France - Electric locomotives of state railways SNCF

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A class BB 116000 (formerly BB 16000) electric locomotive with Intercites coaches. These locomotives were built 1958-63 by "Le Matériel de Traction Électrique" (MTE) in 62 copies. It works with 25kV AC only and it is the AC version of locomotive type BB 9200. The whole series was taken out of use 31.12.2012. Picture by Sanna Siissalo 27.1.2008 at Gare St.Lazaire in Paris.

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Another similar BB 16000 / BB 116000 locomotive than the one above, but this one in the "En Voyage" livery. Picture by Sanna Siissalo 27.1.2008 at Gare St.Lazaire in Paris.

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Yet another class BB16000 locomotive and yet another livery. Picture from Paris Gare du Nord 27.1.2008 by Sanna Siissalo.

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Another view of the same BB16000 locomotive as above.
Picture from Paris Gare du Nord 27.1.2008 by Sanna Siissalo.

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The subclass BB16500 looked quite diffrent from the BB16000 shown above. This is 16708 and it was from the year 1958, built by Alsthom. Its top speed was 140 km/h.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another class BB16500 locomotive, the BB16690 leading a TER train.
Picture from Thionville 8.9.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The same class BB16500 locomotive as shown above, but seen from the other side.
Picture from Thionville 8.9.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This is a class BB 27000 / BB 827000 locomotive of the type "Prima" of Alstom, used here in the regional "Transilien" local traffic network of Ilé de France around Paris. Normally Alstom Primas are only used by the SNCF Cargo part SNCF FRET, but here they are replacing the old BB 17000 locomotives. The Primas were built 2001-2005 in two series and they have a power rating of 4200 kW.
Picture by Sanna Siissalo 27.1.2008 at Gare St.Lazaire in Paris.

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Another Alstom Prima machine which is also used in TER traffic but not in the Transilien region. And the condition of this machine is also "less prima" than what is shown above. This one is working for the "La Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes".
Picture from Lyon Part-de-Dieu 21.10.2024 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This is the class BB 17000 which the new Alstom Primas are replacing. They were built for suburban train duties on the so called Transilien network around Paris 1965-68. A total of 105 locomotives were made by Alsthom. The machine is a pure 25kV AC locomotive and has a modest power rating of only 2940kW. Scrapping of these machines began in 2007. Picture by Sanna Siissalo 27.1.2008 at Gare St.Lazaire in Paris.

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A similar BB 17000 machine as in the picture above, but this one in the so called "En Voyage" livery is seen here pushing away a rake of old regional service coaches. Picture by Sanna Siissalo 27.1.2008 at Gare St.Lazaire in Paris.

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Two locomotives using DC current. The one on the left belongs to the class BB7200, which is the 1,5 kV DC version of the common "broken nose" or "Nez Cassé" family of locomotives. They were built by Alsthom and MTE 1976-85 in 240 copies. There are three subclasses and this one is from the slowest one, having a max speed of only 100 km/h and a power rating of 4040 kW. The machine on the right belongs to the 1,5kV class BB 9200 built by Creusot-Loire, Jeumont-Schneider and Compagnie Électro-Mécanique in 1957-64. They have now all been scrapped.
Picture from Gare Montparnasse 27.1.2008 by Sanna Siissalo.

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BB20211 and BB26029 in Mulhouse. The old 20211 on the left is a rarity. It's one of a very small series, built to work both with 15kV AC in the Swiss network as well as with 25 kV AC in Alsace, France. This machine and its sisters were almost exclusively used only on the Mulhouse to Basel route, pulling both passenger trains as well as cargo. With their dual electric systems they could reach all the way to the Swiss cargo yard of Muttenz.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A still better picture of the same dual electric systems machine 20211. Only 13 of these class BB20200 machines were built in 1970. Their active operation route was Strasbourg-Mulhouse-Basel.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another multiple electric systems machine. This BB25108 belongs to the small series BB25100 built by MTE 1964 to 1965. They could operate both with 1,5 kV DC as well as the 25 kV AC electric systems. Only 25 of these machines were built.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Almost similar but not quite. This BB25181 belongs to the class BB25150. They were also dual electric systems machines for 1,5 kV DC and 25 kV AC, but they were slightly younger than the one shown above. These were built in three series between 1967 and 1977 by MTE and this one belongs to the last series. This individual machine was taken in use 12.10.1976 and it was scrapped 12.4.2007. Most of its operational time it spent in Rennes.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Two more multiple electric systems machines for 1,5kV DC and 25 kV AC. BB25105 on the right is similar to the 25108 shown here just two pictures up. BB25208 on the left in its darker "Multiservices" livery is a slightly newer machine of the series BB25200. That was a series built by MTE 1965-75 in 51 copies. This series is a direct derivative of the BB16000 series, only with dual electric systems.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A more detailed view of the same BB25208 as shown above.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This locomotive belongs to the series BB25200R, R for reversible. 18 machines of the type BB25200 were in 1987 converted to be capable of push-pull operation and they got the series designation BB25200R. They were all allocated to Chambéry for services between Grenoble and Lyon. All of them were scrapped by 2012.
Picture of an SNCF series BB25200R machine with a push-pull rake of coaches ready to leave from Grenoble towards Lyon. Picture 27.6.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The class BB 15000 is another member of the "broken nose" family of locomotives. This type was built by Alsthom and MTE 1971-78 in 65 copies. It is a pure AC locomotive for 25 kV lines. They were earlier widely used in high quality express and Intercité trains, but have now rapidly been pushed aside by TGV trains. It has a power rating of 4400 kW and a top service speed of 160 km/h.
Picture from Paris Gare du Nord 27.1.2008 by Sanna Siissalo.

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Exactly the same locomotive BB15038 as seen above, here together with BB25675. The latter belongs to the series BB25500 built in 1964.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A closer view of the BB25675, which is a class BB25500 machine, a class of 194 locomotives built by Asthom 1964-75 in four series. They are dual electric systems machines that can run under 1,5 kV DC or 25 kV AC. They were mainly used for passenger trains in TER traffic.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another BB15000 series locomotive.
Picture from Gare de l´Est in Paris 20.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Yet another class BB15000 locomotive, this time the BB15016 leading here an international EuroCity from Milano via Switzerland to Brussels.
Picture from Thionville 8.9.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The BB7200 is the 1,5 kV variant of the "broken nose" locomotives. Here it is seen still in the so called "En voyage" livery. This painting/taping was copyrighted by a marketing agency and at the end of the agreement period SNCF now has to remove all the en voyage tapings from their locomotives, often resulting in dull grey locomotives with no colouring at all. Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This BB7200 locomotive has still kept its earlier orange and grey livery. Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another BB7200, but this one has lost its "en voyage" tapings and is now just dull grey. Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another BB7200 in the "en voyage" tapings of the TER service of Bourgogne.
Picture from Paris Gare de l´Est 4.3.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This was the other end of the same train where the BB7200 locomotive pictured above was at the other end. A very stylish drivers' cab coach of TER Bourgogne.
Picture from Paris Gare de l´Est 4.3.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The BB26000 locomotive series is a dual voltage locomotive type also known as "Sybic". They were built by GEC Alsthom between 1988 and 1998 in 234 copies. They can operate with both 25 kV AC and 1,5 kV DC. Top speed is 200 km/h and the power rating is 5,6 MW. They were originally orange and grey, but this machine has apparently been in the "en voyage" livery and has now been stripped of all the copyrighted folios.
Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another dull grey BB26000 "Sybic" locomotive.
Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another BB26000 "Sybic" locomotive, but this one has the very old orange front but still already new tapings along its front sides.
Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This BB26000 "Sybic" is in the newest tapings.
Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 19.10.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This BB26000 "Sybic" is still in the very first livery of these locomotives and it even still carries the old SNCF logo nicknamed "macaroni".
Picture from Paris Gare d´Austerlitz 4.3.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another class BB26000 "Sybic", this BB26027 is also still wearing its very first livery.
Picture from Mulhouse 3.2.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A set of old aluminium coaches which were used for TER train traffic together with electric locomotives also dating back to about 1958-62. This is all history by now.
Picture from Thionville 8.9.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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