Bernina Railway Ge 6/6 81
The Ge 6/6 81 was a six-axle electric locomotive of the former Bernina Railway (BB), which in 1943 the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) came up. As a single piece of it was from the Swiss Locomotive Works in Winterthur with electrical equipment of Brown, Boveri & Cie. produced and delivered in 1916. As a narrow-gauge electric locomotive with six driving axles they received the type designation Ge 6 /6 and the operation number 81 The locomotive has a small luggage compartment, but this is not reflected in the type designation, since the web wanted classify the vehicle as a locomotive and not as railcars.
History
The then rapid increase in traffic demanded a separate locomotive for heavy traffic. With a weight of 45 tonnes, spread over the original six driving axles and two small axes for the subframe of the brake frame, comprising the electromagnetic rail brakes, and four traction motors it was considered the most powerful narrow gauge locomotive in Europe. In each case two engines were firmly screwed in a bogie frame, the transmission carried by the motor shaft to a first countershaft. The two layshafts and the middle drive axle of each truck have been connected to a triangular frame. The external axes were driven by coupling rods. This arrangement did not prove itself. It is narrated that a triangular coupling rod was thrown at full speed after breaking the cranks through the roof.
Conversion to a Ge 4/4 81
In 1929, the locomotive of the wheel arrangement C'C rebuilt 'on the BB wheel arrangement. The central axis of each bogie has been replaced by a blind shaft. The power transmission from engine manufacturers, is now performed by a gear. the drive axles are driven by slot coupling rods. During the renovation, the locomotive was prepared for the upcoming increase in voltage from 750 to 1000 volts. This allowed the power of 960 hp at 1,040 be increased. The maximum speed limit was lowered from 50 to 45 km / hr.
A special feature of the locomotive has a equipped with two axles subframe for fed from the contact line electromagnetic rail brake. As a result of this subframe, the locomotive could properly share the wheel arrangement B'2'B ' originally C'2'C '. The type designation including the brake frame would Ge 4 /6 ( or earlier Ge 6 /8) loud, considering the luggage compartment De 4 /6 ( formerly Fe 4/6 or Fe 6/8).
Rhaetian Railway locomotive 1961 was the company number 181 1970, she was retired and came to Blonay -Chamby (BC ), where it was initially used regularly. From 1990, the damage to the electrical equipment prevented the further use. Only in 2008 the locomotive with the help of a sponsor could be worked up so far that it can be used again since then.