ET41
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ET41-139, photographed in Żywiec on
...and
the same machine at the border station of Zebrzydowice,
Another
picture taken at the Żywiec station: ET41-078,
ET41-074,
photographed at the Zwardoń station on Slovakian border on
ET41-084, photographed in Milówka in southern
ET41-168, photographed at the same location on the next day.
Two-section locomotives are the favorites of graffiti ‘artists’ (I find it
hard to restrain myself from using more explicit terms...).
ET41-162, photographed in Jaworzyna Śląska on
...and ET41-150, photographed on the same occasion.
Two-section locomotives are not frequent visitors
to
ET41-160,
ET41-145, stuck between two ET22s. Photo taken at
the Węgliniec depot on July 16, 2008.
Three ET41s, photographed at the Jelenia Góra depot
on November 29, 2008: ET41-156…
…ET41-004…
…and ET41-141.
ET41-191, photographed in Zebrzydowice on March 3,
2009.
ET41-070, photographed at Skalite, Slovakia on the
next day.
ET41-121 in new PKP Cargo
livery, photographed at the same location on April 14, 2009.
Two pictures, taken at the Rybnik depot on April
18, 2009: ET41-004…
…and ET41-008.
ET41-021, Zduńska Wola Karsznice,
April 21, 2009.
ET41-041, photographed at exactly the same location
on June 1, 2009.
And yet another: ET41-134, August 5, 2009.
Two ET41s, photographed in Ostrów Wielkopolski on
May 21, 2010: ET41-199…
…and ET41-096. |
Of three types of two-section
heavy electric freight locomotives operated by PKP, class ET41 is the
most numerous one. It is also the only one of indigenous origin, albeit based
on a license-built EU07. The need for such locomotive resulted from
increasing weight of freight trains, especially those transporting coal – the
basic primary energy source in Poland and for a long time the most important
export commodity. This need became particularly acute with the
electrification of the Coal Trunk Line between Upper Silesia and
Gdynia on the Baltic coast, which was completed in 1969. In order to fulfill
most urgent demands, a batch of thirty two-section locomotives was ordered
from Škoda (factory type 77E1, PKP class ET40). They were delivered between
1975 and 1976. At the same time it was decided to develop a two-section
variant of the EU07, built under British license by Pafawag of Wrocław (pre-war Linke-Hofmann). Such locomotive would be able to yield
4000 kW at continuous rating and the tractive effort of over 50 tonnes at
startup, combined with the suitability for long, slow startups with heavy
drafts. Design was completed in 1976 and production was entrusted to the Cegielski (HCP) works of Poznań, which had never built
electric locomotives before. In fact, HCP – as far as railway
stock was concerned – had specialized in heavy diesel locomotives, having
built SP45s, SU46s and SP47 prototypes, but their development was terminated. Prototype
(factory type 203E) appeared in 1977 and production started immediately, new
locomotive being classed ET41. As HCP
could not fulfill PKP
demands, second batch of thirty ET40s was delivered by Škoda in 1978 (factory type 77E2,
with minor modifications). Furthermore, yet another heavy two-section
locomotive was ordered from the Soviet NEVZ; this machine, classed ET42, was intended to precede ET41 in
service, but its development took longer than expected and first examples
were accepted only in May 1978. Initial plans for the ET41 production called
for about 500 examples, but with the economical crisis of early 1980s this
number was cut down to 200, last being delivered in 1983. For the same reason
a development version, factory type 203Ea, with redesigned body (similar to
that of the SU46 diesel locomotive, also built by HCP), various minor modifications and slightly reduced weight, remained
on drawing board. Just
like ET40, and contrary to ET42, this locomotive was built by simply
connecting two singles, with ballast in place of two cabs. Each section,
distinguished by a capital A or B after the service number, could be
de-coupled and operated as an independent machine: in fact, sections of three
ET41s written off after accidents (ET41-036B, -088A and -116B) were later
converted into EU07-537, -544 and -545. As mentioned above, ET41 was based on
EU07, but with some modifications. In particular, the body was strengthened
and simplified, longer by 320 mm and heavier by about 3.5 tonnes. This
allowed for fitting automatic couplings, instead of standard screw-type ones.
These modifications were also incorporated in the second variant of the EU07,
built at HCP from 1983 onwards as factory
type 303E (at Pafawag, EU07 was supplanted on
production lines by ET22). Of course, ET41 is a freight locomotive, but can
also haul heavy passenger trains. This has happened only exceptionally. In
the 1980s ET41-100, in red and white livery, was sometimes used with special
trains for state officials. Recently, in July 2007, ET41-142 hauled the
‘Venice Simplon Orient Express’ from Wrocław to Wałbrzych. While ET40s and
ET42s, based in Bydgoszcz and Zduńska Wola Karsznice, respectively, operate
mainly on the Coal Trunk Line, class ET41 has found more widespread
use. These locomotives are frequently encountered in southern Poland, as
their performance is particularly suited to hauling heavy freight trains on
mountain lines, where double-heading elderly ET21s once reigned. The latter
are, however, sometimes still used as pushers on steep gradients. Just
as the remaining two types of two-section freighters, ET41 has been used only
by PKP and saw no service with private
or industrial operators. According to rosters given in SK and AL, in January 1999 PKP had 167 locomotives of this
type; their number fell to 163 in 2004 and 161 in 2007. Given the fact that
no replacement is at hand, they are expected to enjoy a long service life. In
fact, ET41 is currently (early 2010) the only two-section locomotive that
remains in use with PKP Cargo. In April 2010 these locomotives made first runs with 4000-tonne
drafts (fifty four-axle class Ea coal cars) between Tarnowskie Góry and
Gdańsk.
Main technical data
1) Multiplied
in each section. References and acknowledgments
-
AL; -
SK (various issues); - www.kolejowaklatka.org (website by Marek Dąbrowski). |
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