PKP class EU07

EU07 is the name for a Polish electric locomotive in service of the Polish railway operator PKP. This locomotive was designed as a mixed traffic locomotive, and as such is used both in freight and passenger traffic.

Technical data

EU07 have driving cabins on both ends of the box. The locomotive is equipped with multiple unit control system which allows a single driver to drive two coupled engines from one cabin. This engine is able to pull passenger trains of up to 650 t weight with speed of 125 km/h and freight trains of up to 2000 t weight with speed of 70 km/h. These figures apply to driving on horizontal track.

History

The EU07 is strongly connected with the EU06 locomotive. The EU06 was a British derivative of the Class 83 locomotive built for the Polish system. In 1959 an agreement was signed with the producer of the EU06, English Electric, under which Poland bought the license for the EU06 and started its production in Pafawag Wrocław, under build number 4E. The first item was finished in 1965, and by 1974 a total number of 240 locomotives had been built. The EU07 locomotives only differed slightly from EU06 thanks to some minor improvements that had been made with comparison to their predecessors.

In 1983 the production of EU07 locomotives was re-opened in Cegielski works in Poznań. This new series of locomotives was based on ET41 freight locomotive (which had been built by joining two EU07 locomotives of first run production). Bringing several modifications production number changed to 303E. A total number of 243 items were built and the production continued until 1994 despite this engine was out of date then.

Modifications

All EU07 locomotives were originally fitted with large headlights the buckets. After 1990 these have been successively replaced with halogen healights of smaller diameter. The cheapest such replacement was to put the new headlight inside the bucket. More elaborate change included cutting the bucket out and creating flat headlight for better aerodynamic performance.

EP07 is a later modification of EU07, with changed motors and gear ratios to make them better suited for hauling passenger trains. Modification has been made in several Rolling Stock Repairing Works since 1995. EP07 locomotives change only class name, but not the serial number.

EU07A is a very comprehensive modification of EU07 encompassing new motors, power electronics, new brake system, etc. Originally, after evaluating test results, PKP Intercity made a decision not to modify any further units due to unsatisfactory costs v results ratio but in 2012 ordered further two units. These were delivered in 2014. Further 6 units will be modified for Przewozy Regionalne.

Related developments

The following engines are heavily based on EU07:

• ET22 — heavy goods engine using pneumatics, electrics and motors of EU07
• EP08 — increased V_max thanks to different motors and powertrains
• ET41 — articulated twin engine consisting of 2 permanently coupled EU07

Accidents

On 12 August 2011, locomotive number 1034 was derailed at Baby, Piotrków County whilst hauling a passenger train from Warszawa Centralna to Katowice. One passenger was killed and 45 were injured.

Nicknames

• Siódemka (The Seven) — from the number
• Anglik (The Englishman)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to PKP class EU07.

• Polish locomotives designation

References