DE1 explained

DE1
Builder:Dnipropetrovsk research-and-production association for electric locomotive engineering
Builddate:1995–2008
Totalproduction:40
Aarwheels:2(2О - 2О)
Maxspeed:100km/h
Powersupply:overhead line

DE1 is a Ukrainian series of DC electric locomotives. It is the first electric locomotive developed by Ukraine since the end of the Soviet Union.[1] The DE1 was produced for service in the Near-Dnieper and the Donets Basin regional divisions of the Ukrainian Railways. All of them were produced by the Dnepropetrovsk research-and-production association for electric locomotive engineering.

History

By the middle of the 1990s there was a need to replace the ageing VL8 locomotives, which had stopped operating in Russia were only being used by that point on the Near-Dnieper and Donets territorial railways in southeastern Ukraine. The Dnepropetrovsk electric locomotive factory was tasked with developing a new electric locomotive.[2]

The first two units produced, numbered DE1-001 (made in 1995) and DE1-002 (in 1997), became test prototypes that were used to further develop the design. They were both retired in 2007 and 2013, respectively. By 2008, a total of 40 units of the DE1 were produced.

Technical specifications

The series was succeeded by the DS3 locomotives.

Operators

!Railroad!Qty.!Road Numbers!Notes
Ukrainian Railways40DE1-001–DE1-040At least two of them may have been captured by the Donetsk People's Republic since the War in Donbass. The original two prototype units have been completely taken out of service, while several others appear to be currently out of order but still in service. All of them were based out of the Lyman or Dnepropetrovsk depots. Their status since the Russian invasion of Ukraine is unknown.[3]

Notes and References

  1. https://cfts.org.ua/news/2020/10/08/ukrzaliznytsya_budet_vosstanavlivat_elektrovozy_ds3_i_de1_61178 "Укрзализныця" будет восстанавливать электровозы ДС3 и ДЭ1
  2. https://dzen.ru/a/Y1wO_oILbCX23-W9 Украинский электровоз постоянного тока ДЭ1, построенный для замены советских локомотивов ВЛ8. Что из этого вышло
  3. https://railgallery.ru/list.php?mid=11 DE1 - List of vehicles