SBB-CFF-FFS Re 460 explained

SBB-CFF-FFS Re 460
Powertype:	Electric
Designer:	Pininfarina
Builder:	SLM, Winterthur ABB, Zürich
Builddate:	1991–1996
Totalproduction:	119
Uicclass:	Bo′Bo′
Length:	185000NaN0
Width:	30000NaN0
Height:	43100NaN0
Locoweight:	84t
Electricsystem:	Catenary
Collectionmethod:	Pantograph
Tractionmotors:	ABB 4-FXA 7065 3-phase with GTO- (after modernisation IGBT-) VVVF
Maxspeed:	200km/h^[1]
Poweroutput:	6100-1NaN-1 max. 5600-1NaN-1 cont.
Tractiveeffort:	230-1NaN-1 cont. @88km/h
Locobrakes:	Air, regenerative and magnetic track brake
Trainbrakes:	Air
Coupling:	buffers and chain
Operator:	SBB-CFF-FFS
Operatorclass:	Re 460 000 – Re 460 118
Nicknames:	Lok 2000

The Re 460 (popularly known as the Lok 2000) series are modern four-axle electric multipurpose locomotives of the Swiss Federal Railways. The Lok 2000-family locomotives are the last mainline locomotives to be quasi fully developed and produced by Swiss companies. Locomotive construction in Switzerland has since been largely discontinued for economic reasons. Only Stadler Rail still manufactures shunting and rack railway locomotives in the country.

Assignment

The series was introduced as part of the Rail 2000 project, a massive project to modernise and improve the capacity of Switzerland's railways.^[2]

Upon their entry into service in the early 1990s, they replaced the, Ae 4/7, and series units, and displaced many of the Re 4/4^II series into lesser duties.

When SBB was split up on 1 September 1999, Re 460 079–118 were assigned to the freight division, later becoming SBB Cargo. It was seen as an advantage to use all Re 460, which had been designed for 200 km/h, for passenger service. The passenger division passed the Re 6/6 to SBB Cargo and bought 079–095 on 1 January 2003, 096–102 in 2004, and the rest in 2005.

While originally designed as a multipurpose locomotive, they are now used for passenger services only, often in conjunction with the IC 2000 double-decker or trainsets (often used to pull InterCity and InterRegio trains in German and French language areas). Their freight role has been assumed by Re 482s.

They are maintained at Yverdon.

Advertising

Due in part to their large, mainly flat bodysides, Swiss Federal Railways were approached early on with requests for the Re 460 to be used as mobile advertising hoardings. Despite opposition from some quarters, the money that could be earned swayed the decision, and the first such locomotive, Re 460 015 was unveiled in 1994 in Agfa livery. Today no other loco type in Switzerland carries so many different liveries.

Naming

Almost all Re 460 locomotives are named, with the names being applied below the cab window at one end.

List of names:

Re 460 000 Grauholz
Re 460 001 Lötschberg
Re 460 002 Seeland
Re 460 003 Millieu du Monde
Re 460 004 Uetliberg
Re 460 005 Val d'Anniviers
Re 460 006 Lavaux
Re 460 007 Junior
Re 460 008 La Gruyère
Re 460 009 Le jet d´eau
Re 460 010 Löwenberg
Re 460 011 Léman
Re 460 012 Erguël
Re 460 013 Nord Vaudois
Re 460 014 Val du Trient
Re 460 015 Dübendorf II
Re 460 016 Rohrdorferberg Reusstal
Re 460 017 Les Diablerets
Re 460 018 —
Re 460 019 Terre Sainte
Re 460 020 Idée suisse
Re 460 021 —
Re 460 022 Sihl
Re 460 023 Wankdorf
Re 460 024 Rheintal
Re 460 025 Striegel
Re 460 026 Fricktal
Re 460 027 Joggeli
Re 460 028 Seetal
Re 460 029 Eulach
Re 460 030 Säntis
Re 460 031 Chaumont
Re 460 032 —
Re 460 033 —
Re 460 034 Aare
Re 460 035 —
Re 460 036 Franches-Montagnes
Re 460 037 Sempacher See
Re 460 038 Hauenstein
Re 460 039 Rochers de Naye
Re 460 040 Napf
Re 460 041 Mendrisiotto
Re 460 042 Albis
Re 460 043 Dreispitz
Re 460 044 Zugerland
Re 460 045 Rigi
Re 460 046 Polmengo
Re 460 047 Maderanertal
Re 460 048 Züri Wyland
Re 460 049 Pfannenstiel
Re 460 050 Züspa
Re 460 051 Staffelegg
Re 460 052 Eigenamt
Re 460 053 Suhrental
Re 460 054 Dreiländereck
Re 460 055 Lillehammer
Re 460 056 —
Re 460 057 Val-de-Ruz
Re 460 058 La Côte
Re 460 059 La Béroche
Re 460 060 Val-de-Travers
Re 460 061 Wiggertal
Re 460 062 Ergolz
Re 460 063 Brunegg
Re 460 064 Mythen
Re 460 065 Rotsee
Re 460 066 Finse
Re 460 067 Hohle Gasse
Re 460 068 Gütsch
Re 460 069 Verkehrshaus
Re 460 070 —
Re 460 071 Mittelland
Re 460 072 Reuss
Re 460 073 Monte Ceneri
Re 460 074 —
Re 460 075 Schafmatt
Re 460 076 Leventina
Re 460 077 Chunnel
Re 460 078 Monte Generoso
Re 460 079 Weissenstein
Re 460 080 Tre Valli
Re 460 081 Pfänder
Re 460 082 Ceresio
Re 460 083 —
Re 460 084 Helvetia (from 12 September 2006 to August 2007: Neftenbach)
Re 460 085 Pilatus
Re 460 086 Ägerisee
Re 460 087 Säuliamt
Re 460 088 Limmat
Re 460 089 Freiamt
Re 460 090 Goffersberg
Re 460 091 Werdenberg
Re 460 092 Fridolin
Re 460 093 Rhein
Re 460 094 Rhätia
Re 460 095 Bachtel
Re 460 096 Furttal
Re 460 097 Studenland
Re 460 098 Balsberg
Re 460 099 Bodensee
Re 460 100 Tösstal
Re 460 101 Bözberg
Re 460 102 Lägern
Re 460 103 Heitersberg
Re 460 104 Toggenburg
Re 460 105 Fürstenland
Re 460 106 Munot
Re 460 107 Glärnisch
Re 460 108 Engadin
Re 460 109 Alpstein
Re 460 110 Mariaberg
Re 460 111 Kempt
Re 460 112 Thurtal
Re 460 113 Irchel
Re 460 114 Circus Knie
Re 460 115 Heidiland
Re 460 116 Ostschweiz
Re 460 117 Zürichsee
Re 460 118 Gotthard / Gottardo

List of alternate names due to special liveries^[3]
Serial	Name	Period	Livery
Re 460 003	Roger	2008	National Suisse / Roger Federer
Re 460 014	FORTICO	21 Jun 1996 – 30 Oct 1997	Holderbank Cement: HCB
Re 460 015	uf u dervo	27 Jun 2004 – 9 Oct 2006	Schweizer Radio DRS III
Re 460 016	TRAMONT	11 Apr 1997 – 27 May 1998	ABB / Adtranz I-V
Re 460 018		23 Jan 1995 – 17 Apr 1997	Danzas AG
Re 460 018	Leutschenbach I	22 Jan 2005 – 5 Oct 2005	Schweizer Fernsehen SF DRS II
Re 460 019	Miele	17 Aug 1995 – 4 Nov 1996	Miele: Miele Schweizer- und Euronorm
Re 460 020	idée suisse	24 Mar 1999 – unknown	SRG SSR idée suisse
Re 460 021	Lovely	4 Oct 1995 – 26 Mar 1997	ZVSM: Milch. Die natürliche Energie
Re 460 024		22 Jun 2006 – unknown	Zugkraft Aargau II
Re 460 032	Leutschenbach II	6 Jan 1997 – 18 Oct 2005	Schweizer Fernsehen SF DRS Leutschenbach II
Re 460 033	Ascolino	2 Sep 1996 – 31 Oct 1997	Ascom verbindet Menschen
Re 460 035	Roger	2015	Helvetia Insurance / Roger Federer
Re 460 040	Helen Lüthi	20 Apr 2002 – 5 Sep 2005	100 Jahre SBB 1902–2002
Re 460 056	Leutschenbach I	6 Jan 1997 – 5 Aug 2004	Schweizer Fernsehen SF DRS Leutschenbach I
Re 460 073	DRS 1	12 May 2004 – 10 May 2007	Schweizer Radio DRS 1
Re 460 079	Morgestraich	5 Oct 1999 – 15 Mar 2004	ChemOil Logistics AG
Re 460 079	Stein am Rhein	30 Mar 2004 – 20 Jul 2005	25 Jahre Verkehrsclub der Schweiz
Re 460 101	Magic Ticket	2 Jun 2004 – unknown	SBB: Magic Ticket – Hopp Schwiiz

See also: Re 460 special liveries (German Wikipedia)

Accidents and incidents

On 20 February 2015, locomotive No. 460 087-0 was involved in a collision with S-Bahn Class 514 electric multiple unit 514 146–2 at .

BLS

Swiss company BLS operates 18 similar locomotives, designated Re 465. These locomotives have efficiency modifications, slightly higher power output and tractive effort and individual axle control rather than individual bogie control, but are otherwise identical to the Re 460. Numbered 001–018, all are named.^[4] These locomotives are used for both passenger and freight duties by BLS.^[5]

List of names:

001 Simplon/Sempione/Adler/Staatswappen Schweiz/Italien/BLS AplTransit/Lötschberg
002 Gornergrat
003 Jungfraujoch–Seespiele
004 Mittelallalin-Valaistourisme
005 Niesen
006 Lauchernalp
007 Schilthorn
008 Niederhorn
009 Napf
010 Mont Vully
011 Wisenberg
012 Euro Tunnel
013 Stockhorn
014 Spalenberg
015 Vue-des-Alpes
016 Centovalli
017 Schrattenflue
018 Brienz Rothorn Bahn

Usage abroad

The MTR Corporation of Hong Kong also operates two Lok2000 variants for its cross-boundary service from Kowloon, Hong Kong, to Guangzhou, China. They were introduced in 1998 when the service was operated by the KCRC; accordingly, the train is called the KTT, which stands for "KCR Through Train". These long-distance trains have ten double-deck carriages^[6] and are equipped with knuckle couplers, instead of buffers and chain couplers. While the train has two locomotives, it is not operated in push-pull mode.

The 46 Sr2 locomotives of VR (Finnish Railways) are closely based on the Re 460, as are the 22 NSB El 18 class used by Vy of Norway. Indian Railways' WAP-5 electric locomotives are also based on the Re 460. The shape of the modified version of China Railways SS9 electric locomotives is similar to Re 460.

Notes and References

The allowed top speed is 200 km/h. In order to get the approval to run at that speed, the locomotive must be able to go 15% faster; thus, the technical top speed is 230km/h, see Article by Bruno Lämmli (German). However, this is not relevant in normal operation. Therefore, the table holds the allowed top speed, as for any other rail vehicle.
Web site: Bahn 2000 Rail Network Improvements, Switzerland . 28 September 2009 . rail-technology.com.
Web site: Pictures of all Re 460 . info24.jimdofree.com . info24 by Marcel Manhart . 25 December 2019.
Web site: BLS Rolling Stock – Re 465 . BLS AG . 28 September 2009.
Web site: Class Re 465 locomotives for heavy-haul freight service. Professional Engineering Publishing. 28 September 2009.
Web site: Kowloon-Canton Railway . rail-technology.com . 28 September 2009.