Sri Lanka Railways S8
| Sri Lanka Railways S8 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Hyundai (Korea), Hitachi |
| Replaced | Class S6, S7 |
| Constructed | 1991 |
| Entered service | 1991[1] |
| Number built | 20[1] |
| Formation | 4 Passenger Compartments, including control unit, Engine Unit[2] |
| Fleet numbers | 821 ~ 840 |
| Operator(s) | Sri Lanka Railways |
| Depot(s) | Electric Power Coaches Shed |
| Line(s) served |
Main Line Kelani Valley Line Puttalam Line |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 65 ft (19.81 m) |
| Maximum speed | 88 km/h (55 mph) |
| Weight | 70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons) |
| Prime mover(s) | MTU 12V396TCI13[3] |
| Engine type | V12 diesel |
| Power output | 1,413 hp (1,054 kW) |
| Transmission | Diesel-Hydraulic |
| Braking system(s) | Air |
| Coupling system | Automatic (dual) |
| Multiple working | Yes |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
Class S8 is a Diesel multiple unit (DMU) made by Hitachi and Hyundai, operated by Sri Lanka Railways. It was imported to Sri Lanka in 1991 and, according to the website Sri Lanka Railways Info Page, is "the best diesel multiple unit ever imported to Sri Lanka".[4]
History
This was introduced after 12 years which the last DMU, S7 was imported. 20 train-sets were ordered in order to strengthen the DMU of fleet of SLR.
Operation
Due to high power of the engine, this has a higher acceleration rate and also this DMUs can be used for multiple unit working. Multiple S8 units are used in peak hours. These are mostly used in short distance services. And also majority of services in Kelani Valley Line is carried out by this DMUs. Operation lines are;
- Colombo Fort to Rambukkana via Polgahawela.
- Colombo Fort to Awissawella on Kelani Valley Line.
- Colombo Fort to Puttalam.
Passenger accommodation
It has four passenger compartments, including dummy control unit. There are no vestibules between the compartments, giving it better ability to run through sharp curves, such as those on the Kelani Valley Line.
Service
Almost all units are in service, as none have been withdrawn, but the class has faced many accidents.[1]
Incidents
In 1991, a service train and a S8 DMU collided together, and the Dummy Unit of DMU was destroyed. In 1998 due to a derailment another Dummy Unit of a S8 DMU was destroyed[5]
References
- 1 2 3 "Class S8". Sri Lanka Railways Info Page. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ↑ http://slrailinfo.wordpress.com/locomotives/class-s/class-s8/
- ↑ "Class S8". SL Rail Wiki. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ↑ "Class S8 | Sri Lanka Railways Info Page". Slrailinfo.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
- ↑ http://locolanka.blogspot.com/2011/11/s8.html
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