Rhaetian Railway Ge 4/6
The Ge 4/ 6 is a series of six-axle electric locomotives of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). They each have four driven by coupling rods drive axles and two carrying axles.
History
At the opening of the railway line Samedan - Scuol 1913, the Rhaetian Railway needed a powerful set of Elektrolomomotiven. Since the applied there AC system was still in its infancy, was commissioned a number of electrical companies with the construction of locomotives, so as to find the ideal design. The mechanical part of all locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM ).
The first locomotive hit the # 351 with an electric equipment of the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon ( MFO ) in December 1912 in Grisons one, it was thus the first electric locomotive of the RhB. An identical sister locomotive with the number 352 followed in February 1913. A third locomotive was followed by 1913 No. 391, which was built by SLM and AEG. As for now the last locomotive equipped by the BBC No. 301 was taken in June 1913 in operation. 1918 took over the RhB another locomotive with the number 302, which had been built by the BBC in 1914 on his own account as an exhibit.
The test runs had shown in the meantime that the construction of the MFO is best for the needs of the RhB suitable, consequently, a series of three slightly increased locomotives was given with the numbers 353-355 in order.
Use and scrapping
The First World War made further new acquisitions impossible, so no further Ge were built 4/6. Only in 1921 reached more electric locomotives, the RhB, but now in the form of powerful Ge 6/ 6 I. The Ge 4/ 6 were of people and goods used in the subsequent period in the light and medium on the entire main line. The first locomotive separated the No. 301 1966 from active service; she was scrapped for spare parts source and 1971, the Ge 4/ 6, No. 302 followed five years later. The delivery of the first Ge 4 /4 II 1973 meant the end for the locomotives 351 and 352 locomotives 354 and 355 followed in 1982 and 1984, respectively to the scrap, while No. 353 was preserved as a museum vehicle. The AEG -Lok 391 was retired in 1973, but remained until 1980 when the RhB. She was returned to the AEG and can be visited at the German Technology Museum in Berlin today.
The museum locomotive 353, which celebrated its 90th anniversary with the company in 2004, is still regularly with museum trains in operation.