The SNCF Class CC 6500 is a class of 1.5 kV DC electric locomotives. The CC 6500 was, together with the and diesel CC 72000, the first generation of the 'Nez Cassé' family of locomotives and designed for hauling express trains with speeds up to but also used for heavy freight trains. Among the trains they hauled in their first years of service were the SNCF flagship train Le Mistral and Trans Europ Express trains Aquitaine, Le Capitole and l'Étendard.Nock, O.S. (1978). "The Aquitaine: pioneer of electric power", in World Atlas of Railways, pp. 120–121. New York: Mayflower Books (original publisher: Artists House, London, UK). .

Technical details The locomotives had 3-axle monomotor bogies with each set of 3 axles coupled by gears. Speed regulation was by rheostats and series-parallel control. The motors had double armatures so there were four "demi-motors" which allowed three motor groupings: full series, series-parallel and full parallel. The power controller had 28 steps.

The second batch of CC 6500 locomotives were equipped with third-rail electrical pickups for use on the steeply-graded Maurienne line in the Alps, which were removed when the line was converted to overhead catenary supplies.

Production

Between 1969 and 1976 a total of 74 were built, with the last of this class taken out of service in 2007. Four more were built as dual-system 1.5 kV DC/25 kV AC locomotives, and designated Class CC 21000. These were reconfigured for use as DC-only locomotives between 1995 and 1996, taking the total of CC 6500 locomotives to 78.

Names Around half the class received names. Most are named after French towns, except CC 6572, which was named to commemorate the World War II railway workers resistance group, Résistance-Fer. Number Name Number Name CC 6502 Ivry-sur-Seine CC 6526 Choisy-le-Roi CC 6504 Vitry-sur-Seine CC 6527 Amboise CC 6505 Sainte-Foy-la-Grande CC 6529 Issoudun CC 6508 Montauban CC 6530 Cahors CC 6509 Agen CC 6531 Saint-Pierre-des-Corps CC 6510 Carcassonne CC 6533 Beautiran CC 6512 Narbonne CC 6534 Béziers CC 6513 Cognac CC 6535 Saint-Chamond CC 6514 Poitiers CC 6536 Annecy CC 6515 Blois CC 6537 Salon-de-Provence CC 6516 Châtellerault CC 6560 Oullins CC 6517 Arcachon CC 6563 Laval CC 6518 Orléans CC 6564 Beaune CC 6519 Angoulème CC 6566Maubeuge CC 6520 Ruffec CC 6567 Brest CC 6521 Saintes CC 6569 La Mulatière CC 6522 Limoges CC 6570 Armentières CC 6523 Brive CC 6571 Jeumont CC 6524 Toulouse CC 6572 Résistance-Fer CC 6525 Châteauroux CC 6574 Dole

References

Further reading