Indian locomotive class WAP-4 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

WAP-4 is one of the most important electric locomotives used in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is a very powerful class capable of hauling 26 coaches at a speed of 140 km/h(they have a max speed of 175 km/h). It is also among the most widely used locomotives.

The locomotive was developed, after a previous class WAP-1 was found inadequate to haul the longer, heavier express trains(24-26 coaches) that were becoming the mainstay of the Indian Railways

Indian Railways

Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....

network. It was introduced in 1994, with a similar bodyshell to the WAP-1 class, but with Hitachi traction motors developing 5000 hp (5350 hp starting).

Electricals are traditional DC loco type tap changers, driving 6 traction motors arranged in Co-Co

Co-Co

Co-Co is a code for a locomotive wheel arrangement with two six-wheeled bogies with all axles powered, with a separate motor per axle. Co+Co is the code for a similar wheel arrangement but with an articulated connection between the bogies. The equivalent UIC classification for this arrangement is...

fashion. This locomotive has proved to be highly successful, with over 700 units in service and more being produced. Newer examples have been fitted with Microprocessor Controlled diagnostics, Static Converter units (instead of arnos) and roof mounted Dynamic (Rheostatic) Brakes.

The locomotive can be seen in service across the electrified network of Indian Railways and are homed at 13 sheds (depots).

Sheds Holding WAP-4

Howrah (HWH)
Erode (ED)
Kanpur (CNB)
Ghaziabad (GZB)
Vadodara (BRC)
Lallaguda (LGD)
Royapuram (RPM)
Ludhiana (LDH)
Santragachi (SRC)
Mughalsarai (MGS)
Bhusawal (BSL)
Itarsi (ET)

Design

The loco has a streamlined twin cab carbody design, with top-mounted headlamps. The first 150 or so units had the headlamp mounted at waist level, with the lights being mounted in a protruding nacelle. Later on the headlamps were placed in a recessed nacelle, and from road # 22579 onward, the headlamps were moved to the top. Newer locos also feature larger windshields, more spacious driver cabin with bucket type seats and ergonomic controls. The control panel also features a mix of digital and analog displays in newer units (all analog display in older versions).

The loco features higher power rated silicon rectifiers and indigenously-designed 5400kVA transformer coupled with Hitachi HS15250 traction motors. Starting power is 5350 hp, with 5000 hp being supplied continuously.

Original units were weighed 120 tonnes, which was brought down to 112 tonnes through the usage of lighter material.

Some WAP-1 and WAP-6 units were rebuilt to WAP-4 specifications after replacing the bogies & electricals.

Performance

It is used to haul the premier Rajdhani

Rajdhani Express

Rajdhani Express is a passenger train service in India connecting New Delhi with other important destinations, especially state capitals. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in Hindi.- History :...

& Shatabdi

Shatabdi Express

Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect Metro cities with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business...

expresses at 140 km/h. In trials, the loco has achieved a top speed of 169.5 km/h, though Indian Railways limits its top speed to 145 km/h.

With a 24 coach passenger train, the acceleration time / distances are:

110 km/h - 338 seconds (6.8 km)

120 km/h - 455 seconds (10.5 km)

130 km/h - 741 seconds (20.5 km)

Starting Tractive Effort (Te) - 32000 kg/force

Technical specifications

Technical Specifications of WAP-4
Manufacturers	Chittaranjan locomotive works
Traction Motors	Hitachi Hitachi, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies... HS15250
Gear Ratio	23:58 (One loco, #22559, is said to have a 23:59 ratio.)
Transformer	5400 kVA, 32 taps
Two silicon rectifiers, (ratings?).
Axle load	18.8 t
Bogies	Co-Co Flexicoil Mark 1 cast bogies; primary and secondary wheel springs with bolsters
Pantographs	Two Stone India (Calcutta) AM-12.
Current Ratings	1000 A for 10 min, 900 A continuous

Trains Hauled by the WAP-4

Jaipur Superfast Express
Jaipur Superfast Express
The 12955/2956 Mumbai Jaipur Superfast is one of the most important trains of Western railway. It operates as train number 12955 from Mumbai Central to Jaipur and as train number 12956 in the reverse direction...

(Vadodara or Erode WAP -4)
Grand Trunk Express (Erode WAP-4)
Tamil Nadu Express (Erode WAP-4)
Karnataka Express (Kanpur WAP-4)
Kerala Express (Erode WAP-4)
Brindavan Express (Erode WAP-4)
Sachkhand Express (Ludhiyana / Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Mewar Express (Vadodara WAP-4)
Poorva Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Rapti Sagar Express (Erode / Royapuram WAP-4)
Golden Temple Mail (former Frontier Mail) (Vadodara / Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Malwa Express (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Kota Jan Shatabdi Express (Vadodara WAP-4)
Coromandel Express (Santragachchi / Howrah / Erode WAP-4)
Gondwana Express (Ghaziabad / Bhusawal WAP-4)
Lichchavi Express (Kanpur WAP-4)
Lalbagh Express (Erode WAP-4)
Gomti Express (Kanpur WAP-4)
Shreedham Express (Itarsi WAP-4)
Geetanjali Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Chennai Mail (Erode WAP-4)
Vaishali Express (Kanpur WAP-4)
Shivganga Express (Kanpur WAP-4)
Magadh Express (Ghaziabad Express)
Shram Shakti Express (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express (Erode WAP-4)
Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express (Lallaguda WAP-4)
Tamil Nadu Sampart Kranti Express (Erode WAP-4)
Madhya Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express (Ghaziabad / Itarsi WAP-4)
Goa Sampark Kranti Express (Vadodara WAP-4)
Orissa Sampark Kranti Express (Ghaziabad Express)
Kalinga Utkal Express (Itarsi WAP-4)
Dehradun Express (all) (Erode / Ghaziabad / Vadodara WAP-4)
Purushottam Express (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Coalfield Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Chambal Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Vibhuti Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Shaktipunj Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Azad Hind Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Guwahati Rajdhani Express (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Bagh Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Falaknuma Express
Shipra Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Udyan Abha Toofan Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Kushinagar Express (Bhusawal WAP-4)
Udyog Nagri Express (Bhusawal WAP-4)
Jhelum Express (Ludhiyana / Ghaziabad WAP-4)
HW-LTT AC Express (Bhusawal WAP-4)
Vikramshila Express (Mughalsarai WAP-4)
North East Express (Howrah / Mughalsarai WAP-4)
Pushpak Express (Bhusawal WAP-4)
Swatantrata Senani Express (Mughalsarai WAP-4)
Swarna Jayanti Express (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Millenium Express (Erode WAP-4)
Kongu Express (Erode WAP-4)
Tapti Ganga Express (Itarsi WAP-4)
Lal Quila Express (Howrah WAP-4)
Brahmaputra Mail (Ghaziabad / Mughal Sarai WAP-4)
Andaman Express (Erode WAP-4)
Himsagar Express (Erode WAP-4)
Navyug Express (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Avadh Express (Vadodara WAP-4)
Sangam Express (Kanpur WAP-4)
Punjab Mail (Ghaziabad WAP-4)
Godavari Express (Lallaguda WAP-4)
Gautami Express (Erode WAP-4)
Janmabhoomi Express (Lallaguda WAP-4)
Pallavan Express (Erode WAP-4)
Vaigai Express (Erode WAP-4)
Sampoorn Kranti Express (Kanpur WAP-4}
konark express (Erode WAP-4)

These locos should enter Mumbai Area in Western Railway some end of December 2011 or Start of Jan 2012. And these should be enter Mumbai area of Central Railways at the start of Jan 2013.

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