NSB El 9

Last updated

El 9
El 9.2063 Flam 13.08.05.jpg
El 9.2063 is preserved at Flåm Station.
Type and origin
Power typeElectric
Builder Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri
Build date1944
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  UIC Bo'Bo'
Length10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Loco weight48 t (47 long tons; 53 short tons)
Electric system/s 15 kV 16.7 Hz Catenary
Current pickup(s) Pantograph
Performance figures
Maximum speed60 km/h (37 mph)
Power output712 kW (955 hp)
Tractive effort 108 kN (24,000 lbf)
Career
Operators Norwegian State Railways
Number in class3
Numbers2062–2064
First run1947
DispositionRetired; two preserved, one scrapped

NSB El 9 is a retired class of three electric locomotives built by Thune for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), with electrical equipment from Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB) and Per Kure. The locomotives were delivered in 1947 after a three-year delay caused by wartime sabotage in response to the German occupation of Norway. They were used nearly exclusively on the Flåm Line and Hardanger Line, two steep branch lines. The units were used on the Flåm Line until 1983, when they were replaced by El 11. They were then used as shunters until being retired in 1988. Two of the locomotives have been preserved.

Contents

The class was custom-made for steep hills and slow speeds; it featured a low 48 tonnes (47 long tons; 53 short tons) weight which, with a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement, allows for a 12-tonne (12-long-ton; 13-short-ton) axle load. This made the locomotives only 10.2 meters (33 ft) long. They had a power output of 712 kilowatts (955 hp), a tractive effort of 108 kilonewtons (24,000 lbf) and a maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph). They were given road numbers 2062 though 2064.

History

With the construction of the Bergen Line, which was completed in 1909, it was decided that there would be built branch lines to two fjords, the Hardanger Line to Hardangerfjord and the Flåm Line to Sognefjord. [1] Both branches were steep and curvy, which set high demands on the locomotives. The Hardanger Line was 27.45 kilometers (17.06 mi) long, had a maximum gradient of 4.5 percent, a minimum curve radius of 180 meters (590 ft), and a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). [2] [3] The Flåm Line is 20.20 kilometers (12.55 mi) long, had a maximum gradient of 5.5. percent, a minimum curve radius of 130 meters (430 ft) and a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) uphill and 30 km/h (19 mph) downhill. [4] Both lines had a maximum permitted axle load of 12 tonnes (12 long tons; 13 short tons), standard gauge and a 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC electrification system. [2] [4] The Hardanger Line opened in 1935 [5] and the Flåm Line in 1940, [6] although the latter did not receive electric traction until 1944. [7]

Originally, the Hardanger Line used Class 64 electric multiple units. [5] On 28 March 1940, NSB sent an invitation to tender for two multiple units which would be similar to Class 64. The company asked both for aluminum and steel bids. However, NSB abandoned the plans and instead signed an agreement on 4 October 1940 for delivery of three electric locomotives. The units were intended to be delivered in 1942. The mechanical components and assembly was done by Thune, and electrical parts were delivered by NEBB, except the transformer and electric controllers, which were built by Per Kure. [8]

By 1944, by which time Norway was occupied by Germany as part of the Second World War, overhead wire had been installed on the Flåm Line. The locomotives at Thune and nearly completed, except for the transformers, which were at Per Kure. This was during the height of resistance sabotage, and workers at Per Kure had joined the communist resistance group Osvald. [8] Because of the Allied bombing of Germany, Per Kure was thought to become part of a decentralized production chain and would be set to assemble aircraft engines. Osvald considered the plant a legitimate target and on 30 May 1944, the factory was blown up and the transformers severely damaged. Reconstruction of them took considerable time, in part because of the general lack of materials, and in part because the head engineer for the project disappeared during late 1944. In 1945, all three locomotives were sent to Myrdal Station for storage until the transformers were finished. [9]

The locomotives received transformers in 1947, which were installed in Oslo, and 2064 was delivered on 24 May. [9] The cost of the three locomotives was 1,297,905 million Norwegian krone. At first, only one unit was transferred to Flåm. The other two remained in Eastern Norway; one was stationed as a shunter at Oslo West Station, the other in Skien. The units operating in Oslo and Skien had problems with the rheostatic brake operating differently depending on the direction the train was running, something which was not observed in Flåm. The issue was fixed by marginally changing the excitation voltage. The unit stationed in Flåm was periodically sent for service in Oslo, and when this happened, a new unit would be stationed in Flåm. From 21 January 1949, 2064 was returned to Flåm without the other unit being sent back. From 17 February 1955, all three were stationed in Flåm. [10] During the late 1950s, one of the units was stationed as Voss Station for shunting duty. [11] Starting in the late 1950s, the class was also used on the Hardanger Line. [12]

El 9.2064 is preserved at Tinnoset Station. El 9.2064 Tinnoset 16.08.05.jpg
El 9.2064 is preserved at Tinnoset Station.

In the 1970s, NSB started to consider replacement of the class. In 1971 and 1973, El 11 and El 13 were test-run on the line, and it was concluded that El 11 would be suitable with minor adjustments. However, the 1960s replacement of steam locomotives had caused a shortage of electric locomotives. Not until 1980 did NSB start the upgrade process of two El 11s. [13] From 1980s, only a single El 9 was stationed on the Flåm Line during winter, and the other two were used for local trains on the Bergen Line in Hallingdal. If the unit stationed in Flåm was out of order, it was replaced by a Class 64 unit. Lack of spare parts and limited reliability accelerated the need to replace the units in scheduled trains. [14] The first unit was taken into use on the Flåm Line in 1983 and the second in 1984. Two El 9s were transferred to Ål Station and Voss Station where they hauled work trains. [15] Unit 2062 was taken out of service in 1983. [16] The other two remained in regular service until 1988. Unit 2063 has been painted green and is on display at Flåm Station, while 2064 has retained the red color scheme and is stored at Tinnoset Station, belonging to the Norwegian Railway Museum. [14]

Specifications

The locomotives each have four NEBB EDTM423 motors, giving a combined power output of 712 kilowatts (955 hp). [17] The main transformer is capable of feeding each motor with 765 kilovolt-ampere (kVA), 115 kVA to heating and 40 kVA for axillary equipment. The power output is regulated with through 28 steps in the voltage regulator which is integrated with the main transformer. [8] The locomotives have a maximum speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) and a tractive effort of 108 kilonewtons (24,000 lbf). [17] Because of the limited roof space, only one pantograph was installed. [8]

The limit on axle load makes the locomotives small and compact. They weigh 48 tonnes (47 long tons; 53 short tons), and the total train weight is limited to 85 tonnes (84 long tons; 94 short tons). This also gives the trains a short length of 10.2 meters (33 ft). [14] The trains had a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement. In addition to air brakes for the whole train, the locomotives are equipped with rheostatic brakes which is sufficiently powerful to allow for the 5.5 percent gradient. When braking, three of the motors are connected to the air-cooled resistance on the roof, while the last motor is connected to deliver magnetization current to the other three motors. The braking is regulated with 22 steps. As a backup, the units are equipped with a carborundum track brake on each side of the bogies. [8]

Related Research Articles

Bergen Line Railway line in Norway

The Bergen Line or the Bergen Railway, is a 371-kilometre (231 mi) long scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, where the passenger trains go, a distance of 496 kilometres (308 mi). It is the highest mainline railway line in Northern Europe, crossing the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237 metres (4,058 ft) above sea level.

Flåm Line Railway line in Aurland, Norway

The Flåm Line is a 20.2-kilometer (12.6 mi) long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland Municipality, in Vestland county, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is 866 meters (2,841 ft); it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway.

Ofoten Line

The Ofoten Line is a 43-kilometre (27 mi) railway line in Narvik, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to Luleå. The Ofoten Line is single track, electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC and has seven stations. The line only connects to the rest of the Norwegian railway network via Sweden. The main traffic is up to 12 daily freight trains operated by Malmtrafik that haul iron ore from Sweden to Narvik. In addition, CargoNet operates container trains, branded as the Arctic Rail Express (ARE), and SJ operates passenger trains, including a night train to Stockholm.

NSB El 18 Locomotive class

NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997. The class remains the only mainline electric locomotive used by NSB, and is predominantly used on some intercity services and all night trains on the Bergen Line, Dovre Line and Sørland Line, as well as some regional trains.

NSB El 17

The NSB El 17 is a class of twelve electric locomotives built by Thyssen-Henschel and Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB) for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The class was built in two batches, the first delivered in 1982 and numbered 2221–2226, and the second delivered in 1987 and numbered 2227–2232. The traction system of the El 17 was based on the DB Class 120 of Germany and were among the first in the world to feature three-phase asynchronous motors. The units were ordered to be used on the intercity Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines, but were plagued with technical faults. The unreliability and lack of sufficient power forced NSB to instead use them in the regional Vestfold and Gjøvik Lines. With the delivery of the El 18, the first series was retired or used as shunters. The second series has been used on the Flåm Line since 1998.

NSB Class 73 Class of 22 Norwegian electric multiple units

NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on the Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines. The intercity service was branded as Signatur until 2003. The B-series consists of six regional trains delivered in 2002 and used on the Østfold Line. The regional trains were originally part of the Agenda concept. The trains have a power output of 2,646 kilowatts (3,548 hp) and a maximum speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). They have an overall length of 108 meters (354 ft) and have a capacity for 208 seated passengers in the A-series and 250 in the B-series. The trains have a tilting mechanism allowing for faster travel through curves.

NSB Di 4

NSB Di 4 is a class of five diesel-electric locomotives built by Henschel for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). Delivered in 1981, the class is used to haul passenger trains on the Nordland Line and are since 2001 the only revenue diesel locomotives used by NSB. The locomotives had electric components from Brown, Boveri & Cie and a General Motors Electro-Motive Division 16-645E prime mover. This gives a power output of 2,450 kilowatts (3,290 hp) and a starting tractive effort of 360 kilonewtons (81,000 lbf).

NSB El 14

NSB El 14 is a Norwegian electric locomotive operated by CargoNet for freight trains hauling. Built between 1968 and 1973 by Thune as a general purpose engine for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), they were seen hauling passenger trains until the 1980s. Of the 31 units numbered 14 2164 to 14 2190 and 14 2197 to 14 2200, 11 remain in service.

NSB Class 66

NSB Class 66 was a three-car electric train used by the Norwegian State Railways for express trains on the Østfold Line to Halden and Gothenburg, and the Sørlandet Line to Kristiansand and Stavanger. The four multiple units were built by Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk, with motors from Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri, and delivered in 1945–46. They were originally named Class 106, but this was changed in 1956. The trains received the numbering BFM 66.01–04, B 66.31–34 and BS 66.61–64.

Hardanger Line

The Hardanger Line was a 27.45-kilometre (17.06 mi) railway between Voss and Granvin in Hordaland, Norway. The line connected to the Bergen Line in Voss, and ran to the Hardangerfjord and the district of Hardanger. Construction started in 1921, but the line did not open until 1 April 1935. Owned and operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), the passenger transport was provided by three NSB Class 64 electric multiple units. They remained in use until 1985, when passenger transport was terminated. All transport ceased in 1988, and 21 kilometres (13 mi) of the line was demolished in 1991. The 3 kilometres (2 mi) from Voss to Palmafoss remains, and is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The line featured six stations, fourteen halts, four tunnels and was among Norway's steepest railways. It was NSB's first line to open electrified. The line was known as the Granvin Line until February 1936. In 2016 Palmafoss established an emergency freight terminal and the tracks were reestablished.

LKAB Malmtrafik Swedish railway company

LKAB Malmtrafik, earlier Malmtrafik i Kiruna AB (MTAB), is a Swedish railway company which operates the iron ore freight trains on the Iron Ore Line and the Ofoten Line. MTAB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the mining company Luossavaara–Kiirunavaara (LKAB). In Norway, operations are handled by the subsidiary Malmtrafikk AS (MTAS). Malmtrafik hauls ore from LKAB's mines in Kiruna, Malmberget and Svappavaara to the ports of Luleå and Narvik, the latter located in Norway. The company owns 28 Iore locomotives and 750 hopper cars. Each train is 68 cars long and weighs 8,600 tonnes, allowing the company to transport 33 million tonnes per year.

NSB El 4

NSB El 4 was a class of electric locomotive used by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) to transport iron ore on the Ofoten Line. NSB had a total of five triple-locomotive sets.

NSB Di 1

NSB Di 1 was a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Krupp for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The locomotive had two MAN diesel engines, giving a combined power output of 1,472 kilowatts (1,974 hp) and allowing the 82.7 tonnes vehicle to reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). It had a 1'BB'1 wheel arrangement and a driver's cab at only one end.

NSB Di 2

NSB Di 2 was a class of 54 diesel-hydraulic locomotives operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). Six units were built by Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) of Kiel, Germany, and the remaining by Thune in Oslo. The locomotives were used for shunting and for local and light freight trains throughout NSBs network. Based on MaK's 575C design, the locomotives were 10.0 meters long and had a C wheel arrangement.

NSB Class 64

NSB Class 64 is a class of three electric multiple units built by Strømmens Værksted for the Norwegian State Railways. Delivered in 1935, they were built for the opening of the Hardanger Line and served there until 1985, when the line closed and the trains were retired. They also periodically served on the Flåm Line. The delivery consisted of three motor cars and four carriages, with each train consisting of up to three units. The motor cars were 16.3 meters (53 ft) long, had a power output of 464 kilowatts (622 hp) and were capable of 50 km/h (31 mph). The motor units were given road numbers 505 through 507. Two of the units have been preserved by the Norwegian Railway Club and are at Garnes Station.

SJ U

U is a class of 152 electric shunter locomotives operated by the Swedish State Railways and Trafikaktiebolaget Grängesberg–Oxelösunds Järnvägar (TGOJ) of Sweden, and the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), LKAB and Norsk Jernverk of Norway. They were built by ASEA, Nyqvist och Holm, Motala, ASJ Falun and Thune between 1926 and 1956. NSB gave the class the designation El 10.

Oslo Commuter Rail Commuter rail in Norway

Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by Vy and its subsidiary Vy Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units (EMU). The network spans eight routes and 128 stations, with Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) as the central hub. The trains run on 553 kilometers (344 mi) of electrified mainline railway owned by the Bane NOR. Deficits are financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, although the network also has a ticketing cooperation with Ruter, the public transport authority in Oslo and Akershus. The network is the longest commuter rail network in the Nordic countries, and among top ten in Europe.

Voss Line

The Voss Line is a railway line from Bergen to Voss in Vestland, Norway. It opened on 11 July 1883 and was extended to Oslo as the Bergen Line on 27 November 1909. It was built as 1,067 mm narrow gauge, but converted to 1,435 mmstandard gauge with the connection with the Bergen Line. It was electrified in 1954, and shortened by the Ulriken Tunnel in 1963.

Timeline of railway electrification in Norway

The Norwegian railway network consists of 2,552 kilometers (1,586 mi) of electrified railway lines, constituting 62% of the Norwegian National Rail Administration's 4,114 kilometers (2,556 mi) of line. The first three mainline systems to be electrified were private ore-hauling lines. The Thamshavn Line opened in 1909, and remained in revenue use until 1973, after which it was converted to a heritage railway. It is the world's oldest remaining alternating-current railway and the only narrow gauge railway in the country to have been electrified. It was followed by Norsk Transport's Rjukan and Tinnoset Lines two years later, and Sydvaranger's Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line in 1922. The Norwegian State Railways' (NSB) first electrification was parts of the Drammen Line in 1922 and the ore-hauling Ofoten Line in 1923, which connects to the Iron Ore Line in Sweden. The use of El 1 locomotives on the Drammen Line proved a large cost-saver over steam locomotives, and NSB started electrifying other lines around Oslo; from 1927 to 1930, the remainder of the Drammen Line, and the continuation along the Randsfjorden and Sørlandet Lines to Kongsvinger were converted, along with the first section of the Trunk Line. In 1935, the Hardanger Line became the first section of new NSB track to be electrified. From 1936 to 1940, NSB electrified the Østfold Line as well as more of the Sørland Line and the Bratsberg Line, connecting all electric lines west of Oslo.

Railway electrification in Norway

The Norwegian railway network consists of 2,552 kilometers (1,586 mi) of electrified railway lines, constituting 62% of the Norwegian National Rail Administration's 4,114 kilometers (2,556 mi) of line. In 2008, electric traction accounted for 90% of the passenger kilometers, 93% of the tonne kilometers and 74% of the energy consumption of all trains running in Norway, with the rest being accounted for by diesel traction.

References

  1. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 16
  2. 1 2 Hordaland County Municipality (1981): 22
  3. ↑ Aspenberg (1994): 250
  4. 1 2 Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 125
  5. 1 2 Aspenberg (1994): 251
  6. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 56
  7. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 63
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 64
  9. 1 2 Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 65
  10. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 66
  11. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 71
  12. ↑ Aspenberg (1994): 253
  13. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 83
  14. 1 2 3 Aspenberg (2001): 73
  15. ↑ Gubberud & Sunde (1992): 84
  16. ↑ Aspenberg (2001): 74
  17. 1 2 Thue (2002): 75
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.