| Prima | |
|---|---|
| An Alstom Prima locomotive in Chemins de Fer Syriens livery, Syria | |
| Power type | Diesel |
| Builder | Alstom with engine from EMD or Ruston Except BB 47500: Alstom / Siemens with engine from MTU |
| Build date | JT 42BW / JT 42CW: 1996- Class 67: 1998- Class 333: 2000-2005 PL42 AC: 2001 Class 334: 2004 BB 75000: 2006 onwards |
| Total produced | JT 42BW: 48 JT 42CW: 8 M9 : 10 <Class 67: 30 Class 333: 92 PL42 AC: 33 Class 334: 28 BB 75000: 400+ on order |
| UIC classification | JT 42BW / Class 67 / BB 75000 / PL42 AC / Class 334: Bo'Bo' JT 42CW / Class 333: Co'Co' |
| Gauge | JT 42BW / JT 42CW / Class 67 / PL42 AC / BB 75000: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge Class 333 / 334: 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 2⁄3 in) Iberian gauge |
| Axle load | JT 42BW / Class 334: 22.5 tonnes (22.1 long tons; 24.8 short tons) JT 42CW: 19 tonnes (18.7 long tons; 20.9 short tons) Class 67: 22 tonnes (21.7 long tons; 24.3 short tons) Class 333: 20 tonnes (19.7 long tons; 22.0 short tons) PL42 AC: 32.5 tonnes (32.0 long tons; 35.8 short tons) BB 75000: 21 tonnes (20.7 long tons; 23.1 short tons) |
| Locomotive weight | JT 42BW / Class 334: 90 tonnes (88.6 long tons; 99.2 short tons) JT 42CW: 114 tonnes (112.2 long tons; 125.7 short tons) M9 : 100.56 tons[1] Class 67: 88 tonnes (86.6 long tons; 97.0 short tons) Class 333: 120 tonnes (118.1 long tons; 132.3 short tons) PL 42AC: 130 tonnes (127.9 long tons; 143.3 short tons) BB 75000: 84 tonnes (82.7 long tons; 92.6 short tons) |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel capacity | JT 42BW / JT 42 CW / Class 333: 6,000 litres (1,320 imp gal; 1,585 US gal) M9 : 5,000 litres (1,100 imp gal; 1,320 US gal)[1] Class 67: 5,700 litres (1,254 imp gal; 1,506 US gal) PL42 AC: 9,500 litres (2,090 imp gal; 2,510 US gal) Class 334: 4,000 litres (880 imp gal; 1,057 US gal) BB 75000: ? |
| Engine type | JT 42BW / JT 42CW: 12N710G3B Class 67 / Class 334: 12N710G3B-EC Class 333: GM 16-645 E3 PL42 AC: 16N710G3B-T1 BB 75000: MTU 16 cylinder V M9 : Ruston 12 RK 215T of 3,220 hp (2,400 kW) derated to 1,800 hp (1,340 kW)[1] DE32C, AD32C: Ruston engine |
| Alternator | JT 42BW / JT 42CW: AR10JBA (Aux. rated 25 kW) Class 67: AR9AC6HEX (Aux. rated 18kW) Class 333: AR10 + D14 (Aux rated 18kW) PL42 AC: TA17/CA6 (Aux. rated 18kW) Class 334: AR10 + D14 + HE5 (Aux. rated 25kW) BB 75000: ? |
| Traction motors | JT 42BW / Class67 / Class 334: D43 FM JT 42CW / Class 333: D78 PL42 AC: 6FXA 4057 BB 75000: ? three phase / asynchronous |
| Transmission | Diesel electric |
| Multiple working | yes |
| Top speed | JT 42BW: 140 km/h (87 mph) JT 42CW: 110 km/h (68 mph) M9 : 110 km/h (68 mph)[1] Class 67 / Class 334: 200 km/h (124 mph) Class 333: 120 km/h (75 mph) PL42 AC: 160 km/h (99 mph) BB 75000: 120 km/h (75 mph) |
| Power output | JT 42BW / JT 42 CW / Class 67 / Class 333 / 334: 3,000 hp (2,237 kW) (nominal) PL 42AC: 4,200 hp (3,132 kW) (nominal) BB 75000: 1,600 kW (2,146 hp) |
| Tractive effort | Maximum: JT 42BW: 244 kN (55,000 lbf) JT 42CW: 588 kN (132,000 lbf) Class 67: 144 kN (32,000 lbf) Class 333: 341 kN (77,000 lbf) PL 42AC: 311 kN (70,000 lbf) Class 334: ? |
| Locomotive brakes | JT 42BW / JT 42CW / Class 67 / Class 333 / PL42 AC / Class 334: Electropneumatic BB 75000: ? |
| Career | JT 42BW / JT 42CW: Israel Railways Class 67: DB Schenker (UK) Class 333 / 334: RENFE (Spain) PL42 AC: NJT (USA) BB 75000: FRET SNCF (France) |
| Official name | JT 42BW[2] JT 42CW[3] |
The Prima Diesel-electric locomotives are a class of medium and heavy, four- and six-axle, passenger and freight mainline locomotives.[10] They have been built both to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard and 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 2⁄3 in) broad gauges, and find use in the Middle East, Europe and North America. Alstom is the primary designer in cooperation with both General Motors (now EMD) and Siemens.
Contents |
Initially the Prima locomotives were electric only, with the technology demonstrator and test platform being built in 2002[11] in Belfort France by Alstom. Next came the Prima 6000 technology demonstrator; this too was an electric locomotive, with 6000 kW of power and primarily intended to test and demonstrate multi-voltage operations for European cross-border operations.[12] Orders for the Prima electrics came, mostly from SNCF.
A series of diesel locomotives also associated with the Prima name were also built. These were the General Motors (GM) engined machines built by Alstom at its Spanish plant in Valencia, and Ruston engined locomotives built in Belfort, France.
The Valencia plant was sold to Vossloh in 2004. Locomotives continued to be built there using EMD engines and electrical transmission systems - including almost total rebuilds of the RENFE 333 class. Vossloh changed the names of the products produced there to the "Vossloh Euro" platform[13] (see Vossloh Euro locomotives) and the end came of the association of the Valencia plant with the Prima name.[14]
Also produced in the 1990s were Prima diesels countries outside Europe. The DE32C was produced for Chemins de Fer Syriens in Syria, and Sri Lanka received 10 locomotives which it designated M9 class. A DE43C model was exported to Iran (AD43C[15]). Nevertheless the Euro 3000 and Euro 4000 products produced at Vossloh España continue to show similarities with the earlier Prima products[14]—such as the centrally located driver position with radially located controls, the single drivers window, and general body shape and design of the rigid body shell.
Alstom and Siemens collaborated to produce the BB 75000 diesel, which has received orders for at least 400 locomotives from SNCF with a possibility of 100 more. A Siemens/Alstom BB 75000 mock-up was unveiled on 25 March 2004,[16] The first locomotive was produced in 2006.
In 2008 Alstom unveiled the 'Prima II' platform;[17] diesel versions are to be offered,[18] so it is expected that further models of the Prima diesel locomotive family will appear.
The Prima type locomotives built at Alstoms Valencia plant were engined with General motors engines; in fact the entire power train - engine, generator, electronics and motors were supplied by General Motors for the Valencia built Primas. For the locomotives built in France - primarily those exported outside Europe Ruston engines were used. The Prima diesels for SNCF Fret used MTU engines.
Modern innovations in the Prima class included - a centrally located drivers seat with ergonomically arranged controls, a monocoque rigid bodyshell.
The BB 75000 retains the Prima appearance - the single window, drivers position, body design, but the 'innards' are supplied by Siemens, the engine from Caterpiller.
The Sri Lankan M9 locomotive is a 6 axle machine with 1,800 horsepower produced from a Ruston 12 cylinder engine.[19] Ten units were ordered in 1997 and delivered in 2000, costing 190 million Sri Lankan Rupees each. The locomotives are painted in a yellow, white and blue livery,[20] and are numbered 864 to 873.[21] As of 2010 only 3 were in operation due to technical problems,[1] earning them the unfortunate title "Most Unsuccessful locomotive in Sri Lanka Railway".[22] The first of the 7 inoperative locomotives, number 869, was returned to service after 6 years in September 2010, following work by the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies (ACCIMT).[23]
An order of 48 were ordered for Israel Railways, these four-axle locomotives can be seen operating push-pull passenger trains with single or double decker carriages. One unusual feature of this class is the 'horn like' headlight situated on top of the loco's cabin.[24] These have 2,200 kW of power and numbered 731–778 in Israel Railways.[25]
Eight ordered for the railways of Israel, these six-axle locos are suited for heavy freight work amongst other tasks.[26]
More commonly known as the English, Welsh and Scottish Railways Class 67, this type have a high axle load (22.5 tonnes) for UK rails, coupled with a high top speed. They have a very poor Route Availability of 8; typically they do not run at their top speed of 200 km/h on British rails.
These locomotives (333.3 and 333.4 subclasses) are the result of an almost total rebuild of the original Class 333 version (posthumously named 333.0) —practically all the previous equipment is scrapped—but the GM engine is reused, because of the extent of new equipment (including the main frame) the rebuilt locomotives are regarded as Prima types.
In operation with Chemins de Fer Syriens in Syria with 2,160 kW (2,900 hp) of power at wheel.[27] The engine in this model is manufactured by Ruston.[28]
In operation with Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.[29] These locos are very high power: 4,300 hp (3,200 kW).[30] 20 were built by Alstom, the remaining 80 of an order of 100 were to be built in Iran by Wagon Pars.[30][31] These locomotives also used a Ruston engine [30] with later batches manufactured by Desa diesel under a technology transfer agreement.[32]
This model only has a single cabin. Despite having a top speed of 160 km/h the average speed on the railway it operates on is only 48 km/h. They were built for New Jersey Transit.
These were the last of the Valencia-built Prima locomotives and technicallly should be considered part of the Vossloh Euro series of locomotives since they came off the production line after 2004. Built for passenger work on non-electrified lines in Spain, and were intended to replace older Class 333s.
This loco is much less powerful than the previous Prima designs, though any short-comings can be overset by the ability to work in multiple. The use of a Bo'Bo' design may have some cost benefits over a more complex (but more powerful) Co'Co' designed locomotive.