SNCF Class BB 9200


The SNCF Class BB 9200 1500 V DC electric locomotives were built by Schneider-Jeumont/CEM between 1958-1964. 92 of them were built and 20 remain.

History

These locomotives are products of the Jacquemin product family, offspring of the prototype BB 9004, and named after the engineer who designed their bogies.
The locomotives were designed for a maximum speed of and were the first such engines in France. In the late sixties, a small group of locomotives was converted for operation, hauling prestige TEE trains like the Capitole - these locomotives were called the BB 9200 Capitole. These types were later superseded by the CC 6500 locomotives. Some of these locomotives have been covered more than since they entered service.

Current service

The regular services of the remaining BB 9200 train engines are inter-regional trains between Paris Montparnasse and Le Mans, between Paris Austerlitz and Tours and between Paris Gare de Lyon, Dijon and Lyon. Some few are in service for freight trains.
Phasing out of the series of train engines was expected for 2007.

BB 9200 ''Capitole''

The BB 9200 Capitole was a variant of the SNCF Class BB 9200 locomotive specially constructed for operating high speed trains running at speeds greater than ). Due to the special colour scheme they were also called the BB rouge. They also sported Capitole front plates and single-arm pantographs; the rest of the class had diamond pantographs. From 1967 to 1970 the SNCF started the high speed service with the Capitole between Paris and Toulouse. This route included some sections with a speed of more than.
Models of the BB 9200 rouges with their Capitol plates were produced by Märklin and Roco.