INDUSTRIAL VISIT

The Mechanical Engineering department of Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurgaon organized an industrial visit to Diesel Loco Shed, Tughlakabad on 6th November 2015. Forty students of IIIrd Year were accompanied by faculty coordinators Mr. Nitin Dixit and Mr. Vikrant Yadav.

The college team was welcomed by Mr. Omkant Sharma, SSE/TRG of Diesel Loco Shed. He introduced the students to Diesel locomotive shed. He explained about an industrial-technical setup, where repair and maintenance works of diesel locomotives is carried out, so as to keep the loco working properly. It contributes to increase the operational life of diesel locomotives and tries to minimize the line failures.

Mr. D.S. Nagi and Mr. Ramesh Sharma technical officials demonstrated the diesel loco shed to the students.

Mr. Nagi gave a brief history and the importance of the Diesel Locomotive Shed, Tughlkabad. He said that the shed lies under the Northern Railways division of Indian Railways. It is spread over an area of 1, 10,000 m2 out of which 10,858 m2 is covered. The Depot was set up in the year 1970 and has the present strength of holding and repairing 162 locomotives at a time in the diesel loco shed. TKD also has the state of art Diesel Training Centre (DTC) for training diesel locomotive drivers. Diesel shed, Tughlakabad has the distinction of being the first diesel shed to get ISO: 14000 certification in Indian Railway. The shed have modern facility like Modern trouble shooting laboratory, diesel loco simulator, lube oil spectrograph, lube oil refining plant, grid load box, water load box, and effluent treatment plant.

Shed is maintaining a mail link of 122 locos, which is highest for any shed on Indian railways. Many important and prestigious trains are run by this shed.

Students were given a theoretical lecture about the working of diesel engines and various engine types. The technical expert briefed about the diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to ignite a fuel charge. Mechanical ignition components used in gasoline engines, such as spark plugs, coils, and distributor assemblies, are not required for ignition. Instead, as the piston in a diesel engine cylinder moves upward on its compression stroke, it compresses the air in the cylinder. The air temperature in the cylinder increases to the point that the diesel fuel ignites as it is injected into the cylinder.

Then cut models (with working and non-working types) of various important components of locomotives such as expresser, cylinder head, turbo super charger, water pump, lube oil pump, governor etc. were demonstrated for better understanding.

Mr. Ramesh Sharma then guided the students through the whole plant and explained the various processes in diesel engine repair. Students got a first-hand opportunity to see an engine being unassembled and another engine being assembled in front of them. He said that the modern diesel locomotive is a self contained version of the electric locomotive. Like the electric locomotive, it has electric drive, in the form of traction motors driving the axles and controlled with electronic controls. It also has many of the same auxiliary systems for cooling, lighting, heating, braking and hotel power (if required) for the train. It can operate over the same routes (usually) and can be operated by the same drivers. It differs principally in that it carries its own generating station around with it, instead of being connected to a remote generating station through overhead wires or a third rail. The generating station consists of a large diesel engine coupled to an alternator producing the necessary electricity. A fuel tank is also essential. It is interesting to note that the modern diesel locomotive produces about 35% of the power of a electric locomotive of similar weight.

The Students came to know about the various technical aspects of Diesel Locomotive and learned through observing the process and operations.