Exhibit description

Alternating Current Passenger Electric Locomotive CHS4 012

Shortage of Electric Locomotives

By the end of the 1950s and the early 1960s, the length of railway lines electrified with alternating current in the USSR had increased significantly. At the same time, a problem that had emerged a few years earlier during the expansion of the DC electric traction loops continued to grow. Specifically, there was a pressing need for passenger electric locomotives, with no domestically produced designs that had been successfully mastered in production.

There was a shortage of passenger electric locomotives running on alternating current in the USSR. The Czechoslovakian Škoda Plant was called upon to address this issue.

In the case of DC passenger electric locomotives, a decision was made — due to both technical and political reasons — to order locomotives from the Czechoslovakian Škoda Plant. Several years later, the shortage of AC passenger electric locomotives was addressed in a similar manner.

New Model

Testing

In the early 1960s, the Škoda Plant developed a new design for an AC electric locomotive, which was designated ChS4 in the USSR. In 1963, a prototype was created — a six-axle experimental electric locomotive, S699.001, factory type 32E₀, which underwent various tests in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. In 1964, based on the experience gained from developing this locomotive, the ChS4 001 electric locomotive of factory type 52E₀ was built. After being delivered from Czechoslovakia, it was tested on the North Caucasus Railway in 1965–1966.

Later, the Škoda Plant began mass production of the ChS4 electric locomotives, which continued until 1972. A total of 230 locomotives of this class (Nos. 001–160 and 162–231) were manufactured and delivered to Soviet railways. The batches of electric locomotives belonged to the factory types 52Е₁ (002–011), 52Е₂ (012–061), 52Е₃ (062–160), 52Е₄ (162–211), and 52Е₅ (212–231), which had minor differences in design.

Interesting Solutions

The design of the ChS4 electric locomotives, made in Czechoslovakia, featured many technical solutions that were completely uncharacteristic of Soviet electric locomotive construction. Many components and assemblies differed significantly from the corresponding design elements found in domestic electric locomotives. An interesting feature of the ChS4 electric locomotive was its body, which was made of fiberglass. Large windshields, the outlines of the headlight and buffer lamps, and the smooth shape of the body gave this locomotive a very unique and memorable appearance (the exterior design was created by Czech designer Otakar Diblik).

Czech designer Otakar Diblik developed a very unique design for an electric locomotive: large windshields, the outlines of the headlight and buffer lamps, and the smooth shape of the body.

The power circuit of the electric locomotive uses a so-called “high-voltage regulation” system, which involves regulating the voltage of the traction electric motors on the primary (high) winding of the traction transformer. This approach, typical for European electric locomotive construction of that time, simplified the electrical circuit of the locomotive. However, it required very advanced technology for the manufacture of switching equipment, which was not typical for Soviet AC electric locomotives. In contrast, Soviet locomotives like the VL60 and VL80 employed “low-voltage regulation”, where the voltage was regulated on the secondary winding of the transformer.

In addition, the first batches of ChS4 electric locomotives (Nos. 001–011) had an electric (rheostatic) brake. Although this approach was abandoned in later-produced locomotives due to design imperfections, the idea was revisited during the creation of the new ChS4T electric locomotives.

Operation

The ChS4 electric locomotives have proven reliable in operation on Soviet railways. They were used in passenger service across several regions, including the North Caucasian (Kavkazskaya Depot), Southwestern (Kyiv Depot), Moscow (Bryansk-2 Depot), Gorky (Kirov Depot), Privolzhskaya (Saratov Depot), and South-Eastern (Balashov Depot) Railways.

In Russia, these electric locomotives operated until 2006.

Regular operation of these locomotives on the Russian Railways network ended at the Balashov Depot in 2005–2006. In Ukraine, however, where a significant number o ChS4 locomotives (105 units) underwent major repairs and extensive modernisation at the Zaporizhzhia Electric Locomotive Repair Plant from 1999 to 2013, these locomotives continue to operate successfully to this day.

Museum Exhibit

The ChS4 012 electric locomotive displayed in the museum was built in 1967 and was used on the Southwestern and Privolzhskaya Railways.