Kraków 2023-01-24
EP07 Electric Locomotives.
Photo description: EP07-1026 was built at PaFaWag in 1968, with No. 4F-032 at PKP EU07-032. The reconstruction was carried out in 2007 in ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki. The locomotive was handed over to PolRegio in Wrocław. Cream and white painting. In 2012, the P4 level was repaired in ZNTK Oleśnica. Blue and white painting. A locomotive used in InterCity. In 2016, the P4 level was repaired at PKP CARGOTABOR - ZNT Ostrów Wlkp. In 2020, the P4 level was repaired at OLKOL Oleśnica. Blue-gray painting.
Photo description: EP07-1013 was built in HCP in 1986, with No. 303E-309/1986 in PKP EU07-309. The reconstruction was carried out in 2007 in ZNTK Oleśnica. The locomotive was handed over to PolRegio in Wrocław. Cream and white painting. In 2013, the P4 level was repaired at PKP Intercity - Zakład Zachodni in Wrocław. Blue and white painting. A locomotive used in InterCity. In 2018, the P4 level was repaired at PKP Intercity - Zakład Zachodni in Wrocław. In 2022, the P4 level was repaired at PKP CARGOTABOR - ZNT Ostrów Wlkp. Blue-gray painting.
Photo description: EP07-1035 was built at PaFaWag in 1969, with No. 4E-050 in PKP EU07-050. The reconstruction was carried out in 2007 in ZNTK Oleśnica. The locomotive was handed over to PolRegio in Wrocław. Cream and white painting. In 2012, the P4 level was repaired at ZNTKiM in Gdańsk. Blue and white painting. A locomotive used in InterCity. In 2017, the P4 level was repaired at ZNTKiM in Gdańsk. In 2020, the P4 level was repaired at ZNTKiM in Gdańsk. Blue-gray painting.
History.
By the end of the 50s, electrification on Polish railway lines was already progressing rapidly. Electric locomotives were needed to operate passenger and freight trains.
First, Swedish locomotives were purchased, marked EP03 in Poland. The locomotive was manufactured by Allmann Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget and was marked ASEA E150. In 1951, 8 copies were bought for PKP. Initially, the locomotives were given numbers in the E150 series. In 1951, the series designation was changed to E03, and in 1959, finally to EP03. A copy of the EP03-01 locomotive is in the Railway Open-Air Museum in Chabówka.
The Polish PaFaWag 1E locomotive was also developed, which received the designation E02 and finally EP02 in PKP. Between 1953 and 1957, 8 Type 1E units were built and given numbers from E110 to E117. The locomotives were built at the State Wagon Factory in Wrocław. However, the EP02 locomotive was not very successful. Her running system was not good and wore out quickly at higher running speeds. Therefore, after a few years, the train speed was limited to 70 km/h. The electrical part of the locomotive was good because it came from English Electric. These were English solutions and components, over time replaced by Polish ones. The experience gained during the operation of EP02 was used to develop the ET21 type E3 electric locomotive. An example of the EP02 locomotive can be seen in the Railway Open-Air Museum in Chabówka.
Then locomotives from the GDR were bought, marked EU04 in Poland. The factory designation was LEW E04. Initially, PKP assigned the type designation E200, then E04 and finally EU04. These locomotives were built for PKP in the period 1954–1955 by the LEW Hennigsdorf plant in Hennigsdorf in the GDR. However, these locomotives were defective. According to other sources, the locomotives were good, but the German factory was unable to fulfill a larger order for Poland.
In 1961, PKP bought 30 Škoda 44E series 30 electric locomotives in Czechoslovakia, marked EU05 in Poland. The locomotives were built at the Škoda plant in Pilzno. They were good vehicles.
EU06 locomotive.
They were still looking for a manufacturer of more successful locomotives. With great difficulty, the British offer from English Electric was accepted. This company had the greatest experience in the world in the production of this type of vehicles. The choice fell on the locomotive, which in Poland received the designation EU06, series 20. The basis for the EU06 locomotive was the English Electric Class 83 locomotive. 20 units were purchased, as well as a license to produce these locomotives in Poland. In England, EU06 locomotives were built between 1961 and 1962 at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England. In December 1961, PKP representatives carried out the technical acceptance of the first locomotive. In the spring of 1962, the first EU06 locomotive was accepted into the locomotive depot in Kraków Prokocim. 19 locomotives were delivered to Poland by the end of 1962, and the last one was handed over in 1965 because it was undergoing modernization works.
The then most modern electric locomotive for PKP was built in the oldest locomotive factory in the world. The Vulcan Foundry was founded in 1825 by Mr. Robert Stephenson, son of George Stephenson, the famous steam locomotive designer.
The EU06 locomotive could drive a passenger train weighing 650 tons at a speed of 125 km/h or a freight train weighing 2,000 tons at a speed of 70 km/h. The locomotive's power is 2,000 kW. Locomotives of this series could also work in pairs in a triple arrangement and then the weight of the train could be increased accordingly, up to 3,600 tons.
In accordance with Polish wishes, EU06 locomotives received rectangular bumpers. Three reflectors were installed in the front wall of the locomotive, which in Poland were called "Buckets" due to their size. Additionally, the lower headlights received red train-end lights internally. There are three windows in the front wall. The outside windows were equipped with windshield wipers, the mechanisms of which were mounted above the windows. Multiple control sockets are centrally located on the front wall. Each driver's cab received two entrances on the left and right, unlike in the later EU07. The locomotive received four rear-view mirrors. The engine room had three windows and four ventilation grilles in each wall.
The locomotives were painted in the then standard painting pattern: light green and dark green. The chassis was painted black. The pantographs are red. The soleplate cap was painted red. Operational and information inscriptions are painted in white. Inscriptions and warning signs are placed on yellow stickers. The locomotive body has decorative aluminum strips that cover the joints of the sheets. The numbers valid in PKP are placed on the fronts and sides of the locomotive.
EU07 locomotive, 4E. PaFaWag.
In Poland, license production was commissioned to the PaFaWag factory in Wrocław. The English documentation had to be converted to Polish documentation by changing the English dimensions to the SI system. This required rounding some values. At the factory, the locomotive received the factory symbol 4E, and at PKP it was given the designation EU07. Locomotive production began in 1963 and lasted until 1974. According to other sources, production lasted from 1965 to 1977. In 1977, the assembly line was switched to the production of ET22 electric locomotives. Over 11 years, 240 EU07 locomotives were built, although it was planned to build 300 units. The number of EU07 locomotives built allowed to meet the most important needs in the operation of passenger, fast and express trains in Poland on electrified lines.
The first example of EU07-001 after service was sent to the Railway Open-Air Museum in Chabówka. The locomotive is in its original painting.
In the period 1976–1977, 4 locomotives of the EP08 series (serial numbers from EP08-002 to 005; type 4Ea) were included in the EU07 series because they did not meet the requirements of the EP08 series. Equipped with a plain bearing, which turned out to be unsuitable for the assumed operating speed EP08. These locomotives received new numbers from EU07-241 to 244. EP08 (4Ea) locomotives were built from 1972, especially for fast and express trains from/to Warsaw. These locomotives were called "Swinka" due to their orange color.
There are several differences between the "English" EU06 and the EU-07. The arrangement of the entrance doors to the locomotive has been changed. Looking in the direction of travel, the door on the right side was moved back and was located in the machinery space. The situation is similar at the other end of the locomotive. In this way, the engine room received an additional window in the door. In turn, the side window at the driver's station has been widened. The Polish EU07 locomotive has a rain gutter surrounding the entire roof of the locomotive. In EU06, gutters are only in the area of the driver's cabins. Inside, the driver's cabin is heated with a voltage of 3,000 V, and in the "English" with a current of 110 V.
EU07 locomotive, 303E. HCP.
In 1983, production of EU07 locomotives resumed. This time at the HCP plant in Poznań. The Pafawag plant in Wrocław continued to produce the successful ET22 locomotives. At the same time, the production of ET41 locomotives at HCP in Poznań was discontinued.
The new EU07 locomotive, type 303E, was developed on the basis of the two-unit ET41 locomotive, type 203E, which was derived from the type 4E locomotive. The production of EU07 locomotives, type 303E, was carried out in the period 1983–1993. A total of 243 locomotives of type EU07, type 303E were built. They received No. 301-543. There are no locomotives with numbers 245-300.
The new EU07, type 303E, has many modifications that increase its service life and reduce its failure rate. The number of places that required frequent lubrication was reduced. Metal-rubber connections were introduced, which improved the locomotive's running comfort. The structure of the box has been changed. A self-supporting box with grooved side walls was used. These grooved walls are the distinguishing feature between the 4E and 303E locomotives. One ventilation grille was removed from the side wall of the machinery room, the first on the left side looking in the direction of travel. A full flat sheet of metal was left between the windows, which was grooved halfway through production. Larger blades (scrapers) were also installed under the headstock. The new locomotives were adapted to install a Soviet automatic coupler.
In the EU07 model, type 303E, some outdated solutions have not been removed. Resistance starting was still used. Electronic control was not used. This was the result of the crisis state of the national economy, which could not afford new technologies. The Polish economy was ineptly run by the communists.
In the period 1990–1994, three sections of ET41 electric locomotives were also converted to EU07 locomotives, type 303E. They are equipped with an additional cabin. The locomotives received the numbers EU07-537, EU07-544 and EU07-545.
EU07 design (4E, 303E).
The term used in PKP EU07 means a universal electric locomotive designed to pull passenger trains weighing up to 700 tons at a speed of 125 km/h or freight trains weighing up to 2,000 tons at a speed of 70 km/h. The EU07 locomotive is built in a classic arrangement, i.e. it has a driver's and assistant's cabin at both ends. Two pantographs (current receivers). Supply voltage from traction 3,000 V. Bo'Bo' axle system. The locomotive is powered by four EE541A electric motors, with a rated voltage of 1,500 V. Each motor is placed on one wheel axle. The permissible operating temperature of the engine is 180 °C, therefore the engines are cooled with an appropriate compressed air installation.
There are multiple control sockets on the fronts of the locomotive, which makes it possible to drive two coupled locomotives of the same type (4E with 4E and 303E with 303E) by controlling both locomotives from the first cabin. The exception are EU07 locomotives from numbers 241 to 244, which can only be combined with EP08, because they are locomotives of type 4Ea (EP08 no. 002-005) equipped with plain bearings, which turned out to be inappropriate for the assumed operating speed of EP08, therefore they were renamed them on EU07.
Differences between type 4E and 303E:
The timing is changed, so only the same types of locomotives work together in multi-track operation. Type 303E has a grooved box that is self-supporting. The Type 4E has a mass of 80,000 kg and the Type 303E has a mass of 83,400 kg. Type 4E length is 15,920 mm and type 303E is 16,310 mm. Type 303E may have a Soviet coupler installed and buffers removed. Other blades were also installed under the headstock.
EP07 locomotive.
The EP07 electric passenger locomotive (Factory Types: 4E, 303E and 303E-FPS, Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych) is a series of standard-gauge electric passenger locomotives. These are rebuilt units of the EU07 locomotive. The reconstruction was carried out in the years 1995 - 2008 by various ZNTK plants. Modernizations were carried out, among others, by: ZNTK Oleśnica, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki, HCP Poznań, NEWAG Nowy Sącz. Initially, it was planned to modernize only locomotives 303E (Poznań), but locomotives 4E (Wrocław) were also rebuilt.
The locomotive marked EP07 in PKP are rebuilt EU07 locomotives, adapted to passenger trains moving at a speed of 125 km/h, i.e. the same as EU07, but they are easier to maintain this speed. In the EP07 designation, the letter "P" means passenger. Back in the 1980s, the letter "P" was translated as an express train. The conversion of locomotives to EP07 has been carried out at ZNTK since 1995. The designation was changed from EU07 to EP07, but the serial number remained the same. In the period 2005-2008, 69 EP07 locomotives were built, marked with new numbers from 1001 to 1069.
The main change consisted in replacing the EE541 electric motors with LKB535 motors. The gear transmission between the engine and the locomotive wheels was also changed. Now the ratio is 76:21, while it was 79:18. LKB535 engines at a lower rotational speed give the locomotive greater speed. Now, however, the EP07 locomotive is not suitable for freight trains because it has a difficult start. Multiplied traction was abandoned. Air conditioning has been installed.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman