A high-end diesel locomotive built by General Electric of the US is all set to move on tracks of the Indian Railways. Oscilograph Car Run (CDCR) trials of WDG-6G diesel locomotive will be conducted on the Vikarabad-Parli section of South Central Railway (SCR) very soon.
Railways agreement
Induction of the massive yet light 6,000 Horse Power (HP) diesel loco is the offshoot of an agreement the Indian Railways has made with GE (Pennsylvania) for setting up a new diesel locomotive shed at Marhowra in Bihar. Agreement includes supply and maintenance of 300 WDG-6G locomotives during the contract period. IR will use the high-powered locomotives to optimise movement of freight traffic to meet increasing demands and enhance revenue generation, said railway officials.
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The diesel locomotive is fitted with a 16 cylinder V-16 evolution series engine, a four-stroke fully turbocharged and inter-cooled machine, with an electronic fuel injection system for higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions when compared to other locomotives.
Driver’s cabin
Most interesting feature of the loco is in the driver’s cabin, with provision of HVAC (heating, ventilating and AC), heated wind shields, urinal and display screens. A Consolidated Control Architecture Control System (CCACS) comes with a trip optimiser, loco vision and cab signalling with built in future upgradability to digital solutions.
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An Auto Engine Start Stop integrated with the auxiliary power unit, remote monitoring and diagnostics for continuous fleet health monitoring are the other special equipment. With regard to safety, the cab frontal collision system has been designed to withstand tough crash worthiness norms. Packaging of electrical hardware and equipment has been optimally done to enable easy maintenance while the lightweight bogie frame also needs minimal maintenance.
The Locomotive is UIC 1 (International Union of Railways -Union Internationale des Chemins de fer, a Paris-based association of European Railway Companies which stipulates emission standards for Railways) emission compliant, the first of its kind in India, according to chief public relations officer Ch. Rakesh.
“The new breed of diesel locomotives will help improve carrying capacity of freight train rake with increased hauling strength and there will be a rise in operational efficiency because of low fuel consumption and more train services,” he added.