SBB-CFF-FFS Ae 6/6

Ae 6/6 is a series of 120 universal locomotives of Swiss Federal Railways. They are assigned to the Gotthard locomotives due to their former operational area.

The first 25 locomotives are often referred to as Canton locomotives because they wore the coat of arms of the 25 Swiss cantons. Are located at the Lokkästen chrome trim lines and on the front of a mustache. This ornament, accompanied by the emblem on the side walls, was very well received and made these powerful machines famous all over Europe. The remaining 95 locomotives of the series received no chrome ornament, but the arms of the cantonal capitals and major cities and towns.

Where were the coat of arms, the vehicle number was at the prototype locomotives first ( 11401, 11402 ) attached. The locomotive baptisms were performed as festive occasions. Originally, the machines were painted dark green. Today about half of all locomotives have a red paint. This has been repainted - and not only among the Ae 6 /6 - started in the late eighties.

6.1 Summary
6.2 Modular System
6.3 accidents
6.4 Kantonslok Jura

7.1 Coat of thefts
7.2 Accident in Kaiseraugst

8.1 Summary
8.2 prototype locomotive 11401
8.4 locomotive monument in Erstfeld
8.5 club 11406 Alpnachstad
8.6 locomotive monument in Lucerne
8.7 Monument locomotive of Transport

Prehistory

After the war, the Swiss Federal Railways had to cope with an increasing volume of traffic and therefore saw itself compelled to procure a new, six-axle bogie locomotive especially for the Gotthard Railway. Traffic was previously handled by the SBB Ae 4 /6, SBB Ae 4/7 and the Ce 6/8 Crocodile locomotive. They were - allowed only for very modest trailer loads - from today's perspective. This was the Gotthard preload necessary services that were time-consuming, impractical and uneconomical.

Comprised of SLM and BBC consortium which later Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon joined, was awarded the contract for the construction of two prototypes in 1949. The technical development proved to be a difficult task, so that the locomotive 11401 could leave the factory building the BBC in Munich stone in fahrtauglichem state only on 4 September 1952. She was sent on a test drive to Zurich, but not checked as usual by the Federal Office of Transport for approval at the standard-gauge rail network. She was weighed, and it turned out that they 124 tonnes instead of the planned 120 t weighed. She returned to Munich stone and was initially developed technically. On January 31, 1953, the Ae 6/6 11402 followed.

Six-axle bogie locomotive to be used on high-speed and freight trains,
Hourly output at 6 x 1000 hp at 74 km / h; Continuous power at 6 x 900 hp at 78.5 km / h,
Total weight of 120 t, tolerance of / - 2%,
Transport of 600 ton trains at 75 km / h on the steep ramps of the Gotthard railway,
Transport of 750 t on mountain routes with up to 21 ‰ slope and 1450 t at 10 ‰,
Used as a bias and intermediate engine at speeds between 35 and 75 km / h; must be able to approach to the transport of these loads repeatedly in the slope,
Tensile force of 8 tons at 125 km / h and a trolley wire voltage of 15 kV,
Electric regenerative braking, which can slow down the weight of the engine and a towing capacity of 300 t in a gradient of up to 20 ‰ continuous; Increasing the braking force by 20% within 5 minutes,
Applicability of the electric brake even at the maximum speed,
Increase in power by 10% on the hourly output within 15 minutes.

Use of prototypes

After delivery, followed by various experimental and special trips. The machine reached the requirements according to the specifications. Technical problems were felt in the regular service. Criticism was always the weak electric brake. This was required as in the specification "just" for slowing down of its own weight and a load of up to 300 tonnes in the gradient of up to 20 ‰ designed. For volume production of the electric brake was developed.

The two prototypes initially sided regular services in a two-day program on the Gotthard railway line between Lucerne and Chiasso. They were stationed in the depot Erstfeld. Repeats individual traction motors were defective. Since no spare engines were procured, the affected locomotives were temporarily a ballast, so that the service weight nor wrong. But you had to be deducted from the Gotthard and were used instead of Ae 3/6 I and Ae 4/7-Lokomotiven in other regular services. They were formerly known as the Ae 6/6-Serienlokomotiven deducted from Gotthard, namely in the late sixties, when stationed in Erstfeld SBB Re 4 /4 III were already in use. Thus, they were not infrequently encountered before regional trains that were otherwise covered with Ae 3/6 I or Ae 4/7. In the seventies, they were more technically advanced, but never got the quality of the series locomotives. In the summer of 1980 they were transferred from the depot Erstfeld to Zurich. The local depot inspection planned in January 1997 to use the two prototypes for depot maneuvers and as a compressed air dispenser in the depot Rorschach and thus to withdraw from the market. Due to its special construction, they only inwardly different from the series locomotives, they were much more expensive maintenance and operation to some extent an obstacle. However, the consequence of the driver shortage they came within a short time back in the regular service and because of the assignment of all Ae 6/6-Lokomotiven to SBB Cargo fell off the depot allocation.

These prototypes had bogies with rigid axles, which led to heavy rail and wheel flange wear in cornering. Despite initial technical shortcomings been thought to be associated with the development of the Ae 6/6 on the right track with SBB. After installation side shock mounted wheel sets and reduction of the flange of the middle bogie wheels and series production was launched in 1954, the 1955, the first deliveries were followed.

Quick driving tests

The SNCB planned in the late 1960s the construction of a 200 km / h six-axle locomotive, which should be equipped with trucks, designed by SLM. In this context, the Ae 6/6 11414 was fitted with modified bogies. The double leaf springs of the cradle were replaced by Flexicoil coil springs and installed a Tiefzuganlenkung. Further, the translation was changed to 1:1.6. The locomotive was transferred to Germany on June 11, 1969 together with a test car in their own efforts to Forchheim. On the route to Bamberg 1969 high-speed tests were carried out from 16 June to 24 June. In the five trips speeds were reached over 200 km / hr.

The successful experiments led to licensing agreements with the Belgian company Les Ateliers Métallurgiques which bogies used in Nivelles to the plans of SLM for the Belgian locomotives of series 20 and other series.

Operational use until the 1960s

Summary

At its height, in the 1950s and 1960s, the Ae 6/6 were the Gotthard locomotive par for both passenger as well as freight transport. They were also the Simplon in use. They were used in rotation there for the revision by the main workshop Bellinzona was assured. In the late sixties, the two prototypes were taken from the Gotthard; later followed in many series locomotives. They were added to the lowlands, because newer, more powerful locomotives were used on the Gotthard. Since the 1990s, the Ae 6/6 are almost exclusively used for freight services, as they are too slow for passenger trains today.

Loktaufen

The extra trips at the Loktaufen part of the business use of the Ae 6 / 6th It took over a custom from England by decorating the locomotives with the cantonal and municipal coat of arms. These were festive occasions, and each canton was "his" own Ae 6 / 6th The vehicles 11426-11520 received coat of arms of cantonal capitals and major transportation centers.

Operational use until the 1990s

Summary

In the 1970s, the prototypes were 11401 and 11402 technical developments. They were matched in 1978 above all the locomotive 11414, but never got the quality of the series locomotives. In 1971, the Ae 6/6 with the new SBB Re were 4/4 III relieved on the Gotthard route something. However, genuine competition they received in 1975 by the SBB Re 6/ 6, which was intended to be her successor type and has almost twice the power.

The former star of the Gotthard was thus forced into low -level services and has since been almost exclusively used mostly in the Central Plateau and the Jura, and since the mid-1990s in freight transport. This is because he is too slow for fast passenger transport with that of 125 km / h reduced to 120 km / h.

An exception was rented by the BLS former Gotthard locomotives that were excited to ride over the Lötschberg even before InterCity trains.

In 1997, the depot inspection of Zurich wanted to pull the two prototypes from the market and use them as compressed air dispenser and for depot maneuvers in the depot of Rorschach. However, the consequence of the driver shortage they came back into the regular service.

Modular system

The series locomotives 11403-11520 were created after the so-called modular system. Though they were partly involved in serious accidents, they could be repaired asked again within a short time. Since the prototype locomotives 11401 and 11402 variously constructed differently, they have benefited little from this modular system.

Accidents

On the night of 29 to July 30, 1988 collided the Ae 6/6 11413 that drew the freight train 53048, in Effingen with a construction machine. She had to undergo as a result of a major revision on 28 February 1989 and was returned to service.

On April 12, 1989, there arrived in Winterthur one edge of the drive between the SBB Ae 6/6 11401 and SBB Re 4 /4 II 11287th Since a sufficient stock of spare parts was created for the series locomotives, this after accidents within a short time could be repaired asked again. Since this time these were a prototype locomotive, the work-up proved to be much more complicated. The locomotive department of the main workshop in Bellinzona showed that you agree with the demolition of the locomotive. However, railway enthusiasts fought for the preservation of this very first Ae 6/6-Lokomotive so that they remain a major revision, a R3 received. It was the most elaborate and expensive revision of all time. In 1991, the Ae 6/6 " Ticino" was released back into the regular service.

Kantonslok Jura

After the founding of the canton of Jura in 1979 even this State should get its own " Kantonslok ". But since the last Ae was 6/6 already delivered in 1966, the Städtelok 11483 Porrentruy rose to Kantonslok Jura. Although they received the cantonal shield law, but not the chrome trim lines and the " Whiskers ". The coat of arms Porrentruy inherited the SBB Re 4/4II 11239th

21st Century

1999 were divided due to the restructuring of the SBB all 120 locomotives in the freight division (SBB Cargo). In freight transport, the Ae 6/6 today is still a very reliable engine. Since Ae contain 6/6 bogies, each with three axles, clings to them the taint of " rail murderers ." The resentment was particularly loud because of freight trips on the Chemins de fer du Jura ( CJ) belonging distance Porrentruy - Bonfol.

As the biggest disadvantage of the Ae 6/6 the lack of multiple unit control is often mentioned. Current plans of reorganization were discarded, and because of the uncertain remaining lifetime and not pursued. For the younger locomotives to be equipped with the cab signaling system (FSS ) was proposed so that they can ride on FSS routes, tentatively, the 11512 " Horgen " retooled for this.

The still functioning production locomotives can now be found before Nahgüterzügen, but are usually on large marshalling yards. After repeated coats of arms were removed and stolen by unknown persons, SBB Cargo ordered in March 2005 to the dismantling of all coats of arms. Presumably the arms are no longer mounted, but together passed SBB Historic. In March 2007, SBB Cargo announced that a greater number of Ae 6/6 a Neubemalung in the so-called " Cargo " look and still get at least up to the commissioning of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (expected around 2016) are to remain in operation. The first repainted locomotive is - apart from the monument locomotive Ae 610 492 - 610 486 Ae " castle village".

On July 5, 2012 published the new SBB Cargo Flottenkonzpt, which provides for the phasing out of standing still in operation, around 40 Ae 6 /6 until the end of 2013. Your remaining services will be taken over by Re 620 and Re 420.

Coat of arms thefts

Unknowns, which are likely accounted for by trophy hunters, access procured in 2006 to the marshalling yards at night and dismantled coat of arms and Swiss crosses. To prevent further thefts, ordered the SBB, with all Ae 6/6-Lokomotiven to remove the coat of arms and archive. The locomotives in the new SBB Cargo design received new coat of arms at each cab on the left side.

Accident in Kaiseraugst

Caused a sensation in the Ae 6/6 11437 " Basel ", which at the railway station Kaiseraugst a signal at danger dwarf ran as Lokzug on 1 May 2006 on a siding and derailed on a protection switch. The locomotive ended thus in an oblique position in the gravel bed next to the track tracks.

Usually, such accounting terms have already been depreciated accident vehicles are never repaired set. The vehicles of SBB Cargo will be transferred to the competent this Bellinzona depot and exploited as a source of spare parts. In this locomotive but no major damage was incurred, that the Ae 6/6 11437 " Basel " could be put into operation after a work-up in Bellinzona again.

The fate of discarded locomotives

Summary

2002 was the first locomotive of this series, the accidentally discarded and aborted 11410 "Basel -Stadt ." This happened after she was thrown open at a flank drive in Dietikon, the side wall. Since then, several machines, including the prototype 11402 "Uri" and 11401 " Ticino" were scrapped.

2002 was the 11401 «Ticino » shortly after her 50th birthday guest at the open day at the rail yard in Muttenz. After an electrical fire, it was scrapped on 11 September 2003. Then she stood for months on a catenary-free siding at Lokomotiv cemetery of Biasca - initially with some other Ae 6/6 that were abandoned shortly thereafter unnoticed by the public. The same fate befell the 11433, which was parked in Bellinzona. Parked in Biasca was the 11412, which was handed over to the scrap dealer in December 2006.

The fate of discarded Ae 6/6-Lokomotiven provides regularly stir in railway friends.

Prototype locomotive 11401

Last time was only the 11401 «Ticino » parked in Biasca and secured with wheel pants. You heard since 12 June 2006, the SBB Historic, they rented since December 2006 long-term to the Club del San Gottardo. Railway enthusiasts argued that the Swiss cross and the cantonal coats of arms were no longer present on this and other Ae 6/6-Lokomotiven. According to the SBB the dismantled parts are handed over together with the vehicle to the buyer. The " Ticino Ae 6/6 " was transferred to Bellinzona in July 2007. She was also stored there and you wanted to start with the repairs to. But the cost proved to be much higher than budgeted, and it proved difficult to obtain the right spare parts. In addition, cracks were noticeable in the spokes. Since 20 May 2010, this locomotive is at the Stuttgart railway company in Horb am Neckar.

The Heritage Foundation (SBB Historic) the Ae 6/6 11402 "Uri" was passed, which was again prepared for the Gotthard anniversary in 2007 with its original, spruce green paint scheme and then stationed in the depot Erstfeld. Also in the service of SBB Historic are the Ae 6/6 11411 " train " ( pine green color, Erstfeld location ), 11416 " Glarus " and 11425 " Geneva " and (both with the color red and the location Olten ) with the " Glarus » is not operational and is used as spare parts.

The Ae 6/6 11405 " Nidwalden " has also been taken over by SBB Historic as spare parts and initially parked in Olten. After removing even more useful parts for the Ae 6/6 " Aargau ", which is in the custody of the association Mikado, she was transferred on 10 January 2012 for the demolition to Kaiseraugst.

In autumn 2011, SBB Historic also took over the Ae 6/6 11456 " Olten ". She is based in Olten and is to be maintained ready to drive in the last operating state. There are currently (as of July 2012) the only cities in the locomotive inventory of historic Ae 6 / 6th

Two additional locomotives were assigned as loans to various associations.

The Ae 6/6 11421 " Graubünden " was issued by SBB Historic to the " club historic preservation Electric locomotive Ae 6/6 11403 " loan. The contradiction in the club name and the locomotive number results from the fact that the club wanted the Ae 6/6 11403 " Schwyz " take over first, this was not repairable defective so that you have made to the 11421 loan recourse.

Monument locomotive at Erstfeld

From the autumn of 2006 was the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Gotthard Railway, a monument locomotive series Ae 6 /6 with two dining cars and a baggage car at the site of the motorway service area at Erstfeld. The dining car was not abused - they were a part of the restaurant. At the same time, the interiors of the service area were rebuilt in the direction North. When the construction was finished, the dining car, which normally operate in intercity trains were replaced by wagons.

The former Ae 6/6 11492 " Emmen " has been freshly painted with the SBB Cargo design and was named Ae 610 492 with its current appearance is, however, only since its reopening in regular service on the go. The once planned Umdesignierung due to the assignment of all conspecifics to division freight crashed into circles of railway friends on protests. ( A bright green color was provided. ) The new monument was inaugurated festive with a large station clock on 18 October 2006. Among the speakers were the Uri Government Isidor Baumann, the Ticino government Marco Borradori and Benedikt Weibel, the outgoing president of the SBB -General. In the fall of 2007, the locomotive was transported away from the roadhouse and rerailed on the Gotthard railway. In the industrial control broken Wheelspiders were found. The damage had to be repaired before the locomotive came into regular service again.

Club 11406 Alpnachstad

The club 11406 Alpnachstad wanted the baptized to the Canton Obwalden Ae get 6/6 11406 locomotive as a monument in Alpnachstad. The club had the locomotive long-term lease of SBB Historic.

The locomotive was as inoperable scrapped and cannibalized as a spare part donor in the main workshop Bellinzona. Your scrapping was already sealed by the CFF, which was provisionally prevented. On the night of 14 to 15 December 2006, she was transported by road from Bellinzona to Alpnachstad. After a long but fruitless search for a location in Alpnach the locomotive was canceled on June 17, 2011 in Ennetmoos up to the cab which is to be used for a future project.

Locomotive monument in Lucerne

Between Dagmersellen and Nebikon, on the grounds of Galliker Transport AG since February 2007 is an initiative of the senior partner Peter Galliker the Ae 6/6 11418 in red color. Although it was dedicated to the Canton of St. Gallen, she received a new Lucerne Cantonal crest. Galliker, a regular customer of SBB Cargo, had discovered the demolition dedicated machine in Bellinzona and so gave her a new home.

Monument locomotive of Transport

Lokomotiv list

Of the 120 locomotives are not all available. The following list shows the state as of 1 January 2010.

Discarded locomotives ( No longer out in the train directory):

Remisierte locomotives (some no longer functional but still out in the locomotive list):

All other locomotives are still in operation.

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