SNCF BB 8100
The BB 8100 is a French electric locomotive designed by SNCF following the electrification of the Paris—Lyon line.
History
These DC locomotives, part of the BB Midi, BB 300 and BB 900 families, were created to combine the best qualities of all these series. They were designed to be versatile and flexible in use, to reduce maintenance times and costs, and to reduce production costs by creating a large series.
Between 1948 and 1960, the BB 8100 series locomotives were multi-role: they were used both at the head of passenger trains, reaching speeds of up to 105 km/h, and as part of freight trains.
Since 1960, when the faster BB 9200 and BB 9300 locomotives appeared, the BB 8100 has been used exclusively for freight trains. Since the early 1970s, the BB 8100 locomotives have been used in multiple-unit trains (MS). This allowed them to haul heavy trains weighing up to 3,200 tons in the Rhône Valley.
The series was first withdrawn from service in 1988, when some units were converted into BB 80000 for shunting work.
The last locomotives were withdrawn from service in 2003, with the exception of three: BB 8120, 8216 and 8229, which were retained for infrastructure work at the Avignon depot (Provence) and equipped with current-collecting pantographs. However, these last units were deregistered eight years later in December 2011.
Description
Due to their high robustness, several examples of these locomotives were selected for conversion into BB 80000 shunters. With their compact length of 12.92 metres, these locomotives became particularly popular for shunting in the opposite direction, especially at the head of a train. However, only twelve examples were modified in connection with the conversion of BB 8500 to BB 88500.
The BB 8100 locomotives were also successful in export. Modified versions were sold to the Netherlands (where they were called NS 1100) and Morocco.
Manufacturer: Alstom / Jeumont-Schneider / Unaxis (OC Oerlikon)
Assembly: France
Years of production: 1948—1955
In service: 1948—2011
Production: 172 units
Length: 12930 mm
Width: 2988 mm
Height: 3700 mm
Track gauge: 1435 mm
Powerplant: 4× M1 TC (750 V)
Continuous power: 2100 kW
Max speed: 105 km/h
Current type and voltage: 1500 V (CC)
Weight: 92 t
Éco-Musée de Transport (Breil-sur-Roya, Provence)
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