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Precautions against stalling a loco

by Zubin Dotivala, 2004-03-07

Disclaimer: The information presented here is neither complete nor accurate. Complete
details on the topics here are available only from Indian Railways and other official
organizations. The material here is not a substitute for the official documentation or official
training procedures, which are provided to duly authorized personnel. Do not use the
information here to design, build, operate, repair, or maintain any equipment.

On gradients, there is a danger of a train stalling and being unable to resume moving,
especially with slippery track. The following are some precautions to be observed to avoid
stalling.

1. Condition of the load

While taking over charge of the loco, the Brake Power Certificate should be examined and it
should be ensured that the Brake Power Certificate (BPC) is valid. Moreover, continuity of
the air pressure / vacuum from the engine to the load should be ascertained. While starting
the train, two to three notches should be taken, and the train should start rolling with a
traction motor current of about 400A. If the train does not move then, it indicates that the
load is jammed. In such a case the crew of the train should examine the load and find the
jammed vehicle and release the brake using the distributor valve / release valve manually.
After it is verified that the load is fully released, the train should be started and it should
move at 400A or less current.

If this check is not carried out, the train may depart with a jammed vehicle in the load. This
will result in the train stalling on gradients because of the additional resistance from the
jammed brake blocks. Therefore, it is very important to check the condition of load and
ensure full release of brake blocks and continuity in the train.

2. Watch the traction motor current

It is always a good practice while driving to take notches gradually while keeping constant
watch on the voltmeter ammeter readings of the traction motor. In no case should the
current rating should be exceeded. Progression should be done notch by notch gradually so
that tractive effort develops in the train smoothly without causing any wheel slipping.
Quick notch transitions for accelerating the train may result in wheel slip causing auto-
regression of the notches by the wheel slip relay. This will result in loss of tractive effort and
this may become the cause of stalling on a gradient.

3. Picking up speed before gradient

Good road knowledge helps in taking proper action in driving. While working a fully loaded
train, it is necessary to maintain a good momentum in the train before approaching an up
gradient. The speed should be increased to the extent possible subject to the speed
restriction in force. This will avoid stalling on the up gradient. It is for this reason that in
working time tables, stopping goods trains at certain stations or signals situated on
gradients is prohibited, to avoid stalling due to loss of momentum of the train.

4. Use of sanders and ZQWC

With a fully loaded train, it is essential that the sanders are working properly. The sanders
must be used judiciously to the extent required. Excess use of sanders may lead to drop in
main reservoir pressure causing DJ tripping of the locomotive. In addition to this, the sand
may be exhausted early which may result in a situation where the sandbox is empty while
negotiating an up gradient section. Therefore, while approaching a gradient the sanders
should be operated from time to time to avoid any wheel slip of the locomotive, but not
excessivley. Furthermore, the ZQWC if in working order should be switched on. This will
help in adjusting the traction motor current and avoiding the wheel slip on the locomotive.

5. Negotiating caution order

If a caution order exists for a speed of 30km/h or less on an up gradient or on the spot
approaching a up gradient, the chances of stalling increases. Therefore, such caution orders
should be negotiated with great care. In such cases, it is very good driving practice to
control the train well in advance of the spot of caution order by destroying the vacuum or
air pressure by small amounts say 10 cm for vacuum-braked trains, or 0.2 to 0.5 kg/cm^2 for
air-braked trains, according to the brake power of the train. This causes a gradual
application of train brake. When the speed decreases to the desired level, the train brake
handle should be kept in a released position. This will ensure the release of the brake. This
should be done in such a way that the train passes through the site of the caution order with
the train brakes in released condition. At this time the vacuum / air pressure level will be
normal. Now, the driver has the advantage of taking notches as and when required, which
will help in picking up speed just after the end of the caution order without any delay for
releasing brakes.

6. Shunting notches

Whenever a gradient is negotiated by a fully loaded train, the maximum possible current is
fed to the traction motor to achieve higher tractive effort. It is a good practice to increase
the current by taking notches (or in other words by increasing the voltage). This will cause
the increase in traction motor current in relation to speed of the train. However, if shunt
notches are taken abruptly, they can cause a sudden increase of the tractive effort. This
increase may cause wheel slip and auto-regression of notches. Therefore, as far as possible
the use of shunt notches while approaching or negotiating the gradient should be avoided.

Related Sections
Electric Locomotives
Other Technical Documents

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