EP03
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EP03-01 (ASEA 01/1951),
photographed on August 15, 2004, between Cracow and Wieliczka.
Photo by Tomasz Mleczek (http://ssb.strefa.pl/mitor - thanks
for permission!).
Another photo taken on the same occasion.
EP03-07, photographed at the Warszawa Zachodnia station in May 1962. Photo from my collection.
EP03-01 at the Kraków Płaszów depot; photo taken on
EP03-08 (ASEA
08/1951) under restoration at the Skierniewice
depot. Photo taken on
EP03-01 once again, this time photographed in Sucha Beskidzka on September 6,
2008. Photo by Ryszard Rusak
(thanks for permission!).
On September 5, 2009, EP03-01 took part
in ‘Parowozjada 2009’ in Chabówka.
This picture has been taken at the railway stock heritage park…
…and this one at the Chabówka
station.
Side drawing of the EP03 by Robert Kroma (SK vol. 1/1995).
One more picture of the EP03-01: Sucha Beskidzka, October 11,
1997. Photo by Marek Niemiec (from my collection). |
Of ten electric locomotives
supplied to PKP between 1936 and
1937 for service around the Warsaw railway junction (classes EL.100 and
EL.200) two survived the war and only one was operational. Electrification
was started immediately after the war and completed in early 1950s, but
Polish industry was not yet able to build a complete electric locomotive.
Pre-war EL.100 of British origin was still considered satisfactory and
contacts with the Contractors Committee
for the Electrification of Polish Railways were soon restored; in 1949 a
contract was signed for delivery of electric equipment and traction motors
for eight similar locomotives, to be assembled at the former Linke-Hofmann factory in Wrocław, now renamed Pafawag (today Bombardier Transportation Poland).
First of these machines, classed EP02, was completed in August 1953. Pending
their introduction, eight electric line locomotives were ordered from Swedish Allmanna
Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA).
Preliminary negotiations started in 1946 and all locomotives were delivered
between 1951 and 1952. They were first designated class E150 (from service
numbers, E151 through E158), then E03 and finally, in 1958, EP03.
ASEA had had no experience with 3000
V DC electric locomotives, as Swedish railways had their network electrified
with 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz. Swedish engineers were thus sent to English Electric and Metropolitan Vickers, where first
machines for Poland had been built. New locomotives had thus much in common
with EP01 and EP02; in particular, traction engines were similar, but
continuous rating increased from 1360 to 1620 kW. EP03 was also marginally
heavier, but overall characteristics and appearance were similar. It could
haul a 500-tonne draft at 100 km/h and could also be used with light freight
trains.
All eight machines were initially
based in Warsaw. As electrification progressed, they were transferred in 1954
to Łódź Olechów depot.
Their service with long-distance trains was not very long. Basically first
electric locomotives in PKP service
(classes EP01, EP02 and EP03) were all comparatively light machines, stemming
from the same pre-war British design. With the appearance of more modern and
more powerful classes EU04, EU05 and EU06 (the latter – again of British
origin – was finally chosen for license production) they were shifted to
local trains and remained in service until early 1970s. Two examples have
been preserved. EP03-01 (s/n 01/1951) was initially intended for the Railway Museum in Warsaw, but ended up
at the Odolany depot, to be finally transferred to Sucha Beskidzka. Formally
re-entered on the company rosters after an overhaul in April 1997, EP03-01 is
an operational heritage locomotive and sometimes can be seen in southern
Poland with tourist trains. This machine is the oldest operational electric
locomotive in Poland, although it has to be mentioned that several items of
equipment are not original (taken from ET21 and EN57 EMU). EP03-08 (s/n
08/1951) is owned by the PSMK
railway fan society and kept at the Skierniewice
depot, but this machine is not operational and its overall condition is
rather poor; currently it is under restoration.
Main
technical data
1)
Some sources give 110 km/h. References and
acknowledgments
-
www.darkman.kolej.szczecin.pl
(website by Dariusz Niemczyk
– no longer active); -
www.kolej.pl/~jareks/
(website by Jarosław Stawarz
aka Chester – no longer active); -
www.parowozy.pl/skansen/
(Chabówka railway stock heritage park website); -
Chris West (private communication); -
SK, various issues. |
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