Picture of electric SBB E 3/3
Electric locomotive is a locomotive modified to heat water and get steam from a contact electrical network using heating elements . It was used during the Second World War in Switzerland .
The need to use such an exotic structure was due to the fact that, due to the war, access to coal in Switzerland was very limited. On the other hand, the developed network of electrified railways and a sufficiently large amount of electricity generated by hydroelectric power stations created the conditions for transferring existing steam locomotives to electric power.
Specifications
The Swiss three-axle electric locomotives had the following technical characteristics:
- voltage in the contact network - 15 kV
- alternating current, frequency 16.66 Hz
- total power consumption of heat generated tubular electric heaters - 480 kW