THe ge 6/6 II
THe ge 6/6 II
a workhorse for rhb
a workhorse for rhb
Picture: © M. Morelli
During the 1950s, transport demand and traffic increased in such a manner, that the existing "Crocodile" locomotives of the Ge 6/6 I series built in the 1920s and the Ge 4/4 I series locomotives built in 1947/1953 were not sufficient anymore. In 1958, the construction of large hydroelectric power plants (Albigna Dam) started in the Bergell region in southeastern Switzerland. To raise the dam, owned by the Elektrizitätswerk Zürich, to its planned height of 115m with a crown length of 791m, up to 1000 metric tons of concrete per day were needed. Produced in Untervaz close to the city of Chur, the concrete had to be transported to the Engadin valley. Rhaetian Railways needed a locomotive capable of hauling 250 metric tons over the 35‰ grades of Albula line. The Ge 6/6 II was born.
history
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We put the spotlight on the 63 year long history of the Ge 6/6 II series, from their design and construction days to the last runs in service, their retirement and their ultimate day at the recycling scrapyard.
Here you'll find some technical data as well as drawings of the Ge 6/6 II, one of the most powerful narrow gauge locomotives ever built.
We don't want you to miss the best pictures and movies which we could find about the Ge 6/6 II. Have a look back on 63 years of history of this twelve-wheeler on the core network of Rhaetian Railways (RhB).