EP08
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EP08-001, photographed in
...and EP08-012, photographed on the same occasion.
EP08-011 at the Warszawa Wschodnia station, June 10, 2006.
EP08 side drawing by M.Ćwikła (SK
vol.4/2001).
EP08-010 at the Warszawa Wschodnia station,
Another picture of the EP08-010, taken near the Warszawa Olszynka
Grochowska depot on
...and yet another, this time near the Warszawa Zachodnia station;
EP08-007 in a new (and somehow surprising!) PKP InterCity navy-blue
livery; Warszawa Wschodnia station,
Another EP08 in new PKP
InterCity livery: EP08-013, photographed at one of my favorite spots near
Warszawa Zachodnia station on
EP08-013 approaching the Wrocław Główny station; photo taken on
EP08-006, still in old livery. Warszawa
Wschodnia station,
EP08-009, Warszawa Olszynka
Grochowska depot, July 10, 2008 |
In late 1960s, in view of track
upgrading on principal routes, it was decided to build electric locomotives
for passenger traffic, capable of higher speed – 140 to 160 km/h. New
machines were to be developed from those already in service – EU05 (supplied
by Škoda in 1961) and EU07
(license-built variant of British EU06, built by Pafawag of High-speed variant of the EU07, designated EP08 (factory designation type 4Ea), had reduction gear ratio changed from 79:18 to 77:24, maximum speed being set at 160 km/h. Journal shaft bearings were retained, albeit with improved lubrication and additional oil pump fitted. Four examples (EP08-002 through 005) were supplied in late 1972; contrary to EP05, they were all new machines, not conversions. In early 1973, EP08-001 (factory designation type 102E) was delivered; this machine differed from its predecessors mainly in roller shaft bearings and slightly modified trucks. Tests immediately proved the latter variant to be superior (although running qualities at high speed still left something to be desired), but roller bearings had to be imported, so only ten further examples followed between 1975 and 1976. Externally they were almost identical with early production EU07s and differed mainly in orange and red livery. Their service speed was reduced to 140 km/h. Four EP08s with journal bearings were later rebuilt to the EU07 standard (becoming EU07-241 through 244, the last locomotives of this type from Pafawag) in 1976 and 1977. Apart
from EP08-015, which was written off after a serious crash in December 1994,
all machines of this type still remained in service in late 1990s, based in
Warsaw and Wrocław. Pending the introduction of modern EU11s, their
withdrawal seemed inevitable, but only EP08-014 was in fact written off in
2000. After the entire EU11 program had collapsed (all locomotives of this
type were finally sold to Italy and none saw service with PKP), it was
decided to keep all remaining nine EP08s in use. Today they operate mainly
between Warsaw and Poznań with express trains, but sometimes can be seen also
on other principal routes; currently all are based in Warsaw. Together with
two EP05s and 47 EP09s they make up a motley collection of express
locomotives in the PKP service, for which still no replacement is at
hand. Main technical data
1) Maximum
service speed 2)
Between 1976 and 1977 EP08-002 do 005 with journal
shaft bearings rebuilt to EU07-241 through 244. References and acknowledgments
Concise
descriptions and statistics are given in |
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