SNCF Class BB 8500

French electric locomotive

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)Driver dia.1,100 mm (43.31 in)Length14.70 m (48 ft 2.7 in) (8501-8536)
14.94 m (49 ft 0.2 in) (8537-8587)
15.57 m (51 ft 1.0 in)(8588-8646)Loco weight78 t (77 long tons; 86 short tons) (8501-8536)
79 t (78 long tons; 87 short tons) (8537-8587)
80 t (79 long tons; 88 short tons) (8588-8646)Electric system/s1.5 kV DC CatenaryCurrent pickup(s)PantographTraction motors2×660 TAB A1 (8501-8536) or 2×TAB 660B1 (8537-8646) monomotors

Performance figures
Maximum speed	100 or 140 km/h (62 or 87 mph)
Power output	2,610 kW (3,500 hp) (8501-8536) 2,940 kW (3,940 hp) (8537-8646)
Tractive effort	323 or 197 kN (72,600 or 44,300 lb_f)

Career
Operators	SNCF VFE* SNCF TER† SNCF Transilien‡ SNCF Infra¤
Class	¤BB 8500 †‡BB 8500 & BB88500
Number in class	2^[1] †43^[2] ‡4^[3] ¤2^[4]
Nicknames	Danseuses (Dancers)
Locale	Tournay-Capvern †TER Bourgogne, Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc & Rhône-Alpes. ECS at Paris-Gare de Lyon, Paris-Gare d'Austerlitz & Lyon
Disposition	Banking engine ‡¤to be passed to TER

The SNCF Class BB 8500 class are part of a series of electric locomotives built by Alsthom for SNCF. They are the direct current version of the 25 kV alternating current SNCF BB 17000 and dual system SNCF BB 25500.

The locomotives are fitted with monomotor bogies with two different gear ratios. This allows them to increase their tractive effort in exchange for a reduction in their top speed. This makes them suitable for both freight and passenger trains. They acquired the nickname Danseuses (dancers) due to their tendency to sway from side to side at speed, which led to them being blacked at a number of depots.^[5]

They were built in three distinct batches, leading to detail differences. They remain in use as mixed traffic locomotives, mostly with TER and but with some remaining for special duties. Thirty locomotives, dedicated to empty stock moves, have been reclassified as BB 88500.^[2] Likewise in 2001, 20 of the class were rebuilt for freight banking workings on the Maurienne line. They were classified as BB 8700 for this period.

Names

Five members of the class were named. ^[6]

Number	Name
8600	Fleury-les-Aubrey
8602	Foix
8603	Lannemezan
8604	Cerdagne
8605	Saint-Gaudens

Preservation

A single locomotive, BB 8616, is preserved at Mohon.

References

^ Marco van Uden. "SNCF VFE electric locomotives". Retrieved 2008-01-29.
^ ^a ^b Marco van Uden. "SNCF TER electric locomotives". Archived from the original on 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
^ Marco van Uden. "SNCF Île de France electric locomotives". Retrieved 2008-01-29.
^ Marco van Uden. "SNCF Departmental electric locomotives". Retrieved 2008-01-29.
^ Haydock, David; Fox, Peter (1999). European Handbook No. 4 French Railways Locomotives & Multiple Units (Third ed.). Sheffield, UK: Platform 5 Publishing. ISBN 1-872524-87-7.
^ Garvin, Brian; Fox, Peter; Appleby, Chris (1986). SNCF/French National Railways. Sheffield: Platform Five. p. 18. ISBN 0-906579-62-7.

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Locomotives of SNCF

Electric
locomotives

BB 1–80
BB 100
BB 200
BB 300
BB 325
BB 900
CC 1100
BB 1280
BB 1320
BB 1420
BB 1500
BB 1600
BB 1800
2BB2 3200
2BB2 3300
2CC2 3400
1ABBA1 3500
1ABBA1 3600
1CC1 3700
1CC1 3800
BB 4100
BB 4200
BB 4600
BB 4700
BB 4730
2D2 5400
2D2 5500
CC 6001
BBB 6002
BBB 6003
CC 6500
CC 7000
BB 7003
CC 7100
BB 7200
BB 8100
BB 8500
BB 8700
BB 9001
BB 9003
2D2 9100
BB 9200
BB 9300
BB 9400
BB 9600
BB 9700
BB 80000
BB 88500

BB 12000 BB 13000 CC 14000 CC 14100 BB 15000 BB 16000 BB 16100 BB 16500 BB 17000
Prototype and experimental	BB 10001 CC 10002 BB 10003 BB 10004

Dual-voltage

BB 20100 CC 20150 BB 20200 CC 21000 BB 22200 CC 25000 BB 25100 BB 25150 BB 25200 BB 25500 BB 26000 BB 27000 BB 27300 CC 92000
Prototype and experimental	CC 20001 CC 20002 BBB 20003 BB 20004 BB 20005 BB 20006 BB 20011 and BB 20012

Triple-voltage

Quad-voltage

CC 40100
BB 47000
BB 48000 (Prima II)

Diesel
locomotives

Main-line
locos

BB 60000 C 61000, C61100 BB 61000 A1AA1A 62000 BB 62400 BB 63000 BB 63400 BB 63500 BB 64700, BB 64800 CC 65000 CC 65500 BB 66000 BB 66400 BB 66600 BB 66700 BB 67000 BB 67200 BB 67300 BB 67400 A1AA1A 68000 A1AA1A 68500 BB 69000 BB 69200 BB 69400 CC 70000 BB 71000 CC 72000 CC 72100 BB 75000 BB 76000 CC 77000 CC 80000
Prototype and experimental	BB 60000 040.DI. → BB 60001 030.DC → C 60002 040.DC → BB 60021 040.DM → BB 60031–33 040.DF → BB 60041 141.DA. → 1D1 60051

Shunters

Y 2100
Y 2200
Y 2400
Y 5100
Y 5200
Y 6000
Y 6200
Y 6300
Y 6400
Y 7100
Y 7400
Y 8000
Y 8400
Y 9000
Y 9100
Y 11200
YBD 12000
YBE 14000
YBE 15000
Y 50100
Y 51100
Y 51200
Y BL

Steam locomotives

Tender locomotives	232.P 232.Q 232.R 232.S 232.U 141.P 141.R 240.P 241.P 242.A 150.P 150.X 150.Y 150.Z
Tank locomotives	221.Q 030.TA 030.TU 030.TW 040.TX 050.TX 050.TQ 151.TQ