NSB El 18
Encyclopedia
NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric
locomotive
s 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.
The locomotives are 18.5 metres (60.7 ft) long and weigh 83 tonnes (81.7 LT). They have a three-phase
asynchronous motors with a maximum power output of 5880 kW, giving a tractive effort
of 275 kilonewtons (275,000 N) and a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph). They have a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement and regenerative brake
s. The exterior was designed by Pininfarina
and the cabs have pressurization
. The units are numbered 2241 through 2262.
During the early 1990s, NSB was in need of new electric haulage for their passenger trains, as both classes El 11
and El 13
were in need of replacement. El 17
, the latest purchase, had proved unreliable, and NSB wanted to remove them from mainline service. In 1993, Re 460 and EuroSprinter
locomotives were tested in Norway, with the Re 460 being tested from 28 August through 8 October. NSB was satisfied with both units, and stated that it would be possible to increase the train weight on the intercity services from 700 tonne. During the first half of 1994, NSB leased two Re 460s to have sufficient locomotives for operation during the 1994 Winter Olympics
.
When the deadline for bids for the units was reached on 8 May 1994, five bids had been received. GEC Alsthom
offered a modification of the French SNCF Class BB 36000
and AEG
offered a variation of the German prototype 12X. Siemens
offered two models, the EuroSprinter and an adaptation of the Austrian ÖBB Class 1014. Siemens' proposal for the former was branded Dovresprinter and was a cooperation between Kværner
and NSB's workshop at Sundland in Drammen
. Siemens would deliver the overall design and electrical components, Kværner would build the mechanical components and the assembly would occur in Drammen. The final offer was from Asea Brown Boveri (ABB, which by delivery would merge to become Adtranz) and SLM for "Lok 2000", a modification of the Swiss Re 460.
Prior to the final negotiations, union representatives for the train drivers stated that Lok 2000 was their preference, and that NSB could expect a dispute if they chose a different model. The representatives stated that they were "tired of experimenting with Norwegian solutions". Another important aspect for NSB was that as much of the production as possible take place in Norway. The final negotiations were made with ABB/SLM and AEG and on 2 September, and NSB approved the agreement with ABB/SLM for a purchase of 22 units. The contract was signed on 27 September, and the 22 units cost approximately 700 million Norwegian krone
.
NSB considered ordering the units with support for both the Norwegian and Swedish 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC system, and the Danish 25 kV 50 Hz AC system. This would have allowed the trains to operate directly to Denmark via the Øresund Bridge, which was then under construction. The dual-voltage system
was dropped during the procurement process, but NSB stated that if they needed such units, compatibility could be provided in future orders of the class. The units were built by Adtranz Strømmen at Strømmen
outside Oslo
, and delivered between 3 September 1996 and 12 June 1997. The units are numbered 2241 through 2262. When entering service, the locomotives replaced NSB's oldest units, El 13, which were then retired. This reduced NSB's average locomotive age from 31 to 18.5 years at the time of the end of the delivery.
During 1997, there were five incidents where NSB's Nordic Mobile Telephone
equipment interfered with the locomotive's electronics, causing the emergency brake
s to activate. This caused a temporary halt until the motorman had unlocked the brakes. The problem was fixed by moving NSB's mobile senders. The units were taken into use on the Bergen Line from 5 January 1997. Later they entered into into use on the Dovre and Sørland Lines, and then on regional trains around Oslo, such as the Vestfold Line. In August 1998, NSB stated that El 18 used more power than some of the substation
transformers along the line could handle, particularly along the Vestfold Line. Part of the problem was caused by a mechanism in the locomotives whereby the motor was turned off if the wheels spin
. The result was that the full power output of the El 18 along parts of the railway network could not be utilized.
. This is then converted to direct current
before being converted to three-phase
electricity through one of three gate turn-off thyristor
s. Each bogie has three rectifier
s, each connected to a transformer
that is again connected to two inverters
. The motors are three-phase asynchronous motors located in the bogie frame and equipped with regenerative brake
s. There is also an auxiliary three-phase power supply which powers the compressor, pumps, ventilators and other auxiliary equipment, operated by four separate inverters. The controller is a 16-bit microprocessor that communicates using optical fiber cable
s. The rectifier, auxiliary rectifiers, controllers and the error and diagnostic system is of the same type as used on the NSB Class 70 multiple units.
Each unit weighs 83 t (81.7 LT). The body is 18500 millimetre long, 3000 millimetre wide and 4322 millimetre wide. The center distance between the bogies is 11000 millimetre and the center wheel distance in the bogies is 2800 millimetre. The wheel diameter is 1125 millimetre—this is 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) larger than the Re 460. The El 18 has a Knorr HSM mechanical braking system, but unlike the Swiss versions does not have a rail brake. The design of the locomotive was by the Italian company Pininfarina
. The machine room is designed with a center aisle, the driver's cabs have pressurization applied to avoid air pressure dropping when running through tunnels, and the cabs are equipped with air conditioning
.
El 18 is a modification of the Swiss Re 460. The class was originally built in 119 units from 1992 to 1995 for the Swiss State Railways, where it was given the brand Lok 2000. It was part of a project to create a series of new intercity locomotives and cars. Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon-Bahn
received eight units in 1994 (as Re 465), the Finnish State Railways
received 20 in 1995 (as Sr2
) and the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation received 2 units in 1997. The units are designed to haul heavy passenger trains along existing curved railways at high speeds. It is designed as a universal locomotive, so it is also suitable for freight trains.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s built by Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
(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
Strømmens Værksted
Strømmens Værksted A/S was an industrial company based in Skedsmo, Norway, specializing in the production of rolling stock. Founded in 1873, it remains as a part of Bombardier Transportation...
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.
The locomotives are 18.5 metres (60.7 ft) long and weigh 83 tonnes (81.7 LT). They have a three-phase
Three-phase
In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are radians offset in time...
asynchronous motors with a maximum power output of 5880 kW, giving a tractive effort
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
of 275 kilonewtons (275,000 N) and a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph). They have a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement and regenerative brake
Regenerative brake
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object down by converting its kinetic energy into another form, which can be either used immediately or stored until needed...
s. The exterior was designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
and the cabs have pressurization
Pressurization
Pressurization is the application of pressure in a given situation or environment; and more specifically refers to the process by which atmospheric pressure is maintained in an isolated or semi-isolated atmospheric environment .-See also:* Cabin pressurization* Compressed air* Decompression* Gas...
. The units are numbered 2241 through 2262.
History
NSB El 11
The NSB El 11 was an electric locomotive which was operated for both passenger and freight trains by NSB. It was the third type of Norwegian electric locomotive with bogies, after the NSB El 7 and NSB El 9. They were manufactured by Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri and Thune mekaniske verksted...
and El 13
NSB El 13
NSB El 13 is a Norwegian electric locomotive which was used by Norges Statsbaner for both passenger and freight trains.The locomotive is a heavier and upgraded version of the NSB El 11 which was popular among its crew but unsuitable for journeys in heavy snow on lines such as Bergensbanen. Like...
were in need of replacement. El 17
NSB El 17
The NSB El 17 is a class of twelve electric locomotives built by Thyssen-Henschel and Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri for the Norwegian State Railways . 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 latest purchase, had proved unreliable, and NSB wanted to remove them from mainline service. In 1993, Re 460 and EuroSprinter
EuroSprinter
The EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 kW power at rail.Additional information is given in the name...
locomotives were tested in Norway, with the Re 460 being tested from 28 August through 8 October. NSB was satisfied with both units, and stated that it would be possible to increase the train weight on the intercity services from 700 tonne. During the first half of 1994, NSB leased two Re 460s to have sufficient locomotives for operation during the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
.
When the deadline for bids for the units was reached on 8 May 1994, five bids had been received. GEC Alsthom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
offered a modification of the French SNCF Class BB 36000
SNCF Class BB 36000
The SNCF Class BB 36000 locomotives are a class of triple voltage 4 axle Bo'Bo' electric locomotives built by GEC-Alsthom between 1996 and 2001 for SNCF. Initially only to be a tri-voltage version of BB 26000 locomotives, it was further developed and became eventually a completely new locomotive...
and AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
offered a variation of the German prototype 12X. Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
offered two models, the EuroSprinter and an adaptation of the Austrian ÖBB Class 1014. Siemens' proposal for the former was branded Dovresprinter and was a cooperation between Kværner
Kværner
Kværner was a Norway-based engineering and construction services company in existence between 1853 and 2005 when it was merged with Aker ASA. The Kværner name was used in the subsidiary Aker Kværner until April 3, 2008 when it changed name to Aker Solutions. Kværner re-emerged on 6...
and NSB's workshop at Sundland in Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
. Siemens would deliver the overall design and electrical components, Kværner would build the mechanical components and the assembly would occur in Drammen. The final offer was from Asea Brown Boveri (ABB, which by delivery would merge to become Adtranz) and SLM for "Lok 2000", a modification of the Swiss Re 460.
Prior to the final negotiations, union representatives for the train drivers stated that Lok 2000 was their preference, and that NSB could expect a dispute if they chose a different model. The representatives stated that they were "tired of experimenting with Norwegian solutions". Another important aspect for NSB was that as much of the production as possible take place in Norway. The final negotiations were made with ABB/SLM and AEG and on 2 September, and NSB approved the agreement with ABB/SLM for a purchase of 22 units. The contract was signed on 27 September, and the 22 units cost approximately 700 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
.
NSB considered ordering the units with support for both the Norwegian and Swedish 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC system, and the Danish 25 kV 50 Hz AC system. This would have allowed the trains to operate directly to Denmark via the Øresund Bridge, which was then under construction. The dual-voltage system
Multi-system (rail)
A Multi-system locomotive is one that is able to operate using more than one railway electrification system, such as the British Rail Class 92 which can operate from both 750 V DC third rail and 25 kV, 50 Hz AC from overhead lines.As well as multi-system electric...
was dropped during the procurement process, but NSB stated that if they needed such units, compatibility could be provided in future orders of the class. The units were built by Adtranz Strømmen at Strømmen
Strømmen
Strømmen is a town in Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. It is about twenty kilometers east of Oslo, and considered part of Greater Oslo. It has around 8,000 residents....
outside Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, and delivered between 3 September 1996 and 12 June 1997. The units are numbered 2241 through 2262. When entering service, the locomotives replaced NSB's oldest units, El 13, which were then retired. This reduced NSB's average locomotive age from 31 to 18.5 years at the time of the end of the delivery.
During 1997, there were five incidents where NSB's Nordic Mobile Telephone
Nordic Mobile Telephone
NMT is the first fully automatic cellular phone system...
equipment interfered with the locomotive's electronics, causing the emergency brake
Emergency brake (train)
On trains, the expression emergency brake has several meanings:* The maximum brake force available to the driver/engineer from his conventional braking system, usually operated by taking the brake handle to its furthest postion, through a gate mechanism, or by pushing a separate plunger in the cab*...
s to activate. This caused a temporary halt until the motorman had unlocked the brakes. The problem was fixed by moving NSB's mobile senders. The units were taken into use on the Bergen Line from 5 January 1997. Later they entered into into use on the Dovre and Sørland Lines, and then on regional trains around Oslo, such as the Vestfold Line. In August 1998, NSB stated that El 18 used more power than some of the substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
transformers along the line could handle, particularly along the Vestfold Line. Part of the problem was caused by a mechanism in the locomotives whereby the motor was turned off if the wheels spin
Locomotive wheelslip
Locomotive wheelslip is an event that affects railway motive power when starting from stationary.The greatest effort is required from a locomotive when starting...
. The result was that the full power output of the El 18 along parts of the railway network could not be utilized.
Specifications
The locomotives have a maximum power output of 5880 kW, and are capable of a continual power output of 5400 kW. This gives a maximum speed of 200 km/h (124.3 mph) and a tractive effort of 275 kN (275,000 N). The locomotive is fed power from the pantographPantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. This is then converted to direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
before being converted to three-phase
Three-phase
In electrical engineering, three-phase electric power systems have at least three conductors carrying voltage waveforms that are radians offset in time...
electricity through one of three gate turn-off thyristor
Gate turn-off thyristor
A gate turn-off thyristor is a special type of thyristor, a high-power semiconductor device. GTOs, as opposed to normal thyristors, are fully controllable switches which can be turned on and off by their third lead, the GATE lead.-Device description:...
s. Each bogie has three rectifier
Rectifier
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current , which periodically reverses direction, to direct current , which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification...
s, each connected to a transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
that is again connected to two inverters
Inverter (electrical)
An inverter is an electrical device that converts direct current to alternating current ; the converted AC can be at any required voltage and frequency with the use of appropriate transformers, switching, and control circuits....
. The motors are three-phase asynchronous motors located in the bogie frame and equipped with regenerative brake
Regenerative brake
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object down by converting its kinetic energy into another form, which can be either used immediately or stored until needed...
s. There is also an auxiliary three-phase power supply which powers the compressor, pumps, ventilators and other auxiliary equipment, operated by four separate inverters. The controller is a 16-bit microprocessor that communicates using optical fiber cable
Optical fiber cable
An optical fiber cable is a cable containing one or more optical fibers. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with plastic layers and contained in a protective tube suitable for the environment where the cable will be deployed....
s. The rectifier, auxiliary rectifiers, controllers and the error and diagnostic system is of the same type as used on the NSB Class 70 multiple units.
Each unit weighs 83 t (81.7 LT). The body is 18500 millimetre long, 3000 millimetre wide and 4322 millimetre wide. The center distance between the bogies is 11000 millimetre and the center wheel distance in the bogies is 2800 millimetre. The wheel diameter is 1125 millimetre—this is 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) larger than the Re 460. The El 18 has a Knorr HSM mechanical braking system, but unlike the Swiss versions does not have a rail brake. The design of the locomotive was by the Italian company Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
. The machine room is designed with a center aisle, the driver's cabs have pressurization applied to avoid air pressure dropping when running through tunnels, and the cabs are equipped with air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
.
El 18 is a modification of the Swiss Re 460. The class was originally built in 119 units from 1992 to 1995 for the Swiss State Railways, where it was given the brand Lok 2000. It was part of a project to create a series of new intercity locomotives and cars. Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon-Bahn
Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway
The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
received eight units in 1994 (as Re 465), the Finnish State Railways
VR Group
VR or VR Group is a state-owned railway company in Finland. Formerly known as Suomen Valtion Rautatiet until 1922 and Valtionrautatiet / Statsjärnvägarna until 1995...
received 20 in 1995 (as Sr2
VR Class Sr2
The Sr2 is a class of electric locomotives of the VR Group. They were built by SLM / ABB and later by Adtranz and finally Bombardier Transportation and assembled by Transtech Oy...
) and the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation received 2 units in 1997. The units are designed to haul heavy passenger trains along existing curved railways at high speeds. It is designed as a universal locomotive, so it is also suitable for freight trains.