Indian locomotive class WAG-7

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WAG-7
AJJ WAG7.jpg
AJJ based WAG-7 roaming light near Erode.
Type and origin
Power typeElectric
Builder Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW),
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL).
Build date1990–2015(CLW)
2009–2023(BHEL)
Total produced1773 (CLW)
201 (BHEL)
1974
Specifications
Configuration:
   UIC Co′Co′
Gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
Bogies ALCO Fabricated
Wheel diameterNew:1,092 mm (3 ft 7 in),
Half worn:1,055 mm (3 ft 5+12 in) and
Full worn:1,016 mm (3 ft 4 in)
Wheelbase 3.8 m (12 ft 5+58 in)
Length20.934 m (68 ft 8+18 in)
Width3.179 m (10 ft 5+18 in)
HeightWAG-7 : 4.185 m (13 ft 8+34 in) [1]
WAG-7H : 4.135 m (13 ft 6+34 in) [2]
Axle load WAG-7 : 20.5 tonnes (20.2 long tons; 22.6 short tons)
WAG-7H : 22 tonnes (22 long tons; 24 short tons)
Loco weightWAG-7 : 123 tonnes (121 long tons; 136 short tons)
WAG-7H : 132 tonnes (130 long tons; 146 short tons)
Electric system/s 25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead
Current pickup(s) pantograph
Traction motors WAG-7 : Hitachi HS15250A
WAG-7H : Hitachi HS15250G
MU working 4
Loco brake Air, Hand and Rheostatic (Friction)
Train brakes Air, Vacuum and Dual
Safety systemsSlip control, Main overload relay, Over voltage relay, No volt relay, Earth fault relay, Low pressure governor, Vacuum Control Governor, Train parting alarms and Brake cylinder cutoff valve
Performance figures
Maximum speed105 km/h (65 mph)
Power outputMax : 5,350 hp (3,990 kW)
Continuous : 5,000 hp (3,730 kW)
Tractive effort WAG-7 starting : 48 tons
WAG-7 continuous : 45 tons?
WAG-7H starting : 91 tons?
Factor of adh. 0.345
Career
Operators Indian Railways
NumbersWAG-7 : 27001-27999, 28000-28770, 24501-24701
WAG-7H : 28024 and 28739
NicknamesSHANTIDAN, EKTA, KARAMVIR, GAJRAJ, SWARNABHA, SARVOTTAM, SAMARPAN, CAUVERY, SAMRAT, PRAYAS & AGRASAR
LocaleAll over India
Dispositionactive

The Indian locomotive class WAG-7 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 1990 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works for Indian Railways. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), alternating current (A), goods traffic (G) engine, 7th generation (7). They entered service in 1992. A total of 1974 WAG-7 were built at CLW and BHEL between 1990 and 2015 by CLW and 2009 and 2023 by BHEL which made them the most numerous class of mainline electric locomotive till its successor the WAG-9.

Contents

The WAG-7 is one of the most successful locomotives of Indian Railways,[ peacock prose ] serving freight trains since its introduction in 1990. Even though with the advent of new 3-phase locomotives like WAG-9 and WAG-12, all WAG-7 locomotives except ones destroyed in accidents, are in service and doing all types of duties.

History

The history of WAG-7 begins in the early 1990s with the aim of addressing the shortcomings of the previous WAG-5 class and remove steam locomotives from IR by a target date of 1990. [3] The WAG-5 though were great successes, had become underpowered to meet the growing demands of the Indian Railways. So in early 1990s IR decided to look for a successor the WAG-5 class. The required specification was of a 5000 horsepower locomotive.

Initially, the Indian railways invited tenders to build locomotives to the new specification. The following responses were received:

Each company submitted their prototypes and Indian Railways designated these prototypes as the WAG-7 class and WAG-8 class respectively. [4] Technologically thyristor controlled BHEL WAG-8 was meant to be superior to the WAG-7 which was effectively using tap-changer technology from the 1960s. But due to issues from WAG-8, WAG-7 was selected for mass production.

However, even before the WAG-7 another type of electric locomotive was imported from ASEA in 1988. This locomotive was classified as WAG-6A. However WAG-6As were not selected for mass production because emergence of 3 Phase AC locomotives. [5]

Locomotive sheds

ZoneNameShed CodeQuantity
Central Railway Kalyan KYNE68+42M
Bhusawal BSLL25
Eastern Railway Asansol ASNL20
Bardhaman BWNX56
Jamalpur JMPD22
East Central Railway Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya DDU90
DDUX83
Samastipur SPJD30
East Coast Railway Angul ANGE190
Northern Railway Khanalampura KJGE16
Lucknow AMVD53
North Central Railway Jhansi JHSE113
JHSD20
North Eastern Railway Gonda GDDX80
Southern Railway Erode EDE94
EDDX28
South Central Railway Kazipet KZJD140
Guntakal GTLE180
South Eastern Railway Bondamunda BNDX34
Bokaro Steel City IPTE101
Kharagpur KGPE202
South East Central Railway Raipur RPDX150
Western Railway Vatva VTAD10
Ratlam RTMD58
West Central Railway New Katni Jn. NKJD96
Total Locomotives Active as of February 2025 [6] 2001

• Key : M -> WAG-7M (Formerly known as WCAM-3)

an Old-style WAG-7 with a flatnose at Kochuveli station

See also

References

  1. "Trainweb WAG-7".
  2. "Trainweb WAG-7H".
  3. "Report of the expert Committee on Coal Consumption on Railways, 1958". INDIAN CULTURE. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Locomotives - General Information - I". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  5. "The WAG Series". 24 Coaches. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  6. "e-Locos" (PDF).