In the twenties, the Great Indian Peninsular Railway ordered both freight and passenger locomotives for their 1,500 Volts DC electrification. While the passenger locomotives were known as EA/1, the freight design shown here was the EF/1. The electrical part was supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers, but was based on drawings by BBC. The mechanical part of the first ten locomotives built in 1928 came from the Swiss SLM and 31 more were built by Vulcan Foundry in the UK.

The locomotives had a crocodile layout and each of the outer, articulated parts stood on three axles and housed a double motor with 650 hp per half. These motors were connected to the axles via a crank axle and an SLM inclined rod drive. For use on inclines like the Bhor Ghat with three percent, they had a regenerative brake. Despite a rigid wheelbase of 4,596 mm (15 ft 1 in), they were able to negotiate curves with a radius of 150 meters.

SBB Historic

The crews gave them the nickname “Khēkaḍā”, what means “crab” in the Marathi language. When Indian Railways were founded, they got the designation WCG-1, what stood for broad gauge, DC, freight and first generation. From the seventies, they were increasingly used for shunting service. They were withdrawn in the first years of the 21st century and two are preserved as static exhibit.