Mandovi Express - the best 5-Star Restaurant in the world

The locomotive from where it all started 24 years ago !

In frame: The first WAP 7 of IR, 30201 christened as 'NAVKIRAN' departing Lucknow NR with 13005 Up Howrah - Amritsar Mail (also known as the Punjab Mail) after a customary traction change from diesel to electric. The loco was recently transferred from Gomoh to Ghaziabad back then. Note the ABB style markers with the classic yellow lamps inside them. These lamps were later replaced by white LEDs but the original marker setup is still intact.
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The advent of WAP-5 & WAG-9 was a major transition from conventional to 3-phase technology. However, the performance of the WAP-5 class with its Bo-Bo configuration wasn't up to the mark when it came to hauling heavy passenger loads (even less than a WAP-4). Therefore, a passenger class locomotive with better tractive effort & performance with heavy mail/express loads became a need of the hour. After several trials & further experiments, the WAP-7 class finally entered service in the year 2000.

Date: Feb, 2014