Railway technical leap forward in the Rampala era
 

BY B.B. Perera

I feel it is a great privilege to write about an eminent engineer who made Ceylon proud among the engineering circles in the world.

After his secondary education at Ananda College joining the University College passed the Inter-Science Engineering in 1933 and joined the Railway as a probationary Engineer and underwent training at Railway Workshops Senior Supervisors used to relate how donning the overall he crept under the locomotives (they were steam locomotives with dust and grim). With hammer in hand tapping at the reverts bolts and nuts.

This learning under hard conditions made him the cleverest engineer east of Suez and was dubbed as 'Mr. Railway' by British locomotive engineers.

Bamunuwaarachchige Don Rampala was the first Ceylonese Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1949. He was Deputy Chief Engineer when we were Special Apprentices undergoing training.

He was a hard task master on all trainees, engineers, middle level technical officers who underwent training during this period had good recognition in engineering institutions.

Messrs A.R.P. Wijesekera, Ramsay Wettemuny and Wimal Premarathna were appointed as Chairmen Ceylon Transport Board, Hardware Corporation, during this period.

The Railway decided to go for dieselisation as steam locomotives have passed their period in service. Though three diesel sets were imported in 1938, the war intervened and the program had to be postponed.

The first batch of diesel locomotives to run on the mainline came in 1953. Builders were in UK. Wheel arrangement was A-1-A. Weighing 88 tons with driving cabs at both ends. 25 locomotive were received between 1953 and 1956 and 1956.

These locomotives were put on important trains. Double headed they hauled the trains upcountry on a grade of 1:44 (rise of 1 ft for 44 ft) with 5 chains radius curves. Two of these locomotives hauled the Royal Train when Queen Elizabeth II visited Ceylon in 1954.

In service the locomotives developed many trouble but Mr. Rampala was able to detect them, and put them right. He made modifications and put them in service. He was in contact with the builders and when their representatives came he gave his versions of the problems, which were not challenged.

The Institute of Locomotive Engineers in London who were also interested in the locomotives invited him to prepare a paper on his observations.

Though he prepared the paper on Diesel Electric Traction he could not personally present the paper as he was appointed General Manager Railways and the Prime Minister did not want him to leave the country because it was the General Election period in 1956.

This paper was read by C.E. James, an associated member of the Institution. At the discussion that ensued on the paper members were full of praise for the valuable report and request was made to read the paper at five other centres in England.

The second batch of locomotives was a gift from the Canadian Government under the Colombo Plan.

They were named after various provinces in Canada; almost all these locomotives are in service even today. It is the opinion of all railway men that these locomotives are the most suitable for our country.

Mr. Rampala was appointed General manger Railway in 1955 to succeed Mr. Kanagasabay, E.C. Wijesekera senior in appointment as Chief Engineer in the Way and Works Department was appointed Director Development in the Ministry of Transport.

Express Trains

Having access to train charts he plotted a graph line maintaining the speed in force to run to Kankasanthurai in seven hours and the same train to come back. The track was fit enough to run at 50mph except at the Polgahawela-Pothuhera section where there were a number of curves with restricted speeds.

I remember there was a letter from a citizen from Jaffna to the press whether it was safe to run on the reduced timing. Mr. Rampala's reply was the track was fit enough to run at that speed. The advantage was taken by train crews coming before time and taking a rest.

The working time table in 1956 was something different to earlier time tables with fast express trains to Kankasanthurai, Badulla and Matara Christened as Yaldevi, Udarata Menike and Ruhunu Kumari.

A passenger travelling by Ruhunu Kumari from Matara could go to Badulla by evening. Every railwayman who had something to do with the running of these trains had to be on his toes to ensure the running of these trains was to schedule.

The timing of these fast express trains had to be on Mr. Rampala's table every morning and delays had to be probed and punishment meted out if there was a repeat.

Colour light signalling (CLS)

The most revolutionary change in the Railway came with the introduction of colour light signalling. With the dieselisation more trains were introduced with reduced timing. The Tyer Tablet System introduced over one hundred years on the single line and the lock and block system on the double line could only allow one train between two stations.

The plans and specifications were drawn up in 1956 and world wide tenders were called. The successful tenderer was Erickson from Sweden. The first stage was to introduce the CLS system between Panadura, Veyangoda and Negombo.

The CLS system work commenced in 1959. All railway stations were remote controlled from Maradana Centralized Traffic Control (CTC).

The CLS system provided more blocks and every three minutes a train could move. With the CLS system major alterations had to be carried out in Maradana, West Mount Lavinia, Ragama, Veyangoda and Moratuwa yards.

Under the CLS system trains could be moved in any direction on any line. It was a thrilling experience for the suburban commuters when two office trains arriving at Ragama from Chilaw and Main line were scheduled to run express to Maradana.

Controller signalled both trains to run on the two lines, one train was trying to over take the other but both trains arrived at the Maradana platform with a difference of a few seconds.

With all the load of work in office he visited the worksites regularly and discussed with the engineers and technical staff if there were any problems.

Though a mechanical engineer, his knowledge of Electric Engineering made him to give solutions to electric circuit problems. I had the opportunity to work on his project from Bambalapitiya to Panadura. We had to keep to target dates fixed by him.

The change over to the new system was in stages and the was really happy on the day one section was handed over.

He personally carried out the trails so that there were no lapses and fixed the date for the next section. He made it a point to go to the CTC room in the mornings and evenings during the rush hour to watch the movements of the trains on the panel.

It was Mr. Rampala's fortune to be the head of the Railway to celebrate the Centenary in 1964. A special train with the oldest steam locomotive with special invitees and staff and passengers dressed in period costumes ran from Colombo to Ambepussa, the first opened in 1864.

A sport meet was organized for the Railway staff and the special event was a Pirith Ceremony Organized at Rathnapura where the Steam Rail car was decorated as the Pirith Mandapaya.

Commuter Comfort

It was during this period that new stations more spacious with better facilities for passengers came up at Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Nawalapitiya, Galle and Trincomalee. Rail tracks with sharp curves where speeds were restricted were straightened or slued into flatter curves resulting in reduced running times.

These achievements were possible because of the high standard of discipline Mr. Rampala maintained among all sections of the railway.

Ministers of Transport Messers, Maithripala Senanayake, P. B. G. Kalugalle, Anil Munasinghe and E. L. B. Hurulle never interfered with his work. There was transparency in his administration.

Let the life and achievements of the great Engineer be a beacon of light to the young engineers.

(The writer is a retired Railway Engineer)