SNCF Class CC 7100
Encyclopedia
SNCF
's CC 7100 class are part of a series of electric locomotive
s built by Alsthom. The prototype 'CC 7000' (7001 & 7002) were built in 1949 and the production series locomotives CC 7101-CC 7158 followed during 1952–1955. Two of the class are notable for setting world rail speed records: CC 7121 reaching 243 kilometre per hour on 21 February 1954, and CC 7107 reaching 331 kilometre per hour on 28/29 March 1955.
.
CC 7121 broke the rail speed record when it achieved 243 kilometre per hour on the PLM
mainline between Dijon
and Beaune
on 21 February 1954.
Preparations for further high speed tests proceeded, and in March 1955 CC 7107 and Bo-Bo
locomotive BB 9004 both attained 331 kilometre per hour on separate high speed runs between Bordeaux
and Dax, Landes
. CC 7107 hauled a three car train with streamlining modifications to reduce aerodynamic drag
.
Although the rail speed record has since 1990 been repeatedly broken by high speed trainsets such as the French TGV
and the German
InterCityExperimental
trains, BB 9004 and CC 7107 retained the locomotive speed record for over 50 years until it was broken on 2 September 2006 by a Siemens
Taurus locomotive, ÖBB
No 1216 050, which attained 357 kilometre per hour hauling a single dynamometer car
on the Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line
in Germany.
Certain class members were fitted with third rail
pick up shoes to work Chambéry-Modane services. The shoes were removed in 1976.
Despite their high speed credentials, the CC 7100 class was relegated to freight haulage duties as more modern electric locomotives, commencing with the BB 9200 class
, replaced them on passenger services.
dual voltage freight locomotives led to the final withdrawal of these last locomotives from regular service.
Together with fellow record holder BB 9004, CC 7107 was towed to Germany in 2006 to be present for No 1216 050's record breaking run.
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
's CC 7100 class are part of a series of electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s built by Alsthom. The prototype 'CC 7000' (7001 & 7002) were built in 1949 and the production series locomotives CC 7101-CC 7158 followed during 1952–1955. Two of the class are notable for setting world rail speed records: CC 7121 reaching 243 kilometre per hour on 21 February 1954, and CC 7107 reaching 331 kilometre per hour on 28/29 March 1955.
History
Developed from the CC 7000 class prototype, these locomotives were the first DC electric locomotives on the SNCF to run at more than 100 kilometre per hour.Speed records
During the 1950s, SNCF investigations into high speed rail saw some CC 7100 class locomotives specially modified for operation at speeds far higher than their regular service speed. These experiments provided valuable test data for the SNCF to develop increasingly more rapid regular services, including the 200 kilometre per hour Mistral of 1967, and ultimately the TGVTGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
.
CC 7121 broke the rail speed record when it achieved 243 kilometre per hour on the PLM
Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée
The Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée was a French railway company ....
mainline between Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
and Beaune
Beaune
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
on 21 February 1954.
Preparations for further high speed tests proceeded, and in March 1955 CC 7107 and Bo-Bo
Bo-Bo
A Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′ is a locomotive with two independent four-wheeled bogies with all axles powered by individual traction motors...
locomotive BB 9004 both attained 331 kilometre per hour on separate high speed runs between Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and Dax, Landes
Dax, Landes
Dax is a commune in Aquitaine in south-western France, sub-prefecture of the Landes department.It is particularly famous as a spa, specialising in mud treatment for rheumatism and similar ailments....
. CC 7107 hauled a three car train with streamlining modifications to reduce aerodynamic drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
.
Although the rail speed record has since 1990 been repeatedly broken by high speed trainsets such as the French TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
and the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
InterCityExperimental
InterCityExperimental
The Intercity Experimental, later renamed ICE V, was an experimental train for research into high-speed rail. It is the predecessor of all Intercity-Express trains.- History :...
trains, BB 9004 and CC 7107 retained the locomotive speed record for over 50 years until it was broken on 2 September 2006 by a 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...
Taurus locomotive, ÖBB
ÖBB
The Austrian Federal Railways is the national railway system of Austria, and the administrators of Liechtenstein's railways...
No 1216 050, which attained 357 kilometre per hour hauling a single dynamometer car
Dynamometer car
A dynamometer car is a railroad maintenance of way car used for measuring various aspects of a locomotive's performance. Measurements include tractive effort , power, top speed, etc.-History:...
on the Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line
Nuremberg-Munich high-speed rail line
The Nuremberg–Munich high-speed railway line is a German high-speed railway in length. It links the two largest cities in Bavaria, Nuremberg and Munich....
in Germany.
Later years
The locos were all given a 'GRG' (Major refurbishment) in the early 1980s to remove the original 'skirts', and to replace the original windscreens and head/tail lamps clusters with 'standard SNCF' arrangement.Certain class members were fitted with third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
pick up shoes to work Chambéry-Modane services. The shoes were removed in 1976.
Despite their high speed credentials, the CC 7100 class was relegated to freight haulage duties as more modern electric locomotives, commencing with the BB 9200 class
SNCF Class BB 9200
The SNCF Class BB 9200 1500 V DC electric locomotives were built by Schneider-Jeumont/CEM between 1958-1964. 92 of them were built and 20 remain.- History :...
, replaced them on passenger services.
Withdrawal and preservation
By 2001, the class was reduced to just five operating examples. The introduction of the BB 27000 classSNCF Class BB 27000
The SNCF Class BB 27000 "Prima" electric locomotives were built by Alstom between 2001–2005. These are dual-voltage freight-only locomotives; they are not fitted with a 1500 V DC electrical line for train heating and accessories. One hundred and eighty of the locomotives, numbered 27001–27180,...
dual voltage freight locomotives led to the final withdrawal of these last locomotives from regular service.
Together with fellow record holder BB 9004, CC 7107 was towed to Germany in 2006 to be present for No 1216 050's record breaking run.
Preserved Locos
- CC 7102 : AmbérieuAmbérieu-en-BugeyAmbérieu-en-Bugey is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France.It is the largest town in the arrondissement of Belley and the seat of the Ambérieu-en-Bugey canton, as well as the capital of the historic region of Bugey.-Geography:...
- CC 7106 : AmbérieuAmbérieu-en-BugeyAmbérieu-en-Bugey is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France.It is the largest town in the arrondissement of Belley and the seat of the Ambérieu-en-Bugey canton, as well as the capital of the historic region of Bugey.-Geography:...
- CC 7107 : MulhouseMulhouseMulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
à la Cité du trainMusée Français du Chemin de FerThe Cité du train , the French national railway museum is the biggest railway museum in the world, this one being situated in Mulhouse... - CC 7121 : MiramasMiramasMiramas is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is the second-largest commune in metropolitan Ouest-Provence and is located at the north end of the Étang de Berre lagoon, adjacent to and northeast of the city of Istres.-Circuit...
- CC 7140 : Breil-sur-RoyaBreil-sur-RoyaBreil-sur-Roya is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Population:-Transportation:...
External links
- RECORD DE LA SNCF - archival footage of the 1955 speed record attempt