| Posted by on October 24, 2019 | |
This is a "BB 7200" as the series is usually called in France.
It is a 4-axle, single voltage (1.5KV DC), 4400 KW (5900 HP) engine. The 240 units of the series were delivered between July 1975 and September 1985. They are progressively withdrawn since 2011. 108 units remain in operation as of October 2019. About similar engines were exported to the Netherlands and Morocco where most are still in service.
It is quite different from the CC 21003 that was tested in the US as Amtrak X996. It was an earlier and much more powerful engine type.
The CC 21000 (4 units only) were 6-axle, dual voltage (1.5KV DC and 25KV-50Hz), 5900 KW / 8000 HP engines. Two units were built in 1969 and two in 1974. They were converted to single voltage 1.5KV DC in 1995-97, thus becoming similar to the CC 6500, re-numbered CC 6575 to 6578, and withdrawn in 2005 and 2007.
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| Posted by Brama on October 24, 2019 | |
1.5KV DC is a rather low voltage, so during acceleration from a full stop or low speed the locomotive causes a high current draw. To prevent arcing and excessive wear on the catenary - especially in wet or icy conditions - both pans are used.
When the current draw diminishes, one of the pans is lowered. In The Netherlands this will usually be the one in the front because with the front pan up, the locomotive is not allowed to exceed 100 km/h.
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