Were/are battery-powered electric locos used in India?
Yes. Western Railway inherited from the BB&CI Railway two broad-gauge battery-powered shunters that were used in a yard that was not electrified (and where the use of steam or diesel locos was thought to be too noisy). There is a picture of one of these in Jal Daboo’s book. These were locomotives built in England in 1927, and for their time were among the most powerful battery-electrics. The NBM-1 class of 2′ gauge locos are battery-driven, in use by CR on the NG network around Gwalior. They were manufactured by BHEL in 1987, and have a fairly modern thyristor-based AC motor drive. There were only 3 of them in use. (Are these still being used?) Battery locomotives have also been used by some industrial concerns and mines or collieries. English Electric supplied two dual overhead/battery electric locomotives to a colliery in Ballarpur in the early 1930’s. Several battery locomotives have also been supplied by Indian manufacturers.
