History of Jamalpur Locomotive Works

The Locomotive Engineering Workshop at Jamalpur ( as it was originally known) was established in the year 1862.

Established on 8th day of February 1862, the Workshop has enjoyed the distinction of being the largest and the oldest locomotive repair workshop with the most diversified manufacturing activities on the Indian Railways. The entire Workshop and colony was flattened by a devastating earthquake on 15 th. January 1934. A new Railway colony was built at Rampur.

BIO-DATA

• Area : 5,74,654 sq. meters

• Staff : 11,485

• No. of Machinery and Plants : 1628

• Power consumed : 7 MVA

• Water supply : 73 lakh litres /day.

• Annual Turnover : Rs. 156 Crores

• This is the only workshop in Indian Railways to have been equipped with its own POWER HOUSE. ( 5 MVA)

The workshop has a number of FIRSTS to it is credit

• The FIRST to manufacture a steam locomotive (The first one, CA 764 'Lady Curzon', was produced in 1899.) at a cost of Rs. 33,000/- which served for 33 years. The manufacture of Steam locomotive was stopped in the year 1923 after manufacturing 216 locomotives and locomotive boilers – between 1899 and 1923.
  

• The FIRST to have set up a rolling mill not only on the railways, but probably in the country in 1870.(now closed)
  

• The FIRST to establish a railway foundry in the year 1893.
  

• The FIRST to ,manufacture a rail travelling crane in the country with indigenous know-how in 1961.
  

• The FIRST to manufacture high capacity synchronised electrically operated lifting jacks popularly known as "JAMALPUR JACKS" in 1962 and ticket printing, ticket chopping, ticket slitting and ticket counting machines.
  

• The FIRST and the only railway workshop to manufacture electrical arc furnaces of ½ tonne capacity in 1961 for production of steel casting.

Abrupt closure of steam activities in August’92 was to some extent overcome with the switching over to the repair of Diesel Locomotives, repair of unloadable wagons and manufacture of Diesel Hydraulic Break Down Cranes and Tower Cars. This adaptability to new technologies, which is a strongpoint of the Workshop, was further facilitated on account of:-
An experienced and technically sound work force, ready to face all challenges.
Dynamic and interactive participation of employees in management.

Availability of an extensive in-built infrastructure for casting, forging, fabricating and machining.
Independent facilities of housing colonies, hospitals, schools & colleges, recreation institutes, golf course and water & electricity supply systems.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

POH and repair of diesel locomotives : Started in 1982 the workshop caters full demand of Eastern Railway. The Workshop also deals with Special repairs to accident involved locomotives and locomotives owned by various Public Sector Undertakings like NTPC, CPT, SAIL in the eastern region.So far 84 such Locomotives from PSUs have been repaired and generated a cash inflow of Rs. 26 crores.

Rebuilding and repair of BOX wagons : Due to generation of a large no of unloadable BOX wagons in Eastern Railway and thus limiting the usage of these wagons it was felt necessary to introduce special type of repair to BOX wagons in between POH to make them earn revenue. These scheme yielded results and and Jamalpur shops gradually increased their production from 2445 FWUs in 95-96 to 3602 FWUs in 99-2000.
Apart from the above main activity Jamalpur Shops are also engaged in

POH and Manufacture of Cranes and Tower Cars

POH of Tower Cars

POH of 140 T Gottwald Cranes and other cranes ranging from 20T to 120T.

POH of Plasser Unimat Tamping Machines

Manufacture of Tower Cars Mark -II and mark III

Manufacture of Cranes 10T , 20T, and 140 T Break Down cranes : With the transfer of technology the workshop has taken up manufacture of sophisticated 140T Diesel Hydraulic BD Cranes. Initially all Components were imported from Germany , but now with gradual indigenisation the cost of each cranes has been brought down from Rs.13.0 crores to Rs.8 crores.

As mentioned above this workshop was first in Indian Railways to establish a foundry and now this foundry shop produces more than 1 lakh medium phosphorous brake blocks per month for use in Eastern railway as well as S.E.Rly, Northern Rly. and N.F.Rly.With the switching over to composite brake blocks the activities in this field is expected to be reduced by 50% in the years to come.
Manufacturing of Heavy Duty Lifting Jacks : Not only IR but also Public Sector units like NTPC, SAIL Port authorities have acclaimed the product and still being manufactured earning cash flow to this resource starved unit.

Manufacture of Wheel sets and other spares for C&W, Diesel and Engineering. The workshop has been entrusted with the work of supplying wheel sets to Coach manufacturers after assembly. In 99-2000 the work shop supplied finished wheel sets to M/s Jessops; M/s BEML and ICF works.