PKP class ET40
Encyclopedia
ET40 is the name for Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo two-unit freight electric locomotive
in service of Polish
national rail operator, PKP
. The locomotive was produced by Škoda Works
in the Czechoslovakia
.
n coal mines and Polish Baltic
port
s. In the beginning of the 1970s the whole Trunk Coal Line (Pl
: Magistrala Węglowa), which was the main route for exporting Polish coal, had been electrified
. This situation caused an urgent need for suitable locomotives able to pull heavy freight trains. As a result negotiations with Škoda Works
in Plzeň started. Poland sent an order for 60 articulated freight locomotives, based on the EU05, which was currently in service at the time.
As of 2007, ET40 locomotives work mostly for Bydgoszcz engine shed
, but in 2000 several units were sent to Wrocław in order to serve on the highland Wrocław-Jelenia Góra
line, where they are intended to replace ET21
locomotives.
and cooling
system.
The locomotive consists of two mechanically and electrically identical sections. Each part has a crew compartment on one end and doors on the other, which enable moving between sections. It is possible to drive sections separately after they have been disconnected. Sections are distinguished by an additional letter A and B added to the locomotive's designation.
ET40 is a Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo locomotive, meaning it is an articulated engine with two cabs fixed to the frames
placed on two bogie
s. Each bogie has two driving axles and each axle is propelled separately by 7AL-484ZT traction engine
with 510 kW constant power. Its parameters allow the machine to pull freight trains of approximately 4,000 t. weight.
Crew compartments provide convenient driving of the machine in both directions. Entrance is possible through the doors on both sides of the locomotive. Crew compartments are heated with a fan
powered electrically; windscreens are equipped with de-freezers and wiper
s. On the rear side of the crew section a locker for clothes and electric devices is mounted. Entry to the mechanical compartment is possible through two doors. The right one leads to high voltage
section, whilst the left provide access to the other crew compartment through a corridor running along the whole locomotive.
The mechanical compartment is divided into three parts. Auxiliary fixtures, like traction motor
s cooling systems, resistor
s and main compressor
are located in the rear part of the section. Refrigerator
, washbasin and cooker occupied the front part of the corridor.
The ET40 locomotive is equipped with an electro-pneumatic device to level otherwise unequal load on the track. The machine is equipped with two pneumatic brake
s - one automatic Oerlikon
and additionally, braking only one section. Locomotives numbered from 01 to 30 had one pantograph
per section, whilst those numbered from 31 to 60 had two pantographs per section. Traction motors are connected with a series connection with voltage for each motor being 1500 V. They are cooled by two fans (one fan for two engines) with the air supplied by two intakes in the roof of the locomotive. Air for braking systems is provided by two compressors (one for each section) with nominal power of 140 m3/h.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
in service of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
national rail operator, PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
. The locomotive was produced by Škoda Works
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
in the Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
History
During the 1960s and 1970s a massive increase in freight transport was seen in Poland, especially on the routes between SilesiaSilesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
n coal mines and Polish Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s. In the beginning of the 1970s the whole Trunk Coal Line (Pl
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Magistrala Węglowa), which was the main route for exporting Polish coal, had been electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
. This situation caused an urgent need for suitable locomotives able to pull heavy freight trains. As a result negotiations with Škoda Works
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
in Plzeň started. Poland sent an order for 60 articulated freight locomotives, based on the EU05, which was currently in service at the time.
As of 2007, ET40 locomotives work mostly for Bydgoszcz engine shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
, but in 2000 several units were sent to Wrocław in order to serve on the highland Wrocław-Jelenia Góra
Jelenia Góra
----Jelenia Góra is a city in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland. The name of the city means "deer mountain" in Polish, Czech and German. It is close to the Krkonoše mountain range running along the Polish-Czech border – ski resorts such as Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba can be found...
line, where they are intended to replace ET21
PKP class ET21
PKP ET21 is a name for a Polish electric freight locomotive produced between years 1957 - 1971 in Pafawag. It was the first post-war Polish electric locomotive, designed in 1955...
locomotives.
Further innovations
One locomotive from the series - ET40-41 was rebuilt in 1990 into EP40 standard, for high-speed passenger trains (up to 160 km/h), but as the result was not satisfactory, PKP resigned from further modernisations and the only EP40 was rebuilt back to ET40 standard in 1993.Technical data
As a development of EU05 locomotive the ET40 technical features are in many ways similar to its predecessor, this refers mostly to the electric installation. The main differences are in the transmissionTransmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
and cooling
Cooling
Cooling is the transfer of thermal energy via thermal radiation, heat conduction or convection. It may also refer to:-Techniques:* Air conditioning* Air cooling* Computer cooling* Cryogenics* Conduction * Infrared solar cells* Laser cooling...
system.
The locomotive consists of two mechanically and electrically identical sections. Each part has a crew compartment on one end and doors on the other, which enable moving between sections. It is possible to drive sections separately after they have been disconnected. Sections are distinguished by an additional letter A and B added to the locomotive's designation.
ET40 is a Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo locomotive, meaning it is an articulated engine with two cabs fixed to the frames
Locomotive frame
A locomotive frame is the structure that forms the backbone of the railway locomotive, giving it strength and supporting the superstructure elements such as a cab, boiler or bodywork. The vast majority of locomotives have had a frame structure of some kind...
placed on two bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s. Each bogie has two driving axles and each axle is propelled separately by 7AL-484ZT traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
with 510 kW constant power. Its parameters allow the machine to pull freight trains of approximately 4,000 t. weight.
Crew compartments provide convenient driving of the machine in both directions. Entrance is possible through the doors on both sides of the locomotive. Crew compartments are heated with a fan
Fan (mechanical)
A mechanical fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the air. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing or case. This may direct the airflow or increase safety by preventing...
powered electrically; windscreens are equipped with de-freezers and wiper
Windscreen wiper
A windscreen wiper or windshield wiper is a device used to remove rain and debris from a windscreen or windshield. Almost all motor vehicles, including trains, aircraft and watercraft, are equipped with such wipers, which are usually a legal requirement.A wiper generally consists of an arm,...
s. On the rear side of the crew section a locker for clothes and electric devices is mounted. Entry to the mechanical compartment is possible through two doors. The right one leads to high voltage
High voltage
The term high voltage characterizes electrical circuits in which the voltage used is the cause of particular safety concerns and insulation requirements...
section, whilst the left provide access to the other crew compartment through a corridor running along the whole locomotive.
The mechanical compartment is divided into three parts. Auxiliary fixtures, like traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s cooling systems, resistor
Resistor
A linear resistor is a linear, passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element.The current through a resistor is in direct proportion to the voltage across the resistor's terminals. Thus, the ratio of the voltage applied across a resistor's...
s and main compressor
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
are located in the rear part of the section. Refrigerator
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
, washbasin and cooker occupied the front part of the corridor.
The ET40 locomotive is equipped with an electro-pneumatic device to level otherwise unequal load on the track. The machine is equipped with two pneumatic brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s - one automatic Oerlikon
Oerlikon Contraves
Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...
and additionally, braking only one section. Locomotives numbered from 01 to 30 had one pantograph
Pantograph (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...
per section, whilst those numbered from 31 to 60 had two pantographs per section. Traction motors are connected with a series connection with voltage for each motor being 1500 V. They are cooled by two fans (one fan for two engines) with the air supplied by two intakes in the roof of the locomotive. Air for braking systems is provided by two compressors (one for each section) with nominal power of 140 m3/h.