Infrastructure facilities have been created inside the sprawling Golden Rock Railway Workshop here to carry out Periodic Overhaul (POH) of high horsepower General Motors (GM) diesel locomotives in the near future and for overhauling its major sub assemblies.
A huge shed with pit lines has been constructed, as part of the creation of infrastructure facilities inside the over 75-year-old workshop to accommodate five GM locos, which are longer than the conventional diesel engines, in order to carry out POH works.
Of the Rs. 22.2 crore funds sanctioned by the Railway Board to the Workshop exclusively for creation of facilities for overhauling GM Locos, a sum of Rs. 7 crore has been utilised for civil works that includes construction of the huge shed; Rs. One crore for electrical works and the rest for the procurement of new machinery and equipment.
GM locos are sent for a POH once in 18 years while overhauling of its major sub assemblies are done once in six years. These locos are being utilised from 1997 onwards in various sections across the Indian railway network.
Though the first GM loco is expected to be sent to the workshop for a POH in 2015, the workshop has already commenced the work of overhauling of its major sub assemblies with the new machinery procured for this purpose, a senior official told The Hindu here. This is the only railway workshop in the country nominated by the Railway Board to carry out POH of GM locos, the official added.
The 4,000 horsepower GM locos are being homed at the Diesel Loco Sheds in Hubli and Krishnarajapuram in South Western Railway besides at Siliguri in North Frontier Railway and Jodhpur in North Western Railway.
At present these engines are being utilised to haul the Guruvayur, Pandian and Nellai Expresses in Southern Railway limits. Equipped with micro processors, these locos can travel at a speed of 140 kilometres per hour hauling passenger trains with 24 coaches. The goods loco can travel at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour, the official said.
