SBB Be 4/4
| SBB Be 4/4 | |
|---|---|
| Numbering: | 12001 |
| Number: | 1 |
| Manufacturer: | SIG SBB BBC |
| Year of construction (s): | 1972 (conversion from De 4/4) |
| Retirement: | 1981 |
| Axis formula : | Bo'Bo ' |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) |
| Length over buffers: | 15 200 mm |
| Service mass: | 64 t |
| Top speed: | 75 km / h |
| Hourly output : | 950 kW |
| Motor type: | 4 FRA 3050 |
The Be 4/4 of the Swiss Federal Railways ( SBB ) is a test locomotive with three-phase drive . The locomotive was converted from a De 4/4 luggage railcar in 1972 . This locomotive was the first to use three-phase current generation for the traction motors in Switzerland, and probably worldwide, by means of an electronic (static) converter in an electric locomotive.
history
When, through the development of controlled silicon rectifiers, it became foreseeable that a more powerful electronic converter would become feasible, the industry and also the railway company wanted to have an inexpensive test locomotive in order to have a test vehicle for future new builds. The SBB De 4/4 1685 from 1927 was converted for this purpose. The railcar was suitable because it had a spacious luggage compartment, in which the power electronics of the converter could be easily accessible and installed interchangeably. It was also clear at this point that not all railcars would receive a new car body , and that the series of railcars that had not been converted would soon be scrapped. The selected vehicle had been parked with fire damage since 1967. The railcar was converted by the SBB main workshop in Yverdon, while the BBC supplied the new traction motors and the converter. The bogies were adapted by SIG . Since the transformer was not replaced, the performance was limited, but it was not the aim to set a new performance record. The top speed also had to be reduced because of the extra weight. As a test vehicle, the railcar, now referred to as a locomotive, fulfilled its purpose, and the experience gained flowed into the DB class 120 and SBB Ee 6/6 II . The old sheet metal car body made of wood turned out to be very practical, as the measuring cables could easily be attached in the interior. The electrical part of the locomotive was damaged and parked in 1975. In December 1981 the locomotive was finally scrapped and demolished. A bogie with two three-phase motors has been preserved and is now owned by the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.