No. EL/1.3.10/3 Date: 24.08.

2018

प्रमुख विद्युत ् अभियंता, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer,

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19- डीजल आधनु िकीकरण कारखािा ांजाप ,ालायाला ,
1. Central Railway, Mumbai, CST-400 001.
2. East Central Railway, Hazipur-844 101.
3. East Coast Railway, Chandrashekharpur,
Bhubaneshwar-751 016.
4. Eastern Railway, Fairlie Place, Calcutta-700 001.
5. North Central Railway, Block-A, Subedarganj,
Allahabad- 211 033.
6. Northern Railway, Baroda House, New Delhi-110 001.
7. North Western Railway, Jaipur- 302 006
8. North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur-273001
9. North East Frontier Railway, Maligaon, Guwahati-
781011
10. South Central Railway, Secunderabad-500 071.
11. South East Central Railway, Bilaspur-495 004.
12. South Eastern Railway, Garden Reach, Kolkata-700
043.
13. Southern Railway, Park Town, Chennai-600 003.
14. South Western Railway, Hubli- 580020
15. West Central Railway, Jabalpur-482 001.
16. Western Railway, Churchgate, Mumbai-400 020
17. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Chittaranjan-713 331
18. Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi-221 004.
19. Diesel Modernization Works, Patiala, Punjab

SPECIAL MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTION NO. RDSO/2018/EL/SMI/0324 (Rev ‘0’)

Dated 24.8.2018

1. Title:
Use of Portable oil dust checker (Metal content checker) for condition monitoring of Gear
case oil to detect defects in bull gear, pinion and Motor Suspension Unit (MSU).

2. Brief History:
2.1 Clause 2.3.2 & 2.3.3 of ABB document no. AEB 452 569 (Drive 15 AN 21 R1, Instruction
for Maintenance and Operation), (part of Vol. F2 of WAG9 Manual), prescribes
replacement of gear case oil and chemical analysis after every 200000 Km.

SMI_324_GearOilMetalContent Page 1 of 3
2.2 The limits of contents of oil after 200000 Km are specified in clause 2.4.3.2 as given
below:

Dirt: Si (Silicon): 80 mg/kg

Wear: Fe (iron) 500 mg/kg

Al (Aluminium) 80 mg/kg
Cu (Copper) 80 mg/kg

Water content: >0.2 %

Oxidation: 20 A/cm

Admissible deviation from the sample of the new barrel.

Kinematic viscosity: ±20 %

Viscosity index: ±10 %

Additive: P (Phosphorus), Mo (Molybdenum) -40 %

2.3 Clause 2.3.2 of ABB document no. AEB 452 569 prescribes that if the values
unexpectedly exceed or fall below the acceptable range it is necessary to find the cause.

2.4 During minor schedules, visual check of gear case oil color and replacement in case
dirty/badly discolored oil is prescribed as per revised maintenance schedule activities of
3-phase locomotives issued by RDSO vide letter no. EL/3.1.35/16 dated 7.2.2012.

2.5 ELS/LGD vide letter number C/E.221/ELS/LGD/Tech/29B dated 07.06.2018 had

informed that ELS/LGD had adopted practice of metal content checking of the gear case
oil of in-service locomotives for condition monitoring to detect defects in bull gear,
pinion and Gear end bearing of MSU.

Gear case oil sample metal content is being checked during IC/IC0 and major schedules
and recorded. This metal content checking is being carried out by a portable dust checker
(SDM-73) which is easy to carry, test can be done near the loco itself and it is cost
effective. If metal content is more than 12000 ppm then complete oil is being replaced
with new oil and loco kept under monitoring. In the next schedule, gear case oil metal
content being checked again and if found more than 12,000 ppm then locomotive taken
for lifting for thorough checking of wheel set. In case of abnormal results with portable
checker, the oil samples are once again taken to metallurgical lab and tested on ferrous
debris monitor (ANALEX FDM plus) which is having a range of 0-34,000 ppm.

In Loco number 30582 during schedule inspection on 27.04.18, the gear case oil when
tested with the portable checker, gear case - 4 oil metal content was found more than
34,000 PPM. On further investigation after lifting the locomotive, found gear end MSU
labyrinth ring (Nose suspended drive Drg. No: 1209.01.211.031) bolts missing and bolt
fixing holes found oblong, step formed on labyrinth ring, hence wheel set replaced.

SMI_324_GearOilMetalContent Page 2 of 3
2.6 It is felt that condition monitoring of gear case oil by way of metal content checking by
suitable portable device, may help in early detection and prevention of potential failures
in Gear case/MSU/MSU Gear end bearing.

3. Object:
Condition monitoring of bull gear, pinion & MSU gear end bearing and associated
components by checking metal content of gear case oil of in service locomotives.

4. Modified Instructions :-
4.1 In addition to the existing instructions for operation and maintenance of drive system
followings instructions to be followed:
4.2 Metal content of gear case oil to be checked after periodic replacement of gear case
oil, during every IC0/IC schedule and overhauling of the locomotive. Records of
metal content to be maintained for reference and base line determination.
4.3 ELS/LGD had started this practice of monitoring the Ferrous debris in the gear case
oil since April-2017 and on the basis of twelve months data analysis, the limit of
12000 ppm had been adopted by ELS/LGD as given in paragraph 2.5.
4.4 Sheds may either develop suitable limit of metal content themselves or initially adopt
the practice adopted by ELS/LGD.
4.5 Railways are also requested to analyse the data of metal content recorded & any
abnormality if found in the wheel set for a period of one year and send a report to
RDSO for prescribing suitable limit of metal content in gear case oil.

5. Application to class of Locomotives:

WAP7/WAG9/WAG9H class of locomotives.

6. Agency of Implementation:-
All Electric loco sheds and POH shops.

7. Periodicity of Implementation:
During IC0/IC schedules and overhauling of the locomotive.

Encl: nil
(P. K. Saraswat)
for Director General/Electrical
Distribution: As per standard mailing list

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