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by: JOYDEEP DUTTA

 

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Comparison with the 'Century' Series

 

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Running Long Hood Forward, a WDM/2 in Krishnarajapuram (Bangalore) shed livery prepares to leave Poona (Pune) with the shuttle train to neighboring Daund. Note another diesel in Gooty shed orange-light blue livery on the next track. (Photo by: S. Shankar.)

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It was rainy evening at Kharagpur on a usual day in July 1995. I somehow after the institute hours went to visit a very close driver friend of mine. He said that he was working the Madras mail that night and invited me to be on the footplate with him. I am sure no one would leave such opportunities.

So I was right there at the barline at 10 p.m. but we came to know that the mail would be three hours late since the lines were inundated due to heavy rains in the Howrah yard. I went off to the platform to have a look and then at around 12: 45 a.m. in the night a WAM4 brought in the heavy mail in platform 1 of Kharagpur.

My friend backed up the sparkling Kazipet WDM2 on the train and attached it without a bump. The WDM2 locomotives based in the Southern Indian states are usually maintained very well. The cab was very clean with cushioned seats very unlikely of a WDM2 from the Kharagpur Shed. I stood behind my friend as we pulled out of Kharagpur and slowly negotiated the curve on the approach to Hijli and then a ran through at notch 8 through Hijli station. The Kazipet locomotive was responding to the throttle like a race horse and very soon we touched 100 km/h when my friend eased the throttle and then applied the brake for a test.

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A WDM/2 in IR standard maroon livery lurks behind a more recent variant: a 3100 hp WDG/2 freight locomotive. The WDG/2 has just brought in a freight train, while the WDM/2 is about to move in to Poona station to take charge of a train. Both engines are from the Poona diesel shed. (Photo Courtesy: Apurva Bahadur.)

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This was a vaccum braked rake and the brake test was compulsory. Now heading south towards Khurda we raced along the next station Benapur at 100 km/h. The East Coast Route takes the burden of heavy freight and the lateral hunting in the cab was pretty high which again confirmed the rough ride of the ALCOs. I looked back to see the smoke at the 8th notch and it was nearly negligible which showed the care Kazipet has teken to maintain the fuel injection nozzles of the
locomotive. Usually black smoke is what KGP loco gives out.

It was a sheer joy as we crossed each station one after another trying to make up some time and as we accelerated and deccelerated I could hear the sound of the
contactors dropping and the other contactors picking up. As we all know that due to the wear and tear experience by the wheel rim due to wheel rail interaction the wheel diameter actually variedand the Kazipet shed had put up the corrections to the speed read by the speedometer corresponding to a given wheel diameter. The whole run was a pure joy and as we passed each train going towards Kharagpur one thought came to my mind. There must be something to this locomotive that makes it the dominating locomotive of the Indian Railways. All trains that were
passing by us were obviously WDM2 hauled.

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Twin coupled WDM/2s in IR standard maroon livery haul a heavy freight train (just out of the picture) through Nagpur station while an older heavy freight locomotive, the  WG steam locomotive spends here last days shunting in the background.This route is now electrified, and sadly, the WDM/2 are gone as well. (Photo by: S.Shankar.)

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The answer lay in many aspects of the locomotive. I will put forward a simple example. The word CAB ERGONOMICS is usually kept out of the Indian Railways dictionary. Though lately the WAP5 or WDG4 came in with Ergonomic cabs and DLW also tried out this


Ergonomic layout in WDM2c, WDG2 and WDP2 with a desktop layout and
tap changer type throttle and other small design changes like putting all the
pneumatic parts like MU2B and HS4 valves in one control panel in the
shorthood. What they have not done is to have a closer look into the cab of WDM2. To my knowledge it is the WDM2 which gave the most comfortable
operating environment to the driver. In that monsoon night I stood behind my
friend and observed how he was driving in a complete relaxed manner. As I
have already mentioned that the layout of the controls in a WDM2 are pretty
scientifically done with electrical and pneumatic controls completely
separated and everything is under the easy reach of the driver's eye. Just
one can have a look at the cab of WDP2 and realize how uncomfortable it is
for the driver to drive.

 I know of many drivers complaining that driving a WDG2 or WDM2c is problematic with the left hand desktop controls since with your left hand engadged on the controls in a WDM2 you can at least take some food with your right hand but that is not possible in the the WDM2c or WDG2. WDM2 is a locomotive with a lot of built in qualities like the above which should have been used to design the new diesels but that was not the case. IR never discusses with the men who runs the machine before building one.


For example in USA when the great UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD ordered for 1000
SD70M locomotives from GM EMD they wanted them to have the usual AAR type
control stand very similar to the ones on WDM2.  I am sure that if you ask any Indian diesel driver about which is the locomotive he has driven with more comfort and ease and enjoyed it and which the one he feels have always performed its best and hardly ever failed him. I can close my eyes and bet that the answer is
WDM2.

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The control desk format has been applied for the driving controls of several new diesels. Seen here is the interior of a Kazipet WDM/2C locomotive. Despite the impressive layout, the designer probably forgot that an individual called a driver is supposed to sit and work the controls: he forgot to add leg room, as was initially reported by some members. Its very uncomfortable for the driver to go on for hours with zero leg room (a fact that couldn't be confirmed). However, a confirmed irritant is that the driver has to have his hands outstretched all the time, leading to fatigue. The very latest WDM/2CAs have right hand seating and conventional controls, but terrific executive type seats, a change indeed from the present round back-less stools. (Photo Courtesy: Apurva Bahadur.)

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That night while running towards Khurda I realized what could be a very cost
effective solution for our transportation needs. We should upgrade our tracks and use the full potential of the WDM2. In that way we could have progressed a lot but unfortunately even the East Cost route which was a diesel kingdom a few years back is under the sceptre of electrification. Whatever it may be in the areas where the new broad gauge lines are built or meter gauge is converted to the broad it is the WDM2 which is at the helm of all actions. It is definitely the most reliable locomotive ever in the history of our railways and has been a workhorse unparalled by any other locomotive in any form of traction. WDM2 is not only a symbol of India's transportaion power but also a symbol of its self reliance and that what makes it more important to the history of our progress. This was the first locomotive where most parts were indegenized except the parts like the crakshaft which was imported. The first WDM2 from DLW 18233 which now belongs to the Andal shed on the Eastern Railway is an important symbol of our transportation progress and should definitely be preserved.

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A WDM/2 near Kanhan heads towards Nagpur with the empty rake of the Nagpur-Ramtek Passenger. (Photo Couretsy: Alok Patel/Najib.)

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With moist eyes I would like to end up this article but on the  100th Anniversary of ALCO let me do it with a little story. As a teenager during my vaccations I used to spend most of time roamng around in the station at Newjalpaiguri. I used to go and watch mesmerized as the crew change used to take place on the WDM2 locomotives that used to bring in those long distance runners. It used to watch keenly when the Assitant driver opened the engine room doors and bet in my mind --what shall I find written on the Fuel Injection Pump (FIP) cover--DLW or ALCO --- and in many occasions I did find the honoured name ALCO.

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A WDM/2 working Long Hood Forward accelerates out of Saswad station on the Poona-Miraj line,and  heads towards Phursungi near Poona. (Photo Couretsy: Apurva Bahadur.)

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<= Home

<= Return of the Diesels <= Comparison with the Century Series  WDM/2 Emotions 

Other Pages:

WDM/2: Variants and Offshoots WDM/2 Picture Gallery Alco-Haul-ism: (Links)

 

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