Image description
The image shows an electric locomotive viewed from its frontage, respectively, is illustrated the facade of the motor wagon, responsible for the propulsion of the other cargo wagons.
The locomotive, viewed from the front, is rendered like a square, full in relief.
On the roof of the locomotive is located the pantograph or the device through which the motor is supplied with electricity at the contact with the overhead cables.
The pantograph is represented by two horizontal and parallel lines with curved ends, located at the top edge, joined, at the bottom, by two short and thickened vertical lines.
Below, in the middle, are the central headlights, required in the CFR signaling language and are marked by two small, blank, very close circles.
Below the central headlights, also in the upper half, is highlighted the driver’s cab, which has two windows, on the left and right edge, marked by two large and blanks rectangles, with rounded corners.
The corner headlights are the ones on the side, the left and right edge, located in the middle of the facade, under the driver’s cab and rendered by two larger and blank circles.
In the center of the corner headlights is the plate with the license number of the CFR locomotive, rendered by a small, horizontal rectangle, textured with oblique and parallel lines.
The buffer, a piece of the coupling system, located in the lower bar of the facade, with the role of keeping a certain distance between the coupled wagons and cushioning the shocks between them while moving, is represented as two rectangles circles, located below, one to the left and another to the right, blank outlined.
Under the two coupling pads is the locomotive pilot or cow plow, a device called by the Americans “cow catcher”, invented by them in order to push the animals, especially cattle, off the track, when they blocked the road.
The pilot is also used to remove any obstacles on the rails that prevent the train from moving on, be it rocks, animals, snow or other objects.
The pilot is like a shield made of two hard metal plates, joined in the center, on a front edge, at the base of the locomotive facade, just above the rails, and is marked by a horizontal rectangle, filled with dotted texture.
A man is standing in the right bottom corner, on a concrete platform marked embossed, thus positioned to facilitate the comparison of the dimensions of the locomotive to the height of an adult.
Additional data
The electric locomotive is a railway vehicle powered by electricity from external sources or from batteries mounted on board.
Unlike the steam locomotive, the electric one could operate non-stop, without the care of coal or water supply. Compared to the Diesel locomotive, the electric locomotive was quieter, cleaner and had more power.
Electric locomotives are easier on the tracks, reducing rail maintenance. In addition, they are ideal for rail freight service with frequent stops. Electric locomotives are in a word efficient.
The first known electric locomotive was built in 1837 by Scottish chemist Robert Davidson and was powered by galvanic cells (batteries). In 1841, Davidson built a larger locomotive, dubbed “Galvani”. The vehicle, which weighed seven tonnes, managed to reach a weight of six tonnes on a route of approximately 3 kilometers, with a speed of 6 kilometers per hour. Ultimately, the locomotive was destroyed by some railway employees, who considered it a threat to job security.
Electric locomotive is a railway vehicle mechanized by electricity from external sources or from batteries mounted on board.
Unlike the steam locomotive, the electric one could operate non-stop, without the care of coal or water supply. Compared to the Diesel locomotive, the electric locomotive was quieter, cleaner and had more power.
Electric locomotives are easier on the rail, reducing rail maintenance. In addition, they are ideal for rail freight service with frequent stops. Electric locomotives are in a word efficient.
The first electric passenger train was presented in 1879 by German engineer Werner von Siemens, in Berlin. The locomotive had a 2.2 kW engine and was pulling three “wagons” (actually small wheeled platforms) with a speed of 13 kilometers per hour. It was powered by 150 V DC, using a third rail mounted between the running ones. In just four months, the train carried over 86,000 passengers on a 300-meter circular route.
We owe Werner von Siemens the tram today because in 1881 he built the first tram line in Lichterfelde, near Berlin.
In the USA, among the pioneers of rail traction we can mention Thomas Edison, Stephen D. Field and Leo Daft. Thus, the first American electric locomotive was built after Edison’s projects in 1880. The electric current was taken over by the running track.
On December 9, 1965, the first electric locomotives were introduced in Romania. They traveled on the difficult section Predeal-Brașov, with a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. In 1966, the manufacture of electric locomotives 060-EA also starts in Romania, based on the Swedish license, followed by the realization of the 060-EA1 variant. The electrical part and the general assembly were made by Electroputere Craiova, and the mechanical part was provided by ICM Resita. These two types of Romanian electric locomotives are among the most modern European locomotives.
Bibliography
- Claudiu Andone, Povestea locomotivei, disponibil online la https://stiintasitehnica.com/povestea-locomotivei/, accesat la 23 ianuarie2020.
- https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istoria_locomotivei_electrice
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