Indian locomotive class WAP-3 – Wikipedia

WAP-3
Ghaziabad based WAP-3 at Ghaziabad Jn.
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co′Co′  • Commonwealth Co+Co Gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Bogies Fabricated bogie assembly (Flexicoil Mark II and later Mark IV) Wheel diameter New:1,092 mm (3 ft 7 in) Half worn: 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in) Full worn:1,016 mm (3 ft 4 in) Wheelbase 1,735 mm (5 ft 8 in) Length: ​  • Over beams 18.794 m (61 ft 7+29⁄32 in)  • Body 17.500 m (57 ft 4+31⁄32 in) Width 3.179 m (10 ft 5+5⁄32 in) Height 4.272 m (14 ft 3⁄16 in) Frame type Flexicoil (cast steel bogies); primary and secondary wheel springs with bolsters Axle load 18,800 kg (41,400 lb) Loco weight 112,000 kg (247,000 lb) Sandbox cap. 8 Sandboxes Power supply 110v DC Electric system/s 25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead Current pickup(s) pantograph Traction motors Alstom TAO 659 Loco brake Air Train brakes Air, Dual Safety systems Slip control, Over voltage relay, Main overload relay, Earth Fault Relay, Low Pressure Governor, Brake Cylinder Cutoff Valve, Train parting alarms and No OHE volt relay
Performance figures Maximum speed 130 km/h (81 mph) Power output MAX:3900HP Continuous: 3,760 hp (2,804 kW) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 22,400 kgf (220 kN)  • 1 hour 22,400 kgf (220 kN)
Career Operators Indian Railways Class WAP-3 Numbers 22003, 22005-22009 and 22034, 22051, 220052 Nicknames Jawahar Locale All over India Delivered 1987 First run 1988 Withdrawn February 2017 Preserved 1 (as Loco pilot trainer) Disposition All reverted to WAP-1 and in service.

The Indian locomotive class WAP-3 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was designed by Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) for Indian Railways in 1987. The model name stands for Broad gauge (W), AC Current (A), Mixed traffic (M) engine, 3rd generation (3). They entered service in 1988. They are the faster variant of the previous WAP-1 class. All locomotives are now out of service or converted to WAP-1

History[edit]

The history of WAP-3 begins in the early 1980 with the WAP-1 class. The WAP-1 was the first attempt to create a dedicated High-speed electric passenger locomotive.^[1] They were first used on the Howrah Rajdhani Express.^[2] But Indian railways were not satisfied with the performance of the WAP-1 as they could haul around 19 coaches at a max speed of 120 km/h. So Indian Railways decided to procure a faster version of the WAP-1.^[3]

The WAP-3 was ordered from CLW to the design of RDSO. The Flexicoil cast steel bogies of the WAP-1 was replaced by Flexicoil Mark II versions. This increased max speed to 140 km/h. Five prototype locomotives of this type were made from existing WAP-1 units. The first prototype WAP-1 numbered ‘22005 jawahar’ was put into service in 1988. Initially these locomotives were classified as WAP-1 FM II^[4] with FM II standing for ” Flexicoil Mark II ” and were certified to run at 130 km/h between Jhansi and lalitpur section.^[5] Later Flexicoil Mark 4 bogies were provided for Subsequent WAP-3 which increased max speed to 160 km/h.

They were first used on the Taj Express and then various shatabdi express.^[6][7] The Bhopal shatabdi used to run with WAP-3 for some time.^[8] But as trains got longer the WAP-3 struggled to perform and required banking locomotives on moderately graded sections, and so did not meet their design goals these were reverted to WAP-1 class again.

The WAP-3 and WAP-1 provided the basis for the WAP-4 class.

Locomotive sheds[edit]

The current list of former WAP-3 class

Loco No	Current Shed	Status	Current class	Comment	REF
22003	Arakkonam(AJJ)	Training Loco	WAP-1	converted to training loco with glass panels in bodyside	[9]
22005	Arakkonam(AJJ)	In service	WAP-1	Loco name-Jawahar,	[10]
22006	Tughlakabad(TKD)	In service	WAP-1	Loco name-Rajhans,	[11]
22007	Arakkonam(AJJ)	In service	WAP-1		[12]
22008	Arakkonam(AJJ)	In service	WAP-1		[13]
22009	Arakkonam(AJJ)	In service	WAP-1		[14]
22034	Tughlakabad(TKD)	In service	WAP-1		[15]
22051	Tughlakabad(TKD)	In service	WAP-1	Now a WAP-4	[16]
22052	Tughlakabad(TKD)	In service	WAP-1		[17][18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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