Exhibit description

Freight electric locomotive VL60^K-065

Alternating Current

When designing the first electrified sections of railways in the USSR back in the 1920s, engineers understood that the use of direct current would not allow, even at a voltage of 3 kV to increase the carrying capacity of the lines by increasing the weight of trains and the speed of movement. Calculations showed that for a train weighing 10,000 tons on an incline at a speed of 50 km/h the traction current would be more than 6 kA, and this would lead to frequent placement of electrical substations and an increase in the cross-section of the copper contact wire.

However, there was no equipment for the transmission and use of alternating current, which could increase the voltage to 20–25 kV, and electrification began with direct current of 1.5 and 3 kV. Over time, some sections of the railways were converted to alternating current when freight turnover increased: in Kazan, Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod), Saratov, Tashkent. In 1995 the Zima - Slyudyanka section of the Trans-Siberian Railway was transferred, and in 2001 - the Murmansk - Loukhi section.

Transition to silicon

At the end of 1962 the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant (NEVZ) produced two VL60^K electric locomotives with silicon rectifiers instead of mercury ignitron rectifiers. VL60^K-002 was sent for testing, VL60^K-001 after assembly was immediately put into operation on the North Caucasian Railway. In the second half of 1965 instead of VL60, the production of the VL60^K model began with NB-412K traction electric motors with an hourly capacity of 775 kW. The total hourly capacity of the electric locomotive was 4,650 kW.

A total of 501 electric locomotives of the VL60^K series were produced. All VL60s converted from ignitron rectifiers to silicon ones received the same name. Between 1962 and 1965, some VL60 electric locomotives were produced with a gear ratio of 2.73 and electropneumatic brakes for hauling passenger trains due to the lack of special AC passenger electric locomotives. They were assigned the VL60^PK series. From 1957 to 1967 NEVZ manufactured more than 2,200 VL60 variants.

Historical context

The VL60^K-002 electric locomotive passed tests on the experimental ring of VElNII. The VL60^K-001 electric locomotive, immediately after leaving the plant, was put into operation on the North Caucasian Railway.

A total of 501 VL60^K series electric locomotives were produced. All previously produced VL60s received the same name. They were re-equipped from ignitron rectifier units to semiconductor (silicon) ones.