NSB El 15
Encyclopedia
NSB El 15 is a class of electric locomotive
s which are now operated by the Swedish company Hector Rail
as Class 161 locomotives. The locomotives were originally built for the Norwegian State Railways
(NSB) in 1967 to replace the NSB El 3
and NSB El 4
engines on Ofotbanen. The main task there is to pull heavy iron ore freight trains, and the El 15 is the most powerful engine which NSB has ever used.
stock parallel to the Swedish acquisition of the Dm3
locomotive. But unlike Statens Järnvägar
, NSB chose to instead buy a newer technology locomotive from ASEA, based on the Romania
n CFR 040. Thus NSB managed to get the same power out of their two-engined El 15s as the Swedish got out of their three-engined Dm3s. Since the locomotives were to be operated in pairs, NSB considered only installing driver cabins on one end, but chose in the end to install them on both ends to allow the locomotives to operate more flexibly, including allowing them to operate passenger trains. The locomotives were numbered 15 2191 to 15 2196.
In 1996 the operation of the ore trains was taken over by Malmtrafik
, owned by NSB, SJ and LKAB
, the owner of the mines. The new company ordered 18 new IORE
locomotives from Bombardier
and in 2004 the ageing engines were sold to Hector Rail.
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 which are now operated by the Swedish company Hector Rail
Hector Rail
Hector Rail is a Swedish-based independent train haulage provider operating in the European rail transport market, operating 29 locomotives. The company provides locomotives and drivers to freight customers who need to have whole unit trains hauled between two places with a regular time table.The...
as Class 161 locomotives. The locomotives were originally built for the Norwegian State Railways
Norwegian State Railways (1883–1996)
The Norwegian State Railways was a state-owned railway company that operated most of the railway network in Norway. The government agency was created in 1883 to oversee the construction and operation of all state-owned railways in Norway...
(NSB) in 1967 to replace the NSB El 3
NSB El 3
NSB El 3 was an electric locomotive used by Norges Statsbaner to transport iron ore on Ofotbanen. Five twin-locomotive sets were in service from 1925 to 1967.-History:...
and NSB El 4
NSB El 4
NSB El 4 was an electric locomotive used by Norges Statsbaner to transport iron ore on Ofotbanen. NSB had a total of five triple-locomotive sets.-History:...
engines on Ofotbanen. The main task there is to pull heavy iron ore freight trains, and the El 15 is the most powerful engine which NSB has ever used.
History
After the electrification of Ofotbanen in 1923 NSB had been using El 3 and El 4 stock on the line. But in the 1960s these were getting worn out, and NSB decided that it needed to get new stock. NSB first acquired the El 12NSB El 12
NSB El 12 was an electric locomotive used by Norges Statsbaner to haul iron ore trains on Ofotbanen between 1957 and 1990. The locomotives were based on the Swedish Dm that was used with success on the connecting Malmbanan. The eight units were always operated in pairs or in triples and were...
stock parallel to the Swedish acquisition of the Dm3
SJ Dm3
Dm and Dm3 is a series of locomotives used by Statens Järnvägar and later Malmtafik i Kiruna for pulling iron ore trains on Malmbanan in Sweden and Ofotbanen in Norway. A total of 39 double-locomotives were delivered between 1953 and 1971, built by ASEA. A further 19 center locomotives were...
locomotive. But unlike Statens Järnvägar
Statens Järnvägar
The Swedish State Railways or SJ, originally the Royal Railway Board , is a former government agency responsible for operating the state railways in Sweden....
, NSB chose to instead buy a newer technology locomotive from ASEA, based on the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n CFR 040. Thus NSB managed to get the same power out of their two-engined El 15s as the Swedish got out of their three-engined Dm3s. Since the locomotives were to be operated in pairs, NSB considered only installing driver cabins on one end, but chose in the end to install them on both ends to allow the locomotives to operate more flexibly, including allowing them to operate passenger trains. The locomotives were numbered 15 2191 to 15 2196.
In 1996 the operation of the ore trains was taken over by Malmtrafik
Malmtrafik
Malmtrafik i Kiruna AB or MTAB is a Swedish railway company which operates the iron ore freight trains on the Ore Line and the Ofoten Line. MTAB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the mining company Luossavaara–Kiirunavaara . In Norway, operations are handled by the subsidiary Malmtrafikk AS...
, owned by NSB, SJ and LKAB
LKAB
LKAB is a Swedish mining company. The company mines iron ore at Kiruna and at Malmberget in northern Sweden. The company was established in 1890, and has been 100% state-owned since the 1950s...
, the owner of the mines. The new company ordered 18 new IORE
IORE
Iore, often stylized IORE, is a class of 26 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and its successor Bombardier Transportation for the Swedish mining company LKAB's railway division Malmtrafik. The class is a variation of Adtranz's Octeon modular product platform, thus related to Bombardier's later...
locomotives from Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and in 2004 the ageing engines were sold to Hector Rail.