SNCF Class BB 15000

Infobox Locomotive
name=SNCF BB15000
powertype=Electric
electricsystem=25 kV AC
tractionmotors=1.5kV DC traction motors controlled by thyristors


caption=BB 15014 TEE Arzens livery at the Gare de l'Est
builddate=1971 – 1978
builder=Alsthom & MTE
weight=90 tons
uicclass=Bo-Bo
transmission=73/44 gear ratio
firstrundate=1971
disposition=in service
nicknames="Nez cassés", "BB 4400kW"
numinclass=60, 5 scrapped
poweroutput=4,420 kW
tractiveeffort=294 kN
topspeed=160 km/h
length=17.48 m
width=3.05 m
height=4.29 m
safety=Crocodile, KVB. SNCF-VFE locomotives also have Memor II+| railroad=SNCF-VFE/SNCF-CIC/SNCF-TER
The SNCF class BB 15000 is a class of 25kV 50Hz electric locomotives built by Alsthom and MTE between 1971 and 1978. Initially 65 locomotives strong, the series was widely used on the whole French 25kV network before losing services to TGV trains when the LGV Est went into service in 2007.

History

In the mid-1960's, SNCF wanted to order a new type of dual-current electric locomotives. Although very satisfied by the performances of BB25200 locomotives these had one big disadvantage: being equipped with pure DC motors (under AC catenary power was rectified to DC by a transformer and a bridge rectifier), these locomotives could not produce the same power under both current systems.

As thyristor technology advanced rapidly, SNCF decided to adopt the new technology for a whole new series of locomotives, later known as the "Nez Cassés" or "BB 4400kW". Given the need for pure AC-locomotives was biggest, SNCF placed an initial order of 5 locomotives in 1968. In 1969 a second order of 10 locomotives followed, in 1970 a third order was made for another 10 locomotives. The remainder of 40 locomotives was ordered in 1973.

The first 5 locomotives were delivered in 1971 in green "Maurienne" livery. The rest followed between 1973 and 1978, but were painted in the TEE-Arzens livery. Initially meant to support BB16000 locomotives on the eastern and northeastern lines, which could not keep up with the timetables anymore after top speed on some sections was raised to 160 km/h, they would become the most important locomotives on the northern and northeast network.

Career

1970s-2007

After being tested on the Paris-Épernay main line in 1971, they were taken in commercial service from 1972 onwards. They ran mostly on the northeast network where they pulled nearly all passenger trains, including the famous national TEE trains "Kléber" and "Stanislas". Some services extended to the northwest, with workings to Lille, Calais and the Belgian border (Quévy).

Services remained stable throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but the opening of the LGV Nord in 1993 started a cascade in which the locomotives lost services to either dual-voltage BB26000 locomotives or to TGV trains. Yet BB15000 locomotives remained strong in the northeast and pulled promoted Corail Téoz services between Paris and Strasbourg from 2003 until mid-2005, when half of the loco-hauled services were converted to TGV services, albeit running on the classic line. In mid-2006 the remainder were also converted into TGV services, leaving only some TER trains for the Lorraine and Alsace regions, and the EuroCity trains between Basel and Brussels (loco change at Luxemburg) or Paris and Frankfurt (loco change at Strasbourg).

The opening of the LGV Est in June 2007 ment the end of classic loco-hauled Intercity trains between Paris and the northeastern regions with BB15000 locomotives losing a great deal of importance there.

2007-present

Although the end of loco-hauled Intercity trains in the northeast was a mayor step back, it didn't mean the end for the class.The remaining 60 locomotives are divided over the 3 sectors:

*Twelve locomotives are allocated to SNCF-VFE and work Basel-Luxemburg EuroCity services, as well as DB AutoZug's night train from Paris-Nord to the Belgian border. These locomotives are fitted with the Memor II+ safety system which enables them to operate to Luxemburg. These locomotives are numbered in the 115000 series.

*Twenty-eight locomotives are allocated to SNCF-CIC (Corail Intercité) and are working medium to long distance regional services between Paris and Amiens/Maubeuge on the one end, and Paris-Caen/Deauville/Le Havre on the other end. Twelve locomotives of this sub-series, called BB215000R (from "Réversible"), are fitted with MUX which enables them to work in push-pull with the Corail B6Dux driving trailers and will be replacing BB216000 locomotives there. This sub-series is numbered in the 215000 series.

*Twenty locomotives are allocated to SNCF-TER Champagne-Ardennes, Haute-Normandie and Picardie, working fast TER services and replacing the remaining BB516000 locomotives. Fifteen locomotives of this sub-series, called BB515000R, are fitted with MUX in able to operate in push-pull mode with V2N driving trailers on Paris-Rouen (Haute-Normandie) and Paris-Amiens (Picardie) and will be replacing BB516100 locomotives there. This sub-series is numbered in the 515000 series.

Technology

The locomotive's shell is shared with the other members of the "Nez Cassé" family (BB7200, BB22200) and is of the monocoque type. The windows are inclined to the inside for 2 reasons: in this way they would not blind the driver and they would protect him against a frontal crash. Ironically, this inclination gave the locomotive its nickname "Nez Cassé" (broken nose).

The cabin is also shared with the BB7200 and BB22200 series and have even a big deal in common with cabs of other SNCF locomotives of the 1960s. This class was also the first to introduce the VI ("Vitesse Imposée") cruise control system which is now standard on all SNCF locomotives delivered after 1971.

The electrical part consists of a single pantograph (type AM18U) which collects 25kV from the catenary. Power is passed through a transformer which lowers the tension to about 1500V AC and a bridge rectifier controlled by thrystors rectify it into DC, which is then fed into the traction motors.

Brake equipment consists of pneumatic, electro-pneumatic, regenerative and dynamic brakes. Bogies were derived of the Y217 bogies of BB67400 locomotives and have primary (coil springs) and secondary ("sandwich" blocs) suspension.

The reliability of the locomotives is outstanding, as some locomotives have already passed the 10,000,000 km mark and have less than 2 defects per million kilometres, a number unrivaled by other similar European locomotives.

Liveries

BB15000 locomotives sported 5 different liveries:
*The green "Maurienne" livery (so called because CC6500 locomotives also wore this livery and operated in the French Maurienne region) was worn by locomotives BB15000 till BB15005 between their delivery and 1982, when they were repainted in the TEE-Arzens livery.
*The TEE-Arzens livery was worn by locomotives from number BB15006 onwards by delivery, the first 5 green locomotives were also repainted in this livery in 1982. There were 2 variants of this livery: the original livery which consisted of silver, red and orange, and the modified one where the silver was replaced with opaque gray. Nowadays a number of locomotives still wear the original livery, the others having another one listed below.

*The "béton" (lit. "concrete") livery, which was the standard livery of BB7200 and BB22200 locomotives, was tested on locomotives BB15034 and BB15040 between 1986 and 1987 but was considered a failure as the locomotives got dirty too fast.

*The "Multiservices" livery (former known as Corail+, in line with the same coaches) was introduced in 1995 on BB15016 and consisted of 2 shades of gray, silver and red. Nearly half of the class was painted in this livery until 2002, when the new "en voyage..." livery was introduced on the series.

*The "en voyage..." livery is the latest livery of the class. Introduced on BB15063 in 2002, it consists of silver, purple on cab side 1 and cyan on cab side 2, and the "en voyage..." sticker with stylish motives. All locomotives which are due for a large revision will be repainted in this livery.

The experimental nature of the class

BB15000 locomotives were popular locomotives for conducting various experiments. A small overview:
*Already in 1972 BB15001 was used for testing a potential speed raise to 200 km/h on the Paris-Strasbourg main line (sections Épernay - Châlons-sur-Marne, Vitry-le-François - Bar-le-Duc and Lunéville - Sarrebourg). While the locomotive had no technical difficulties at those speeds, the project was not continued due to the enormous cost of the infrastructure works which had to be undertaken.

*In 1973 BB15008 was used to test communication interferences on the now defunct Überherrn-Wadgassen line in Germany, exceptionally fed with 25kV at that time.

*In 1974 BB15007 is taken out of service and transformed into BB7003, the prototype for the BB7200 locomotives. See SNCF Class BB 7003.

*In 1976 BB15015 was tested on the Marseille-Nice mainline in order to prepare the line for the arrival of the similar, but bicurrent BB22200 locomotives.

*In 1977 BB15041 drove special demonstration rides between Épernay and Châlons-sur-Marne at 200 km/h for Amtrak executives, in order to convince them to buy a locomotive based on this design rather than the Swedish-based AEM-7. Eventually locomotive CC21003 was rebuilt to US standards and sent to the United States instead.

*In 1978 BB15012 received the lower-geared bogies of locomotive BB22201 and was tested on various lines with heavy freight trains with weights up to 2200 tons, in order to test the performances against BB22000 locomotives.

*In 1979 BB15063 is equipped with the bogies of BB7248 which have a modified secondary suspension for operating in the Middle East, as the Iranian Railways were interested to buy a BB15000-based locomotive. It was tested with heavy trains up to 2000 tonnes on various 25kV lines. BB15063 is still equipped with these bogies nowadays.

*Also in 1979 BB15030 was used for stability tests in the Marne valley region at speeds up to 230 km/h.

*In 1980 a BB15000 locomotive pulled middle cars of a TGV Sud-Est trainset at high speeds in preparation of their services on the LGV Sud-Est.

*Later that year BB15008 was sent to the Rail Tec Arsenal climatic test chamber in Vienna for thermal tests up to -30°C.

*In 1981 locomotives BB15049 and BB15059 were used for testing the behaviour of the AM18U pantographs at high speeds in tunnels, related to the use in the then yet to construct Channel Tunnel.

*In 1982 BB15055 receives synchronous motors. Later that year it is renumbered BB10004. See SNCF Class BB 10004.

*Also in 1982 BB15056 received a bimotor bogie with motors similar to the ones used in TGV Sud-Est sets.

*In 1983 BB7003 (original BB15007) is transformed into BB10003, a test-bed locomotive for asynchronous motors. See SNCF Class BB 10003.

*In 1989 BB10004 was reinstated with its original equipments and taken back in service with its original number BB15055.

*In 1997 BB10003 was reinstated with its original equipments and taken back in service with its original number BB15007.

Trivia

*Locomotives BB15015 till BB15065 have a larger cabin due to less inclination of the windows.
*Some locomotives with the "Multiservices" livery have a red nose on one cabin end, and a "correct" grey-red nose on the other end.
*Unlike the BB 7200 and BB 22200 classes, the BB 15000 class was originally built with asymmetric cooling grills, placed to the right on each side of the body. In order to fit the TEE-Arzens livery, the grills on 15006 to 15065 had a "slice" cut out of them beside the cab (right hand side). All locomotives were gradually rebuilt with the centered BB 7200/BB 22200 standard-type of cooling grills in the 1980's and 1990's.

References

*"Les BB 15000, 35 ans de services intensifs de l'Alsace aux Flandres". In: "Rail Passion Hors-Serie: "Génération 4400 kW". July 2006. Éditions La Vie Du Rail, ISSN|1261-3665, p. 6-29.

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External links

* [http://ferrovia.free.fr/tr/15000.php Portrait of the BB15000 locomotives on Ferrovia] (French)
* [http://perso.orange.fr/trains_du_sud-ouest/BB15000.pdf Statistical information (livery, depot) about BB15000 locomotives on Trains-du-Sud-Ouest] (French)
* [http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/fr/electric/ac/15000/pix.html European Railway Picture Gallery]