Two in-service broad gauge locomotives converted into Cape gauge ones for Mozambique by the Golden Rock Railway Workshop were flagged off for export from here on Thursday.
The conversion, to suit the requirement of the Mozambique Railway network, was carried out by reducing the gauge distance from 1676 to 1067 mm. The horse power of one of the locomotive was upgraded from 2,400 to 3,100 HP and from 1,800 to 2,400 HP in the other.
The workshop had also carried out a series of modifications to increase the horse power by providing higher displacement turbo super charger, upgraded fuel injection equipment, larger capacity air intake cooler and micro processor controlled excitation system.
Several other special features have also been included. A plate type oil cooler to improve cooling efficiency of the engine lubricating system, self cleaning centrifugal lubricating oil filter system to increase life of engine oil, stainless steel interior panel in one of the locomotives and fibre reinforced plastic panel in the other, long-life polyurethane exterior painting and upgraded brake system have been provided. One of the locomotives also has an air-conditioned cabin.
The locomotives were flagged off by Shailesh Kumar Yadav, City Police Commissioner, in the presence of P.Mahesh, Chief Workshop Manager, and R.K.Rana, General Manager, RITES. The Golden Rock workshop has been exporting metre gauge in-service locos to various countries such as Malaysia, Myanmar, Mozambique, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Sudan, and Benin. The shop has exported 133 metre gauge locomotives to these countries through Rail India Technical and Economic Service and Indian Railway Construction Company. The exported locos also include 34 in-service metre gauge locomotives converted into Cape gauge for Mozambique and Sudan.
