Electric Locomotive

Electric Locomotive YCG E 1/21900

Builder: Hawthorn Leslie & Co, UK. Electricals by English Electric,Leeds, UK Class: YCG/1 Year Built: 1930 Service: SIR (South Indian Railway), later SR (Southern Railway) Wheel Arrangement: Bo-Bo Unique Features: Dual braking (vacuum and air), entrance from balconies at each end, could also work for short spells in unelectrified yard lines, on attachment of trailer housing battery accummulators Numbering: 21900 Named: ---- Voltage: 1,500 V dc Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8")

The Madras Beach-Tambaram section was the first mg line to be electrified in 1930. The YCG/1s were the first electrics to arrive (apart from the mg e.m.us), making them the first mg electrics on Indian soil. Alas, their spent their entire working life on the 25 km stretch between Madras Beach and Tambaram. The main line was steam worked till 1968, after which it was electrified upto Villupuram on 25,000 V ac, in keeping with IR policy. Being dc engines, the YCG/1s used to run on the suburban lines, and never had the previlege of working main line trains. They were used for switching operations and shunting freights between Madras Beach and Tambaram. They also used to haul one suburban train between the stations daily, with silver-coloured YT class cars.One outstanding featue of the YCG/1s was their capability to work on unelectrified yard lines on attachment of a trailer car housing battery accummulators. After the main line was electrified in 1968, age, but a spanking new breed or YAM/1 ac electrics meant that the YCG/1s were not re-ordered. One more unit is preserved outside the e.m.u. car shed at Tambaram, in Madras.