Production History
755 WPs were built between 1947 and 1967, bearing fleet numbers 7000 to 7754. The first batch of sixteen, numbers 7200–7215, came from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, USA in 1947, and these were classed WP/P. (P for Prototype). A main production batch of 300 locomotives followed in 1949, with production split between Baldwin (100), Montreal Locomotive Works (120), and Canadian Locomotive Company (80). The locomotives in this group were numbered 7216–7515, but the running numbers were issued in blocks as the locomotives were issued to the pre-nationalisaion companies, and so bore no relation to the manufacturers' serial numbers, or even the manufacturer.
A further 180 locomotives were built between 1955 and 1959, with production split between Canadian Locomotive Company (120), Fabryka Lokomotyw, of Chrzanów, Poland (30), and Lokomotivfabrik Floridsdorf of Vienna, Austria (30). Between 1963 and 1966, 259 more were built, but these were ordered from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), and were manufactured in India, and classified WP/I. The WP/Is were 5 tonnes heavier.
| Year | Manufacturer | Serial Nos. | Qty | First Nos. | All-India Nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Baldwin | 73408–73423 | 16 | — | 7200–7215 | Prototypes |
| 1949 | Baldwin | 74294–74393 | 100 | 1–100 | In range 7216–7515 | |
| 1949 | Canadian | 2544–2623 | 80 | C251–C330 | In range 7216–7515 | |
| 1949 | Montreal | 77200–77259 77345–74399 77576–77580 |
120 | M1–M120 | In range 7216–7515 | |
| 1955–56 | Canadian | 2730–2849 | 120 | — | 7516–7635 | |
| 1958–59 | Fablok | 4997–5006 5031–5050 |
30 | 3000–3029 | 7000–7029 | |
| 1957 | Florisdorf | 17827–17856 | 30 | 3030–3059 | 7030–7059 | |
| 1963 | Chittaranjan | — | 36 | — | 7060–7095 | |
| 1963–64 | Chittaranjan | — | 50 | — | 7096–7145 | |
| 1964–65 | Chittaranjan | — | 33 | — | 7146–7178 | |
| 1965 | Chittaranjan | — | 73 | — | 7179–7199 7636–7687 |
|
| 1966 | Chittaranjan | — | 37 | — | 7688–7724 | |
| 1966 | Chittaranjan | — | 30 | — | 7725–7754 |
The entire class remained intact into the 1980s; some WPs remained in service until the 1990s. A few reconditioned WPs have been exported to countries in the middle East (after regauging?).
The WP was Indian railways' crack locomotive in 1960s and 1970s. Before the widespread introduction of diesel and electric locomotives several prestigious trains, such as the Taj Express, the Grand Trunk Express, Howrah-Madras Mail, Frontier Mail and the AirConditioned Express were once hauled by WP class locomotives.
Read more about this topic: Indian Locomotive Class WP
Famous quotes containing the words production and/or history:
“By bourgeoisie is meant the class of modern capitalists, owners of the means of social production and employers of wage labor. By proletariat, the class of modern wage laborers who, having no means of production of their own, are reduced to selling their labor power in order to live.”
—Friedrich Engels (1820–1895)
“In the history of the United States, there is no continuity at all. You can cut through it anywhere and nothing on this side of the cut has anything to do with anything on the other side.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)