Development of Steam Locomotive Designs in Railways in India
A WP Class Broad Gauge Steam Locomotive at Howrah Station
By Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways
Vikas Singh
Non Standard Design ( Upto 1905)
Since commencement of regular operation in 1853, most of the early steam locomotives were having six wheels for the engine in 2-2-2, 0-4-2, 2-4-0 or 0-6-0 wheel arrangement. Steam Locomotives with bogies became popular only after 1880 with 4-4-0 'outside cylinder' type design became popular. Individual Railway companies adopted their own standards. Orders for Steam Locomotives went beyond traditional British manufacturers to German and American manufacturers. The locomotive featured is a 1855 Built Broad Gauge Locomotive, EIR-22 or Fairy Queen, built in UK. This is the oldest working Steam Locomotive in the World ( alongwith its twin EIR-21 or Express). The locomotive was deployed by East Indian Railway Company (EIR), Headquartered in Calcutta (Now Kolkata), India
The F-734's 0-6-0 wheel arrangementHeritage Directorate, Indian Railways
F-734 is a Meter Gauge Steam Locomotive with 0-6-0 Wheel Combination. This is the first Steam Locomotive built in India. This is now preserved at National Rail Museum, New Delhi
British Designs (1905 -1928)
“British Engineering Standards Committee” or BESA was set up to limit the number of classes or designs used by Railways in India. The committee submitted its report in 1903 and a revised report in 1905. The committee suggested eight classes for broad gauge and four for meter gauge locomotives for operating all kind of services. These classes are referred to as the BESA class. The HGS-26761 is a 1922 Built Broad Gauge Locomotive, now preserved at Howrah Rail Museum.
Indian Railway Standard Designs (1928-1939)
In 1924, the newly appointed Locomotive Standards Committee was asked to update and re-standardize the BESA designs and to recommend new standard types of more powerful locomotives.This committee recommended eight basic types of locomotives, which became popular as Indian Railway Standards or IRS classes. The six IRS classes adopted in large number by the various railways were XA (Branch line passenger-4-6-2), XB (Light passenger 4-6-2), XC (Heavy passenger 4-6-2), XD( Light Goods 2-8-2), XE( Heavy Goods 2-8-2) and XT( Light Tank 0-4-2 T). The committee also suggested a few standard designs for metre gauge and narrow gauge locomotives. Prefix X was chosen for broad gauge, Y for metre gauge, Z for narrow gauge (2' 6") and Q for narrower gauge (2' 0"). XT-36863 (Year Built-1929) is preserved at National Rail Museum, New Delhi.
War Time Designs (1939-1945)
During the war years of 1939-45, the traditional suppliers of steam locomotives from Britain could not meet India’s requirements and locomotives were ordered in large numbers from North America. The popular American broad gauge War Designs (AW) designs were AWC (Goods Locomotive), AWE (Heavy Goods Locomotive), AWD (Goods Locomotive) classes from USA and CWD (Goods Locomotive) from Canada. The wheel configuration was mostly 2-8-2. During this period, a large number of meter gauge locomotives were also ordered from America. These were popularly called MAWD or simply WD (war department) locomotives. The MAWD 1798 is preserved in front of New Jalpaiguri Station.
Post War Indian Railway Standard designs (1945-1970)
After the war, a new passenger locomotive was designed with 4-6-2 wheel configuration and its class name chosen as WP. In place of the 'X' of the IRS design, 'W' was chosen for broad gauge. For meter gauge the alphabet selected was 'Y' and for narrow gauge 'Z'. Further 'P' was chosen for passenger and 'G' for goods locomotives on all gauges. The design WP incorporated the results of several years of research and had many prominent American features. The first batches of 16 prototypes from Baldwin Locomotive Works were given a class name WP/P. After their successful trial, a very large number of this design with minor changes was ordered by a number of countries in Asia, Europe and America. These are known as WP class of locomotives. WP 7200 was manufactured in 1947 and being maintained in working condition at Rewari Steam Centre.
WG Class 2-8-2
Another post war IRS design was WG 2-8-2 freight locomotive using the same boiler, motion and other parts as of the WP locomotive but with smaller coupled wheels and larger cylinders. WG class earned the distinction of being the largest single class ever built for any railway in the Commonwealth. A large number of post war standard locomotives were built at the Indian Railway's Workshop at Chittaranjan. A detailed model of WG 10560 is displayed at Rewari Steam Centre.
The end of the steam era
The steam era finally came to an end when the locomotive WL-15005 hauled the last broad gauge steam train between Ferozepur and Jalandhar on 6th December 1995. Production of steam locomotives had stopped much earlier. The last Broad Gauge steam locomotive built by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in June 1970, was a WG class and aptly named 'Antim Sitara' or 'the last star', in Hindi. The last WP class was built in 1967. WL 15005 is now preserved at Rewari Steam Centre.
Rewari Steam Locomotive ShedHeritage Directorate, Indian Railways
Amongst the Meter Gauge, YG class locomotives were built until 1972. The last YP locomotive was built by Tata Engineering & Locomotive Company (Telco) in 1970.
Many of these last surviving locomotives are now displayed at the Rewari Steam Loco Centre, in Haryana, India. After being in neglect for many years, it was refurbished in 2010 and was turned into a heritage museum.
Steam Trains still chug on the Indian Railways
Although, regular steam operations in main line have been discontinued, Steam hauled trains are regular feature in Darjeeling Himalyan Railway (DHR) ane Rack & Pinion equipped Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR). B class steam ( 2 feet, Narrow Gauge) works in DHR while oil fired X Class works in NMR. In addition, Indian Railways operate several steam services over Broad Gauge Main Line and Hill Railways
1855 Built EIR-21 or Express operates weekly tourists special in South India.
Locomotives in Steam by Mr. R R Bhandari & Heritage Directorate, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, New Delhi
