chasing trains in the new millenium |
by: S.SHANKAR |
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16 Apr.1853 - 16 Apr. 2002 |
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CHENNAI (MADRAS) AREA:
The most obvious change at Madras is at Madras Egmore station, and not the Central. Almost all trains out of Central have been electric hauled for a while now, so not much changes could be seen at Central.
Egmore: well, the entire mg main line out of Madras Beach had been ragauged to bg, so another tragic loss of mg. The traditionally mg Egmore station was full of bg trains, WDM/2 diesels, and more modern d.m.us and a high speed passenger diesel engine. Suburban trains of course continue to be mg, as its not that easy to work on this densely packed commuter line. Work on regauging is underway though.
No mg trains originate or terminate at Egmore now (2000): the terminus is now the remote suburb of Tambaram, some 35 km away. Though I did travel to Tambaram, the mg terminus was a little distance away, and totally isolated and devoid of human activity (it was not an arrival or departure time), so a lone photographer on an empty platform would have made an instant and hearty meal for a RPF stonehead. I decided against it. At any rate, being a stopgap arrangement, till all regauging work is finished, the parking of empty trains, locomotives and stock is so congested that it would be virtually impossible to isolate and photograph anything: everything is always lurking behind everything else, to catch which one would have to tresspass right into the yard. I spotted a long YAM/1 mg electric engine almost obscured between two empty trains.
Here are a few shots from Madras.
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1. A WAP/4 unit # 22221 readies to leave Madras Central with the superfast Lalbagh Express to Bangalore. The newer WAP/4s now come with twin beam headlights and collision resistant pillars in the cab. Note that the tap changer and multiple unit cables have been removed on this unit. |
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2-3. Two shots of the driving power car of an old 2-car d.m.u. Introduced in 1968, this 2-car unit ran initially on the Trichy-Tanjore (Tiruchirapalli-Thanjavur) line, then on the Bangalore-Yelahanka line. Withdrawn from service in 1990, one car was sent to the Tambaram electric shed as an overhead inspection car, while the other car went elsewhere. This pic is borrowed from I.S.Anand's collection as I saw this machine this time but didn't shoot it, as I'd already taken a shot in 1992. (Pictures couresy: I.S.Anand). |
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| 4. A WP class steam locomotive with its train is gaily stencilled all over the seventh floor of the Sr. Mech. Engineer's office of the Southern Railway in Madras. I was fortunate to meet SK (Railnet), one of our members, who informed me that this stencil is found on that floor only. Tragically, steam engines in action were limited to this stencil only. All other steamers I saw were dead hulks. My special thanks to SK for allowing me to shoot this picture. |
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5. Southern sisters: two WDM/2 units # 18375 (nearest camera) in green Golden Rock livery and 18698R is Erode livery at Madras Egmore station. All chord line trains out out Egmore are bg and are hauled by WDM/2s except the Pallavan and Vaigai supertrains, which are hauled by WDP/2s. These two engines will power two different trains. The mg main line is still to be ragauged, and mg main line expresses depart from Tambaram. There is a bg d.m.u. feeder service at arrival and departure times between Madras Beach and Tambaram. |
| 6. A 2-car self propelled accident relief medical train at Madras Central. The first car is the airconditioned medical van, while the second is the auxillary tool van. Such trains are a new innovation on the IR. (1999). |
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7-8. Two views of the new bg d.m.u. between Madras Beach and Kanchipuram. This was traditionally a laid back and leisurely mg service. The relocated horns make the beast look very elegant indeed. Barring the first car, all other cars are normal GS chair cars, connected by vestibule and roller shuttered when not in use.This is a 6-car version . 3-car versions do the Tambaram-Beach feeder service. |
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9. A freshly painted 3-car d.m.u. lurks behind a new WDP/2 diesel unit # 15505. The d.m.u. was garishly decorated with golden foil paper at the other end. The unit will provide the Tambaram-Beach feeder service. |
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10-11. Two views of IR's latest streamlined high speed diesel WDP/2 # 15505. This pic on the left shows the WDP/2 with a conventional WDM/2 and a d.m.u. in tow. The right pic shows the WDP/2's side details. She was due to leave Madras Egmore with the Pallavan Express to Tiruchirapalli. Built by BHEL, a stencilled note in the WDP/2's cab read '15505: do not use for shunting'. (or words to that effect). |
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LINKS:
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For scores of other pages about the Indian Railways, visit my superlinks page: the largest collection of IR links on the planet: http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Coast/9896/superrlylinks.htm
