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Prima
An Alstom Prima locomotive in Chemins de Fer Syriens livery, Syria
Power type	diesel
Builder	EMD/Alstom after 2004 EMD/Vossloh España Except BB 47500 : Alstom / Siemens
Build date	JT 42BW / JT 42CW : 1996- Class 67 : 1998- RENFE Class 333 : 2000-2005 PL42 AC : 2001 RENFE 334 : 2004 BB 75000 : 2006 onwards
Total production	JT 42BW : 48 JT 42CW : 8 Class 67 : 30 RENFE Class 333 : 92 PL42 AC : 33 RENFE 334 : 28 BB 75000 : 400+ on order
UIC classification	JT 42BW / EW&S Class 67 / BB 75000 / PL42 AC / RENFE Class 334 : Bo'Bo' JT 42CW / RENFE Class 333 : Co'Co'
Gauge	JT 42BW / JT 42CW / EW&S Class 67 / PL42 AC / BB 75000 : 1,435 mm RENFE Class 333 / 334 : 1668 mm
Axle load	JT 42BW / RENFE Class 334: 22.5 tonnes JT 42CW: 19 tonnes EW&S Class 67: 21 tonnes RENFE Class 333: 20 tonnes PL42 AC: 32.5 tonnes BB 75000: 21 tonnes
Weight	JT 42BW / RENFE Class 334 : 90 tonnes JT 42CW: 114 tonnes EW&S Class 67: 88 tonnes RENFE Class 333: 120 tonnes PL 42AC: 130 tonnes BB 75000: 84 tonnes
Fuel type	Diesel
Fuel capacity	JT 42BW / JT 42 CW / RENFE Class 333: 6000 l EWS Class 67 : 5700 l PL42 AC : 9500 l RENFE Class 334 : 4000 l BB 75000 : ?
Engine type	JT 42BW / JT 42CW : 12N710G3B EWS Class 67 / RENFE Class 334: 12N710G3B-EC RENFE Class 333: GM 16-645 E3 PL42 AC: 16N710G3B-T1 BB 75000: MTU 16 cylinder V
Alternator	JT 42BW / JT 42CW: AR10JBA (Aux. rated 25 kW) EW&S Class 67 : AR9AC6HEX (Aux. rated 18kW) RENFE Class 333 : AR10 + D14 (Aux rated 18kW) PL42 AC: TA17/CA6 (Aux. rated 18kW) RENFE Class 334: AR10 + D14 + HE5 (Aux. rated 25kW) BB 75000 : ?
Traction motors	JT 42BW / EW&S Class67 / RENFE Class 334: D43 FM JT 42CW / RENFE Class 333: D78 PL42 AC : 6FXA 4057 BB 75000: ? three phase / asynchronous
Transmission	Diesel electric
Multiple working	yes
Top speed	JT 42BW: 140 km/h JT 42CW: 110 km/h EWS Class 67 / RENFE Class 334: 200 km/h RENFE Class 333: 120 km/h PL42 AC: 160 km/h BB 75000: 120 km/h
Power output	JT 42BW / JT 42 CW / EWS Class 67 / RENFE Class 333 / 334: 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) (nominal) PL 42AC : 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) (nominal) BB 75000: 1,600 kW (2,100 hp)
Tractive effort	Maximum: JT 42BW: 244 kN JT 42CW: 588 kN EWS Class 67: 144 kN RENFE Class 333: 341kN PL 42AC: 311 kN RENFE Class 334: ?
Locomotive brakes	JT 42BW / JT 42CW / EW&S Class 67 / RENFE Class 333 / PL42 AC / RENFE Class 334: Electropneumatic BB 75000 : ?
Career	JT 42BW / JT 42CW: Israel Railways EWS Class 67: English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (UK) RENFE Class 333 / 334: RENFE (Spain) PL42 AC: NJT (USA) BB 75000: FRET SNCF (France)
Official name	JT 42BW[1] JT 42CW[2] EWS Class 67[3] RENFE 333 (rebuild)[4] PL42 AC[5] RENFE 334[6] Alstom Prima BB 75000[7][8]

The Prima Diesel-electric locomotives are a class of medium and heavy, four- and six-axle, passenger and freight mainline locomotives.^[9] They have been built both to standard (1435 mm) and wide (1668 mm) gauges, and find use in the Middle East, Europe and North America. Alstom is the primary designer in cooperation with both General Motors (now EMD) and Siemens.

History

Initially the Prima locomotives were electric only, with the technology demonstrator and test platform being built in 2002^[10] in Belfort France by Alstom. Next came the Prima 6000 technology demonstrator; this too was an electric locomotive, with 6000 kW of power and primarily intended to test and demonstrate multi-voltage operations for European cross-border operations.^[11] Orders for the Prima electrics came, mostly from SNCF.

Though the Siemens/Alstom BB 7500 was unveiled on 25 March 2004,^[12] a series of locomotives also associated with the Prima name had already been built. These were the General Motors (GM) engined machines built by Alstom at its Spanish plant in Valencia.

The Valencia plant was sold to Vossloh in 2004. Locomotives continued to be built there using EMD engines and electrical transmission systems - including almost total rebuilds of the RENFE 333 class. Vossloh changed the names of the products produced there to the "Vossloh Euro" platform^[13] (see Vossloh Euro locomotives) and the end came of the association of the Valencia plant with the Prima name.^[14]

Also produced in the 1990s were Prima diesels countries outside Europe. The DE32C was produced for Chemins de Fer Syriens in Syria, and Sri Lanka received 10 locomotives which it designated M9 class. A DE43C model was exported to Iran (AD43C^[15]). Nevertheless the Euro 3000 and Euro 4000 products produced at Vossloh España continue to show similarities with the earlier Prima products^[14]—such as the centrally located driver position with radially located controls, the single drivers window, and general body shape and design of the rigid body shell.

Alstom and Siemens collaborated to produce the BB 75000 diesel, which has received orders for at least 400 locomotives from SNCF with a possibility of 100 more. The first locomotive was produced in 2006.

In 2008 Alstom unveiled the 'Prima II' platform in collaboration once again with Siemens;^[16] diesel versions are said to be offered, so it is expected that further models of the Prima diesel locomotive family will appear.

Technology

The Prima type locomotives built at Alstoms Valencia plant were engined with General motors engines; in fact the entire power train - engine, generator, electronics and motors were supplied by General Motors for the Valencia built Primas. For the locomotives built in France - primarily those exported outside Europe Ruston engines were used. The Prima diesels for SNCF Fret used MTU engines.

Modern innovations in the Prima class included - a centrally located drivers seat with ergonomically arranged controls, a monocoque rigid bodyshell.

The BB 75000 retains the Prima appearance - the single window, drivers position, body design, but the 'innards' are supplied by Siemens, the engine from Caterpiller.

Variants

M9

The Sri Lankan M9 locomotive is a 6 axle machine with 1.8MW power produced from a Ruston 12 cylinder engine.^[17] Ten units were ordered in 1997 and delivered in 2000, costin 20million Sri Lankan currency units each. The locomotives are painted in a yellow, white and blue livery^[18] They are numbered 864 to 873^[19] Technical data: Weight 100.56tonnes, Engine Alstom Ruston 4 stroke diesel 12 RK 215T of 3220hp derated to 1800hp, maximum speed 110 km/h, fuel tank 5000l, as of 2007 only 3 operations due to technical problems,^[20] earning them the unfortunate title "Most Unsuccessful locomotive in Sri Lanka Railway".^[21]

JT 42BW

An order of 48 were ordered for Israel Railways, these four-axle locomotives can be seen operating push-pull passenger trains with single or double decker carriages. One unusual feature of this class is the 'horn like' headlight situated on top of the loco's cabin.^[22]

JT 42CW

Eight ordered for the railways of Israel, these six-axle locos are suited for heavy freight work amongst other tasks.^[23]

JT 42HW-HS

More commonly known as the English, Welsh and Scottish Railways Class 67, this type have a high axle load (22.5 tonnes) for UK rails, coupled with a high top speed they have a very poor Route Availability of 8; typically they will not be able to run at anything like their top speed of 200 km/h on British rails.

RENFE Class 333

These locomotives (333.3 and 333.4 subclasses) are the result of an almost total rebuild of the original Class 333 version (posthumously named 333.0) —practically all the previous equipment is scrapped—but the GM engine is reused, because of the extent of new equipment (including the main frame) the rebuilt locomotives are regarded as Prima types.

DE32C

In operation with Chemins de Fer Syriens in Syria, these locomotives are rated at 3,200 hp (2,400 kW) of power.^[24] The engine in this model is manufactured by Ruston.^[25]

AD 43C

In operation with Islamic Republic of Iran Railways.^[26] These locos are very high power: 4,300 hp (3,200 kW).^[27] 20 were built by Alstom, the remaining 80 of an order of 100 were to be built in Iran by Wagon Pars.^[27][28] These locomotives also used a Ruston engine.^[27]

PL 42AC

This model only has a single cabin. Despite having a top speed of 160 km/h the average speed on the railway it operates on is only 48 km/h. They were built for New Jersey Transit.

RENFE 334

These were the last of the Valencia-built Prima locomotives and technicallly should be considered part of the Vossloh Euro series of locomotives since they came off the production line after 2004. Built for passenger work on non-electrified lines in Spain, and were intended to replace older Class 333s.

Alstom/Siemens BB 75000

This loco is much less powerful than the previous Prima designs, though any short-comings can be overset by the ability to work in multiple. The use of a Bo'Bo' design may have some cost benefits over a more complex (but more powerful) Co'Co' designed locomotive.

See also

• Vossloh Euro locomotives - for the effective successors to the heavyweight Prima diesels.
• Alstom Prima electric locomotives
• Siemens Eurorunner and Bombardier Traxx - two major European competitors.
• Prima locomotives

References

External links

• Comparison with later products with this 2002 brochure shows an Alstom / GM-EMD Euro locomotive with 4,300 hp (3,200 kW) of power.