WL-15005 Sher-e-Punjab: This locomotive hauled the last broad gauge steam train on the Indian Railways. This historic run was between Ferozepur to Jalandhar on the Northern Railway on the 6th of December 1995. This locomotive which mainly hauled Mail/Express trains & christened as "Sher-e-Punjab" was initially allotted to Southern Railway where it was based at the Shoranur shed. Subsequently it was transferred to the Northern Railway where it was based at Bhatinda shed, then Ludhiana shed at Ferozepur shed from where it finally retired. Later, It was on 3rd October 2007, there was a fatal accident when a boiler tube failed on WL 15005 while it was hauling the Palace on Wheels, two footplate crew died as a result of their injuries incurred while bringing the train to a halt. It has been languishing for years in the dungeon as it had been sealed as a case property by the police. Thanks to Vikas Arya, who brought it back to life once again. He filed an application in the honourable court in Feb'10 stating that the locomotive was a National Heritage and the only such class of locomotive in India and if left unattended, a priceless piece if history will be lost. To our good fortunes, the learned judge in the very first hearing could gauge the significance of the matter and released the stay on the locomotive in April '10.
...and now it is based at REWARI STEAM LOCOMOTIVE MUSEUM, INDIA.
1) Built by: Vulcan foundry, Chittranjan locomotive works.
2)here were two classes of BG 4-6-2 locomotives of the WL type. The first were 4 locomotives built by Vulcan Foundry in 1939 for the North Western Railway, and these went to Pakistan on partition. There is a Kelland photo of WL 103 ('New India'), streamlined with an aluminum casing, in Indian Locomotives, Part 4 by Hugh Hughes, hauling the 'Train of the Future'. However, the Indian WL 4-6-2 was a new class built in 1955. Initially, 10 locomotives were built by Vulcan Foundry. They were designed to operate passenger trains on lines denied to the WP class; and so are lighter and smaller. While the new standard express WP class weighed 102 tons, the WL weighed 89 tons, giving an axle load of 16¾ tons, against the WP's 18.5t. Five WLs were allocated to the Southern Railway, and five to the Northern Railway. Ten years later, production began at CLW, and WL 15014-15107 were built there in the years 1966-1968. NR WL #15005 (VF, 1955) hauled the last regular BG steam service in November 1995.
Just came to know that the http://rewaristeamloco.com website is in updation process... so can I send you the scanned copy of all the details form one of the publishings from rewari heritage museum only. There you'll find all of the technical details of this locomotive.
Nice picture. But praise must go to the crew men who put the safety of their passengers before their own unimaginable pain. The loco lives on in their memory!
...and now it is based at REWARI STEAM LOCOMOTIVE MUSEUM, INDIA.
1) Built by: Vulcan foundry, Chittranjan locomotive works.
2)here were two classes of BG 4-6-2 locomotives of the WL type. The first were 4 locomotives built by Vulcan Foundry in 1939 for the North Western Railway, and these went to Pakistan on partition. There is a Kelland photo of WL 103 ('New India'), streamlined with an aluminum casing, in Indian Locomotives, Part 4 by Hugh Hughes, hauling the 'Train of the Future'.
However, the Indian WL 4-6-2 was a new class built in 1955. Initially, 10 locomotives were built by Vulcan Foundry. They were designed to operate passenger trains on lines denied to the WP class; and so are lighter and smaller. While the new standard express WP class weighed 102 tons, the WL weighed 89 tons, giving an axle load of 16¾ tons, against the WP's 18.5t. Five WLs were allocated to the Southern Railway, and five to the Northern Railway. Ten years later, production began at CLW, and WL 15014-15107 were built there in the years 1966-1968.
NR WL #15005 (VF, 1955) hauled the last regular BG steam service in November 1995.
3)Source: http://irfca.org/faq/faq-loco-steam.html
very nice photo