The Hindu Business Line : `Dr Silver' loco coming with diagnostic tools

FOLLOWING the footsteps of `Dr Yellow' (high speed infrastructure monitoring test trains used on the renowned Japanese Shinkansen `Bullet' trains), Indian Railways is now gearing up to launch its fully indigenised version of the three-phase electric loco, fitted with software-controlled diagnostic tools, and christened as `Dr Silver'.

The objective, according to top railway officials, was to improve locomotive performance in a big way and better asset utilisation, and also participate in value added services in the train movement, besides avoiding line failures.

The engineers at Centre for Design & Development (D&D) at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in West Bengal, a part of the technology management group of Indian Railways, in collaboration with the Bangalore-based Advanced Rail Controls Pvt Ltd (a part of Sunlux Technologies), have developed a compact diagnostic tool for these Dr Silver locos.

The advanced electronics on board the rolling stock, will monitor the status, and log the occurrences of faults/abnormalities, and relay these back to the home sheds while on actual run. The tools can be fitted to both electric and diesel locos, both freight and passenger versions.

Talking to Business Line on the project, which actually began during his tenure as General Manager of CLW some six months ago, Mr R. Sivadasan, now Financial Commissioner of Indian Railways and Member, Railway Board, said the system was already operational, after successful field tests, and the locos were now awaiting the completion of technical audit by RDSO, Lucknow, before being pressed into full service.

Describing the development as emergence of a new era of traction units, which integrate rolling stock with central monitoring facilities, just as in rail systems in advanced countries, he said tracking of trains in real time would now be possible without any manual intervention, even though the engine driver would be present to carry out other spot tasks, while manning the train.

He informed that the system can quickly measure estimated repair time and failure urgency as well as identify whether it will be an on-train/service track repair or movement to a nearby repair facility.

Expecting the Dr Silver locos, which will haul the speedier freight trains initially, to come into active service within the next two months, Mr Sivadasan said the diagnostics equipment on board will make available the spot health of the locomotive to the Central Control room, enabling it to better handle the trains from a safety point of view.

The cryptic on-board diagnostic information will be transmitted (through the GSM/GPS channel) to the Control Room, which upon analysis, will assist the driver to handle the situation.

Mr Sivadasan said the system can also monitor how the locomotive was performing, whether it needs any assistance, or if the crew needs any help etc.

He said it will be fitted on the WAG-9H & WAP-7 versions developed by CLW, which has higher adhesive weight to reduce the slip risk, and permitting dispatch of higher tractive and braking efforts, which in turn would reduce the fatigue on the driver.