Norway - electric locomotives
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CargoNet class 119, also known as class El 19, locomotives are actually quite standard second generation Bombardier TRAXX
machines identical to the German class 185. CargoNet rented some of them, but just like in Sweden, CargoNet wasn't exactly
happy with them in the very harsh winter conditions. They don't take low temperatures too well and in addition to
that, they have had serious skidding problems. CargoNet returned after a while its TRAXXes to the leasing company.
Picture (through a hole in a fence) by Ilkka Siissalo at Alnabru 21.6.2011.
Locomotives are getting rare in Norway's passenger traffic, but here is still
one. This is the type El18, Norway's finest electric locomotive. They were built by ADtranz in Switzerland.
It is almost identical to the Swiss SBB class Re460. Here the locomotive is shown in its latest standard
livery of NSB.
Photo from Flåm 2.7.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
When the El 18 locomotives were new they were painted dark red with large rectangular black side panels just like
their predecessors El 16 and El 17 were at that time. Then in 2013-14
first just one locomotive got a "trial" painting in grey with some red stripes. This is that one experimental
livery machine. Later the whole El18 fleet got a fairly similar new livery.
Picture from Oslo sentral 19.1.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.
The same El 18 no.2259 with its experimental livery is seen here leading an express train from Bergen to Oslo approaching
the station of Hönefoss.
Picture 19.1.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is the original livery of the Norwegian El 18 locomotives.
Picture from Oslo sentral 21.6.2011 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another view of an El 18 in its original livery.
Picture from Oslo sentral 21.6.2011 by Ilkka Siissalo.
When NSB became Vy, many trains got a totally new painting. But all that changed at these EL18 locomotives was that the old
NSB logo sticker was changed to a Vy sticker. These locomotives continue to haul Oslo to Bergen express trains.
Picture from Bergen 4.7.2022 by Marek Graff.
Another EL18 of Vy, but this time with a different advertisement sticker picture.
Picture from Oslo sentral 4.7.2022 by Marek Graff.
A class El 17 electric locomotive. The classes El 16 and El 17 are almost identical in their looks, 16 is the older version and 17 is the
newer passenger train version with asyncronous motors. Here the locomotive is in a special green painting of the touristic
Flåm railway. The class El 17 machines were built in two series in 1981 and 1987 by Henschel in Germany. Only 12 were built. Max
speed is 150 km/h and they were used in the fastest long distance trains before the type El 18 and the type BM73 electric
multiple units became available. By 2016 almost all of these were scrapped already.
Photo from Flåm 2.7.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Two class El 16 locomotives in CargoNet's paintings, first one in the grey and yellow and the second one in later black
and yellow livery. Also these machines were originally red, first rusty brownish red with small stripes
and then bright red with large rectangular black side panels. At the time when NSB was split into a passenger
traffic part (NSB) and into a cargo part (CargoNet), all the El16s went to the cargo company. The El16s
were built by Asea from 1977 to 1984 and although they differ in their looks, technically they are almost identical
to the Swedish class Rc4. Top speed is 140 km/h.
Picture from Hamar station 1.7.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another El16 at Alnabru close to Oslo 21.6.2011. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.
A class El 14 electric locomotive at Alnabru depot close to Oslo. It is a six axle heavy locomotive, which was made by NEBB
and Thune 1968-73 in 31 copies, but although it was made in Norway, the technology is based on a Swiss machine,
the SBB Ae 6/6 from the mid-1950s. Originally they were used in passenger traffic too, but nowadays the remaining ones
are used only in cargo trains, often hauling heavy timber trains. Maximum speed is 100 km/h.
Picture from Alnabru 21.6.2011 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is how the El 14 locomotives used to look like when they were still young and when they were used still in both passenger
as well as cargo trains. This is presumably an express train running between Oslo and Trondheim and the El 14 locomotive is
still in its original livery.
Picture from Trondheim in 1981 by Adrian Gray.
Norwegian state railways NSB's express train led by an El 13 locomotive is just arriving at the Oslo Nationaltheatret. In those days
the city of Oslo did not yet have a railway tunnel under the city center, but the trains arriving from north terminated at the national
theater station and the Østbanen which comes from the south and from the east ended at the Oslo eastern station, very close to the present
day Oslo sentral station. These El 13 locomotives were built 1957–1966 by the company Thune. It has a top speed of 100 km/h and a seemengly
modest power rating of 2648 kW. The El 13 is a heavier and improved version of the earlier El 11 shown below. These were withdrawn in the
1990s and only one has survived.
Picture from Oslo Nationaltheatret 1981 by Adrian Gray.
Class El 11 electric locomotives were built by Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri NEBB in two batches in 1951-56 and 1963-64, 41 locomotives in
total. This is one of the machines from the first series. They are easy to distinguish: This earlier series has a windscreen composed of four
small window panes whereas the newer series has two larger window panes. This was a 105 km/h fast locomotive used both in passenger and cargo
traffic. It had a power rating only 1676 kW, less than one third of a modern electric locomotive. The type El 11 was withdrawn from regular
use during the 1990s and there are four machines left, two of which are kept by the Norwegian Railway Club for historic trains. This is one of
those machines.
Picture from Hønefoss 19.1.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Side view of the same El 11 machine as above.
Picture from Hønefoss 19.1.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Yet another picture of the same El 11 machine as above.
Picture from Hønefoss 19.1.2014 by Ilkka Siissalo.
NSB's El 11 locomotive still in its original livery in front of a short express train at what then was the
Oslo southern station. At least the first coach behind the locomotive is a class NSB B3-2 in its old livery.
Picture from Oslo southern station 1981 by Adrian Gray.
A class El 9 electric locomotive built by Norsk Elektrisk and Brown Boweri in 1944. These machines were specifically designed for
the very steep Flåm railway.
Photo from Flåm at the Flåm railway museum 2.7.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Besides the state owned CargoNet there are also several private cargo rail companies active in Norway. This TRAXX class 185 locomotive
is owned by the locomotive leasing company Railpool and registered in Germany, but here it is waititing in Norway for the
next customer to rent it.
Picture from Hønefoss 19.10.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.