Preblocking of rails near Partapgarh

A caravan of 4 cars and 1 bus of a marriage party
returning to Allahabad were stuck on a busy LC near Partapgarh on the busy Faizabad-Allahabad highway, whom I was also a part.

The line on which this procedure was carried out is though not a busy line with just 7-8 trains per day excluding the freights, i.e., Partapgarh-Allahabad section of the FD-ALD line. Everyone including people from marriage party as well as passerbys were cursing their lucks but not me.

Pictures provided by Samar.

Date: 2009-12-27
Owner: Gallery Administrator
Size: 10 items
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It all starts with us seeing the LDH WDM-2 #18759 approaching the level crossing at a snail's pace. Onlookers from nearby villages are curious to see all this. Look at the communication going on with one of the LPs talking on the mobile. (Samar)

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One of wagons passing by the LC with the road users looking at them. Here two sets of rails are moving to the left of the picture, driven by unknown mechanism. (Samar)

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The rails are guided through these hoppers to track sides with the workers moving along with them with planks. (Samar)

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The supervisor with the checked shirt supervising the whole operation. Some of my companions of the marriage party can be also seen in this picture. (Samar)

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Here is my question to all of you, since the rails were moving with wheel-contact surface facing upwards, how are they coming out flipped? (Samar)

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Now starts the cutting process at the LC to keep it unblocked. The worker gets the gas cutter readied. Passerbys sigh some relief that the work will be over soon. (Samar)

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The cutting works starts one by one on all four sides. The passerbys develop some instinct of railfaning at this time. (Samar)

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The cut rail is now put to sides by the workers to unblock one side of the LC. (Samar)

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Similarly the other rail is cut and later put to side. By this time around 100 vehicles from both sides of LC have piled up on the busy Faizabad-Allahabad highway. (Samar)

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Finally they move on and we also move on very fast to avoid them at the next LC near Mau Aimma. Note one of the supervisor stepping on one of the rails coming out. (Samar)

Comments
(view all 4 comments)
Interesting and unique collection. The ratio of "doers": "watchers" is mind-blowing!
Posted by Shirish Paranjape on 2010 Jan 01 21:11:04 +0000
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Even I was not able to get the correct term, which was told by the supervisor here and later by Khalid, i.e., preblocking. It simply means the process of putting the new rails to the track sides. It is after this that the next procedure like fixing to...
Posted by Samar on 2009 Dec 30 14:33:44 +0000
I too dont know. Can you please explain? It would be the ultimate form of desperation to be stuck in a railway gate where the process is being done!
Posted by Jimmy Jose on 2009 Dec 30 13:52:20 +0000