour. The

manufacturers are Plasser and Theurer, BEML, and Simplex.

'TRT' or Track Relaying Train machines (also sometimes Track Renewal Train), capable of

continuously relaying track at a few hundred meters an hour are also seen (as of 2004 there were at least

four of these, perhaps more). These are made by 'M/S Harsco Track Tech' (earlier 'Fairmont Tamper'

and still earlier, called 'Tamper Corporation') of USA. (One machine of this type was purchased initially

from Russia, but that was a one-off purchase.) The 'T-28' is a point and crossing renewing machine

made by Ameca, Italy, used for re-laying track at turnouts and points.

BEML has recently been supplying IR with BG track-laying machines. These machines can remove old

rails, and lay new BG track (including concrete sleepers), assembling the rails and sleepers into panels

before laying the track.

A machine consists of two large vertical frames which are connected by a bridge. The bridge can be

moved up and down between the side frames. A diesel engine and hydraulic pumps are installed on the

bridge. The vertical frames rest and move on rails of an auxiliary track of 3.4m gauge. The wheel base

is about 2.4m. It weighs about 12t, and can move at about 14km/h.

The machine can lift sleepers and track up to 9t. Panel lifting is accomplished by the use of four

independently controlled hydraulic scissors mechanisms. Rails and sleepers can also be moved laterally

through hydraulic positioners. The equipment attached to the bottom of the bridge is connected via a

turntable, allowing for rotational movement of the loads being lifted. Sleepers are gripped by

hydraulically operated angle grippers.

The machine uses a 6-cylinder vertical inline KOEL diesel engine (HA694) for its motive power. In

addition to laying track, the machine can load and unload itself from BFR flat wagons.

For track inspection and monitoring by mechanical means, IR also now uses laser-based contactless

track-recording cars for measuring rail corrugation. Portable accelerometers and optical rail profile

measurement systems are in use in trials in some places with large scale use expected in the next few

years.

Q. What is included in the 3-tier maintenance regime?

The three-tier system divides responsibilities for track maintenance as follows:

280

1. On-Track Machines (OMU). Mechanized maintenance (see above) including systematic tamping,

intermediate tamping, shoulder ballast cleaning, ballast profiling and redistribution, track stabilization,

and periodic deep screening of ballast.

2. Mobile Maintenance Units (MMU). These are of two types. MMU-I refer to the permanent way units

that are assigned to deal with spot tamping, in-situ rail welding, casual renewal and repairs, overhaul of

Level Crossings, glued joint replacement, and machining of rails including cutting, drilling, grinding

and chamfering. Normally there is one MMU-I unit for each Permanent Way Inspector's office. MMU-

II refers to the units specially assigned for reconditioning turnouts, switches, joints and other such

intricate trackwork.

3. Sectional Gangs. These are permanent way gangs that handle patrolling (including keyman's daily

patrols, hot and cold weather patrols, and monsoon patrols), and watching vulnerable locations, bridges,

turnouts, switch expansion joints, level crossing approaches, etc. In addition these teams handle minor

maintenance including temporary repairs, lubrication of elastic rail clips (ERC) and joints, changing

rubber pads, liners, and clips, minor cess repairs, cleaning drains, boxing ballast, manual adjustments of

loops and creep / gap adjustments, cleaning crib ballast and handling other drainage issues, deweeding,

removing boulders and other debris, and pre- and post-tamping attention. Periodically, the sectional

gangs also carry out maintenance such as picking up slack in the permanent way.

Q. What are the small vertical sections of rail that can be seen embedded in the trackworks or a

little distance away from the tracks every so often?

These small vertical pieces of rail (or other structures such as a small cement post), usually painted

yellow or white, are monuments or vertical datum indicators. They have marks on them that indicate the

correct intended height of the rail head at that location on the track. When track maintenance crews

adjust track for its level, they use these indicators as the reference to which to adjust the rails. (Of

course, other considerations apply in special cases such as at curves, where the track's cant has to be

taken into consideration.) These indicators are also used to measure the longitudinal movement of long

welded rails. The indicators are usually buried quite deep into the earth so that they do not shift around

easily. Sometimes the track level is indicated painted on a nearby permanent structure instead.

There are also water level indicators in some areas, which are upright pieces of rail with graduated

markings on them in red, yellow or light green, and dark green. These serve as indications to

locomotive and EMU drivers during flooding. Generally speaking normal speeds are permitted if the

(dark) green section of the rail is visible. Reduced speeds and cautious operating are indicated when the

water level rises to the yellow or light green mark, and trains are not permitted to proceed into sections

that are so deeply flooded that the water level reaches the red mark, or covers the water level indicator

entirely. (EMU drivers especially tend to be very familiar with the location of each of these indicators

and will know when they are submerged and not visible.)

Q. What are the indications sometimes seen written or painted on rails, e.g., O+, C-2, etc?

These are defect indications marked by the permanent way gang.

Q. What are the boards seen by the side of the tracks marked 'AEN/TNA - AEN/KYN' or some

such?

These are jurisdictional boundaries for sections, subdivisions, or divisions in charge of maintaining the

permanent way.

Q. What are the signs seen by the side of the tracks marked 'G-2 / 1+1+12' or some such?

These are gang beat boundaries for the gangs maintaining the permanent way.

281

Q. Sometimes the sides of rails appear to be painted. Why is this done?

Normally, rails do not need to be painted as the expected life span resulting from the effects of wheel

wear and fatigue is such that corrosion is not a significant problem. In some areas, however, corrosion

of rails, especially on the inside of the rail foot below the liners, or on the sides, can be quite severe, and

may result in the need for premature renewal of the tracks even if the rails are otherwise not worn or

fatigued by the traffic conditions. The problem is worse when the spots where the corrosion makes the

rails weak move out of the sleeper seats during activities like track destressing.

Corrosion happens in coastal areas and regions such as the Sambhar Lake area where there is high

salinity. Damp tunnels are also places where corrosion can be higher than normal. In addition, since IR

currently uses direct discharge toilets for passenger trains, corrosion resulting from toilet waste is a

significant problem on some lines, and especially at approaches to major stations where many busy

lines converge.

To prevent such corrosion and to increase the life of the rails, IR practice is to paint the rails on the

sides and on the foot in affected areas.

Q. Where are the oldest rails to be found on IR?

Most of the very old tracks have by now been relaid and renovated, so that it is very hard to find very

old rails. Good bets are the meter-gauge and narrow-gauge lines that don't see much traffic. Abandoned

lines (such as at the Bombay Port Trust railway) also sometimes have very old rails left intact. The

Bombay Port Trust railway tracks between Dockyard Road and Wadala / Raoli might be among the

oldest. Bullhead rails from the late 19th century or early 20th century were still to be found in some

areas (e.g. peripheral sidings at Dadar, near Thane, etc.) but many have by now been replaced.

55753407 basic guide on train operation

Documents