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{{Infobox railway depot
{{Infobox railway depot
| name = Electric Loco Shed, Asansol
| name = Electric Loco Shed, Asansol
| image = File:ASN WAG-5.jpg
| image = File:ASN WAG5 23212.jpg
| image_upright = 1.5
| image_upright = 1.5
| image_width =  
| image_width =  
| image_alt = The shed is located near Asansol railway station.
| image_alt = The shed is located near Asansol railway station.
| caption = ASN based WAG-5 twins with a freight train
| caption = ASN based WAG-5 (23212)
| location = [[Asansol]], [[West Bengal]]
| location = [[Asansol railway division|Asansol]], [[West Bengal]]
| coordinates = {{coord|23.691972|86.969316|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|23.691972|86.969316|display=inline,title}}
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[Eastern Railway zone]]
| operator = [[Eastern Railway zone]]
| depotcode = ASN
| depotcode = ASN
| type = [[Engine shed]]
| type = [[Motive power depot|Engine shed]]
| opened = {{Start date and age|1959|||df=y}}
| opened = {{Start date and age|1959|||df=y}}
| closed = <!--{{End date|YYYY|MM|df=y}}-->
| closed = <!--{{End date|YYYY|MM|df=y}}-->
Line 21: Line 21:
| postgrouping =  
| postgrouping =  
| roads = 6
| roads = 6
| rollingstock = [[WAM-4]] <br> [[WAP-4]] <br> [[Indian locomotive class WAG-5|WAG-5]] <br> [[Indian locomotive class WAG-7|WAG-7]] <br> [[WAG-9]]  
| rollingstock = [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]] <br> [[Indian locomotive class WAG-5|WAG-5]] <br> [[Indian locomotive class WAG-7|WAG-7]] <br> [[Indian locomotive class WAG-9|WAG-9]]  
| former_rolling_stock = [[Indian locomotive class WAM-1|WAM 1]], [[WAM-2/3]] [[Indian locomotive class WAP-6|WAP-6]], [[Indian locomotive class WAG-3|WAG-3]], [[Indian locomotive class WAG-4|WAG-4]], [[Indian locomotive class WAG-2|WAG-2]]
| former_rolling_stock = [[Indian locomotive class WAM-1|WAM 1]], [[Indian Railways locomotive class WAM-2/3|WAM-2/3]] [[Indian locomotive class WAP-6|WAP-6]], [[Indian locomotive class WAG-3|WAG-3]], [[Indian locomotive class WAG-4|WAG-4]], [[Indian locomotive class WAG-2|WAG-2]]
| routes = <!-- routes operated from the depot -->
| routes = <!-- routes operated from the depot -->
| map_type = India West Bengal
| map_type = India West Bengal
| map_size = 250
| map_size = 250
| embed =  
| embed =  
}}'''Electric Loco Shed, Asansol''' is a [[motive power depot]] performing locomotive maintenance and repair facility for [[electric locomotive]]s of the [[Indian Railways]], located at [[Asansol]] of the [[Eastern Railway zone]] in [[West Bengal]], India. It is one of the two electric locomotive sheds of the Eastern Railway, the others being at [[Electric Loco Shed, Howrah|Howrah]] (HWH). As of 1 July 2020, there are 167 locomotives in the shed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=e-Locos|url=http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Holding/holding.html}}</ref>
}}'''Electric Loco Shed, Asansol''' is a [[motive power depot]] performing locomotive maintenance and repair facility for electric locomotives of the [[Indian Railways]], located at [[Asansol railway division|Asansol]] of the [[Eastern Railway zone]] in [[West Bengal]], India. It is one of the two electric locomotive sheds of the Eastern Railway, the others being at [[Electric Loco Shed, Howrah|Howrah]] (HWH). As of 1 May 2022, there are 147 locomotives in the shed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=e-Locos|url=http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Holding/holding.html}}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
Steam locomotive sheds used to exist at Asansol (Howrah) until the late 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Steam Locomotive Sheds in the 1970s|url=http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed2.html#bgsr|website=www.irfca.org|access-date=2016-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=scan0189.jpg|url=https://www.irfca.org/gallery/Steam/collingwood/scan0189.jpg.html|website=www.irfca.org|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> After Eastern Railway set a deadline to eliminate all steam locomotive operations by 1990, a push was given towards establishing electric locomotion as the primary motive power, and the Steam locomotive sheds was decommissioned.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Report of the expert Committee on Coal Consumption on Railways, 1958|url=http://www.indianculture.gov.in/report-expert-committee-coal-consumption-railways-1958|website=INDIAN CULTURE|language=en|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref> To meet the needs of exponentially increasing rail traffic on the new continuous broad gauge lines from kolkata to rest of India with the completion of gauge conversion, the Asansol was selected by Indian railways for a new electric locomotive shed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Electric loco shed location|url=http://indiarailinfo.com/station/map/erode-junction-ed/39|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>
Steam locomotive sheds used to exist at Asansol (Howrah) until the late 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Steam Locomotive Sheds in the 1970s|url=http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed2.html#bgsr|website=www.irfca.org|access-date=2016-12-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=scan0189.jpg|url=https://www.irfca.org/gallery/Steam/collingwood/scan0189.jpg.html|website=www.irfca.org|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> After Eastern Railway set a deadline to eliminate all steam locomotive operations by 1990, a push was given towards establishing electric locomotion as the primary motive power, and the Steam locomotive sheds was decommissioned.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Report of the expert Committee on Coal Consumption on Railways, 1958|url=http://www.indianculture.gov.in/report-expert-committee-coal-consumption-railways-1958|website=INDIAN CULTURE|language=en|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref> To meet the needs of exponentially increasing rail traffic on the new continuous broad gauge lines from kolkata to rest of India with the completion of gauge conversion, the Asansol was selected by Indian railways for a new electric locomotive shed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Electric loco shed location|url=http://indiarailinfo.com/station/map/erode-junction-ed/39|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>


Asansol shed was started in May 1959 by converting a small portion of steam shed with a holding of 45 locos. The imported [[Indian locomotive class WAM-1|WAM-1]] locomotives were based in this shed after commissioning. With the addition of [[WAM-2/3]] locos. imported from Japan, the need for the expansion of this shed was felt and it was expanded to home 80 locos. In the year 1969 by taking some more portion of the steam shed 12 imported mixed locos. from Japan (10 WAM-2 + 2 WAM-3) and 45 [[Indian locomotive class WAG-2|WAG-2]] locos. were added. To give marginal relief to the congestion, the 45 WAG-2s were transferred to MGS shed.
Asansol shed was started in May 1959 by converting a small portion of steam shed with a holding of 45 locos. The imported [[Indian locomotive class WAM-1|WAM-1]] locomotives were based in this shed after commissioning. With the addition of [[Indian Railways locomotive class WAM-2/3|WAM-2/3]] locos. imported from Japan, the need for the expansion of this shed was felt and it was expanded to home 80 locos. In the year 1969 by taking some more portion of the steam shed 12 imported mixed locos. from Japan (10 WAM-2 + 2 WAM-3) and 45 [[Indian locomotive class WAG-2|WAG-2]] locos. were added. To give marginal relief to the congestion, the 45 WAG-2s were transferred to MGS shed.


With the introduction of EMU rakes from BHEL and ICF in Calcutta suburban section, 25 WAM-2 locos, which were working in push-pull operation, were converted to main line operation. The original WAM-1/2 locos, having ignitrons for AC-to-DC conversion, were converted to silicon rectifier system in the years 1968 to 1970. CLW started production and the first batch of 10 [[Indian locomotive class WAG-4|WAG-4]] locos were commissioned and based at Asansol shed in 1970. In 1971, CLW started manufacturing [[Indian locomotive class WAM-4|WAM-4]]s which were commissioned at Asansol. Shed was further expanded in 1974 to home 110 locos. which increased to 115 in 1980. With the introduction of air-brake stock, some WAG-4s were converted for dual brake operation. Further facilities were created for maintaining 20 such locos.
With the introduction of EMU rakes from BHEL and ICF in Calcutta suburban section, 25 WAM-2 locos, which were working in push-pull operation, were converted to main line operation. The original WAM-1/2 locos, having ignitrons for AC-to-DC conversion, were converted to silicon rectifier system in the years 1968 to 1970. CLW started production and the first batch of 10 [[Indian locomotive class WAG-4|WAG-4]] locos were commissioned and based at Asansol shed in 1970. In 1971, CLW started manufacturing [[Indian locomotive class WAM-4|WAM-4]]s which were commissioned at Asansol. Shed was further expanded in 1974 to home 110 locos. which increased to 115 in 1980. With the introduction of air-brake stock, some WAG-4s were converted for dual brake operation. Further facilities were created for maintaining 20 such locos.


In the late 1995s [[Indian locomotive class WAP-6|WAP-6]] were introduced which stayed until late 2005, when they were transferred to Howrah. It later got a large fleet of [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]] locos from howrah. All [[Indian locomotive class WAP-6|WAP-6]] locos from Howrah shed converted to WAP-4 units and transferred here.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nov 2019 Locomotive Holding list|url=http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Holding/Holding_11_19.pdf}}</ref> The shed also have a few WAM-4 units. All the WAM-4s of this shed are being used for shunting service.
In the late 1995s [[Indian locomotive class WAP-6|WAP-6]] were introduced which stayed until late 2005, when they were transferred to Howrah. It later got a large fleet of [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]] locos from howrah. All [[Indian locomotive class WAP-6|WAP-6]] locos from Howrah shed converted to WAP-4 units and transferred here.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nov 2019 Locomotive Holding list|url=http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Holding/Holding_11_19.pdf}}</ref> The shed also had a few WAM-4 units. All the WAM-4s of this shed have been transferred to Sealdah shed.


== Operations ==
== Operations ==
Being one of the three electric engine sheds in Eastern Railway, various major and minor maintenance schedules of electric locomotives are carried out here. It has the sanctioned capacity of 175 engine units. Beyond the operating capacity, this shed houses a total of 207 engine units, including 90 [[WAP-4]] and 19 [[WAP-7]]. It also housed a few WAM-4 locomotives temporarily.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian Railway-shed wise engine.holdings|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/ele_engg/downloads/Shed_type_wise_holding_011015.pdf
Being one of the three electric engine sheds in Eastern Railway, various major and minor maintenance schedules of electric locomotives are carried out here. It has the sanctioned capacity of 175 engine units. Beyond the operating capacity, this shed houses a total of 207 engine units, including 90 [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]] and 19 [[Indian locomotive class WAP-7|WAP-7]]. It also housed a few WAM-4 locomotives temporarily.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian Railway-shed wise engine.holdings|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/ele_engg/downloads/Shed_type_wise_holding_011015.pdf
|page=1|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref> Electric loco Shed, Asansol is now housing a large fleet of [[WAP-4]] in Indian Railways and it caters to many long-distance electric trains.<ref>{{cite news|title=fleets under sheds|url=http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html#sr|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=List of Locos in Howrah|url=http://www.irfca.org/apps/locos/list?authenticity_token=ReK61Xl7XaF1VJapJ63USw3GU20HKtdaWEzVPl%2Bwz28%3D&page=6&shed_id=15|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>
|page=1|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref> Electric loco Shed, Asansol is now housing a large fleet of [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]] in Indian Railways and it caters to many long-distance electric trains.<ref>{{cite news|title=fleets under sheds|url=http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html#sr|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=List of Locos in Howrah|url=http://www.irfca.org/apps/locos/list?authenticity_token=ReK61Xl7XaF1VJapJ63USw3GU20HKtdaWEzVPl%2Bwz28%3D&page=6&shed_id=15|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>


Like all locomotive sheds, ASN does regular maintenance, overhaul and repair including painting and washing of locomotives. It not only attends to locomotives housed at ASN but to ones coming in from other sheds as well. It has four pit lines for loco repair. Locomotives of Asansol ELS along with Howrah ELS were the regular links for all trains running through West Bengal when widespread electrification of railway lines started in Eastern Railways. ASN locomotives used to be predominantly the regular links for trains traveling to north as well.
Like all locomotive sheds, ASN does regular maintenance, overhaul and repair including painting and washing of locomotives. It not only attends to locomotives housed at ASN but to ones coming in from other sheds as well. It has four pit lines for loco repair. Locomotives of Asansol ELS along with Howrah ELS were the regular links for all trains running through West Bengal when widespread electrification of railway lines started in Eastern Railways. ASN locomotives used to be predominantly the regular links for trains traveling to north as well.
It handled prestigious trains like [[Ganga Sagar Express]] and the [[Haldia–Asansol Express]] and many more.


== Livery and Markings ==
== Livery and Markings ==
Line 61: Line 62:
|18
|18
|In service
|In service
|[[File:ASN WAP4.jpg|frameless]]
|
|-
|-
|2.
|2.
|WAG-5
|WAG-5
|3850
|3850
|99
|58
|In service
|In service
|[[File:ASN WAG-5.jpg|frameless]]
|
|-
|-
|3.
|3.
Line 75: Line 76:
|35
|35
|In service
|In service
|[[File:ASN WAG7 28678.jpg|frameless]]
|
|-
|-
|4.
|4.
|WAM-4
|3640
|3
|In shunting only
|[[File:AJJ WAM4.jpg|frameless]]
|-
|5.
|WAG-9
|WAG-9
|6122
|6122
|15
|36
|In service
|In service
|[[File:ASN WAG9HC.jpg|frameless]]
|
|-
|-
| colspan="3" |'''Total Locomotives Active as of June 2021'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=e-Locos|url=http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Holding/holding.html}}</ref>||170
| colspan="3" |'''Total Locomotives Active as of May 2022'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=e-Locos|url=http://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Holding/holding.html}}</ref>||147
|}
|}


== See also ==
== See also ==
*[[Electric Loco Shed, Howrah]]
*[[Electric Loco Shed, Howrah]]
*[[Diesel Loco Shed, Golden Rock]]
*[[Electric Loco Shed, Sealdah]]
*[[Electric Loco Shed, Royapuram]]
*[[Electric Loco Shed, Tatanagar]]
*[[Electric Loco Shed, Erode]]


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 23:51, 5 August 2023


Electric Loco Shed, Asansol
Location
LocationAsansol, West Bengal
Coordinates23°41′31″N 86°58′10″E / 23.691972°N 86.969316°E / 23.691972; 86.969316Coordinates: 23°41′31″N 86°58′10″E / 23.691972°N 86.969316°E / 23.691972; 86.969316
Characteristics
OwnerIndian Railways
OperatorEastern Railway zone
Depot codeASN
TypeEngine shed
Roads6
Rolling stockWAP-4
WAG-5
WAG-7
WAG-9
History
Opened1959; 66 years ago (1959)
Former rolling stockWAM 1, WAM-2/3 WAP-6, WAG-3, WAG-4, WAG-2

Electric Loco Shed, Asansol is a motive power depot performing locomotive maintenance and repair facility for electric locomotives of the Indian Railways, located at Asansol of the Eastern Railway zone in West Bengal, India. It is one of the two electric locomotive sheds of the Eastern Railway, the others being at Howrah (HWH). As of 1 May 2022, there are 147 locomotives in the shed.[1]

History[edit]

Steam locomotive sheds used to exist at Asansol (Howrah) until the late 1970s.[2][3] After Eastern Railway set a deadline to eliminate all steam locomotive operations by 1990, a push was given towards establishing electric locomotion as the primary motive power, and the Steam locomotive sheds was decommissioned.[4] To meet the needs of exponentially increasing rail traffic on the new continuous broad gauge lines from kolkata to rest of India with the completion of gauge conversion, the Asansol was selected by Indian railways for a new electric locomotive shed.[5]

Asansol shed was started in May 1959 by converting a small portion of steam shed with a holding of 45 locos. The imported WAM-1 locomotives were based in this shed after commissioning. With the addition of WAM-2/3 locos. imported from Japan, the need for the expansion of this shed was felt and it was expanded to home 80 locos. In the year 1969 by taking some more portion of the steam shed 12 imported mixed locos. from Japan (10 WAM-2 + 2 WAM-3) and 45 WAG-2 locos. were added. To give marginal relief to the congestion, the 45 WAG-2s were transferred to MGS shed.

With the introduction of EMU rakes from BHEL and ICF in Calcutta suburban section, 25 WAM-2 locos, which were working in push-pull operation, were converted to main line operation. The original WAM-1/2 locos, having ignitrons for AC-to-DC conversion, were converted to silicon rectifier system in the years 1968 to 1970. CLW started production and the first batch of 10 WAG-4 locos were commissioned and based at Asansol shed in 1970. In 1971, CLW started manufacturing WAM-4s which were commissioned at Asansol. Shed was further expanded in 1974 to home 110 locos. which increased to 115 in 1980. With the introduction of air-brake stock, some WAG-4s were converted for dual brake operation. Further facilities were created for maintaining 20 such locos.

In the late 1995s WAP-6 were introduced which stayed until late 2005, when they were transferred to Howrah. It later got a large fleet of WAP-4 locos from howrah. All WAP-6 locos from Howrah shed converted to WAP-4 units and transferred here.[6] The shed also had a few WAM-4 units. All the WAM-4s of this shed have been transferred to Sealdah shed.

Operations[edit]

Being one of the three electric engine sheds in Eastern Railway, various major and minor maintenance schedules of electric locomotives are carried out here. It has the sanctioned capacity of 175 engine units. Beyond the operating capacity, this shed houses a total of 207 engine units, including 90 WAP-4 and 19 WAP-7. It also housed a few WAM-4 locomotives temporarily.[7] Electric loco Shed, Asansol is now housing a large fleet of WAP-4 in Indian Railways and it caters to many long-distance electric trains.[8][9]

Like all locomotive sheds, ASN does regular maintenance, overhaul and repair including painting and washing of locomotives. It not only attends to locomotives housed at ASN but to ones coming in from other sheds as well. It has four pit lines for loco repair. Locomotives of Asansol ELS along with Howrah ELS were the regular links for all trains running through West Bengal when widespread electrification of railway lines started in Eastern Railways. ASN locomotives used to be predominantly the regular links for trains traveling to north as well. It handled prestigious trains like Ganga Sagar Express and the Haldia–Asansol Express and many more.

Livery and Markings[edit]

Though WAP-4 class have a standardized livery all over India, Asansol WAP-4 locomotives can easily be recognized by their Blood Red with incomplete yellow band.

Locomotives[edit]

SN Type of Loco HP Holding Comments Images
1. WAP-4 5350 18 In service
2. WAG-5 3850 58 In service
3. WAG-7 5350 35 In service
4. WAG-9 6122 36 In service
Total Locomotives Active as of May 2022[10] 147

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. "e-Locos".
  2. "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Steam Locomotive Sheds in the 1970s". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  3. "scan0189.jpg". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  4. "Report of the expert Committee on Coal Consumption on Railways, 1958". INDIAN CULTURE. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  5. "Electric loco shed location". Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  6. "Nov 2019 Locomotive Holding list" (PDF).
  7. "Indian Railway-shed wise engine.holdings" (PDF). p. 1. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  8. "fleets under sheds". Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  9. "List of Locos in Howrah". Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  10. "e-Locos".

External links[edit]