# Help, jis...



## VentureForth (Jul 22, 2018)

Step kid's biodad snapped this in VA...


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## cpotisch (Jul 22, 2018)

What am I looking at?


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## brianpmcdonnell17 (Jul 22, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> What am I looking at?


They are Indian Railways locomotives, some of which are being manufactured in the United States before being sent to India for service. I saw a few of them in a yard northwest of Pittsburgh while riding the eastbound Capitol Limited 10 days ago.


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## jis (Jul 22, 2018)

WDG-4G class freight locomotives of IR


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## VentureForth (Jul 23, 2018)

Colorful livery! The photo was taken on Southbound US-29 in Lynchburg. What sort of route does it take from PA to where it gets on a boat? Looks like it's headed to Norfolk...


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## jis (Jul 23, 2018)

In India each loco shed seems to decide what livery will be applied to their engines. Exceptions are new class of engines for a few years at least.

For example the WAP-5 and WAP-7 have uniform white with red band livery. WAG-9s are all Green with yellow band. OTOH WDP-4 and WDG-5 (diesels) have had multiple liveries applied already.

These being new class will probably have this livery for the time being as a group. For now they are all assigned to two sheds - , but as the numbers grow that will change.

These are essentially GEVO GE ES43ACmi, adapted for India. 100 are being important, some wholly manufactured in the US and the rest of the hundred imported as knockdown kits to be assembled in India AFAIR followed by license manufacture in India of another 600 to 900 with 70% Indian content, though the exact number is somewhat debatable given the current push for full system electrification. A new factory has been set up in Marhowra, Bihar.

These complement the existing EMD fleet of WDG-4 (SD70MAC) and WDG-5 (SD80MAC) both of which come in either single cab or dual cab. The dual cab class designation has a D appended to the class designation e.g. WDG-4 -> WDG-4D. Oddly these GE units have been given the class desginator WDG-4G! Apparently the 4 designated 4500HP. WDG-5s rated at 5500HP are more powerful than these. There a hundreds of 4s and 5s running all across India already.

Clearly the most powerful freight workhorse will be the WAG-12 Class 12,000 HP Alstom Prima 25kV AC electric locomotive, which is already being manufactured in India under license, mass delivery at between 3 to 8 units per month starting in 2020, for a total of 800 units according to current plans. They augment the fleet of license manufacture WAG-9 acquired from Bombardier of which hundreds are running all over India already. Incidentally, about 70% of the tonne-km of freight in IR is electric hauled. Diesels haul the remaining 30% or so.


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