ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 22, 27 February 1942, Page 2

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

MIXED TRAFFIC UNIT DOES 65 M.P.H. Successful tests have been carried out with Britain's first elcctrie locomotive for mixed traffic. Designed for the Manchester to Sheffield line, where a wide diversity of hauling all classes of trains, this unit was one of 70 under construction at the outbreak of war in connection with the electrification of this, branch of the London and North Eastern Railway. Work on these locomotives was suspended, except in the ease of the first which it was decided to finish so tliat, when electrification is resumed, the other 69 might incorporate any modification shown to be necessary. Equipped to. give 1860 h.p. at the one hour rating, it can haul an express train at 65 m.p.h. on the level and an express freight train of 500 tons at 40 m.p.h. up in oiv? in 125 grade, or a freight train of 700 tons at 36 m.p.h. up the same gradient. Tli is engine is of the articulated double bogie type, the simplest and cheapest I'erm of electric locomotive known, and a design which in some countries has proved difficult to run smoothly at speeds around 60 m.p.h. In this particular case, however, I tests have shown perfectly smooth | running at an average speed of 65 j m. p. h. j