The Indian locomotive class WAP-1 is a class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives that was developed in 1980 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works for Indian Railways. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), AC Current (A), Passenger traffic (P) engine, 1st generation (1). They entered service in late 1981. A total of 65 WAP-1 were built at CLW between 1980 and 1996, which made them the most numerous class of mainline electric passenger locomotive until its successor, the WAP-4. The WAP-1 is India's first dedicated electric passenger locomotive of Indian Railways serving passenger trains for over 42 years. This class provided the basic design for a number of other locomotives like WAP-3 and WAP-4 models. However, with the advent of new 3-phase locomotives like WAP-5 and WAP-7, the WAP-1 locomotives were relegated to hauling smaller express and passenger trains and now the aging fleet the WAP-1 locomotives are being slowly withdrawn from mainline duties and scrapped. As of June 2022, 55 locomotives still retain "operational status" on the mainline as WAP-1, with further examples having been converted to WAP-4. In may 1980, I could take this picture of the WAP1 #22000, the very first locomotive of this class which was certainly making some test runs in Delhi.
