Rhaetian Railway Ge 4/4 III
The RhB Ge 4 /4 III are four-axle narrow gauge electric locomotives of the Swiss Rhaetian Railway ( RhB) which were placed in service from 1993 - the type name of the locomotives is Ge 4 / 4th
History
In order to cope with the additional traffic after the opening of Vereinatunnel, developed the Rhaetian Railway in 1989 together with SLM and ABB a new generation of locomotives whose drive is based on the three-phase technology with GTO thyristors. The original plan of a six-axle variant of the Ge 4 /4 II, which would have advantages on the almost straight tunnel section, was in favor of including on routes with tight radii universal locomotive discarded with four axes.
The result was 100 km / h fast series Ge 4 /4 III, which was designed for an AC voltage of 11 kV at a frequency of 16.7 Hz. The locomotives have a weight of 62 tons and a power of 2400 kW at 80 km / h Its length is 16,000 mm, its height 3,860 mm and width 2,800 mm. The control corresponds almost entirely to the SBB Re 460 series
On December 7, 1993, it was the first machine, Ge 4 /4 III 641, officially put into service. Between 1994 and 1999, followed by eleven more locos in three delivery series with the numbers 642-652. The first order in 1989 consisted of six, the second of three in 1991 and the third in 1996, which should cover the additional demand by the opening of Vereinatunnel, three more machines. On the Albula Railway you can find them nearly all train sets, and the car moves through the Vereinatunnel only be transported through them. Almost all locomotives are equipped with colorful advertising paints.
The twelve locomotives were given names of smaller towns in the Grisons, on the Canton area, the Rhaetian Railway operates its route network. The names are listed, depending on the paint at various locations on the right and left side of the vehicle, the car numbers 641-652 on the two end faces, as well as laterally below. Next to the name is located on each locomotive in addition the coat of arms of the town.
Similar locomotives operate even when the Bière -Apples- Morges Railway ( BAM), (French: Chemin de fer Bière -Apples- Morges ), as Ge 4 /4 No. 21 22, and at the Montreux-Bernese Oberland railway ( MOB), (French: Chemin de fer Montreux- Oberland bernois ), as Ge 4 /4 No. 8001-8004.