Indian locomotive class WCG-2

The Indian locomotive class WCG-2 (colloquially also known as Howlers due to very noisy blowers) is a class of 1.5 kV DC electric locomotives that was developed in the late 1960s by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) for Indian Railways. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), DC Current (C), Goods traffic (G) engine, 2nd generation (2). They entered service in February 1971. A total of 57 WCG-2 were built at CLW between 1978 and 1983, which made them the most numerous class of DC electric locomotive.

WCG-2
WCG2 triplets Banking near Bhor Ghats
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Build date 1970-1976 Total produced 57
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Co′Co′ Gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Bogies ALCO Asymmetric cast frame trimount Wheel diameter New:1,092 mm (3 ft 7 in), Half worn:1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in) and Full worn:1,016 mm (3 ft 4 in) Length 18.68 m (61 ft 3+7⁄16 in) Width 3.055 m (10 ft 1⁄4 in) Height 4.238 m (13 ft 10+7⁄8 in) Axle load 21.5 tonnes (21.2 long tons; 23.7 short tons) Loco weight 132 tonnes (130 long tons; 146 short tons) Electric system/s 1.5 kV DC Overhead Current pickup(s) pantograph Traction motors Heil TM4939AZ MU working 3 Loco brake Air/Hand Train brakes Air, Dual and Vacuum Safety systems Slip control, Over voltage relay, No volt relay, Earth fault relay, Low pressure governor, Train parting alarms, and Brake cylinder cutoff valve
Performance figures Maximum speed 90 km/h (56 mph)>or80 km/h (50 mph) Power output Max:4,200 hp (3,130 kW) Tractive effort Starting:35,600 kgf (350 kN) Continuous:33,600 kgf (330 kN) Factor of adh. 0.32
Career Operators Indian Railways Numbers 20104-20160 Nicknames Howlers Locale Central Railways Last run May 2, 2010 (Mainline operations) May 8, 2012 (Shunting) Retired August, 2012 Preserved 20108 - at CLW Loco Park, 20158 - at CSMT Heritage Gully Scrapped August, 2012 Disposition Two preserved, remainder scrapped

The WCG-2 is one of the most successful locomotives of Indian Railways having served both passenger and freight trains for over 40 years. They were famously known for doing passenger duties and banking duties in the Bhor and Thull ghats. However, with the advent of new 3-phase locomotives and conversion of Central Railways to 25 kV AC, the WCG-2 locomotives were withdrawn from mainline duties, with two of the locomotives being preserved.

History

Background

In 1928–29, the then British GIPR decided to progressively electrify the Bombay-Igatpuri and Bombay-Pune sections of Central Railway with direct current (D.C.) electric traction. Thus 57 D.C electric locomotives (41 WCG-1 and 16 WCP-1) were brought to be used in these sections. These locomotives performed well but due to aging they were due for replacement by 1963–64. So in September 1963, the Railway Board decided to replace these 57 old locomotives during the Fourth Five Year Plan period. A formal order for the manufacture of ten 1,500 V D.C. freight type locomotives was placed on CLW by the Railway Board in October 1964.

Production and trials

The design for the locomotive was finalized by RDSO in 1967. As per the specifications, it was expected that the locomotive with a single banker would be capable of hauling a trailing load of 3,660, tonnes goods wagons at balancing speed of 80 km/h in ascending and descending directions on both ghat sections. This would give an intermediate increase of about 50 per cent in the line capacity for goods trains without having to increase the number of trains to be run. The delay in production of locomotives was due to delay in supply of equipment from BHEL, Bhopal. The bodywork bears a strong family resemblance to other CLW designs such as the WCAM-1 and WAM-4.

Three prototypes of the locomotives were manufactured in January, March and June 1971 respectively and trial tests on these were conducted by Central Railway. Although the performance of the prototypes was not satisfactory, series production of locomotives was undertaken and by September 1972. The Railway Board stated (January 1977) that it was not considered desirable to wait for ideal conditions to prevail for the series manufacture to commence as the need for replacing old locomotives was pressing.

Service history

The new locomotives were brought into use in April 1972 in Kalyan-Igatpuri and Kalyan-Lonavala Sections and by the end of March 1976, 54 locomotives were in service. Since these locomotives could not haul the loads for which they were originally designed, lower hauling loads (permissible load) based on actual experience of the working of these locomotives were fixed by the RDSO to be the capability of the 'present design'. It was noticed that the incidence of failures in WCG-2 locomotives was very large during the period 1973 to 1976. So a new range of upgrades were brought and reliability increased.

Initially, they were used on freight duties and departmental duties. After issues were sorted, they replaced the aging WCG-1 fleet from banking duties. From 1992 to 1996, when the aging WCM series fleet began to fail and created a huge shortage of locomotives, the punctuality of trains in and out of CSTM went haywire and many trains were cancelled. During this period the WCG-2 was used on many Express runs including the Deccan Queen. Following the failure of WCM locomotives, the Central Railways received WCAM-3 locomotives in its fleet, and thus several WCG-2 locomotives were put back into freight service.

With declining coverage area due to AC electrification, three locomotives were withdrawn as life-expired in November 2006, but withdrawals were slow, mainly due to increased flow of freight and passenger traffic which required extra locomotives; only 21 locomotives had been withdrawn by the end of 2009. On 2 May 2010, the DC Bhor Ghat section was converted to AC marking the end of era of the WCG-2 locomotives performing the banking duties. The last WCG-2s doing shunting duty at CSTM were withdrawn from service in August 2012.

Locomotive sheds

• Kalyan (KYN): All the locomotives of this class has been withdrawn from service.

Preserved Examples

Two WCG-2 locomotives have been preserved.

Class	Manufacturer	Loco Number	Previous shed	Livery	Location	ref
WCG-2	CLW	20108	Kalyan (KYN)	KYN cream/blue with red lining	Plinthed at CLW Loco Park
WCG-2	CLW	20158	Kalyan (KYN)	KYN cream/blue with red lining	Plinthed at CSMT Heritage Gully 2.0

Technical specifications

Originally, the Railway Board, after due consideration of the relative merits of the BB and Co-Co design locomotives, decided in 1965 to adopt the four-axled BB monomotor bogie for the WCG-2. One of the important considerations was that the production of BB design A.C. locomotives (WAG-1 and WAG-4) which was already established at Chittarajan Locomotive Works and the manufacture of D.C. locomotives of BB design would present no problem. However, in December 1966, the Railway Board decided to change over to six-axled Co-Co design for the locomotives on the following considerations:

• The BB design motor would require considerable modification necessitating change in the bogie. This would require prototype trials to prove the designs before bulk production commenced. This schedule would be totally unsuitable as the requirements, of Central Railway were urgent.
• For the Co-Co design, RDSO proposed to adopt established traction motors and proven ALCO bogies. This would enable CLW to start production in 2 years time and complete about 25/27 locomotives by March 1970.
• A fleet of 57 Co-Co locomotives was expected to give-about 30 per cent additional throughput as compared to the BB design.

Traction Motors	Heil TM4939AZ (690 hp, 700V, 800A, 1070 rpm, weight 3670 kg) Six motors, axle-hung, nose-suspended, force-ventilated. (4200 hp total power, 1640 1-hour continuous rating in series mode.)
Gear Ratio	62:16 or 62:15
Transformer	BHEL, type HETT-3900. 3900 kVA, 22.5 kV, 182 A. 32 taps, 11730 kg, Forced oil cooling, 'A' Insulation.
Rectifiers	Silicon rectifiers (two) using 64 S-18FN-350 diodes each from Hind Rectifier. 2700 A / 1050 V per cubicle. 64 cells per bridge. Starting current at 3300 A. Motor (380 V, 970-1460 RPM)
Max Haulage capacity	2375 t (WAG-5 original)
Pantographs	Two Faiveley AM-12 of 285 kg with four insulators
Current Ratings	1100 A / 10 min, 750 A continuous
Sandboxes	16
Auxiliaries	2 Head lights (32 V, 250 W), Lead-acid Battery (50 cells, 110 V)
3 Elgi Compressors	3 motors (12.5 hp, 380 V)
2 SF India Ltd. Traction Motor blowers	MLBR-42.51-1-H4 type, 2 Siemens Motors (22 kW, 380 V, 41 A, 3000 rpm)
2 SF India Ltd. Smoothing reactor blower	2 motors(3 hp, 380V, 2860rpm)
BHEL Breaking resistor blower	Dy-3423M type, Moto r(532 kW, 70 hp, 325 V, 175 A, 3500 rpm)
2 SF India Ltd. Silicon rectifier blower	Axial type
SF India Ltd. Oil cooler blower	MLBH-60-1-H2 type, 22.2 m/hr, Motor (30 hp, 380 V, 6.6 A, 2865 rpm)
2 Smoothing reactors	SL42 type, 1250 V, 950 A, 0.00718 ohms at 110 °C
BEST & Co. Pvt. Ltd. Oil pump for transformer	Motor (3.3 kW, 380 V, 6.6 A, 2865 rpm)

Hauling capacity

WCG-2 Preserved in CSTM

WCG-2 has the following capacity for 4 wheeler wagons (in tonnes):

Gradient	Start	20 km/h	30 km/h	40 km/h	50 km/h	60 km/h	70 km/h	80 km/h
Level	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	4580	2665
1 in 500	6000+	6000+	6000+	5325	4965	3615	2700	1740
1 in 200	3580	3580	3540	2960	2870	2140	1540	1070
1 in 150	2800	2800	2800	2385	2310	1730	1330	875
1 in 100	1920	1920	1920	1770	1725	1240	955	625
1 in 50	1110	1020	1010	860	845	630

WCG-2 has the following capacity for BOX wagons (in tonnes):

Gradient	Start	20 km/h	30 km/h	40 km/h	50 km/h	60 km/h	70 km/h	80 km/h
Level	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	4470
1 in 500	5020	5020	5020	5020	5020	4520	3490	2200
1 in 200	3450	3450	3450	3290	3200	2365	1910	1205
1 in 150	2940	2940	2940	2550	2525	1920	1510	950
1 in 100	2240	2100	2075	1870	1840	1310	1050	650
1 in 50	1300	1045	1030	885	875	660	550	296

WCG-2 has the following capacity for BOXN wagons (in tonnes):

Gradient	Start	20 km/h	30 km/h	40 km/h	50 km/h	60 km/h	70 km/h	80 km/h
Level	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	6000+	4705
1 in 500	5775	5775	5775	5775	5775	5200	3560	2200
1 in 200	3790	3700	3610	3510	2710	1630	1100	750
1 in 150	3180	3180	3180	2630	2565	2165	1510	960
1 in 100	2390	2265	2230	1800	1770	1500	1040	655
1 in 50	1350	1115	1105	890	880	740	500	295

See also

• Rail transport in India § History
• Indian Railways
• Locomotives of India
• Rail transport in India

External links

• http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-specs.html#WCG-2
• [1]
• India railway fan club