SNCF Class BB 15000 - The Experimental Nature of The Class

The Experimental Nature of The Class

BB15000 locomotives were popular locomotives for conducting various experiments. A small overview:

• Already in 1972 BB15001 was used for testing a potential speed raise to 200 km/h (120 mph) on the Paris-Strasbourg main line (sections Épernay - Châlons-sur-Marne, Vitry-le-François - Bar-le-Duc and Lunéville - Sarrebourg). While the locomotive had no technical difficulties at those speeds, the project was not continued due to the enormous cost of the infrastructure works which had to be undertaken.

• In 1973 BB15008 was used to test communication interferences on the now defunct Überherrn-Wadgassen line in Germany, exceptionally fed with 25 kV at that time.

• In 1974 BB15007 was taken out of service and transformed into BB7003, the prototype for the BB7200 locomotives. See SNCF Class BB 7003.

• In 1976 BB15015 was tested on the Marseille-Nice main line in order to prepare the line for the arrival of the similar, but bicurrent BB22200 locomotives.

• In 1977 BB15041 drove special demonstration rides between Épernay and Châlons-sur-Marne at 200 km/h (120 mph) for Amtrak executives, in order to convince them to buy a locomotive based on this design rather than the Swedish-based AEM-7. Eventually six-axle locomotive CC21003 was rebuilt to US standards and sent to the United States instead.

• In 1978 BB15012 received the lower-geared bogies of locomotive BB22201 and was tested on various lines with heavy freight trains with weights up to 2,200 tonnes (2,165 long tons; 2,425 short tons), in order to test the performances against BB22000 locomotives.

• In 1979 BB15063 was equipped with the bogies of BB7248 which had a modified secondary suspension for operating in the Middle East. The Iranian Railways were interested in purchasing a locomotive class based on the BB15000 design. BB15063 was tested with heavy trains up to 2,000 tonnes (1,968 long tons; 2,205 short tons) on various 25 kV lines. BB15063 retains these special bogies even today.

• In 1979 BB15030 was used for stability tests in the Marne valley region at speeds up to 230 km/h (140 mph).

• In 1980, a BB15000 locomotive pulled middle cars of a TGV Sud-Est train set at high speeds in preparation of their services on the LGV Sud-Est.

• Later that year, BB15008 was sent to the Rail Tec Arsenal climatic test chamber in Vienna for thermal tests up to −30 °C (−22 °F).

• In 1981 locomotives BB15049 and BB15059 were used for testing the behaviour of the AM18U pantographs at high speeds in tunnels, related to use in the then not yet built Channel Tunnel.

• In 1982 BB15055 receives synchronous motors. Later that year it is renumbered BB10004. See SNCF Class BB 10004.

• Also in 1982 BB15056 received a bimotor bogie with motors similar to the ones used in TGV Sud-Est sets.

• In 1983 BB7003 (original BB15007) is transformed into BB10003, a test-bed locomotive for asynchronous motors. See SNCF Class BB 10003.

• In 1989 BB10004 was restored to its original configuration and taken back into service with its original number, BB15055.

• In 1997 BB10003 was restored to its original configuration and taken back into service with its original number, BB15007.