LHB Coaches

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The Linke Holfmann Bush (LHB) coaches of Indian Railways have been developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch in Germany (today part of Alstom) and they have also been produced by Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, India. They are used since 2000 on the Indian gauge (1676 mm) network of Indian railways. The coaches are designed for an operating speed up to 160 km/h and tested up to 180 km/h. Their length of 23,54 m and a width of 3,24 m results in a higher passenger capacity, compared to older types. The tare weight of the AC chair car was weighed as 39,5 t. They are anti-telescopic and do not turn over if the train derails or gets involved in a collision. The improved suspension system of LHB coaches ensures more riding comforts for the passengers. The microprocessor controlled high capacity air conditioning system of the LHB coaches gives passengers better comforts during summer and winter season. Each LHB coach is priced at about Rs 1.5 crore to 2 crore.
Contents
[hide]

1 Types 2 Technical details

o o o o o o o o

2.1 Bogies 2.2 Couplers 2.3 Air conditioning 2.4 Doors 2.5 Water supply and disposal 2.6 Toilets 2.7 Pantry 2.8 Other equipment

3 History of Introduction of LHB Coaches in Indian Railways 4 Current News about LHB Coaches 5 References

[edit]Types

LGS = Second class self-generating LSCN = Second class 3-tier sleeper LWACCW = AC2 Air-conditioned 2-tier sleeping-car (52 berths) LWACCN = AC3 Air-conditioned 3-tier sleeping-car (73 berths) LWCBAC = Air-conditioned pantry/kitchen/buffet car LWFAC = AC1 Air-conditioned first class sleeping-car LWFCZAC = Air-conditioned executive chair car

LWLRRM = Luggage/generator/brake van LWSCZAC = Air-conditioned chair car (78 seats) LWSCZ = Chair car

[edit]Technical [edit]Bogies

details

The FIAT-SIG bogie is a welded H frame type based on the Eurofima bogie. The wheel base is 2560 mm, the wheel diameter new 915 mm and at maximum wear 845 mm. Main features of the bogie are primary suspension with articulated arms and coil springs, secondary suspension of integral flexicoil type with coil springs and rubber pads on top and bottom, anti-roll bar, vertical and transverse shock absorbers and anti-hunting dampers. For braking on each axle two disc brakes with 640 mm diameter, brake cylinders and automatic slack adjuster are provided.

[edit]Couplers
The automatic center buffer coupler of AAR tight lock type at the coach end has a support frame which is providing an anticlimbing protection. The coupler can be opened from the side by a lever. The design allows the use of screw coupler instead of center buffer coupler. Therefore a fixing plate for buffers is also provided. The inter-vehicle coupler for the supply of the 750 V from the generator car is located below the under-frame. Due to the moving situation 4 brake hoses are to be used at the coach end which are brought to two hoses behind the coupler.

[edit]Air

conditioning

The air conditioning system comprises 2 roof-mounted compact units located one at each coach end. The 2 units are controlled by one microprocessor located in the switchboard cabinet to ensure a proper functioning of both units together. The operating voltage of the unit is 3 phase, 415 V, 50 Hz. Each unit has 2 refrigerant circuits with hermetic refrigerant compressors, condensers with Cu pipes and Al fins, evaporators and condenser fans. The fresh air is coming in via the air inlet of the AC unit. The conditioned air is transported in heat insulated aluminium ducts mounted below the roof and distributed via the perforated ceiling into the passenger room. The return air is flowing back via openings above the compartment door to the AC unit. The entrance area, toilets and pantry are connected to the exhaust air system.

[edit]Doors
The entrance doors are made of the same steel as the car body shell. They are flush with the sidewall to allow easy carwashing. Two handholds and three fixed steps are provided to enter the coach. The door inward opening to the entrance area is covered from inside with a FRP panel. Above the door is an entrance light. The entrance steps are closed by a foldable cover. An inside handhold allows easy entry and exit. An ashtray is also provided.

[edit]Water

supply and disposal

The two connected fresh water tanks with a total capacity of 1370 lit for the 3 toilets are made of stainless steel. The water level is indicated on one tank on each side. The filling can be made from both sides by one filler for both tanks. Three intermediate water tanks, each with a capacity of 30 lit, made out of stainless steel are located above the toilets. Two centrifugal pumps located in a stainless steel casing at the under frame are supplying the water to the tanks. One of the 415 V pumps is always working, the other is standby. After each switch off the other pump will work. Below each toilet a 40 lit waste water tank is provided in which the toilet waste is collected when the coach is standing. It will be opened with a pneumatically operated sliding valve when a defined speed is reached. The junction box for the inter-vehicle coupler is visible.

[edit]Toilets
The coaches are equipped with a controlled discharge toilet system (CDTS). Both oriental (squat) and western styles of toilets are provided. On the one side of the toilet you find the wash basin with water tap and sensor button, the soap dispenser, the mirror, an ash tray and a waste bin. On the other side you find the toilet itself, a water tap with mug, a handhold, the toilet paper holder and the sensor button for the toilet flush. The window in the toilet can be opened in the upper half. The toilet doors are of a folding type to use the available space in an optimum.

[edit]Pantry
Each vehicle is equipped with a pantry for storing cold and hot meals which are to be served to the passengers at their seats. In the gangway between the passenger room door and the entrance is on one side the pantry and on the other side the storage area. The pantry is closed by a double leaf sliding door and the storage area by roller shutters. On the left side a 15 lit water boiler, a 11 lit soup-warmer, a sink and racks are provided. On the right side you find the 3 hot cases, the bottle cooler, the refrigerator and the deep freezer for the 78 passengers. The storage area gives space for racks and also for the serving trolley.

[edit]Other

equipment

On the outside wall of the toilet a waste bin and a fire extinguisher are located. The fire extinguisher on the power panel end is filled with CO, the one on the other end with water. The vestibule is of UIC rubber type. The vestibule door is a double leaf stainless steel sliding door. On the left side the socket of the local 415 V supply is located. A 60 kVA transformer with copper winding is transforming the power given by the generator car from 750 V to 415 V. All brake control equipment is centrally located in a brake container. A main brake pressure reservoir of 125 lit and a service pressure reservoir of 75 lit are provided.

[edit]History

of Introduction of LHB Coaches in Indian Railways

LHB Coaches started to find a place in Indian Railway to fulfil the need for a new passenger coach design to suit India's specific need for high speed light weight coaches to run in Indian Railways within the present infrastructure i.e. specific railway and track conditions along with the specific environmental conditions in India and the operating speed of 160 km/h. Indian Railway began its search for this kind of much improved good quality coaches in 1994-95 and also decided to try and use this new design first in the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala (RCF) and upon successful completion of this trial also in the Integral Coach Factory in Perambur (ICF) at a later stage. For manufacturing this new generation coach ALSTOM LHB of Germany received the contract fromIndian Railways. In 1995, ALSTOM LHB received the order from Indian Railways to design and develop a new passenger coach. The main targets of the contracts given are the new coach design for manufacturing a new type of coach in the factories of Indian Railways and the improvement of the manufacturing techniques in their factories to make them suitable for the new coach design and manufacture. This was named IR 20. For this purpose, ALSTOM LHB received two contracts which have to be seen as a unit. The contract for the supply of All Metal Light Weight High Speed Coaches for Broad Gauge includes the development, design and manufacture of 19 AC 2nd Class Chair Cars, 2 AC Executive Class Chair Cars and 3 Generator-cum-Brake vans. The contract for the Transfer of Technology includes the transfer of technology for design and manufacturing, the training of Indian Railways personnel in the premises of the manufacturer and the technical assistance at RCF during the start of production. The first 3 coaches were delivered from Germany in the beginning of year 2000 and were unloaded in Calcutta on 22.02.2000. After putting the coaches beside the ship they were taken over by Indian Railways. In an official function the coaches were

handed over to Indian Railways on 16.03.2000 on New Delhi railway station. And then came the day when on the 26th of December, 2002 Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, under Transfer of Technology Contract with M/s. Alstom-LHB, Germany, rolled-out the first rake of ALSTOM-LHB Chair Car Coaches for Shatabadi Express. Thus Production of LHB type coaches by IRCF was started in the year 2001-02 and up to March, 2010, 1076 LHB + 411 SS Hybrid design coaches have been manufactured. Most of these coaches are running in prestigious Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto Express Trains and giving immense passenger satisfaction.

[edit]Current

News about LHB Coaches

During 2010-11, RCF produced 316 LHB coaches. Presently LHB coaches are seen only in premium air-conditioned services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains owing to high cost of manufacture. To provide the comfort and safety of these modern coaches in low cost travel, now non-AC variants such as second class sleeper, general second class and non-AC char car for Duronto Express trains have been developed by IRCF. While Duronto rake with Non-AC chair cars with seating capacity of 106 seats has already been turned out of RCF and dispatched to Northern Railway, other non-AC variants like LHB End On Generator car (LHB EOG) General second classes and Sleeper coaches will be turned out in the year 2011-12. In 2011-2012 RCF will produce 310 AC(LHB) and 116 Npon-AC(LHB) coaches. In order to run longer trains and enhance safety of travelling passengers and operational staff, Indian Railways has adopted AAR tight lock center buffer couplers in LHB coaches. A mention of such couplers has already been made in the "Technical Details" section of this article. In spite of good riding behavior and aesthetics of these coaches, jerks during run negate all the good features. Since then efforts are being made by Railways to address this problem. RCF in consultation with Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) has now developed a balanced type draft gear, supplied by M/s Dellner,Sweden. RCF has turned out 15 coaches fitted with these types of couplers to SCR, on 3 February 2011. The initial observations made by RDSO indicates that longitudinal behavior of these coaches at starting, braking, transition and normal run is almost jerk free, thus can be endorsed as satisfactory. On 16 March 2012 Friday RDSO conducted a crash test of the crashworthy LHB prototype general class coach RDSO complex to test the efficiency of the crashworthy design of upgraded LHB coaches. After the crash test, it was noticed that there was no deformation in the passenger area and damage to the coach was limited to its end only.