8442 - the SNCF co-co CC21004
Prototype information:
| The
small class of CC21000's, limited to only four examples, was inspired by
the CC6500's which were also in the course of delivery at the end of 1969.
Powerful dual voltage locos, they were all assigned to Dijon depot. One
consequently found them on the line connecting Paris, Dijon and Vallorbe,
at the head of prestigious trains like the Direct-East or the Simplon
Express. They were true mixed traffic locos equally at home on freight
trains between Dijon and Mulhouse. During endurance tests in 1971, one of
them reached 281 km/h in Alsace in what proved to be an excellent
performance for a locomotive. In 1977, CC 21003 was fitted with 11 kV equipment to operate in the United States, but, the experiment was quickly
abandoned by Amtrak and the loco was returned to France. Their poor
reliability and the many breakdowns caused by the complexity of their
design called into question the robustness of their dual voltage
equipment, especially after the delivery of the BB22200's in 1976 and the
arrival of the triple voltage South-Eastern TGV between Paris and Lausanne
in 1984. Equipped in the 1980's with the TVM300 signalling system in order
to operate on the high speed lines on both freight and passenger trains,
CC21001 and 21002 were replaced thereafter on this work by BB22200's.
Consequent costs of maintenance and their poor riding resulted in their
conversion of these four locos into CC6500's. CC21001 to 4 were
converted respectively into CC6575, 76, 77 and 78 between 1994 to 1997 in
the workshops at Oullins. This class of locomotive preceded the arrival of
the BB22200 multipurpose machines which were more reliable and equipped with
power electronics.
They were all based at Dijon depot until their withdrawal/conversion
|
| Number built: | 4 |
CC21003 arriving in USA Author's collection |
| Operating area : | South Eastern region | |
|
Number range: |
21001 - 21004 | |
| Maximum speed: | 200 km/h (125 mile/h) | |
|
Power: |
7480 HP | |
| Operating voltage | 1500v dc and 25 kV ac | |
|
Weight |
123 tons | |
| Length | 20.2 m. | |
| Date entered service: | 1969 | |
| Withdrawn | Converted to CC6500 between 1994 and 1997 | |
| Builder | Alsthom |
