SNCF Class BB 12000 SNCF Class BB 12000 The SNCF Class BB 12000 were electric locomotives operated by SNCF. The first examples arrived on the railway in 1953, operating on the 25 kV 50 Hz line to the coal mines of the "Houillères de Lorraine" in the north-east of France. BB 12001 arrived in Mohon on July 17, 1954. Tried first along the Valenciennes – Lumes line, specifications called for a locomotive capable of pulling 750 tonne trains along a grade of 10 ‰. The 12000 Class proved more than capable, pulling 1100 tonne then 1400 tonne trains. BB 12006 using a different system
SNCF Class BB 26000 simplicity of equipment, and price. Two locomotives SNCF BB 20011 and 20012 were used to develop and test the dual voltage traction system, microprocessor control systems and auxiliary motors, BB 20012 was used to develop and test the pneumatic and electrical braking system. The Paris-based industrial design group MBD Design contributed to the design of the locomotive. 264 of the class were ordered by SNCF, only 234 were built, the last 30 of the order were instead built as a new triple voltage design capable of also operating on 3 kV DC; these used asynchronous electric motors and became the