#WDP4D

[ashwinkumar1989]

Bidding Farewell to 2022 in Style - Part 1

Bidding Farewell to 2022 in Style – Part 1

For a railfan, there is no better way to end a year than with a train trip. And for a diesel fan, that trip must involve a ride by a diesel-hauled train; especially given that now Indian Railways is on a mad electrification spree and the whole network is set to be electrified in a few years’ time. I had not travelled by the Kalyan-Kasara-Igatpuri-Nashik Road-Manmad route for quite some time;…

[xtremeroads]

#Locomotives Be it narrow gauge or broad gauge, Be it passenger train or Freight carrier, Be it single coach or multiple coaches, Without locomotive non can move a inch from the spot. Here is The EMD GT46PAC or WDP4 is a passenger-hauling diesel-electric locomotive with AC electric transmission designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and built by both GM-EMD and under license by Banaras Locomotive Works of Varanasi, India for Indian Railways as the classes WDP4, WDP4B and WDP4D. The GT46PAC is a passenger version of the previous Indian Railways EMD GT46MAC freight locomotive. The locomotive has a 16-cylinder 710G3B diesel engine and is one of the fastest diesel-electric locomotives in service in Indian Railways. Weighs WDP4 : 115.8 t (114.0 long tons; 127.6 short tons) runs at max. 180kms p/h speed. The GT46PAC is a passenger version of the previous Indian Railways EMD GT46MAC freight locomotive. Mostly in mountains we will see deisel loco engines. Immature Writer Xtreme Vaishali #loco #locomotives #wdp4d #railwaystation #railwayphotography #agartala #tripura #traveller #trainlovers #engine #locopilot #trainfans #traintravel (at Agartala, India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUM6gjQFHZk/?utm_medium=tumblr

[freakyonwheels]

And she passed by us as smoothly as butter💕 WDP 4B from Tughlakabad D.L.S. with Shalimar Express skipping Inchapuri, a small station between Rewari - Gurgaon at MPS💥 -- #freakyonwheels #i_hobbygraphy #indianrailways #click_india_click #_ipc #indianphotographyinc #shutterbugs #yesindia #clickstogallery #railfans #wdp4 #wdp4d #foto4everofficial #goodsshotz #india_ig #desi_diaries #railadmirer #bittuekwap7 (at Inchapuri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSdc-w9Hf2f/?utm_medium=tumblr

[aryanthakur123456]

wdp4d like locomotive Zdm-3 with new Features in Kangra Valley Railways ...

[railfan-spd]

Tricolor Indian flag painted WDP4D hauled Agartala Bangaluru Cantt Humsafar Express curving through Bally ... enjoy the multiple angle videos : https://youtu.be/E5LfIv8zr0E

[rfvikas]

Sri Ganganagar Railways station. TKD WDP4D with Bandra T Sri Ganganagar express after completing duty . . . . . . Old Photo's . . . . . For more @rfvikas . . . #phography #morning #sriganganagarcity #rfvikas #photo #bikaner #morningvibes #indian #northwestern #railart #railwayheart #railfan #indianrailwaysphotography #indianrailways #indianphotography #railwaywale #railinstagram #railways_of_our_world #trainhard #trainindia #likeforpopular #likesforlike #virel #memories (at Sri Ganganagar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYvP50UlIg6/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sonuk483]

12150/Danapur - Pune SF Express (PT) || WDP4D || Jabalpur || IR In MSTS

[shayanyaan]

Karnataka Express

As I walk out of Bangalore airport early one saturday morning, I pull out my phone to check the running status of the southbound Karnataka Express. I have just flown in from Hyderabad and my plan is to head straight to the hills of Makalidurga to photograph the train. And also later in the evening to travel on the return service up to Solapur. I want to experience one last journey out of Bangalore on the Karnataka Express with a diesel at the helm, something that is about to become history in a matter of days.

To my dismay, I find that the Karnataka is running over 6 hours late. There is not a hope in hell that it would reach Bangalore before my departure in the evening. My plans for a farewell photograph of a diesel headed Karnataka Express curving through Makalidurga have been hit for six. Rueing the terrible turn of events, I change plans and head off into the city to meet some friends. We kill time watching trains on the Tumkur line instead.

Thanks to the magic of rake sharing, my outbound train is not affected by the late running of the pairing train. So then I turn my attention to the loco in charge. Would I have the good fortune of being powered by twin diesels, just for old times sake? Throughout the day I have been fervently wishing for this but in the end I find that it is not to be. I arrive at the station to find a single WDP4D from Pune shed assuming the lead.

We depart on time and I settle down in my coach S2, which is fifth from the front. I have selected this on purpose, in order to be as close as possible to the diesel sounds. We are reduced to a stop-start run through Bangalore Cantt due to a slower train in front. Soon though, as we curve through Baiyappanahalli, we overtake the culprit before switching over to the northbound lines at the Channasandra triangle. My last ever Bangalore departure on a diesel hauled Karnataka Express is underway.

We take on more passengers at Yelahanka before ambling through Rajankunte. This is where we run into our other half - the heavily delayed inbound. A tingle of excitement runs down my spine as I head to the door to witness the crossing of the two Karnataka Expresses, both being pulled by diesels. Perhaps a reasonable consolation for the missed photograph opportunity earlier in the day.  

The chief starts to put the WDP4D through its paces as we accelerate towards Dodballapur. As we pick up speed I notice a signal up ahead set to attention. Maybe a level crossing gate not being shut in time? Anyhow, at the very last minute, the signal changes to proceed and we continue accelerating, all set to thunder through Dodballapur on the platform road. We are soon sitting pretty at Max Permissible Speed and not even the signals dare stop the Karnataka Express now.

4500 of the finest Puneri horses power us through the station as we kick up dust on the platform sending it into swirls. The blowers in the loco are whining away to glory. The chief has his hands transfixed on the horn lever. The deafening twin trumpets are blaring with an urgency that seems to transmit to the loco itself. We surge through the station at a hundred and ten kilometers an hour even as the sounds echo on the platform shelter. It is all over in seconds but standing at the door, it has made my eyes water and left me speechless. There are few things more exhilarating than a train skipping a station on the mainline at full chat.

The frenzy soon dies down as we slow to obey the speed restriction through Makalidurga. The beauty of crossing the Makali ghats at night is something that has to be seen to be believed. The moon is just bright enough for the silhouettes of the hill ranges to be visible. The track is surrounded by vast expanses of emptiness and the sound of steel on steel seems to be amplified. Looking ahead, I can see the powerful headlamp of the loco guiding us through the curves and cuttings. Oh to be in the cab with the pilot at this point!

Once the speed restriction is lifted, the WDP4D comes into its own again and we barrel through Thondebhavi where the Kurla - Coimbatore Express is waiting for us. Next at Gauribidanur, it is our turn to be looped on account of a freight blocking the mainline. Having decided I’ve had enough at the door for one evening, I shut the door and go back to my berth. Before turning in for the night, I figure that it is worth taking some time to reflect. On why I am making this journey in the first place.

--

Who cares what engine the train you are taking is being hauled by? It makes not an iota of difference to the vast majority of people whether it is a diesel or an electric or one of those newer converted versions (dielectrics?) that IR seems to be dabbling with these days.

I say vast majority because there exists a very small group of rail enthusiasts to whom this is a matter of utmost importance, for reasons not yet known to science. Many a battle has been fought on WhatsApp groups in order to ascertain whether “my loco is better than yours”. Most of them in cordial spirit of course.

At the heart of the eternal diesel lover lies a genuine appreciation for internal combustion, a somewhat undesirable but not entirely unjustified fascination for burnt diesel odour and soot. Oh and the utter joy that consumes them when they see a WDM3D let out thick puffs of smoke as it chugs past. And who can forget the EMDs? Even the newer ones have their place, their slightly questionable looks notwithstanding. The WDP4 is an absolute spectacle of sound whenever it goes past. The distinctive washing-machine-on-spin-mode idling sound leading to a jet engine like crescendo is not something that leaves your ears in a hurry. Who needs overhead wires?

As it turns out, it is the honorable Minister for Railways that needs them. Over the last couple of years many miles of track has been electrified. Diesel locos have been replaced with electrics, left, right and center. I shudder to think of a time when the venerable diesel loco will be relegated only to the branch lines. Last year when one of my favorite trains of the south, the Bangalore Rajdhani lost its diesel link between Secunderabad and Bangalore, the farewell was a touch emotional. Surely this is similar to what rail enthusiasts must have felt when steam locos were eventually phased out. In a last minute scramble, I managed to squeeze in one last journey on the diesel hauled Rajdhani and record the experience for posterity.  

Less than a year on, the latest train to bite the dust is another Southern heavyweight. The Delhi - Bangalore Karnataka Express hasn’t completely lost its diesel loco but consider this: For years, this iconic train was hauled between Itarsi and Bangalore by an equally iconic pair of Itarsi diesels. Even as a child growing up in northern Karnataka, I could recognize the double headed Karnataka Express. Over the last few years as electrification forced its way further south, up to Manmad and then eventually Daund, the Itarsi Alco twins gave way to Alcos from Moula Ali and  Guntakal sheds before settling with a single EMD from Pune. Yet we felt safe in the knowledge that Daund was about as far as Central Railways had planned to electrify. Until of course, South Central and South Western Railways joined the bandwagon, forcing a stranglehold from the south as well. The diesel link for the Karnataka Express is now confined to a mere 300km section between Daund and Wadi. How the mighty has fallen.

---

I awake the next morning to find that we have picked up a delay. Nevertheless, I am happy that I’ve been able to make this journey. The end of any era is hard to swallow at first, but years from now, I am sure, I will recall with fondness, the mighty Karnataka Express strutting its way northward from Bangalore with diesel locos powering it.

Meanwhile, the delay steadily increases to 50 minutes by the time we hit Wadi. My Shatabdi connection from Solapur is in slight danger. And so begins, a tense mental debate. Do I ditch the Karnataka at Gulbarga and wait for the Shatabdi there or do I carry on ahead, trusting the Central Railway controllers to bring us into Solapur before the Shatabdi?

It is a story I will leave for another time.

---

Sitting 10000 miles away on another continent, I have to make do with writing proxies for journeys taken by others. Once again, it was my dear friend Prithvi who was travelling on the train and was kind enough to send me his notes on the journey. In writing this, I feel like I have experienced a fair share of his emotions too.

[ashwinkumar1989]

Finishing off 2019 in style! – Part 2

Finishing off 2019 in style! – Part 2

For a railfan, what better way to end the year than a train trip? Even if it is just one of many Mumbai-Pune trips that have crowded the calendar of 2019! The reason this time around? To meet my friend and ex-colleague Rishi before my engagement (yes, I am engaged now! 🙂 ). The only thing truly different in this trip was the train of choice – 11041 Mumbai Chennai express. Please refer to Part 1…

[raghaversion-blog]

WDP4D 40385 | Dadar-Tirunelveli Chalukya Express 

The Dadar Central - Tirunelveli Chalukya Express is an express train of the Indian Railways connecting Tirunelveli Junction in Tamil Nadu and Dadar Central of Maharashtra. It is currently being operated with 11005 / 11006 train numbers on thrice a week basis. 

This train gets its name from the Chalukya Dynasty that ruled the Karnataka region. This train runs via the Karnataka region, following a Yeswanthpur-Hubli-Belgaum-Miraj route, giving a panoramic view of rural Karnataka.

It operates 6 days per week in each direction - 3 days to Pondicherry and 3 days to Tirunelveli Junction. The train covers the distance in 30 hrs 5 minutes. This route is longer and comprises certain ghats.

Earlier, this train runs up to Yeshwantpur with six days with the No. 11017/11018

After 15 Oct 2012 It Was Extended up to Pondicherry and Tirunelveli with tri weekly days.

[freakyonwheels]

4D ke isi look ke to ham deewane hai 💞 No fancy caption this time. Just emotions :) BGKT 40565 with Bikaner Intercity Express #indianrailways #wdp4d #bittuekwap7 #bikaner #railfans #railfan #railfans__ #railfan_features #railways #trains #trainspotter #railfannation (at Gurgaon Railway Station) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRd9ui6nGeQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[railfan-spd]

Tricolor Indian flag painted WDP4D hauled Agartala Bangaluru Cantt Humsafar Express curving through Bally ... enjoy the multiple angle videos : https://youtu.be/E5LfIv8zr0E

[rfvikas]

1000th Celebration Locomotive WDP4D TKD #40122 . . . . For more @rfvikas #indianrailwaysphotography #railfan #photography #railways #railinstagram #trains #rfvikas #likesforlike #railwaystation #railyard (at Sri Ganganagar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYg1A45FnU2/?utm_medium=tumblr

[cgbalu]

GY WDP4D 40104 with 17057 Devagiri Express -- by M V S N Murthy > http://bit.ly/2vsLwRT

[hdelacruzo]

शुभ प्रभात कोकण... 🙏 . . . WDP4D negotiating a curve near Kuwarbao with Madgaon Janshatabdi express, Ratnagiri . . . Amazingly Clicked By @pranitwaghdhare . . . #kokan #kokanchi_shan #konkan_ig #konkan_railway #aapla_abhimaan #fakt_kokan #raigad #sindhudurg #ratnagiri . . . कोकण म्हणले की नावातच सर्व काही ... कोकण दर्शनासाठी आताच follow करा @kokanchi_shan . . . या निसर्गरम्य कोकणातील तुमचे अनुभव दाखवण्यासाठी hashtag वापरा #kokanchi_shan @RepostIt_app

[jiteshutekar]

#GOC #WDP4D powered #Netravati Express over #Panval viaduct #Ratnagiri in a dense fog #konkan_railways #konkan #we_are_railfans #indianrailways #trains #trainspotters #railways #railfaning #IR #irfca #jitesh_utekar #nikon_l310 (at Ratnagiri,Maharashtra)