cabin arrangement has been
introduced by the Railways for the
first time in south India.
The 4,500 horsepower loco
commissioned this month would be
homed at the Diesel Loco Shed in
Tiruchi, the biggest shed in
Southern Railway zone with a
holding of over 150 diesel engines
including 27 EMD-type locos. This
will be the first shed in south India
to home the dual cab loco.
The loco pilot cabin has been
provided in both ends of the diesel
engine similar to that of an electric
locomotive. It could be operated
from front and rear cabin.
At present, all diesel engines being
operated in south India are
provided with only single cabin.
The dual cab loco would provide
accurate visibility to the loco pilots
to sight the signals and any
obstructions on the track even at a
speed of 130 kilometre per hour.
Dispatched from the Diesel
Locomotive Works, Varanasi, the
dual cab loco is presently being
used for training loco pilots of
Salem and Palakkad railway
divisions on handling the engines.
The loco would be extensively used
for hauling prestigious super fast
trains such as the Rajdhani and the
Jan Shatabdi expresses of south
India.
Another unique feature of the dual
cab engine is that it has been
provided with a parallel displayth
system for the Assistant Loco Pilot
to monitor the performance of the
engine from his seat. This facility is
not available in other locomotives,
railway officials here told The
Hindu .
Equipped with computer controlled
braking system, the engine can run
at a maximum permissible speed of
130 kilometres per hour.
The seats inside the cabin have
been ergonomically designed and
various parameters such as speed,
air pressure in brake pipes, feed
pipes, main reservoir tanksh have
been customised and displayed in a
computer (LED) display, eliminating
the conventional gauges.
The control panel has been
fabricated with fibre reinforced
plastic material to give an elegant
look.
With a 5,000-litre fuel tank
capacity, the engine with six
traction motors weighs 123 tonnes.
It would be utilised for hauling
Rajdhani and Jan Shatabdi trains
upon getting a clearance from the
Commissioner of Railway Safety,
the officials said.
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