E 457 | TrainsDepot.org

Source: vlaky.net

E 457

Vehicle type: Electric locomotive

Registration country: Czechoslovakia

Railway companies: CSD / ČSD - Československé státní dráhy

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In service:

from 1977

Built by:

Škoda - Škoda Works

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1977

The history of the locomotive E 457.0001 began with a catastrophic event in May 1974, when the electric shunting locomotive E 458.0012 was destroyed by fire in Ostrava. Following the accident, the Czechoslovak State Railways (ČSD) and the Federal Ministry of Transport decided to use the remains of this machine as a foundation for a technical experiment. The primary objective was to achieve significant energy savings by replacing the standard, high-loss resistance regulation with more efficient pulse regulation using powerful semiconductor components, specifically thyristors and diodes produced domestically in Czechoslovakia.

The reconstruction process took place at the Škoda works in Plzeň from September 1976 to May 1977. The engineers modified the original design of the E 458.0 series to accommodate the new electronic systems while maintaining the mechanical integrity of the chassis. Upon completion, the modified machine was designated as E 457.0001. At this stage, the project was still considered a "test sample" intended only for the verification of new electrotechnical elements rather than a prototype for mass production.

The status of the locomotive changed significantly in June 1977 during trials at the railway test circuit near Cerhenice. The performance of the continuous pulse regulation was so successful that authorities decided to elevate the machine to the status of a formal prototype for a new series of shunting locomotives: E 458.1.

Sources: https://www.vlaky.net/zeleznice/spravy/6757-Elektricke-lokomotivy-na-nasich-kolejich-rada-111-112/

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