VL23

In 1954, the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant developed a preliminary design of a new electric locomotive, which would replace the VL22 ^M electric locomotive, the main disadvantage of which was a rapid drop in traction force with an increase in travel speed and the design of trolleys, which did not allow its efficient operation on lines with hilly and flat profiles.

Instead of TED DPE-400 with an hourly power of 400 kW on a new locomotive, it was supposed to use TED NB-406 with an hourly capacity of 525 kW of VL8 electric locomotives . The new series was named VL23 . Some elements of the VL23 series electric locomotives were unified with VL8 (wheel-motor unit, motor-fans) and VL22 ^M (motor-compressors, regenerative braking scheme on some electric locomotives of the series). The design of the trolleys was carried out in two versions: with bar frames according to the type of frames of VL22 ^M electric locomotives and with cast frames according to the type of frames of VL8 electric locomotives. On the first experimental electric locomotives, it was planned to use carts with squared frames, and on subsequent ones, carts with cast frames.

In January - February 1956, the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant built the first two electric locomotives of the new series - VL23-001 and VL23-002. Strength tests of the VL23-001 electric locomotive showed that the bogies had sufficient strength, and the electric locomotive itself had satisfactory vertical dynamics, so the design speed was increased from the design 90 km / h to 100 km / h.

Traction and brake tests of the VL23-002 electric locomotive took place on the South Ural Railway . Tests have shown the advantage of the new locomotive compared to VL22 ^M at high speeds. At the same time, there was a greater tendency of the VL23 electric locomotive to skidding when starting and accelerating and a more rapid increase in the speed of rotation of the boxing wheelset. Also, the new electric locomotive experienced increased wobble at speeds above 70 km / h.

In January 1958, NEVZ produced two more electric locomotives of the VL23 series without regenerative braking with electric equipment designed for high currents and an increased number of starting stages. The lack of platforms at the ends of the body allowed to increase the room for electrical equipment. To select the connection of traction motors (six engines in series - at the positions of the driver's controller up to and including the 23rd, two branches in three in series - at positions 24 to 38, or three branches in two in series - at positions 39 48th) a group switch PKG-305 with a two-cylinder pneumatic drive was installed on the electric locomotive.

After the cessation of the production of VL22 ^M electric locomotives in 1958, the plant began to build VL23 electric locomotives without regenerative braking. On the electric locomotive VL23-210 and subsequent, the driver’s controllers were installed that have parts unified with the controllers of the electric locomotives of the VL8 series. From the electric locomotive No. 475, the volume of sand bins has been increased from 1,400 liters (2,100 kg) to 1,960 liters (2,940 kg).

In 1958, the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant again returned to the issue of using regenerative braking on VL23 electric locomotives and in September this year released two VL23-500 and VL23-501 electric locomotives with recovery. Unlike electric locomotives VL23-001 and VL23-002, the layout of power circuits was slightly changed on new locomotives. The significant change in the design of the bogies planned by the plant during the design of the electric locomotive was not carried out.

Electric locomotives of the VL23 series were built by the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant until mid- 1961 . A total of 489 electric locomotives were produced.

Electric locomotives of the VL23 series were used at many sites for servicing freight, and in some cases passenger trains. In 1959-60. electric locomotives VL23-070 and VL23-162 drove a passenger train Moscow - Ryazan , consisting of double-decker cars.

After electrification of the Kalinin (Tver) - Bologoye sections and further to Malaya Vishera, the VL23 electric locomotives replaced the VL19 and VL22 ^M electric locomotives in the freight and outbound traffic on the main course of the Oktyabrskaya Railway (Moscow - Leningrad) (initially only the suburban areas of Moscow and Russia were electrified Leningrad). Thanks to this, the weight of the average train was immediately increased to 3200 tons. In addition, until the mid-90s it was used in freight traffic in the Finnish direction of the Russian Railways, as well as in passenger traffic (train Leningrad-Finland-Petrozavodsk).

Since 1987, part of the VL23 series electric locomotives began to be operated on the Oktyabrskaya Railway in the form of permanently coupled two (at the main and at the Murmansk passage) or three locomotives (the Murmansk - Kandalaksha - Louhi section). They were taken into account as one locomotive and controlled by one locomotive brigade, that is, they worked on a system of many units. They were assigned the series 2ВЛ23 and 3ВЛ23 and given new numbers.

VL23 electric locomotives also operated on the flat sections of the West Siberian road (Novosibirsk - Barabinsk) that were electrified with direct current. With all their might, up to the beginning of the 90s, VL23 worked in the Kursk direction of the Moscow Railway (the registry office of Tula and Orel).

In 1972, on one of the electric locomotives of the VL23 series, various experimental modernizations were carried out regarding electrical equipment. The electric locomotive received the designation VL23 ^I- 006 (the index And meant "pulse regulation").

It should be especially noted that VL23 electric locomotives, not burdened with unnecessary complications in the design of mechanical parts, electrical apparatuses and auxiliary machines, were the most reliable (in terms of the number of failures per mileage) locomotives on the main railways of the USSR during the 1960s and 80s.

The VL23 electric locomotives were overhauled by the Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Zaporizhzhya electric locomotive repair plants and the Moscow Locomotive Repair Plant , where VL23 overhaul continued until 1994. In 1992, there were about 271 VL23 and 85 2VL23 and 3VL23 units in the MPS fleet.

By the mid-1990s, the mass operation of VL23 was completed. There were only a few electric locomotives for export work at passenger stations. Two electric locomotives were acquired by the Bakalskoye ore management ( Chelyabinsk region ). One VL23-419 in working condition was assigned to the Orel depot, another one, VL23-401, worked in the Tula depot, and in 2010 was transferred to the Samara State Transport Service Museum. An electric locomotive VL23-069 stands in the Railway depot of the Moscow Railway, where it was used until 2009 on maneuvers.

• Axial formula - 3 _O +3 _O
• Weight in working order - 137 t
• Hour power of TED - 6 × 525 kW
• Traction force of a clock mode - 26 400 kgf
• Clock speed - 42.6 km / h
• Long-term power of TED - 6 × 470 kW
• Traction force of the long mode - 22 600 kgf
• Speed ​​continuous mode - 44.3 km / h
• Design speed - 100 km / h

The recollections of the locomotive driver VL23 confirm the high reliability of the locomotives of this series. However, there are many negative comments regarding the inconvenience of the drivers and the tough course of the electric locomotive. The author writes: "In everyday life, VL23 was nicknamed the" irons "for their noisy and shaky move, and this name has been fixed to them for decades." It was either cold due to drafts in the cabin or it was so hot from the stoves that the driver’s soles literally melted the boots.

Rakov V.A. Electric locomotives of the VL23 series // Locomotives of domestic railways 1956 - 1975. - M .: Transport, 1999. - P. 26 - 30. - ISBN 5-277-02012-8 .

•   VL23-419 at EXPO 1520