The Indian locomotive class WCM-6 is a class of 1.5 kV DC

electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a Battery (electricity), battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime mover (locomotive), ...

s that was developed in 1995 by

Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) is an electric locomotive manufacturer based in India. The works are located at Chittaranjan in the Asansol Sadar subdivision of West Bengal, with an ancillary unit in Dankuni. The main unit is 32 km fr ...

(CLW) for

Indian Railways Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...

. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), Direct Current (C), Mixed traffic (M) engine, 6th generation (6). They entered service in 1996. A total of 2 WCM-6 locomotives was built at CLW in 1995. Currently they are used on departmental trains and shunting duties.

History

The history of WCM-6 begins in the early 1990s with the stated aim of the

(IR) to remove the aging fleet of WCM class locomotives working in the

Central Railway zone Central Railway (abbreviated CR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways. Its headquarters are located at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai. It has the distinction of operating the first passenger railway line in India, which opened ...

(CR). So IR to procure two 1,500 V DC electric locomotives from

(CLW), who also previously supplied the WCM-5 class. They had high adhesion bogies used in the

WAG-7 The Indian locomotive class WAG-7 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 1990 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works for Indian Railways. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), alternating current (A), goods traffic ( ...

class AC locomotive. The two WCM-6s were manufactured in India in 1995. Not counting the dual-voltage WCAM/WCAG series, they were one of only two classes of DC locomotives to have a "

boxcab A boxcab, in railroad terminology, is a term for an electric locomotive in which the machinery and cab (locomotive), crew areas were enclosed in a box-like superstructure. Deriving from "boxcar", the term mainly occurs in North America. The ter ...

" body style, the other being the WCG-2 class of 1970. On 28 August 2008, both WCM-6s were converted to work on 25 kV AC by the Electric Locomotives Works of Bhusuwal, but retained their WCM-6 designation. Both locomotives are based at Kalyan depot, and are in service as of 2023.

Locomotive shed

Former sheds

* Ajni *Bhusuwal (BSL)

References

External links

WCM-6 FAQ

India railway fan club
{{DEFAULTSORT:WCM-6 Electric locomotives of India 1500 V DC locomotives Co-Co locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1995 5 ft 6 in gauge locomotives Chittaranjan Locomotive Works locomotives

History

Locomotive shed

Former sheds

See also

References

External links