Sorry to spoil your appetite, but you cannot run away from ugliness, especially when it will be around for the next twenty years or so. Here is a picture of a WDG2 which I had promised Phil Wormald a long time ago. Below is the original text that accompanies the article. It has been scanned off the July/August 1995 issue (they have a penchant for sending single issues for many months - the Feb/March 1998 issue has just arrived in June 98) of the Indian Railways mag. Please note the 'elephant' forehead and the much longer short hood. Also note the door on the wrong side meaning reversed seating position (driver on the left). Designers have the added responsibilities of not producing such monstrosities. I guess 'aesthetics' is a word absent from DLW's work culture. But then I remember seeing a regular (half a hexagon) roof lined short hood WDG2 at Katni, I was bone-tired and my keen sense of observation was blurred - sorry. Loco's bark is deep and satisfactory, much deeper than the WDM2.
Another New Loco Design at DLW After producing three standard designs of diesel locomotives for the last 30 years, DLW has already taken a giant leap forward by launching two new designs in the past one year. To add another feather to its cap, DLW has released yet another new class of locomotives, designated WDG2.
This high horse-power freight locomotive is an indigenously developed fuel fficient design and is an uprated version of the age-old 2600 horse power WDM2 locomotive. Being a 3100 HP loco, the WDG2 represents a 20 per cent uprating in horse power output. Fitted with high adhesion bogie having unidirectional traction motors, it has been engineered specifically to haul goods trains at higher speeds and over steeper gradients. This development is expected to fulfil a long standing transportation need of Indian Railways.
The first WDG2 loco, aptly christened 'Shakti', was formally dedicated to the Nation by General Manager, Shri R.K. Jain, in a well attended and colourful ceremony in Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi. During the dedication ceremony, Shri Jain and other top officials of DLW emphasised on the quality aspects of the locos being produced. It was brought home to all DLW workmen that in today's competitive world, quality was of prime importance. General Manager exhorted the workers to improve the quality of DLW locos to international levels. It may be recalled that DLW has bagged prestigeous contracts to export 10 locomotives to Bangladesh and two locomotives to Sri Lanka during the current year. Keeping in view the vast export potential of DLW locos, these being the most inexpensive locomotives in this horse power range anywhere in the world, bringing up quality standards would be of paramount importance for further participation in the global market.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Shri Jain informed that Indian Railways had entered into an agreement with General Motors, USA, for import of twenty-one microprocessor controlled state-of-the-art 4000 HP diesel locomotives with transfer of technology.
To facilitate the transfer of technology, 8 locos will be received in completely knocked-down condition, which will be assembled at DLW to give hands-on training to DLW technicians. Simultaneously, General Motors will transfer the manufacturing technology for production of these locomotives in DLW itself.
Describing this as an important development for Indian Railways and DLW, the General Manager envisaged a bright future for DLW, as getting the technology of General Motors alongwith the already existing one of ALCO will enable India to vie for export markets in countries having either ALCO or General Motors infrastructure.
In addition, General Motors loco built in India may have the added advantage of low cost of manufacture. This will be the first technology transfer from the American giant to any loco builder in South-East Asia.
Not such a strange beast, here is a pair of mighty WDG2s with a regular short hood. I think the newer WDG2s have 'regular' but longer short hoods. Note the reversed door arrangement and an additional door in the short hood (to store MU cables? - that normally lie on the floor of the cab, being trampled on). The pic is by super railnut Sundar Krishnamurthy at Gooty. He will soon upload these pix to his website along with his spicy comments. I couldn't resist scanning this pic as the thread of the WDG2 is still very hot.
Can the gang identify this loco? I found this tattered picture on some mag (International Rail Gazette - I Think). Hitachi loco? I thought ABB supplied these locos. This loco has a door in the nose to get on to the other loco during MU operation. Something tells me that these were some trial pieces of an unsuccessful loco. Any comments?
Here is the pic & specifications of the latest from DLW: the twin cab WDP2.
