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File:RTM WDM3A.jpg

A WDM-3A broad gauge diesel locomotive.

The Indian Railways primarily operates fleet of electric and diesel locomotives, along with several compressed natural gas (CNG) locomotives. Steam locomotives are operated on a few World Heritage Sites and also run occasionally as heritage trains. A locomotive is also known as a loco or more popularly as an engine. The country's first steam locomotive ran on the Red Hill Railway (built by Arthur Cotton to transport granite for road-building) from Red Hills to the Chintadripet bridge in Madras in 1837.^[1]

Classification

Locomotives were classified by track gauge, motive power, function and power (or model number) in a four- or five-letter code. The first letter denotes the track gauge. The second letter denotes motive power (diesel or electric), and the third letter denotes use (goods, passenger, mixed or shunting). The fourth letter denotes a locomotive's chronological model number.

In 2002, a new classification system was adopted. For newer diesel locomotives, the fourth letter denotes their horsepower range. Not all diesel locomotives were reclassified, and the fourth letter continues to denotes their model number.

A locomotive may have a fifth letter, generally denoting a technical variant, subclass or subtype: a variation in the basic model or series, or a different motor or manufacturer. Under the new system, the fifth letter further refines horsepower in 100-hp increments: A for 100 hp, B for 200 hp, C for 300 hp and so on. A WDP-3A is a 3,100 hp (2,300 kW) locomotive, and a WDM-3F is 3,600 hp (2,700 kW).

The system does not apply to steam locomotives, which are no longer used on main lines. They retain their original class names, such as M- or WP-class.

Syntax

First letter (gauge):
- W – Broad gauge (wide) – 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
- Y – Metre gauge (yard) – 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
- Z – 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge
- N – 2 ft (610 mm) narrow (toy) gauge
Second letter (motive power):
- D – Diesel
- C – DC electric (DC overhead line)
- A – AC electric (AC overhead line)
- CA – DC and AC (AC or DC overhead line); CA is considered one letter
- B – Battery (rare)
Third letter (job type):
- G – Goods
- P – Passenger
- M – Mixed (goods and passenger)
- S – Shunting (switching)
- U – Multiple unit (electric or diesel)
- R – Railcar

In WDM 3A, W denotes broad gauge; D denotes diesel power; M denotes mixed use (goods and passenger service), and 3A denotes 3,100 hp (2,300 kW) (3,000 + 100). In WAP 5, W is broad gauge; A is AC electric; P is passenger service, and 5 indicates that the locomotive is the fifth model used.

Broad-gauge (5 ft 6 in) locomotives

Electric

AC electric

Broad-gauge AC electric classification codes are:

WAM – Wide AC electric mixed
WAP – Wide AC electric passenger
WAG – Wide AC electric goods
WAU - Wide AC electric multiple units

AC Mixed class (WAM Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Comments	Picture
WAM-1	KraussMaffei Group, Krupp, SFAC, La Brugeoise & Nivelle (50 cycles European group)	B-B	100	1959-1960	3010 HP	Retired	1	First mainline AC electric locomotive	File:WAM-1.jpg
WAM-2	Mitsubishi	Bo-Bo	36	1960-64	2910 HP	Retired	None
WAM-3	Mitsubishi	Bo-Bo	2	1964	2400 HP	Retired	None
WAM-4	CLW	Co-Co	500	1970-1983	3850 HP	Retired	6 Earmarked		File:AJJ WAM4.jpg

AC Passenger class (WAP Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Picture
WAP-1	CLW	Co-Co	65	1980-1996	3900 HP	In service	1 Earmarked	File:AJJ WAP1.jpg
WAP-2	Mitsubishi	Bo-Bo	2 or 3, all rebuilt from WAM-2	1960–1964	2910 HP	Retired	None
WAP-3	CLW	Co-Co	9, all rebuilt from WAP-1	1987-1988	3900 HP	Retired/ In service as WAP-1	None
WAP-4	CLW	Co-Co	778	1993-2015	5350 HP	In service		File:BRC WAP4.jpg
WAP-5	ABB / CLW	Bo-Bo	223	1995– present	6000 HP	In service		File:BRC WAP5 30177.jpg
WAP-6	CLW	Co-Co	17	1995-1998	5350 HP	Retired/ In service as WAP-4
WAP-7	CLW/BLW/DLMW	Co-Co	1412	2000– present	6350 HP	In service		File:BRC WAP-7.jpg

AC Goods class (WAG Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arrangement	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	H.Power	Current Status	Preserve	Picture
WAG-1	Niv./SFAC/ CLW	B-B	112	1963-1966	2930 HP	Retired	1 unit
WAG-2	Hitachi /Toshiba /Mitsubishi	B-B	45	1964-1965	3450 HP	Retired	None
WAG-3	Henschel/CLW	B-B	10	1965	3300 HP	Retired	None
WAG-4	CLW	B-B	186	1967-1969	3590 HP	Retired	None
WAG-5	CLW/BHEL	Co-Co	1196	1978-1998	4360 HP	In service	1 unit	File:BL WAG5 TWINS.jpg
WAG-6A	ASEA	Bo-Bo-Bo	6	1988-1989	6110 HP	In Service	1 unit
WAG-6B	Hitachi	Bo-Bo-Bo	6	1988	6110 HP	In service	1 unit
WAG-6C	Hitachi	Co-Co	6	1988	6110 HP	In service	1 unit
WAG-7	CLW/BHEL	Co-Co	1970	1990-2015	5350 HP	In service	1 unit earmarked	File:BZA WAG7 28543.jpgFile:Valsad WAG7.jpg
WAG-8	BHEL	Co-Co	1	1990	5000 HP	Retired/ Never went into service	None
WAG-9	ABB / CLW/BHEL/BLW	Co-Co^[2]	2605	1996–present	6125 HP	In service		File:TATA WAG9HC.jpg
WAG-10	BLW	Co-Co-Co-Co	1	2018–present	10000 HP	In service		File:BNDM WAGC3-WAG10.jpg
WAG-11	BLW	Co-Co-Co-Co/Co-Co	4	2018–present	12000 HP	Undergoing Trials		File:WAG-11 29001.jpg
WAG-12	Alstom	Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo	145	2017–present	12000 HP	In service		File:SRE WAG12B 60064.jpg

AC electric multiple unit (WAU series)

Electric multiple units are designated WAU-1 to WAU-4.

DC electric

These locomotives, no longer in use, were used only in and around Mumbai with 1.5 kV DC power. All sections of Central Railway, including Thane to Mumbai CST (Main Line), Nerul to Thane (Trans-Harbour Line), Vadala Road to Mahim (Harbour Line, connecting Central and Western Railway) and Panvel to Mumbai CST (Harbour Line) have been converted to 25 kV AC.

Broad-gauge DC electric classification codes are:

WCM – Wide DC electric mixed
WCP – Wide DC electric passenger
WCG – Wide DC electric goods
WCU - Wide DC electric multiple unit

DC Mixed class (WCM Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Comments	Picture
WCM-1	English Electric / Vulcan Foundry	Co-Co	7	1954-1955	3700 HP	Retired	1	India's first electric Co-Co locomotive
WCM-2	English Electric / Vulcan Foundry	Co-Co	12	1956-1957	3120 HP	Retired	None		File:WCM 2.jpg
WCM-3	Hitachi	Co-Co	3	1958	3600 HP	Retired	None		File:WCM-3.jpg
WCM-4	Hitachi	Co-Co	7	1960	4000 HP	Retired	None
WCM-5	CLW	Co-Co	21	1961-1963	3700 HP	Retired	1 unit		File:WCM 5.jpg
WCM-6	CLW	Co-Co	2	1995	5000 HP	In service		Converted to 25 kV AC operation

DC Passenger class (WCP Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Comments
WCP-1	SLM / MetroVick	2-Bo-A1	22	1928-30	2160 HP	Retired	1 unit	First electric locomotive of India
WCP-2	SLM / MetroVick	2-Bo-A1	1	1938	2160 HP	Retired	1 unit
WCP-3	Hawthorn Leslie, Marconi Company	2-Co-2	1	1928	2250 HP	Retired	None
WCP-4	Hawthorn Leslie, BBC	2-Co-2	1	1928	2390 HP	Retired	None

DC Goods class (WCG series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Comments	Picture
WCG-1	SLM / MetroVick /Vulcan Foundry	C+C	41	1928-1929	2600-2890 HP	Retired	2 units
WCG-2	SLM / MetroVick	Co-Co	57	1970-1976	4200 HP	Retired	2 units

DC electric multiple unit (WCU series)

WCU 1 to WCU 15 electric multiple units (EMU) were used in the Mumbai region.

Dual (DC and AC)

Broad-gauge DC and AC electric classification codes are:

WCAM - Wide DC and AC electric mixed
WCAG - Wide DC and AC electric goods

Dual Current Mixed class (WCAM Series)

These locomotives are used only in the Mumbai area. They were built to prevent the need to change locos. Mixed locomotives are:

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Comments
WCAM-1	CLW	Co-Co	54	1975-1979	2930 HP DC 3640 HP AC	Retired	First mainline with AC/DC electric locomotive and the only Indian electric loco with reversed pantographs
WCAM-2	BHEL	Co-Co	20	1995-1996	3780 HP DC 4720 HP AC	In service
WCAM-3	BHEL	Co-Co	53	1997-1998	4600 HP DC 5000 HP AC	In service

Dual Current Goods class (WCAG Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Comments	Picture
WCAG-1	BHEL	Co-Co	12	1999-2000	4600 HP DC 5000 HP AC	In service	The only class of the WCAG series	File:KYN WCAG1 twins.jpg

Battery

Broad-gauge battery classification code is:

WBCS - Wide battery DC electric shunter
WCAS - Wide DC(Battery) AC Shunter ^[3]

Battery shunter class (WBCS series)

In 1927, English Electric and WBC built two shunters for yard use in Bombay with Bo-Bo bogies. They were of the WBCS class. Rated at 240 hp (180 kW), they weighed 58 tons. These are now preserved in National Rail Museum in Delhi. They were charged using the 1500 V DC OHE which was available there.^[4]

Battery shunter class (WCAS series)

The locomotive is classified as WCAS. Where W means Wide Gauge, C means DC(Battery), A means AC power, S means Shunting.

Dual-mode

Broad-gauge diesel and electric classification code is:

WDAP - Wide Diesel and AC electric passenger

Dual mode passenger (WDAP series)

These locomotives are used on routes that can run on both electrified and non-electrified tracks. Their main purpose is to prevent the need of engine change in electrified routes. Passenger locomotives are:

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arrg	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Comments	Picture
WDAP-5	BLW	Co-Co	1	2019–present	4500 HP Diesel 5500 HP AC	Undergoing Trails	India's first dual-mode locomotive	File:WDAP5 71000.jpg

Diesel

Broad-gauge diesel classification codes are:

WDM – Wide diesel mixed
WDP – Wide diesel passenger
WDG – Wide diesel goods
WDS – Wide diesel shunter
WCDS – Wide converted diesel shunter
DEMU - Diesel electric multiple unit
DHMU - Diesel Hydraulic multiple unit

Mixed class (WDM Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Comments	Picture
WDM-1	ALCO	Co-Co	100	1957-1959	1950 HP	Retired	1	First mainline diesel locomotive
WDM-2	ALCO/ BLW	Co-Co	1440	1962–1998	2600 HP	In service	9	A few still in service
WDM-2G	BLW	Co-Co	2	2013	2400 HP	In Service			File:WDM-2G 80000.jpg
WDM-3	Henschel	Bo-Bo	8	1970	2500 HP	Retired	None		File:WDM-3.jpg
WDM-3A	BLW	Co-Co	1402	1994–1998	3100 HP	In service	1 Earmarked		File:RTM WDM3A.jpg
WDM-3B	BLW	Co-Co	8, all rebuilt back to WDM-3D	2005-2006	3100 HP	In service		All rebuilt back to WDM-3D
WDM-3C	BLW	Co-Co	10	2002	3300 HP	In service	None	All rebuilt back to WDM-3A
WDM-3D	BLW	Co-Co	500	2003-2013	3300 HP	In service			File:VTA WDM3D.jpg
WDM-3E	BLW	Co-Co	8	2008	3500 HP	In service
WDM-3F	BLW	Co-Co	3	2008	3600 HP	In service
WDM-4	GM	Co-Co	72	1962	2600 HP	Retired	2
WDM-6	BLW	Bo-Bo	2	1981-1982	1350 HP	Retired	2	Both units earmarked for preservation	File:WDM-6.jpg
WDM-7	BLW	Co-Co	15	1987–1989	2000 HP	In service	1 Earmarked	Currently used for shunting uses only

Passenger class (WDP Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status
WDP-1	BLW & ALCO	Bo-Bo	69	1995–1999	2300 HP	In service
WDP-3A	BLW & ALCO	Co-Co	69	1998–2002	3100 HP	In service
WDP-4	EMD & BLW	Bo1-1Bo	100	2002–2011	4000 HP	In service
WDP-4B	EMD & BLW	Co-Co	86	2010–2014	4500 HP	In service
WDP-4D	EMD & BLW	Co-Co	525	2010–2018	4500 HP	In service

Goods class (WDG Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Picture
WDG-3A	BLW	Co-Co	1998	1995–2010	3100 HP	In service	File:KYN WDG3A.jpg
WDG-3B	BLW	Co-Co	4	2004	3200 HP	In service
WDG-3C	BLW	Co-Co	1	2001	3300 HP	In service
WDG-3D	BLW	Co-Co	1	2001	3400 HP	In service
WDG-4	EMD/BLW	Co-Co	1188	1999–2012	4500 HP	In service
WDG-4G	GE	Co-Co	322	2017–present	4500 HP	In service	File:ROZA WDG4G.jpg
WDG-4D	BLW	Co-Co	583	2013–2018	4500 HP	In service
WDG-5	BLW	Co-Co	7	2012-2017	5500 HP	In service	File:SBI WDG5.jpg
WDG-6G	GE	Co-Co	53	2018–present	6000 HP	In service	File:ROZA WDG6G.jpg

Shunter Class (WDS Series)

Name	Manufacturer	Wheel Arr	Quantity Built	Built year(s)	Power	Current Status	Preserved units	Comments	Picture
WDS-1	GE	Bo-Bo	15	1944-1945	386 HP	Retired	1	India's first diesel locomotive
WDS-2	Kraus Maffei	C	30	1954-1955	440 HP	Retired	None
WDS-3	Maschi- nenbau Kiel	C	7	1961	618 HP	Retired	None		File:WDS-3.jpg
WDS-4	CLW	C	27	1968-1969	600 HP	Few are still in service	4	A few still in service
WDS-4A	CLW	C	5	1968	660 HP	Retired
WDS-4B	CLW	C	450	1969	700 HP	Retired
WDS-4C	CLW	C	7	1976-78	700 HP	Retired			File:WDS-3.jpg
WDS-4D	CLW	C	120	1984-97	700 HP	Retired
WDS-5	ALCO/BLW	Co-Co	21	1967	1065 HP	In service	None	A few still in service
WDS-6	BLW	Co-Co	270	1975–	1400	In service	2 Earmarked
WDS-6AD	BLW	Co-Co	270	1975–	1400	In service	2 Earmarked		File:SSB WDS6.jpg
WDS-8	CLW	Bo-Bo	5	1979-1982	800 HP	Retired	None		File:WDS-8.jpg

Indian Railways DHMU (left) and DEMU

Converted shunter class (WCDS series)

The WCDS6, a YDM4 locomotive, was converted to broad gauge by the Golden Rock Railway Workshop for large industrial companies; the first one was delivered to RITES. New water and air lines were added, the control stand was modified, and it has a dual brake system.

Diesel multiple units

File:ICF DEMU.jpg

Diesel Electric Multiple Unit(DEMU)

A few routes have DMU service. Depending on their transmission system, they are classified as DEMU (diesel-electric transmission) or DHMU (diesel-hydraulic transmission). There is diesel railcar service (known as railbus) in several areas.

Steam

Indian Railways locomotives: (clockwise from upper left) Preserved HPS, NRM WP 7200, B-26 and preserved YP-class

Nineteenth-century railway companies ordered custom-built locomotives, usually from British manufacturers. The multiplicity of similar-but-not-identical designs increased manufacturing cost and slowed production. During the 1890s, British manufacturers were busy and Indian railway companies looked to Germany and the United States for locomotives.^[5] Engines used were:

Bengal Nagpur Railway:
- Class F: 0-6-0
- Class GM: 2-6-0 (probably modified)
- BNR class HSG: 2-8-0+0-8-2 Garratt, India's first successful Garratts
- Class M: 4-6-2 (probably modified)
- BNR class N: 4-8-0+0-8-4 Garratt, India's largest locomotive. One is preserved at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi
- BNR class NM: Similar to N class; ten were built in 1931 by Beyer Peacock, and it was withdrawn in the late 1960s.
- BNR class P: 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt; four were built by Beyer Peacock in 1939. During the early 1970s, they were at the Bhilai (BIA) shed before being withdrawn.
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway:
- BB&CI class P: 4-6-2
- Class A: 2-4-0T, probably an Atlantic; was at the Palej shed.
- Class U36: 0-4-2, used on hauling suburban trains in Bombay
- Class D1: 4-4-0; one was named Princess May.
- Class M: 4-6-2 (probably modified)
East Indian Railway Company:
- Class CT: 0-6-4T, probably converted to a superheater.
- EIR class G: 2-2-2T. First two named Express and Fairy Queen. Built in 1855, the latter is the world's oldest locomotive to be in working order. Later rebuilt by Perambur Loco Works. Housed at East Indian Railway (EIR)
- EIR class P: 4-6-0
Great Indian Peninsula Railway:
- GIPR classes Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4: 0-8-4T. Used on Thal Ghat as bankers for pushing trains up the Western Ghats.
- GIPR Class F and F3: 2-6-0
- GIPR class J1: 0-6-0
- Class D4: 4-6-0; one is named Hero.
- Class D5: 4-6-0 passenger locomotive
- Class E1: 4-4-2 Atlantic built by the North British Locomotive Company in 1907–8. Rebuilt with a superheater between 1925 and 1928.
- Class T: Tank locomotive used for hauling Mumbai suburban trains
- Class Y: 2-8-4T
- Crane tank: 0-6-0T; one is preserved at the National Rail Museum in New Delhi.
Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway:
- M&SM class V: 4-4-0; one is preserved.
- Class BTC: 2-6-4T, based on BESA specifications
- Class T: 0-4-2; one is preserved in Madras.
Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway:
- NSR class A: 2-6-0T (No. 48, probably an Atlantic) preserved at the National Rail Museum, Delhi.
North Western State Railway:
- Class EM: 4-4-2 (probably modified); one is preserved at the National Rail Museum ^[6]
- NWR class GAS: 2-6-2+2-6-2 Garratt; one built in 1925, and retired in 1937.
- NWR class P: 2-4-0
- Class E1: 4-4-2
- Class N1: 4-8-0
Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway:
- Class B26: 0-6-0; one is preserved at the National Rail Museum.
Others:
- Class B: 2-6-0
- Class E: 2-4-0
- Class F: 2-8-2, built between 1926 and 1950 by Nasmyth Wilson for service on Central Railway (CR).
- Class G: 2-6-0, probably intended for freight
- Class NA2
- Class PTC: 2-6-4T, owned by Northern Railway (NR); probably a converted passenger locomotive
- Class Y2: 2-8-2T, reclassified L2
- Phoenix: 0-4-0T; one is at the National Rail Museum.
- Ramgotty: 2-2-0T; the National Rail Museum's oldest locomotive, it was converted to broad gauge.
- Sultan, Sahib and Sindh: Hauled the train from VT to Thana in 1853.

Designs

After acrimonious words in The Times and Parliament, the British Engineering Standards Committee (later the British Engineering Standards Association) began designing a series of locomotives for use by Indian railways. The first two designs emerged in 1903: a 4-4-0 passenger and 0-6-0 goods. They were revised in 1905 and 1906 with additional heavier, more-powerful locomotives:

Class SP: Standard passenger (4-4-0)
Class SG: Standard goods (0-6-0)
Class PT: Passenger tank (2-6-4T)
Class HP: Heavy passenger (4-6-0)
Class AP: Atlantic passenger (4-4-2)
Class HG: Heavy goods (2-8-0)
Class HT: Heavy tank (2-8-2T)

These advisory BESA designs were customized by the railway companies, which used different classification systems; only the state-operated railways used the class designations SP, SG, PT, HP, AP, HG and HT. When superheating was accepted, superheated versions were classified SPS, SGS and so on (if built with superheaters) and SPC, SGC and so on (if converted from saturated to superheated).

Indian Railways locomotives: 1935 XP class (left) and 1927 XB class

After World War I, larger and more-powerful locomotives were designed by British consulting engineers for the Indian government. They began to appear in 1927:

Class XA: branch passenger 4-6-2 design, 12.5-ton axle load
Class XB: light passenger 4-6-2 design, 17-ton axle load
Class XC: heavy passenger 4-6-2 design, 19.5-ton axle load
Class XD: Light goods 2-8-2 design, 17-ton axle load
Class XE: heavy goods 2-8-2 design, 22.5-ton axle load

Class XF: light shunting 0-8-0 design, 18-ton axle load
Class XG: heavy shunting 0-8-0 design, 23-ton axle load
Class XH: 4-cylinder 2-8-2, 28-ton axle load; none were built
Class XP: experimental passenger 4-6-2, 18.5-ton axle load
Class XS: experimental 4-cylinder 4-6-2, 21.5-ton axle load
Class XT: light tank 0-4-2T, 15-ton axle load

During World War II, large numbers of 2-8-2 locomotives were acquired from the United States and Canada and classified AWD and CWD. The Baldwin Locomotive Works adapted the USATC S160 Class locomotive design for India, and it became class AWC. Sixty broad-gauge locomotives were built in 1944 as part of an order of 180 S160 engines. In addition to modified frame spreaders, axles, cylinders, and cab, the Indian locomotives had a turbo generator and electric lighting (not included in the standard European design). Many parts (including boilers) were identical to those in standard-gauge locomotives.^[7]

(clockwise from upper left) WL- and YG-class locomotives; an M2-162, and a display engine in Guntur Division

Although new classes were designed shortly before the war, many did not enter service until the post-war period. The new classes were indicated by the change of broad-gauge prefix from X to W, and plans were implemented to begin manufacturing locomotives in India. The new classes were:

Class WP: passenger 4-6-2, 18.50-ton axle load
Class WG: goods 2-8-2, 18.50-ton axle load
Class WL (1st): light 4-6-2, 16.00-ton axle load (four for North Western Railway in 1939; all to Pakistan during partition of India)
Class WL (2nd): light 4-6-2, 16.75-ton axle load
Class WM: 2-6-4T, 16.25-ton axle load
Class WT: 2-8-4T, 18.00-ton axle load
Class WU: 2-4-2T, 16.50-ton axle load
Class WV: 2-6-2T, 16.25-ton axle load
Class WW: 0-6-2T, 16.50-ton axle load

All broad-gauge steam locomotives in India have been withdrawn from normal service, with only occasional steam specials continuing to operate.